VFW blasts Obama's DoD

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The head of the Veterans of Foreign Wars blasted the White House...

Afghanistan_Forgotten_Vall_t618.jpg



One Hill source said that the Defense Department is planning to enter into a contract with the charity group Fisher House, which has offered to give families an advance grant, to "fix" the issue without requiring a congressional vote.


A bill Congress passed last week should have freed up these payments, but the Pentagon halted them anyway.


The number of families affected is far greater than previously thought. It was initially confirmed that the families of five servicemembers, who were killed since the partial shutdown went into effect, had their $100,000 benefit payments delayed.


A senior U.S. defense official said that the total number of families affected is actually 26, the number of U.S. servicemembers who have died since Oct. 1. Six were killed in Afghanistan. All 26 families are not receiving the $100,000 payments.


Obama was "very disturbed to learn of this problem" and directed the Pentagon to work with the White House budget office to correct it.


The administration has been criticized for suspending the emergency death payments to families of those killed.


The Pentagon said payments were not legally allowed.


Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., wrote to Hagel on Tuesday complaining about the suspension of the $100,000 death benefit and accusing the Pentagon of making that decision on the basis of a "careless legal interpretation."


Administration officials have said the decision was based on a legal review by government lawyers, including the Justice Department, though they are now reviewing that decision.







http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/09/vfw-leader-blasts-dc-over-halted-death-benefits-officials-scramble-to-fix/
 
So it's Obama's fault that a resolution drafted by House Republicans doesn't say what House Republicans want it to say?

Now, maybe there's a way to magically transform the words "to members of the Armed Forces" to mean "to members of the Armed Forces or their families or next of kin" but I seem to remember Obama getting blasted for stretching the language of the law to meet his desired ends.
 
Big money said:
The head of the Veterans of Foreign Wars blasted the White House...

Afghanistan_Forgotten_Vall_t618.jpg

One Hill source said that the Defense Department is planning to enter into a contract with the charity group Fisher House, which has offered to give families an advance grant, to "fix" the issue without requiring a congressional vote.

A bill Congress passed last week should have freed up these payments, but the Pentagon halted them anyway.

The number of families affected is far greater than previously thought. It was initially confirmed that the families of five servicemembers, who were killed since the partial shutdown went into effect, had their $100,000 benefit payments delayed.

A senior U.S. defense official said that the total number of families affected is actually 26, the number of U.S. servicemembers who have died since Oct. 1. Six were killed in Afghanistan. All 26 families are not receiving the $100,000 payments.

Obama was "very disturbed to learn of this problem" and directed the Pentagon to work with the White House budget office to correct it.

The administration has been criticized for suspending the emergency death payments to families of those killed.

The Pentagon said payments were not legally allowed.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., wrote to Hagel on Tuesday complaining about the suspension of the $100,000 death benefit and accusing the Pentagon of making that decision on the basis of a "careless legal interpretation."

Administration officials have said the decision was based on a legal review by government lawyers, including the Justice Department, though they are now reviewing that decision.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/09/vfw-leader-blasts-dc-over-halted-death-benefits-officials-scramble-to-fix/
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What a surprise! The head of the most conservative veterans group blasted the Democrat in the White House! And Fukx got the story! And some right wing dope posted it here! I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!
 
Dungheap said:
So it's Obama's fault that a resolution drafted by House Republicans doesn't say what House Republicans want it to say?

Now, maybe there's a way to magically transform the words "to members of the Armed Forces" to mean "to members of the Armed Forces or their families or next of kin" but I seem to remember Obama getting blasted for stretching the language of the law to meet his desired ends.
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It does appear that he's making all this as bad as he can.
 
Liberty said:
It does appear that he's making all this as bad as he can.
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It appears to me that the House Republicans are incompetent shits that want Obama to stretch the language of the law that they passed to mean something completely different from what it says to bail their ignorant asses out.
 
Here's the text of the bill again:

IN GENERAL.—There are hereby appropriated for fiscal year 2014, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2014 are not in effect—

(1) such sums as are necessary to provide pay and allowances to members of the Armed Forces(as defined in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code), including reserve components thereof, who perform active service during such period;
Click to expand...

Now, I'm willing to hear anyone out on how a bill authorizing the Treasury to provide pay and allowances to members of the Armed Forces means that the treasury can make bereavement payments to the families of members of the Armed Forces that were killed, but I don't understand how it's Obama's fault that they law says what it says.
 
