Center for war-related brain injuries faces budget cut

[BBond]

Well, what comment can I make other than this is just more of the same from this "republican" controlled congress? But really, does anyone expect anything different from these "republicans" at this point?

Despicable. Simply despicable.

Center for war-related brain injuries faces budget cut

By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

Congress appears ready to slash funding for the research and treatment of brain injuries caused by bomb blasts, an injury that military scientists describe as a of brain injuries caused by bomb blasts.

House and Senate versions of the 2007 Defense appropriation bill contain $7 million for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center ? half of what the center received last fiscal year.

Proponents of increased funding say they are shocked to see cuts in the treatment of bomb blast injuries in the midst of a war.

"I find it basically unpardonable that Congress is not going to provide funds to take care of our soldiers and sailors who put their lives on the line for their country," says Martin Foil, a member of the center's board of directors. "It blows my imagination."

The Brain Injury Center, devoted to treating and understanding war-related brain injuries, has received more money each year of the war ? from $6.5 million in fiscal 2001 to $14 million last year. Spokespersons for the appropriations committees in both chambers say cuts were due to a tight budget this year.

"Honestly, they would have loved to have funded it, but there were just so many priorities," says Jenny Manley, spokeswoman for the Senate Appropriations Committee. "They didn't have any flexibility in such a tight fiscal year."

George Zitnay, co-founder of the center, testified before a Senate subcommittee in May that body armor saves troops caught in blasts but leaves many with brain damage. "Traumatic brain injury is the signature injury of the war on terrorism," he testified.

Zitnay asked for $19 million, and 34 Democratic and six Republican members of Congress signed a letter endorsing the budget request.

The House of Representatives approved its version of the spending bill June 20. A vote in the Senate is pending.

Scientists at the center develop ways to diagnose and treat servicemembers who suffer brain damage. The work is done at seven military and Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, including the center's headquarters at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, and one civilian treatment site.

The center has clashed with the Pentagon in recent months over a program to identify troops who have suffered mild to moderate brain injuries in Iraq from mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs ? the most common weapons used by insurgents.

Preliminary research by the center shows that about 10% of all troops in Iraq, and up to 20% of front line infantry troops, suffer concussions during combat tours. Many experience headaches, disturbed sleep, memory loss and behavior issues after coming home, the research shows.

The center urged the Pentagon to screen all troops returning from Iraq in order to treat symptoms and create a database of brain injury victims. Scientists say multiple concussions can cause permanent brain damage.

The Pentagon so far has declined to do the screening and argues that more research is needed.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Good lord... When you run a $350 billion deficit and you're looking to trim the budget... this is not the right way to do it. WTF are they thinking?

I can't vote for the Dems... But when the Rs act like this... Maybe I can crash on Dug777's couch for a while.

 

[BBond]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
Good lord... When you run a $350 billion deficit and you're looking to trim the budget... this is not the right way to do it. WTF are they thinking?

I can't vote for the Dems... But when the Rs act like this... Maybe I can crash on Dug777's couch for a while.

After all that's happened during the past six years your reaction is you can't vote for the Dems?

It's time to change your sig. Apparently your backordered parts have arrived.

 

[LunarRay]

To send the young men and women to war - regardless of the right or wrong of that - there MUST be the after care available to any VET who needs it... MUST... MUST...MUST!!!

I don't care if we are bankrupt... This is a MUST....

I see Vets who can no longer earn a living being cast aside like so much trash... let to sleep in the streets and called bums... Take care of these Vets and I don't care if we have to tax every dollar of every millionaire to do it... or to start there..

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: BBond

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
Good lord... When you run a $350 billion deficit and you're looking to trim the budget... this is not the right way to do it. WTF are they thinking?

I can't vote for the Dems... But when the Rs act like this... Maybe I can crash on Dug777's couch for a while.

After all that's happened during the past six years your reaction is you can't vote for the Dems?

It's time to change your sig. Apparently your backordered parts have arrived.

Oh come on, the Ds have no advantge on this issue. They have a track record of cutting defense programs left and right.

The current administration sucks. Nobody can deny that. But they don't reflect the position of the rank and file conservative or republican. If they did they wouldn't have ballooned the budget and allowed illegals to stream across the border unchecked. Two things that are openly supported by most on the left.

