By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – Two Democratic U.S. Senators used a visit to a St. Louis VA hospital today to push for increased funding for veterans' health care and an end to the war in Iraq. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Dick Durbin of Illinois say the country needs to do more for injured war veterans.
A major war spending bill the Senate passed yesterday provides more funding for veterans' health care.
But President Bush plans to veto it because it also includes a nonbinding call to pull troops out of Iraq within a year.
Despite that threat Durbin says Democrats are not playing politics with veterans.
"If you don't put it in this bill, our next chance is October," Durbin said. "That means waiting seven months to come up with the resources. We want to deal with it now. We want to make sure the money is there now."
Durbin says in addition to improving veterans' care, the government needs to streamline the transition process between military hospitals and the VA system.