Illegal Aliens Receive Immediate Medical Care; Veterans Left to Die

By Ronald W. Mortensen on June 12, 2014

In response to an influx of young illegal aliens, the Obama administration has moved rapidly to provide them with a full range of medical and other services. In response to the needs of American veterans, the president has failed to keep campaign promises made seven years ago.

In response to the need for medical care for young illegal aliens, the Obama administration had Arizona immediately ship federal emergency medical supplies to a holding center in Nogales. In response to veterans' medical needs, the administration ignored campaign promises made in 2007 and stood by while the VA created secret waiting lists that resulted in the deaths of Americans who had honorably served their county.

In response to illnesses afflicting illegal aliens such as scabies, chickenpox, MRSA staph infections, and different viruses, Coast Guard medics have been called in by Homeland Security to treat those who are sick. In response to veterans' health needs, no military medics were mobilized and veterans went untreated.

In response to a need for housing and related services for illegal aliens, the Obama administration moved at warp speed to house them on military bases at a cost of $252 per person per day. However, in spite of saying "We'll have a simple policy when it comes to homeless veterans: zero tolerance," while campaigning in 2007, President Obama has never opened up military bases to homeless veterans or granted veterans on waiting lists access to base medical clinics and hospitals.

In response to a need for increased financing to meet the needs of illegal aliens, the Obama administration immediately requested an emergency appropriation from Congress of $1.4 billion. In response to the critical needs of millions of veterans, the administration has requested no emergency funding and continues to exclude millions of veterans from promised services through means-testing.

In response to the legal needs of illegal aliens, the Obama administration will issue $2 million in grants to enroll about 100 lawyers and paralegals to represent immigrant children. In response to the legal needs of veterans who are denied medical services and other benefits promised them by elected officials over many decades, the administration does nothing.

Some will argue that the administration is responding to the humanitarian needs of young, vulnerable illegal aliens and that this should not be linked to care for American veterans. However, the American people have a sacred responsibility to those who have willingly put their very lives on the line for this nation, especially at a time when these veterans are ill and extremely vulnerable. The Obama administration and the American people need to show the same sense of urgency and compassion for America's veterans as they do for illegal aliens regardless of their age.