So should I vote for the party that is honest and says "hey yeah, we're gonna screw ya but at least we're honest about it?" or should I work to create reform in a party that is supposed to stand against everything that the current administration is perpetrating? (Which, other than Iraq, is what the other side would have done anyway)

Edit: And I LOVE how you attacked me after I agreed with you and critiqed my own party. And you wonder why nobody responds to your threads... You need anger management or something. Jesus

 

[BBond]

Pal, after your own assault on "your own party", and after the blatant election scams they've concocted over the past six years, to even suggest that you or anyone else can work to create a reform party is patently ludicrous.

WTFU already. When you're being driven off a cliff it's imperative that you change drivers. And you need someone who can take the wheel immediately, not someone who doesn't even have a license yet. Otherwise you're just giving the wheel back to the idiots who are hell bent on taking us over that cliff.

 

[BBond]

Originally posted by: LunarRay
To send the young men and women to war - regardless of the right or wrong of that - there MUST be the after care available to any VET who needs it... MUST... MUST...MUST!!!

I don't care if we are bankrupt... This is a MUST....

I see Vets who can no longer earn a living being cast aside like so much trash... let to sleep in the streets and called bums... Take care of these Vets and I don't care if we have to tax every dollar of every millionaire to do it... or to start there..

Tells you something about the people who sent them to war, doesn't it?

They're still pushing that estate tax cut though. That's what's really important, isn't it? One can NEVER be too rich, can one?

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: BBond
Pal, after your own assault on "your own party", and after the blatant election scams they've concocted over the past six years, to even suggest that you or anyone else can work to create a reform party is patently ludicrous.

WTFU already. When you're being driven off a cliff it's imperative that you change drivers. And you need someone who can take the wheel immediately, not someone who doesn't even have a license yet. Otherwise you're just giving the wheel back to the idiots who are hell bent on taking us over that cliff.

Kthanxbye

 

[BBond]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: BBond
Pal, after your own assault on "your own party", and after the blatant election scams they've concocted over the past six years, to even suggest that you or anyone else can work to create a reform party is patently ludicrous.

WTFU already. When you're being driven off a cliff it's imperative that you change drivers. And you need someone who can take the wheel immediately, not someone who doesn't even have a license yet. Otherwise you're just giving the wheel back to the idiots who are hell bent on taking us over that cliff.

Kthanxbye

Yep, that backorder is definitely in.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: BBond

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: BBond
Pal, after your own assault on "your own party", and after the blatant election scams they've concocted over the past six years, to even suggest that you or anyone else can work to create a reform party is patently ludicrous.

WTFU already. When you're being driven off a cliff it's imperative that you change drivers. And you need someone who can take the wheel immediately, not someone who doesn't even have a license yet. Otherwise you're just giving the wheel back to the idiots who are hell bent on taking us over that cliff.

Kthanxbye

Yep, that backorder is definitely in.

You're unbelieveable... I agree with you and I'm still the a55hole. And democrats are the answer? Is that really your position? Dems are the answer to all these problems? I'm talking about not voting for either party - leaving the country - and you come back with that weak ass sh*t? HHAHAHAHHHAHHHAHHAHAAA... Dude...

 

[Jaskalas]

While I have a large list of problems with the Dem Party, the Rep Party has an ever growing list. Both need to be removed so we won?t need this black and white view of hating the other side and instead try to judge people more on their positions.

For example, anyone running a 300 billion deficit doesn?t need to cut this to fix the gap. There?s just no excuse that I could tolerate. I?d be VERY interested in knowing how the vote went down along party lines.

 

[dahunan]

Didn't these scums jus tgive themselves a pay raise recently

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: dahunan
Didn't these scums jus tgive themselves a pay raise recently

The raise is automatic. Nobody voted against it. And it's totally off topic from the OP.

 

[Jaskalas]

*edited

Here's an idea, have tax raises or cuts directly impact their pay raises.

 

[jpeyton]

Remember guys, we need money for that bridge to nowhere in Alaska.

Besides, war money is for bombs and bullets, not band-aids.

:roll:

 

[trenchfoot]

"Honestly, they would have loved to have funded it, but there were just so many priorities," says Jenny Manley, spokeswoman for the Senate Appropriations Committee. "They didn't have any flexibility in such a tight fiscal year."

They're still pushing that estate tax cut though. That's what's really important, isn't it? One can NEVER be too rich, can one?

it seems that by giving the rich more and more tax cuts in this time of war, the lower classes are not only sacrificing their lives by fighting the wars that the rich are profiting from, the lower classes are also having to pay for most of the expenses the war creates too. how clever.

