Congressman Salud Carbajal ran on the promise that he would help veterans. Considering he is a veteran himself, he should fight harder than anyone to ensure they get the care and treatment they deserve.
However, when the Veterans Choice Program came up for a vote, I was shocked to see that Carbajal voted against it. If he really wanted to help veterans, he would’ve voted for this bill.
In the recent past, veterans have been mistreated and even turned away from the much-needed care they thought would be provided from the VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). This bill allows veterans to seek a private doctor instead of waiting in long lines at the VA.
If Carbajal actually cared enough to listen to the veterans in his district, he would understand that many of them have to travel over 50 miles just to go to the VA clinic in South County. With a family and a full time job, who has the time to travel that far? Veterans need to be given the option to get private care in their own communities.
Once again, Carbajal shows how out of touch he is with his constituents. Our veterans deserve better and we deserve better. Please remember this when you go and vote in 2018.
This article appears in Aug 17-24, 2017.
