Positions and Views of Mark Dayton
on Veterans
| Currently Elected Governor & Lt Governor, Minnesota |
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Mark Dayton's positions and views on the issues:
Links are only provided where we have information. The first link is a
report of all issues and questions made available to the candidates.
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List of Issues | Biographical | Reasons & Objectives
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| Veterans |
Positions and Views |
| Veterans, a General Statement |
Mark considers it to be a top priority to make certain that Minnesota's veterans and military retirees receive access to quality health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has traveled through out the state meeting with Minnesota veterans. According to the 2002 Census, there are nearly half a million veterans living in Minnesota.
Mark continues to fight tirelessly to provide our courageous veteran's with the health care and benefits they deserve, which is the right thing to do to honor the service of so many great Minnesotans. He has introduced legislation that would authorize the VA to bill Medicare for covered services provided to Medicare-eligible, priority 7 and 8 veterans. He also cosponsors numerous Senate bills that would guarantee adequate funding for the VA health care system; provide full and immediate concurrent receipt of military retirement pay and VA disability pay; and authorize the VA to fill prescriptions by non-VA doctors.
Mark believes that veterans have not been treated fairly following their patriotic service to our country, and that the provision of quality health care is only one of the areas where this country has failed veterans. To correct this grievous error, Mark has cosponsored legislation to reduce the minimum age from 60 to 55, for receipt of military retired pay for reserve service. Additionally, he has cosponsored bills, which would repeal the reduction of Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) payments by dependency and indemnity compensation, and would eliminate the so-called "widow's tax."
Mark will continue to fight for increased funding, access, and will make every effort to expand choices for our veterans who want to utilize the VA system, which was specifically designed to help them.
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
| GI Bill & Veterans' Benefits |
Providing accessible, quality health care to the brave men and women who served in uniform is a national obligation Mark takes very seriously.
The President's proposed 2005 budget would reduce access to Department of Veterans Affairs health care for some of America's veterans by increasing user fees and other charges. Mark does not believe that turning veterans away from Department of Veterans Affairs facilities is an acceptable answer to veterans care problems. Thus, he will continue to support increased funding and legislative initiatives, which would expand the health care choices available to veterans and their families.
On January 16, 2003, Mark introduced S. 176, legislation that would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to bill Medicare for covered services provided to Medicare-eligible, priority 7 and 8 veterans. He also cosponsors S. 19, S. 50 and S. 392, bills that would guarantee adequate funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system; provide concurrent receipt of military retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs disability pay; and authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to fill prescriptions by non-Veterans Affairs doctors.
Most recently, Mark cosponsored an amendment, which was offered by Senator Daschle, to the National Defense Authorization Bill for fiscal year 2005. The Daschle amendment would have assured that funding be provided for Department of Veterans Affairs health care each fiscal year to cover increases in population and inflation. Despite Mark's strong support for the amendment, the amendment was defeated by a vote of 48 to 49 on June 23, 2004.
Mark continues to fight to make Department of Veterans Affairs health care funding mandatory for all of our nation's veterans. We must ensure that the demands for Department of Veterans Affairs health care are met by eliminating the year-to-year uncertainties about funding levels that have prevented the Department of Veterans Affairs from fulfi [Response was truncated to maximum response length of 2000 characters.]
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
| These are available issue topics for which there were no responses. |
| Veterans' Health and Medical Care |
| Retired Veterans Benefits and Health Care |
| Survivor Benefits |
| Disabled Veterans Health Care |
| Homeless Veterans |
| Vetreran Job Retraining |
| Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) |
| Veterans Funding |
| Disability Claims |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Brain Injuries (TBI) |
| Persian Gulf War Illnesses |
| Agent Orange Related Illness |
| Walter Reed Army Medical Center Scandal |
| POWs and MIAs |
| Veterans Administration (VA) |
| Theft of Military Identity Data from VA |
| Veterans' Recognition |