Blog Post
Twenty-one percent of Fort Lewis soldiers recently returned from Iraq were deemed "at risk" for post-traumatic stress disorder. Between 15 percent and 17 percent of all combat troops returning from Afghanistan or Iraq suffer from depression, anxiety or PTSD.
Without changes to our health-care system, analysts predict that Medicaid will bankrupt every state in as few as 20 years. Over the next decade, federal and state combined expenditures on Medicaid will reach $5.2 trillion, forcing states to cut benefits and raise taxes.
The good news is that recent innovations in health-information technology provide new solutions that will improve access and care to Medicaid recipients, simultaneously saving our federal and state governments money. It's time that we bring health care into the 21st century.
The following op-ed was written by U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich and U.S. Rep. Adam Smith and was published at www.dailykos.com:
Was the White House truthful with the American people and with Congress in making their case to go to war in Iraq? This is a critical question that demands a clear answer and it is long past time for the United States Congress to properly ask it and investigate the matter.
The United States has long been the world leader in leveraging innovation and technology to strengthen and grow our economy.
Our competitiveness in the global market relies not only on the advancement of technology but also on the strength of our workforce. We need policies that help maintain our technological leadership, stimulate job growth within the U.S. and provide lifelong learning and job training opportunities.
Did the Bush White House, in a deliberate and organized manner, misrepresent the truth to Congress, the American people and the world in making its case for the military invasion of Iraq? This is a critical question that demands a clear answer. To this point, Congress has abdicated its responsibility to investigate all the facts. That must change.
When disaster strikes, whether through terrorist attacks, earthquakes or hurricanes, the federal government has a moral obligation to help Americans in need. But we can best do this and meet our other needs and obligations as a nation through consistent adherence to two important policies: fiscal responsibility, and efficiency and accountability in how all taxpayer dollars get spent, even those expended in an emergency.
At this point, the White House and Congress have failed in these two objectives.
Our nation's economic and trade policy under President Bush has consistently failed to help workers both within the United States and internationally prepare for the challenges of the global economy.
Domestically, the Bush administration's fiscal irresponsibility with tax cuts and unnecessary spending priorities has crippled our ability to help workers retrain and compete on the international stage.
Globally, through its trade policy, this administration has done little to help workers overseas.
The extent of global poverty is staggering: more than 3.5 billion people live on less than $2 a day. 1.2 billion people live without access to safe drinking water. Of the world's approximately 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS, more than 93% live in developing countries. Nearly 800 million people do not get enough food, and about 500 million people are chronically malnourished. More than a third of children are malnourished. Not only is this morally unjust, it leads to a more unstable world and a weakened global economy.