Last updated on: 9/28/2016 9:16:46 AM PST
Should the Veterans Health Administration Be Privatized?
Pro (Yes)
Pro
"From elder care to PTSD to the specific health challenges of women who have served in uniform, veterans have a wide range of urgent needs. For some, the VA medical system is the best or only option. That system must function efficiently, provide timely care, and meet the standards we would expect for our own family members. For those who need care from private physicians or hospitals, that option must be available. A strong believer in the power of competition and the marketplace, Gary Johnson will bring that power to bear in the provision of care to our veterans."
Source: Johnson/Weld 2016, "Support Veterans," Johnson Weld campaign website (accessed Sep. 27, 2016)
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Con (No)
Con
"Look, I was outraged by the stories that came out about the V.A. And I have been very clear about the necessity for doing whatever is required to move the V.A. into the 21st century, to provide the kind of treatment options that our veterans today desperately need and deserve. And that's what I will do as president. But I will not let the V.A. be privatized. And I do think there is an agenda out there, supported by my opponent, to do just that. I think that would be very disastrous for our military veterans."
Source: Ryan Teague Beckwith, "Read Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's Remarks at a Military Forum," time.com, Sep. 7, 2016
Con
"First of all, let me make clear that I do not criticize the actual health care provided to veterans; the problem is it is often not readily available because of long wait times, or the lack of nearby facilities. Another problem that veterans face is the maze of paperwork and wait times to adjudicate disability claims. We owe it to our veterans to provide prompt, efficient service. I would never support the privatization of the Veterans Administration, and I support not only fully funding the Veterans Administration, but increasing its budget. This would be easily possible using the money saved by reducing runaway spending on wars and weapons."
Source: Jill Stein, "Jill Stein Answers 11 Questions for the Military Community," militaryvotesmatter.com, Sep. 8, 2016
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Not Clearly Pro or Con
"[U]nder my plan, if you’ve got to wait — and, by the way, people are dying on line. They’re dying, waiting, waiting to get to see a doctor. They’re waiting five days and six days.
Under a part of my plan, if they have that long wait, they walk outside, they go to the local doctor, they choose the doctor, they choose the hospital, whether it’s public or private, they get themselves better. In many cases, it’s a minor procedure or a pill or just a prescription. And they end up dying because they can’t get to see the doctor. We will pay the bill. They go outside, they get a doctor, they get a prescription, they do what they have to do, and we pay the bill...
That is something that I have been praised — and, by the way, I never said take the V.A. — take the Veterans Administration private. I wouldn’t do that. Too much respect for our people. I would never do that...
But I do believe — I do believe, when you’re waiting in line for six, seven days, you should never be in a position like that. You go out, you see the doctor, you get yourself taken care of."
Source: Ryan Teague Beckwith, "Read Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's Remarks at a Military Forum," time.com, Sep. 7, 2016
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FORMER CANDIDATES
(Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria appear below in black and white and in alphabetical order.)
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Not Clearly Pro or Con
Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
Source:
None Found
Withdrew on Mar. 4, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
None Found
Withdrew on Feb. 10, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
None Found
Withdrew on Feb. 10, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
None Found
Withdrew on Dec. 21, 2015; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
None Found
Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
None Found
Withdrew on May 4, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
None Found
Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
None Found
Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
None Found
Withdrew on Mar. 15, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.
None Found
Failed to win the Democratic nomination on July 26, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate’s position on this question.
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