Rep. Joe Sestak received a warm reception this morning as he addressed a group of about 30 veterans in Old City about health care issues and assured them that their benefits will not change.
The former Navy vice admiral, who is running against Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, spoke at the Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center on Fourth Street.
Toward the end of the meeting, Sestak was asked how Veterans Administration benefits would be effected by President Obama's proposed Universal Health Care Plan.
"Nothing will change," Sestak said. "See section 202. It states explicitly that VA benefits and TriCare will not change."
Sestak fired several shots at Specter, who once serves on the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.
"Washington D.C. has been asleep at the switch," Sestak said, "bordering on negligence."
Sestak said he respected Specter's military service in the early 1950s. But he accused his opponent of exhibiting a "lack of leadership" that has led to a backlog of more than 600,000 claims at the Veterans Adminstration.
Sestak said he had helped to add an additional 3,100 claims adjusters to help reduce the baglog.
Sestak also questioned Specter's priorities.
"Arlen Specter gave his vote for every tax cut for the rich, and in doing so cut out funds that serve many veterans," Sestak said. "We've been cutting benefits in the middle of a war."
Sestak said that military personel returning home after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan were facing a "perfect storm" of adversity.
Along with a "savage recession," Sestak said not nearly enough was being done to treat the 20 percent of active military personel and 30 percent of National Guard personel who are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
Sestak said Specter had voted against a bill that would have provided $2.5 billion to treat veterans with mental illness and PTSD.
Sestak said that the way the nation treats its veterans now will have lasting repercussions.
"It's just like George Washington said: How well you take care of your veterans will determine how well we'll be able to recruit in the future," he said.
Contact staff writer Sam Wood at 215-854-2796 or at samwood@phillynews.com.
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