Every November 19th is a big day here in Gettysburg as we observe Dedication Day.
This is a series of events preceded by the Remembrance Day Parade the Saturday before, and including Wednesday’s wreath-laying ritual, Naturalization ceremony, keynote speaker, recitation of the Gettysburg Address, and lighting of luminaria, culminating with the Gettysburg College Fortenbaugh Lecture at the Majestic Theater in the evening.
All of this is a much-anticipated and beloved annual slate of events commemorating the consecration of the Gettysburg National Cemetery here and especially celebrating Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, in which he challenged his listeners to honor the courageous dead of that battle by completing their “unfinished work.”
Unfortunately, that battle has gotten a whole lot harder in recent weeks, as veterans were hit particularly hard by the recent federal government shutdown.
Moreover, it is vital to note that the stalemate in Congress concerning extensions of the tax credits associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly called Obamacare, has direct ramifications for veterans. Non-senior veterans who rely on the enhanced premium tax credits held hostage by the shutdown may find themselves without health care if these credits are not extended.
Indeed, more than a quarter million might lose their healthcare coverage. Of course, some vets receive their healthcare through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Readers should know, though, that VA benefit “eligibility is limited to certain priority groups, including veterans with low incomes or who have service-connected disabilities, and VA services can be inaccessible for those who do not live near VA facilities.
As a result, subsidized coverage through Medicaid and Marketplaces plays an important role in coverage for nonelderly veterans.”
It is clear, then, that issues concerning veteran healthcare were actually at the very core of the recent government closure, and this is the major sticking point not directly addressed by the deal to end the shutdown. A vote on this issue is supposed to come in December, and the results of that vote will have an outsized impact upon veterans.
In addition, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s particularly heartbreaking to realize that an even more pressing crisis is hunger, which also affects veterans in disproportionate numbers. Even before the shutdown the wolf was already at the door of the households of many Vets, as some 1.2 million veterans nationwide rely upon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits).
This Dedication Day, let us follow the charge of President Abraham Lincoln by fighting the battle still before us, offering “increased devotion” to those veterans among us.
About 60,000 of these live in Pennsylvania, which is about 9% of our local veteran population. In Pennsylvania in particular, food insecurity is “an ongoing battle for many” veterans, especially because the recent shutdown made it clear that SNAP benefits have become just another ante in the high-stakes game of hold ‘em that Washington politicians continue to play with other folks’ lives.
There is some short-term good news on this front for Pennsylvanians, however. On the last day of October, “Governor Josh Shapiro announced new state-led efforts to support Pennsylvania’s charitable food network and the two million Pennsylvanians who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He channeled $5 million to Feeding Pennsylvania in order to expedite distribution through that organization’s“network of food banks throughout the state.”
In addition, the commonwealth provides emergency financial assistance to Veterans in need through the Veterans Temporary Assistance (VTA) Program, funded by donations.” Such assistance is vital because veterans are disproportionately at risk for a range of challenges, and are much more likely to find themselves homeless than are members of the general population.
Veterans often face such challenges in no small part as a result of their service.
Falling as it does the week after Veteran’s Day, Dedication Day offers a perfect opportunity not simply to glorify the heroes of the past, but to embrace and to offer solace to the living who have served their country with honor but have fallen upon hard times.
This Dedication Day, let us follow the charge of President Abraham Lincoln by fighting the battle still before us, offering “increased devotion” to those veterans among us.
Let us seek out those in need and offer them support in terms of food and shelter and other necessities.
Moreover, let us be, in Lincoln’s words, “dedicated to the great task remaining before us,” and find ways to address the health care crisis facing veterans and others in the short term and to provide better services for hungry and homeless veterans in the long term.
Great column that shows how despicable the Democrat shutdown was and how much it hurt our veterans and our children — and our economy. Truly repulsive behavior by people who tried to make a political gain and failed miserably… at the expense of some of our greatest heroes.