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199 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
199 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
***** Reformatted. Please distribute.
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CLINTON/GORE ON ISSUES OF CONCERN TO VETERANS
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For decades Americans struggled and sacrificed to
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defend freedom and democracy and to win the Cold
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War. Our nation owes a great debt of gratitude to
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the soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and airwomen
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whose talent and dedication led to our victory.
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Bill Clinton and Al Gore have consistently
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supported veterans. They deeply appreciate the
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sacrifices of those who were called to serve our
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country and fight for the ideals for which it
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stands. Our veterans deserve the best we have.
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A Clinton/Gore Administration will work to improve
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health services at VA hospitals and preserve them
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strictly for veterans. We must ensure that men and
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women in the armed services and defense industries
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have opportunities to shift their talents to the
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civilian sector. Bill Clinton and Al Gore have
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offered a detailed plan to utilize the talents and
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energies of those who have served in the military
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to meet many of our pressing needs at home in the
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fields of medicine, education, law enforcement and
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industrial technology.
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The Clinton/Gore Plan
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Health care
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* Appoint a Secretary of Veterans Affairs who
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understands the real problems facing veterans
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and can go directly to the President to cut
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through bureaucracy and improve services for
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our veterans.
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* Ensure the VA receives the funding it needs
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to provide excellent, timely care to veterans
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and oppose opening VA hospitals up to
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non-veterans.
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* Cut bureaucracy at the VA to decrease waiting
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periods for outpatient services and to ensure
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that benefits arrive on time.
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* Ensure advance notification of any changes in
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benefits packages and programs for disabled
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veterans.
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* Fund programs to deal with the common mental
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health problems of veterans, such as
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Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome.
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Employment in a post-Cold War economy
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* Gradually scale down our military forces by
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shifting military personnel from active duty
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to the National Guard and reserves and
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gradually limit recruitment and reenlistment
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efforts.
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* Provide early retirement incentives, with a
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pro-rated pension for military personnel with
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15 to 20 years of service to encourage
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voluntary down-sizing.
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* Work with states to provide alternative
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certification programs for military personnel
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who retire to take jobs in critical
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professions like education, health care or law
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enforcement, and increase their military
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credit by one year for each year of such
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employment.
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* Train military personnel for critical
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civilian professions by allowing them to take
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a one-year educational leave of absence with
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pay before officially beginning their
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retirement.
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Taking care of our soldiers
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* Expand Veterans Centers to help veterans,
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their spouses, children and other family
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members learn to deal with the scars of war.
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* Assist homeless veterans by converting closed
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military bases to homeless shelters, with
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priority for veterans. These centers should
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provide medical care, job training, and job
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counseling.
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* Make resolution of the POW/MIA issue a
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national priority by insisting on a full
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accounting of all POWs and MIAs before
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normalizing relations with Vietnam; working
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with the Russian government to reveal any
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information it has on Americans held; and
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declassifying pertinent government documents.
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* Reevaluate the discharge process,
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particularly as it affects Vietnam veterans
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and the enforcement of the statute of
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limitations.
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The Record
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Veterans affairs
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* Under Bill Clinton, Arkansas has ranked first
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nationwide three years in a row in per capita
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veteran reimbursement by the U.S. Department
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of Agriculture.
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* Strongly supported the budgets and
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initiatives of the Arkansas Department of
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Veterans Affairs and Arkansas Veterans Home.
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* Appointed directors who ensured the agency is
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represented by strong veterans advocates;
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these directors are valuable advisors on
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Governor Clintons staff.
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* The Governors Task Force on Veterans Affairs
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ensures that all veterans have a voice in
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issues that concern them.
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* Governor Clinton has shown unwavering support
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of the County Veterans Service Officer
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program, the backbone of a statewide veterans
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assistance program.
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* Signed executive orders in 1983, 1989 and
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1990 to ensure that there is a veterans
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preference in state hiring.
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* Senator Gore has opposed President Bush's
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efforts to open VA hospitals to non-civilians.
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He recently wrote a letter to President Bush
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criticizing his inadequate funding for
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veterans health.
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* Opposed attempts to reduce the travel
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allowance for veterans needing VA medical
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care.
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* Supported legislation to improve veterans'
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health care with two cost-of-living increases
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in service-connected disabilities and
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compensation
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* Supported the Agent Orange Act of 1991.
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* Supported full funding for the Homeless
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Veterans Reintegration Program, which is
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tremendously successful at locating and
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helping homeless veterans by teaching them
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important job skills.
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Honoring veterans
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* Bill Clinton was the first donor to three
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non-profit corporations established to expand
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the three national cemeteries in Arkansas, two
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of which were in imminent danger of closing.
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* Strongly supported a bill to provide a
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$25,000 state appropriation to each fund drive
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and signed legislation into law.
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National Guard and Reserve
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* Authorized and supported the Arkansas
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National Guard's deployment to overseas
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locations for training purposes.
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* Directed the formation of family support
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groups in every location from which the 7,000
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Arkansas Reserve and National Guard men and
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women were deployed for active duty in Desert
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Storm.
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* Oversaw Operation Welcome Home , which was
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the third largest troop appreciation parade in
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the nation. Veterans of every conflict
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participated in the parade.
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* Formed the Arkansas POW/MIA Verification Task
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Force to investigate the presently unknown
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fates of 26 Arkansans. Governor Clinton
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appointed members to the force based on their
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record of involvement with veterans.
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