Last year, the President did not once mention the word "veteran" during the course of his State of the Union address. I wonder if he will discuss veterans this year; they and their families represent more than a quarter of the U.S. population. No one, after all, has sacrificed more in the course of serving our nation. Surely he can find space in his message to acknowledge and thank them.

But more important than merely mentioning veterans is what his Administration should do for veterans and their families. Has this President heard the voices of veterans across our land, voices demanding adequate health care funding? Has he heard from veterans who deserve accurate and timely decisions on claims for earned benefits? Has he heard veterans pleading for more resources and creative initiatives in order to address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the plague of homelessness? Sadly, the evidence shows he has not.

Since fiscal year 2002, which marks the first budget submitted by his Administration, the President has requested an average annual increase of only 3.4 percent in appropriated dollars for VA health care. In fact, for this current fiscal year, the President initially requested an increase in appropriated dollars of only 0.4 percent. Congress has provided an average annual increase of 7.9 percent. Although this average increase of 7.9 percent is over twice as much as the President has requested, it has not been sufficient to meet the needs of the Nation's veterans. The VA itself testified that it requires a 13 to 14 percent annual increase just to keep up. The President wishes to take full credit for a funding job less than half-done, while his Administration stands by and watches the care gap widen.

Moreover, the President is quick to point out that he has signed into law bills that benefit veterans, again masking the complete truth - his Administration waged unsuccessful battles against the very legislation to which the President affixed his signature...