Obama emphasizes VA role in caring for vets

More job training, counseling and outreach for veterans and their families tops Sen. Barack Obama's list of policy priorities for the Veterans Affairs Department.

The Illinois Democrat and the party's presumptive presidential nominee, vowed Tuesday to increase the number of veterans' centers providing mental health counseling to vets and their families; provide all vets with access to the VA health care system and to create a job training program for former service members who choose to work in the field of renewable energy.

He also pledged to ensure that military pay "does not lag behind the private sector."

Obama spoke in Orlando, Fla., at the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars -- a day after the group heard remarks from his White House rival and Vietnam War veteran, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. While Obama and McCain disagreed on policy particulars concerning vets, both speeches expressed a willingness to expand services and benefits available to veterans, including treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, and streamlining the massive bureaucracy of the government's second-largest department.

"We need to cut through the red tape. . . . Every service member should get electronic copies of medical and service records upon discharge," Obama said in prepared remarks.

Throughout the speech, Obama underscored veterans' contributions to building a strong American economy throughout the 20th century -- an attempt perhaps to tie the twin campaign themes of national security and the struggling economy in the minds of voters.

"They became teachers and doctors, cops and firefighters who were the foundation of our communities. They became the innovators and small business owners who helped drive the American economy," he said. "Now, we must ensure that our brave troops serving abroad today become the backbone of our middle class at home tomorrow."

The VFW agreed with all of Obama's policy positions and objected to only one of McCain's major proposals, said Dennis Cullinan, the organization's national legislative director for VFW. "We don't support the access card," Cullinan said, referring to McCain's idea to give low-income veterans and those with service injuries an access card that allows them to seek medical care outside the VA health care system. Critics, including the VFW, have claimed the program would privatize health care and lead to the end of the VA health system.

In his speech, Obama recommended eliminating VA's means-testing system for determining which veterans are eligible for health benefits. The system contains eight categories -- based on income, service-related disabilities and other criteria -- that determine who among all veterans can obtain health care benefits. Vets whose income exceeds the annual income threshold (and who do not have a service-related disability) are not eligible for to enroll for health care benefits. Under Obama's plan, they would be able to access those services.

Cullinan said those vets, despite their classification, are usually low-income and in need of benefits. "It would be a relatively modest increase," in terms of cost, he said, noting that families of veterans do not have access to VA health care benefits and would not under Obama's plan.

Other proposals mentioned in Obama's speech included a military families advisory board to provide more support for the volunteer networks that help spouses of service members and expanding the Troops-to-Teachers initiative and national service programs.

By law, the VFW cannot endorse presidential candidates. The group's political action committee gets involved in congressional races, but not national campaigns, Cullinan said.