Noem Says She Hasn't Had Time to Understand Issues Important to Veterans

Falsely Claims that Health Care Bill Affects TRICARE

(Sioux Falls, SD)-Yesterday, during an interview with the Argus Leader Editorial Board, Kristi Noem responded to a question asking what she would do for our nation’s veterans by saying “you know that’s not something I’ve had a whole lot of time to go back and to look at.” After four years in the state legislature and nine months on the campaign trail, Kristi Noem has not made understanding veterans issues a priority.

“Veterans gave the time to serve our country. In fact, they gave much more than their time,” said Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. “South Dakota has one of the highest rates of veterans in the country, so it's disappointing that Kristi Noem hasn't made time to study these issues.

During her interview, Noem also falsely claimed that the new health care legislation would affect TRICARE, even though Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates who was appointed under both President Bush and Obama, has issued a statement reassuring “servicemembers and their families that the legislation won't have a negative effect on TRICARE, and that their health and well-being are his highest priority.”

Herseth Sandlin added, "Instead of offering ideas and solutions, Noem simply repeats false national partisan talking points that mislead voters about health care for our veterans."

 To see the military’s website regarding TRICARE and the new health care reform bill, including Secretary Gates’ statement, click here.

As a Member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and Chairman of its Subcomittee on Economic Opportunity, Herseth Sandlin has made serving veterans a top priority in Congress. She was instrumental in crafting the Post-9/11 GI Bill that provided the largest increase in veterans’ education benefits since World War II. Herseth Sandlin has also long advocated for Advance Appropriations for the VA to ensure that critical resources for veteran health care are not held hostage to yearly budgeting battles. This legislation was signed into law this year. In addition, Rep. Herseth Sandlin’s Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act was signed into law this year, recognizing the growing number of women entering the VA health care system and the importance of updating facilities and policies to meet their needs.

Transcript of Question on Veterans:

INT: We just have a couple questions that have come up. What can you do, referring to health care again, what can you do for veterans? You know, what can you do?

KN: Well, the first thing I would do is repeal the health care bill. Because I think one of the things that people don’t really, aren’t talking about, don’t realize yet is that the cuts that come into the Medicare program the Medicare Advantage program translate into cuts to TRICARE as well, which is benefits that our veterans depend upon. So that’s going to be very detrimental to our veterans. As I visit with them on this campaign, they feel, many of them feel that they’re promised a certain set of benefits when they sign up and they aren’t being followed through on, and that they aren’t getting everything that they felt they were entitled to when they signed up, and you know that’s not something I’ve had a whole lot of time to go back and to look at and to make sure and do that research, but that’s certainly one of those things that I would pursue that the commitments we’re making to our military men and women when they sign up to serve out country, that we follow through on that too, and take care of them, because it’s extremely important that we don’t come in and fix an individual case by case basis, but that we’re providing all of them with quality care, and what they feel like they were agreed to.