 

[dahunan]

In a one month period George Bush gave the Oil Industry $15,000,000,000 in tax CUTS AND then turned around and took $15,000,000,000 away from guaranteed student loan funding.. Good Ol Republicans.. fvck the lower class and kiss the richies ass

 

[straightalker]

Originally posted by: dahunan
In a one month period George Bush gave the Oil Industry $15,000,000,000 in tax CUTS AND then turned around and took $15,000,000,000 away from guaranteed student loan funding.. Good Ol Republicans.. fvck the lower class and kiss the richies ass

Hmmm. Took awhile. But most of the people on this forum seem to be coming around to the fact we are not represented by most of our elected so-called "representatives" in the Congress and Senate.

Everyone accept Neo-Evangelicals already knew better than to worship Bush.

Let's show our disgust of the horrific abuse that our precious USA soldiers have had forced upon them and vote the scum-sucking-garbage politicians out of office.

Corruption has gone way to far when our front line defenders are cycled back into society when they are injured (with no health screening) as suffering men and women on mile long waiting lists to see doctors for medical attention.

Solution?

Put every good USA soldier on the top of every priority. They take care of us honorably and with their lives on the line. Huffing DU and putting up with incredible hardships.

We need TERM LIMITS in the Congress/Senate. Far too many of those guys/gals are filthy stinking gangster slobs on the take like mini Al Capones/Ma Barkers.

Returning troops have to get a lawyer to fight to even get benefits for DU sickness. Headaches from a serious brain injury? Forget it! "Your just faking it soldier move along!"

Here's the deal. Anyway the expense of having a standing Army can be kept to an absolute minimum is used and abused to the point we had recently. Where we had troops on waiting lists to see doctors "wharehoused" in hot un-airconditioned squalid stinking barracks in the humid South.

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: LunarRay
I see Vets who can no longer earn a living being cast aside like so much trash... let to sleep in the streets and called bums... Take care of these Vets and I don't care if we have to tax every dollar of every millionaire to do it... or to start there..

So you think only the millionaire's should foot the bill?

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: BBond
WTFU already. When you're being driven off a cliff it's imperative that you change drivers. And you need someone who can take the wheel immediately, not someone who doesn't even have a license yet. Otherwise you're just giving the wheel back to the idiots who are hell bent on taking us over that cliff.

Ah, right. And I suppose the "drivers" we should trust are along the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton?

 

[CaptnKirk]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy


Oh come on, the Ds have no advantge on this issue. They have a track record of cutting defense programs left and right.

I disagree - the biggest cut in defense spending EVER and the wiping out of the most advanced
Military Weapons Procurement program ever undertaken was by Cheney himself, under Bush the Lessor.

A-12 still unresolved to this day, aand now paid more in closure penalties
that the program run would have cost to deliver completed aircraft.
It was political meddling, pure and simple.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: CaptnKirk

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy


Oh come on, the Ds have no advantge on this issue. They have a track record of cutting defense programs left and right.

I disagree - the biggest cut in defense spending EVER and the wiping out of the most advanced
Military Weapons Procurement program ever undertaken was by Cheney himself, under Bush the Lessor.

A-12 still unresolved to this day, aand now paid more in closure penalties
that the program run would have cost to deliver completed aircraft.
It was political meddling, pure and simple.

I can't believe you want to argue about this. BOTH sides are guilty of slashing defense and veterans programs. There's no point in trying to establish which side cut more. (other than to try to prop up your side - polishing a turd is a phrase that comes to mind) You could argue about that till the cows come home but it wouldn't change the fact that every time we go to cut money from the budget we screw the vets. No matter who is in charge.

 

[zendari]

Originally posted by: dahunan
In a one month period George Bush gave the Oil Industry $15,000,000,000 in tax CUTS AND then turned around and took $15,000,000,000 away from guaranteed student loan funding.. Good Ol Republicans.. fvck the lower class and kiss the richies ass

Oil companies didn't even pay taxes during some of the Clinton years.

 

[Brutuskend]

"Lets see, we can treat bomb blast victims OR we can make more bombs.... I'm going to have to go with make more bombs!!"

:roll:

 

[BBond]

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: LunarRay
I see Vets who can no longer earn a living being cast aside like so much trash... let to sleep in the streets and called bums... Take care of these Vets and I don't care if we have to tax every dollar of every millionaire to do it... or to start there..

So you think only the millionaire's should foot the bill?

THEY SHOULD PAY THEIR SHARE.