Shame over the disgraceful treatment of Veterans during and after Vietnam resulted in a societal shift by the general population in how it treats its men women in uniform over the last forty years.  Regardless of individual views on war and the military, the majority of our culture respects and wants to help those who volunteered to defend us against all enemies both foreign and domestic.  Not so on Capitol Hill.  The administration and our politicians are determined to put illegal aliens above Veterans, time and time again; rewarding those who take from America and break her laws and punishing those who work and sacrifice to protect her.

During the September government shutdown the Obama administration had privately owned and operated war memorials shut down, barricaded and staffed with law enforcement to bar Veterans.  And who could forget Nancy Pelosi speaking at an illegal immigration rally facilitated by the erstwhile shutdown government, while 90-year-old WWII veterans in wheelchairs were threatened with arrest for visiting their memorials.  As House Republicans passed bill after bill to fund all aspects of government except Obamacare, Senate Democrats kept the government shut down for political theater, and continued to target and punish Veterans.

After passing military Sequestration (while non-essentials like the National Endowment for the Arts remain fully funded), Veterans have been struck yet another undeserved blow by politicians on both Left and (supposedly) Right.  The budget “deal” passed this week not only fattens government with vastly increased spending and economy-killing tax hikes – the opposite of what we should be doing – it does so at the expense of those who dedicated their best years to a military career.  Military pensions and retirement benefits are on the chopping block, cutting $6 billion over ten years.  Even disabled retirees are not exempt from pension cuts, and item Paul Ryan knew about two days before the bill was passed but did nothing to fix.  An amendment proposed by Jeff Sessions to correct this grievous “mistake” was blocked by Democrats because it would recoup the money lost from fraud by requiring applicants for particular child tax credits to submit their social security numbers.   Far be it from Democrats and many Republicans to enforce American law and refuse government benefits to illegal immigrants.

Leave it to the crooks in Washington to pass a deal no one wants that increases spending, further damages the economy, and sticks it to our dedicated military while indulging illegal immigrants.  Whatever Paul Ryan was thinking before the budget passed, he should now be thinking about what he wants to do once we kick him out of office.  With Republicans like this, who needs Democrats?