U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

June 28, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


 Sen. Salazar: Veterans Should Not be Punished for the VA’s Mistake

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Untied States Senator Ken Salazar today joined Senators Patty Murray and Pat Leahy to push for legislation to pay for credit checks for Veterans whose personal information was stolen from the Veterans’ Administration. That legislation is in response to a White House proposal to fund those credit checks by cutting funding to the VA, farmers and other critical programs.

“We cannot punish the veterans whose personal information was stolen by taking the funds to pay for their credit checks from programs they rely on,” Senator Salazar said. “The problem we face today was not created by veterans, students, or farmers; it was created by the VA. As such, it is contingent upon the Administration to find a way to pay for it without reducing services for innocent veterans and other innocent Americans.”

Last month, the VA revealed that a laptop stolen from an employee's home contained personal information on 26.5 million Americans, including veterans, active duty military, and Guard and Reserve members. In response, the VA has proposed offering a year of free credit monitoring to those affected. The VA estimates its credit monitoring program will cost $160.5 million in Fiscal Year 2006.

The Administration proposed cutting several critical programs to pay for the credit checks including:

  • Veterans Affairs General Operating Expenses: Cut $29 million
  • Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers hurt by imports: Cut $40 million
  • Food Stamp Employment and Training Program: Cut $20 million
  • Health Professions Student Loans: Cut $6.7 million

“The government has an obligation to care for our Veterans and to provide these credit checks,” Senator Salazar added. “But we cannot ask the same people who rely on the government for help bear the cost of the VA’s security failure.”

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