THE ISSUE:
WHY IT MATTERS: Veterans
WASHINGTON (AP) —There are an estimated 21.6 million veterans in the United States. Among them, nearly 9 million are enrolled in health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. About 4.3 million veterans get disability compensation from the VA and nearly 900,000 have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
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WHERE THEY STAND
Hillary Clinton has pledged to ensure veterans have access to timely and high-quality health care and vows to block efforts to privatize the Veterans Health Administration, the VA's health-care arm. Clinton also wants to bolster veterans' benefits, including education and housing aid included in the GI bill. She would ensure that military sexual trauma is acknowledged as a disability under VA rules.
Donald Trump says he will expand programs that allow veterans to choose their doctor — regardless of whether they're affiliated with the VA — and still receive government-paid medical care. Trump says that's not privatized care but, he told The Associated Press, "a way of not allowing people to die waiting for doctors."
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WHY IT MATTERS
Lifetime health care is part of the bargain for many of those who put their lives on the line in the armed forces, and it's become clear the government isn't holding up its end.
Veterans are also a politically consequential group. Nearly 70 percent voted in the 2012 presidential election, a higher rate than the general population.
Student Reactions
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Ricky Ranson, sophomore pre-medicine major "I'm not really big into politics so I can't say who would be best, but this is important because veterans deserve more because they put their lives out there," Ranson said. |
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Elias Mitchell, junior telecommunications major
"I feel like Hillary would be the best to support veterans. Trump has publicly denounced veterans with PTSD and said they are not strong enough. He is definitely not the best choice," Mitchell said. |
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Wes Schull, senior computer science major
"I feel like Hillary Clinton is only out for her own gain and Trump is just a spoiled brat who doesn't really care about veterans and their health care," Schull said. |
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Sarahi Casas, freshman nursing major
"I find it very important that veterans are insured health care since they served our country," Casas said. |
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