BOND TELLS VFW OF CUTS TO VETERANS

Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond told veterans on Saturday that a bipartisan budget agreement would cut $300 million in their medical care spending.

Bond, who chairs the appropriations subcommittee for veterans affairs, spoke during a reception at the Holiday Inn for newly installed state VFW Commander, Charles Thrower of Cape Girardeau.

Bond is working hard to make sure the cuts don't take place.

"I don't know where the president came up with the idea that we could serve veterans and cut $300 million," he said.

The cut would affect veterans hospitals and veterans medical care the most.

"Obviously, it is a cut in the amount of money available for veterans medical care. It was a non-thinking, non-justified slash in the budget," Bond said.

Thrower said he and fellow VFW members will lobby the Congress to express their displeasure with the cuts. He said veterans don't deserve the cuts.

"These men deserve their promised medical care," he said. "They can not make cuts on the backs of the veterans that fought and made this country what it is."

Harold Klein a St. Genevieve member of VFW Post 2210, said he will fight cuts in veterans' medical care spending.

"Veterans have earned their benefits a long time ago," he said. "These people have paid their dues. With projections for a balanced budget by 1998 I can't see cuts anywhere."

In a separate interview, Bond said the Senate adopted an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill, co-sponsored by Bond, to elevate the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to the rank of four-star general and a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"The National Guard has been getting shortchanged because they report through the Army," Bond said. "The National Guard maintains a force of over 350,000 soldiers and airmen and women, fully 20 percent of our total fighting force."

Bond thinks his amendment, which has 47 co-sponsors, will have a strong negative reaction from the Army even though the Guard is the first line of defense.