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Who Is Riding the Fence Rail... Congress or the Veterans?
By Thomas D. Segel
June 13, 2002

Nothing has generated a larger response than an article written on the indifference and arrogance of Congress, as it completely ignores pleas for help or assistance from veterans, active duty and retired military personnel.

Letters in the hundreds document how members of that elected body fail to respond to their military constituents. This neglect is in the form of ignoring pleas for help, or replying with form letters unrelated to the initial correspondence. In some cases congressional members have even filed complaints with the corresponding servicemen's senior command, because that individual had the audacity to write a letter to Washington.

There have even been notes from overseas on this issue. Ted and Julie Hawkins of Queensland, Australia wrote, "I know we have complaints with our Australian Department of Veterans Affairs and politicians, but I personally think we have a reasonably good thing compared to our American cousins. At least our politicians answer our correspondence or meet with us."

While most of the correspondence to this writer reports horror stories involving members of the military and elected officials, there have even been notes from members of Congress or their staffs asking why nothing good is ever said about the friends of our military in Washington?

There are some solid supporters of active duty and retired military issues in both Houses of Congress. Representative Ronnie Shows of Mississippi is perhaps the strongest military advocate on the hill. Lamar Smith of Texas has also done yeoman work on military issues. Other representatives, such as J. D. Hayworth of Arizona, Gene Taylor of Mississippi, and Tom Udall of New Mexico could be called responsive to military concerns.

On the other side of the Capitol, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas is considered by most to be a strong military friend, as are Zell Miller and Max Cleland of Georgia.

Other than this small sprinkling of active supporters, military members can claim few true friends in this elected body. Congress has built a huge wall between itself and members of the armed services. Though they are supporting the current War on Terror, congressional members still view the military community only as a tool to accomplish their particular objectives.

There are currently more Democrats than Republicans voicing support for active duty and retired military concerns. It must be noted this is the party not in power. Regardless of political ideology, the party not presently residing in the White House usually takes an opposing position. So, at this hour there are more Democrats voicing sympathy for military issues. If the next election should reverse the power structure, veterans could also expect to see a reversal of implied friendships.

Much of this attitude stems from the fact only about one third of those elected to congressional office have ever served as members of the armed forces. The entire body of Congress also views veterans, retired military and active duty service personnel as a small threat to reelection because the military community is so widely dispersed across the county it has little voting strength.

Votes are always the bottom line for Congress. If any member running for office or reelection sees little value in a particular constituency, that group is always ignored or disregarded. So, the attitude displayed by our elected officials can be attributed to their primary objective, which is to stay in office as long as possible.

However, the military community must accept its own share of the blame for congressional arrogance and indifference. Laws banning political activism restrict personnel on active duty, but there are still more than 28 million veterans and 1.8 million retired service personnel who could be demanding attention. Unfortunately, less than 10% of this strong voting body is actively fighting for military service related issues. The remainder is still sitting back waiting for former comrades in arms to do the heavy lifting.

Robert Thompson, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant from Panama City, Florida, feels the hard work is being done by only about 2% of the veterans and retired military. He says, "Ninety eight percent of them sit back and complain, but never join in supporting all the work being done on their behalf. We say they are all suffering from AIDS, which is Apathy, Indifference, Defeatism and Sarcasm." He feels they could bring about important legislative changes, " if they would just get off the fence and get to work".

Because not enough veterans and retired personnel are speaking out, they continue to have problems in Washington D. C. For example, more than 80% of Congress has co-sponsored legislation by Representative Ronnie Shows, in HR 179 and its Senate companion bill S 278, but no action is taken.

Even with 322 co-sponsors this legislation, which would restore long promised health benefits to retired military personnel, can't make it out of committee. There is not a single elected official who is willing to bring it to the floor via a Discharge Petition.

According to Bob Freaser, a retired soldier from Tacoma, Washington, "I think their co-sponsorship is a fraud. If it was the real thing and they backed the legislation, someone in the House of Representatives could make sure it receives a vote. I think the truth is... they don't want to be identified as voting against the issue, so they hide out by not bringing it out of committee."

Work on behalf of military health care seems to fair no better in the Senate than it does in the House. Jim Ayers, who works with the Military Retirees Grass Roots Group in Mississippi, had an interesting conversation with Trent Lott's office. Ayers reports the senator claims he supports military retired health care legislation, " But, we need to take things a yard at a time," said Lott", and then a touchdown." Ayers reminded him the retired community has been waiting for that "touchdown" for more than half a century. And so it continues. Evasiveness, excuses, denial, and lack of action on the part of the United States Congress.

Even the current Administration which claims to be a champion of the fighting man and woman has refused to step up and provide the leadership necessary to right the national rejection our country displays for those who served under arms. As one Old World War Ii veteran sarcastically commented, "The only time those politicians even talk to us is just before a election. Maybe next November we just won't be around to listen."