Vets' support has improved in recent years.

Byline: GUEST VIEWPOINT By Jim Feldkamp For The Register-Guard

Rep. Peter DeFazio's comments concerning veterans' affairs in his June 6 guest viewpoint deserve a response.

I agree that a `one-day celebration does not fulfill our obligation to honor fallen soldiers and others who have sacrificed in defense of our nation.' We do owe every service member a debt of gratitude. However, after his preamble, DeFazio again showed his partisan bias and began to engage in a blame game.

Having been in Congress for more than 18 years, DeFazio, of all people, should recognize the strides and accomplishments that have occurred recently in support of our men and women who have served. If DeFazio would visit these Web sites - www.va.gov, http: //thomas.loc.gov, and http://veterans.house .gov/vetlink/ - he would see that progress is being made in support our veterans.

Since 1995, total spending on veterans' medical care rose from $16.2 billion to $29.9 billion this year - an 84.6 percent increase. The Department of Veterans Affairs' budget increased from $48 billion in 2001 to $68 billion in 2005, a 42 percent increase.

Five million veterans will receive health care services this year, about 1 million more than in 2001. Since 2001, GI educational benefits have been boosted by 46 percent, raising the benefit for qualified veterans to $35,460 from $23,400. In four years, Congress has passed, and President Bush signed, 17 separate bills to improve and expand veterans' benefits.

DeFazio alleged that the `House Republican leadership blocked a measure to provide permanent health care coverage to our National Guard and Reserve members for the duration of their service.' That allegation is not accurate. Reports the VA Web site:

`Reservist or National Guard members who serve in a theater of combat operations are eligible for hospital care, medical services and nursing home care for injuries or illnesses they believe are related to combat service for a period up to two years, beginning on the date of discharge or release from service. This two-year eligibility for medical care is available even if there is insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the veteran's illness is the result of combat service. At the end of the two- year period, these veterans can continue to receive free health care for injuries and illnesses officially connected to military service.'

What benefits are being blocked?

In another paragraph, DeFazio stated that Congress should `focus' on ending a tax paid by disabled veterans. I agree wholeheartedly! However, DeFazio failed to mention Public Law 108-375 (effective January 2005). This law phases out the VA disability offset, so that military retirees with 20 or more years of service and a VA rated disability of 50 percent or greater will no longer have their military retirement reduced by the amount of their VA disability compensation.

Now, in my opinion, anyone who serves 20 years in the defense of this country and is discharged with a disability should receive concurrent pay, no matter how small the percentage. However, DeFazio's implication that nothing has been done is simply not true!

Concurrent receipt is also a program funded by the Department of Defense, not the VA. It should be noted that DeFazio has voted against defense appropriations every year that he has been in office (except during last year's campaign, when he ran against me). Was DeFazio aware that when he voted against DOD funding he was actually voting against money for the concurrent receipt?

To each returning soldier, sailor, airman and Marine, we owe a great deal - not only for their sacrifices, but for what their families have endured. I challenge DeFazio to stop looking through the prism of partisan politics and acknowledge that gains have been made. To do otherwise only distorts the facts and the progress that has been made.

Jim Feldkamp, a commander in the Naval Reserves, was Rep. Peter DeFazio's Republican opponent in 2004.