Romney Campaign Press Release - Breaking His Promise To Our Nation's Veterans

"When President Obama talks about keeping our promise to our nation's veterans, he must be forgetting about his own record of backlogged disability claims and increasing costs for our military retirees. Under the President's plan, men and women who defended our country abroad will face mounting struggles here at home. As president, Mitt Romney will never balance the books on the backs of our nation's veterans." — Amanda Henneberg, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Under The Obama Administration, Backlogged Disability Claims Have "More Than Quadrupled":

Veterans' Disability Claims That Have Been Pending For More Than 125 Days Have "More Than Quadrupled" Under President Obama's Watch. "Veterans can be eligible for help with conditions caused or aggravated by their military service. The government, however, has long struggled to keep up with the claims, and the backlog has grown worse during the president's term in office as soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan. In May 2009, about 135,000 claims for disability benefits had been pending for more than 125 days, representing about one-third of all pending claims. Today, that number has more than quadrupled, to 558,000 claims - about two-thirds of all those pending." (Kevin Freking, "Fact Check: Disability Claims Still Growing At VA," The Associated Press, 7/24/12)

• The Number Of Backlogged Disability Claims Is Currently 558,000 — Approximately Two-Thirds Of All Pending Claims. "In May 2009, about 135,000 claims for disability benefits had been pending for more than 125 days, representing about one-third of all pending claims. Today, that number has more than quadrupled, to 558,000 claims - about two-thirds of all those pending." (Kevin Freking, "Fact Check: Disability Claims Still Growing At VA," The Associated Press, 7/24/12)

"The Department's Independent Inspector General Has Said The VA Made The Problem Worse By Not Assigning Enough Staff To Process Appeals And Not Following Its Own Guidelines In Processing Older Claims." (Kevin Freking, "Fact Check: Disability Claims Still Growing At VA," The Associated Press, 7/24/12)

President Obama's Latest Budget Proposed "Substantial Increases In Health Care Premiums" For Military Retirees:

President Obama's FY2013 Budget Cuts Military Health Care Funding By $12.9 Billion Over The Next Five Years. "In the next fiscal year, the military has outlined a $1.8 billion cut as part of a projected $48.7 billion health care budget covering 9.6 million people. The cuts would total $12.9 billion over five years. To offset the loss, retirees would pay higher enrollment fees based on how much they earn through their military pensions. Retirees and active-duty family members would pay more for pharmacy copayments, too." (Barrie Barber, "Military Retirees Could See Increase In Health Insurance Costs," Dayton Daily News, 3/30/12)

"The Pentagon Is Proposing Substantial Increases In Health Care Premiums For Working-Age Military Retirees." "Benefits for military retirees are also targeted. The Pentagon is proposing substantial increases in health care premiums for working-age military retirees. For some retirees, the premiums for TRICARE, the military health-care program, would nearly quadruple from $520 per year to $2,480 in 2017." (Tom Vanden Brook, "Pentagon Budget Calls For Cuts To Jets, Benefits," USA Today, 2/13/12)

Some Retirees "Will See Their Health Care Costs Nearly Quadruple." "Military-age retirees who make more than $45,179 annually — a pension usually reserved for officers — will see their health care costs nearly quadruple, from $600 annually in fiscal year 2013 to $2,048 in 2017." (Nancy Youssef, "Heaviest 2013 Defense Budget Cuts Would Fall On Troops," McClatchy, 2/13/12)

And President Obama's Post-9/11 GI Bill Has "Failed To Deliver On Its Promise" For Young Veterans:

In August 2009, Obama Promised That The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Would Help "Those Who Have Borne The Heaviest Burden Lead Us Into The 21^st Century." "In early August of 2009, President Barack Obama stood with a group of young soldiers at George Mason University in Virginia and proudly announced that the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which he'd sponsored in the Senate, had taken effect. 'This is not simply a debt that we are repaying to the remarkable men and women who have served,' Obama said of the bill, which provides tuition and housing support to veterans. 'We are letting those who have borne the heaviest burden lead us in to the 21st century.'" (Rosie Gray, "For Thousands Of Veterans, The New G.I. Bill Isn't Working," BuzzFeed, 3/8/12)

"Three Years Later, The Bill Has Failed To Deliver On Its Promise For Tens Of Thousands Of Young Veterans" Who Are Now "Dipping Into Their Savings, Facing Eviction, And Taking Out Loans To Get By." "Three years later, the bill has failed to deliver on its promise for tens of thousands of young veterans, according to interviews with students and administrators. Student veterans from across the country report that the Department of Veterans Affairs simply hasn't paid their tuition yet this semester, or that it just arrived, months late. Promised housing stipends, too, remain unpaid. Veterans are dipping into their savings, facing eviction, and taking out loans to get by. The culprit appears to be simple staffing shortages and bureaucratic sluggishness, but the consequences have been intensely disruptive." (Rosie Gray, "For Thousands Of Veterans, The New G.I. Bill Isn't Working," BuzzFeed, 3/8/12)

"The VA Has Backlogs Of Tens Of Thousands Of Unprocessed Claims From The Nearly 700,000 Veterans" Seeking Benefits. "There is no national tally of delayed benefits, but people familiar with the process say that the VA has backlogs of tens of thousands of unprocessed claims from the nearly 700,000 veterans who have taken advantage of the new rules since they became law two years ago. This year, the VA says it's received spring 2012 enrollments from 406,855 veterans." (Rosie Gray, "For Thousands Of Veterans, The New G.I. Bill Isn't Working," BuzzFeed, 3/8/12)