Chet Edwards For Congress

May 08, 2006
Editorial: Another arrow in Waco VA quiver

Waco Tribune Herald
By Editorial Staff | Tribune-Herald

It’s knock-on-wood time for the Waco Veterans Affairs Hospital.

There appears to be a growing momentum of good news pertaining to the fate of the Waco hospital targeted suddenly for closure in the summer of 2003.

The latest good news came with the announcement that additional funding to study post-traumatic stress disorder at the Waco VA Hospital and at Fort Hood has been approved by a House congressional subcommittee.

March 16, 2006
Plan to Raise Military Retirees' Health Costs Faces a Tough Fight

Washington Post By Stephen Barr | Washington Post Staff

Like any other large employer, the Defense Department is struggling to hold down spending on health care, especially for retirees. But a Bush administration plan to raise fees and co-payments for medical coverage provided to military retirees under 65 has run into tough opposition.

Yesterday, a dozen groups representing military officers, enlisted personnel, reservists and retirees denounced the administration's plan as an unfair tax and pledged to support a bipartisan bill that would strip the Pentagon of its authority to raise health care enrollment fees and pharmacy co-payments.

Leaders of the military groups spoke at a news conference called by Reps. Chet Edwards (D-Tex.), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Walter B. Jones Jr. (R-N.C.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, to kick off their legislative effort. Edwards said the bill picked up 46 sponsors on the eve of its introduction.

March 15, 2006
Edwards behind plan to keep military retiree costs down

Waco Tribune Herald
By Dan Genz | Tribune-Herald staff writer

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, is part of a campaign seeking to stop the military from hiking health care fees on retired soldiers and officers for the first time in a dozen years.

March 12, 2006
Editorial: Help for VA, veterans

Waco Tribune Herald
By Editorial Staff | Tribune-Herald

Congress repeatedly has authorized supplemental bills to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

March 1, 2006
Editorial: Buildup, letdown

Waco Tribune Herald
By Editorial staff | Tribune-Herald

This sounds too familiar for Waco, and for people who work in the Department of Veterans Affairs.