By Mimi Mayo-Smith | Intern
At 3 Generations, we continuously seek to empower our veterans by sharing their stories. Naturally, we are also concerned with the politics and federal policies that affect and shape the personal experiences of our veterans.
The VA has been severely criticized for its controversial health care system. The media has shared how veterans are waitlisted from months to years for an appointment. In fact, 64,000 veterans have never been seen and 35 veterans have died while waiting for an appointment.* The issue is serious and clear: VA hospitals simply do not have the capacity to take care of the millions of veterans in the US needing help. They lack a significant number of professional medicals and resources.
November 2016 brought in a new President and 2017 saw him introduce new players to the Veterans Administration. But what has Trump achieved so far?
We learned that Trump’s 2018 fiscal budget plan is good news for the VA. The VA department’s programming funds would see a 6% increase and spending on health care services would reach $78.9 billion. $3.5 billion of this spending would contribute to the Veterans Choice Program, the controversial solution of outsourcing public health care to private medical care if veterans are placed on a long wait list, or if there are traveling obstacles to visiting VA facilities.**
However, Trump has introduced leading players in the VA that have little or no experience with the agency. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is the head of the new Office of American Innovation (OAI). OAI is in charge of VA reforms and plans to increase private sector involvement in the VA healthcare system. Trump also plans to implement contradictory policies. Although he promises to endorse programs that end veteran homelessness, his larger plan involves ending all funding to the US Interagency Council on Homelessness.
At 3 Generations, we will continue tracking Trump’s policies and strategies. Our veterans are important to us and deserve the improvements that are promised by our government.
In terms of our own contribution, 3 Generations is working on reviving the stories of Vietnam’s veterans. We are currently conducting interviews and recording accounts of oral history from those who fought during the 1964-75 War. To create a culture of empathy around our veterans, it is important to remember history from their own perspectives.
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By Mytam Mayo-Smith | Intern
By 3 Generations | Team
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