Dantès said:
What a surprise! The head of the most conservative veterans group blasted the Democrat in the White House! And Fukx got the story! And some right wing dope posted it here! I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!
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Not just FOX and seems that this is not playing well, see how quixkly things can change?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/09/politics/shutdown-military-families-benefits/index.html

Pentagon strikes deal with charity to pay military death benefits
By Josh Levs, Barbara Starr and Jamie Crawford, CNN
updated 3:40 PM EDT, Wed October 9, 2013

Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon is entering into an agreement with a private foundation to ensure families of fallen troops are paid survivor benefits that were suspended because of the government shutdown, the U.S. Secretary of Defense said Wednesday.

The government will reimburse the Fisher House Foundation once the shutdown is over, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a written statement.

"I am offended, outraged, and embarrassed that the government shutdown had prevented the Department of Defense from fulfilling this most sacred responsibility in a timely manner," Hagel said.

"In the days before the shutdown, we warned Congress and the American people that DoD would not have the legal authority to make these payments during a lapse in appropriations."

The announcement came just after the U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously to resume paying survivor benefits, which includes a $100,000 payment.

It was unclear whether the U.S. Senate would take up the bill given that a legislative fix may now not be necessary.

President Barack Obama ordered administration officials on Wednesday to find an immediate solution.

"The president was very disturbed to learn of this problem, and he directed the Department of Defense to work with the Office of Management and Budget and his lawyers to develop a possible solution, and he expects this to be fixed today," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

Carney said the payments were not specifically addressed in legislation to ensure military personnel would be paid during any shutdown. He did not elaborate on what the solution might be.

It's unclear exactly when Obama learned of the situation, which reporters were briefed about four days before the shutdown began. At the briefing Wednesday, Carney refused to say when the president learned benefits were being delayed.

"I don't know specifically," he said.

...
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Dungheap said:
It appears to me that the House Republicans are incompetent shits that want Obama to stretch the language of the law that they passed to mean something completely different from what it says to bail their ignorant asses out.
Click to expand...

He signed it after both Houses passed it.
 
Dungheap said:
Here's the text of the bill again:
Now, I'm willing to hear anyone out on how a bill authorizing the Treasury to provide pay and allowances to members of the Armed Forces means that the treasury can make bereavement payments to the families of members of the Armed Forces that were killed, but I don't understand how it's Obama's fault that they law says what it says.
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Link?
 
Dungheap said:
We're all very happy that you watched Schoolhouse Rock. Congrats.
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So you admit that's what happened. Good.

Congress passed a bill before the shutdown authorizing the military to “pay all kinds of bills,” including death benefits for the families of fallen soldiers, as it was described by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).

The President signed this bill into law.

And yet, somehow the Pentagon decided they don’t have the “legal authority” to pay those benefits while 17 percent of the federal government remains shut down.

http://www.humanevents.com/2013/10/09/shutdown-theater-time-to-beat-up-the-military/

Now, debunk the source without being able to provide any factual rebuttal.
 
Big money said:
The head of the Veterans of Foreign Wars blasted the White House...

Afghanistan_Forgotten_Vall_t618.jpg



One Hill source said that the Defense Department is planning to enter into a contract with the charity group Fisher House, which has offered to give families an advance grant, to "fix" the issue without requiring a congressional vote.


A bill Congress passed last week should have freed up these payments, but the Pentagon halted them anyway.


The number of families affected is far greater than previously thought. It was initially confirmed that the families of five servicemembers, who were killed since the partial shutdown went into effect, had their $100,000 benefit payments delayed.


A senior U.S. defense official said that the total number of families affected is actually 26, the number of U.S. servicemembers who have died since Oct. 1. Six were killed in Afghanistan. All 26 families are not receiving the $100,000 payments.


Obama was "very disturbed to learn of this problem" and directed the Pentagon to work with the White House budget office to correct it.


The administration has been criticized for suspending the emergency death payments to families of those killed.


The Pentagon said payments were not legally allowed.


Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., wrote to Hagel on Tuesday complaining about the suspension of the $100,000 death benefit and accusing the Pentagon of making that decision on the basis of a "careless legal interpretation."


Administration officials have said the decision was based on a legal review by government lawyers, including the Justice Department, though they are now reviewing that decision.







http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/09/vfw-leader-blasts-dc-over-halted-death-benefits-officials-scramble-to-fix/
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Further proof that obstructionist Righties don't give two rat farts about those fighting to keep their freedoms intact.

Congressional Republicans KNEW this would happen when they chose to shut down the Government.
 
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