WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. has called for a new GI Bill of Rights.
"I'm here to say that the buck does stop with this president, and if he doesn't take responsibility, I can assure you that the next president will," Clinton said at an address at the Center for American Progress in Washington on Thursday.
Sen. Clinton, the wife of two term President Bill Clinton, is regarded as the front-running candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination for the 2008 national election.
Clinton, who is a member of the Armed Services Committee of the U>S. Senate said that the U.S. Congress needed to enact a new GI Bill of Rights and a series of reforms to ensure that U.S. soldiers received the proper care before, during, and after their deployment in overseas conflicts.
Clinton proposed the expansion of her "Heroes at Home" initiative that was authorized last year. The legislation aimed to help returning troops and their families cope with the transition back to civilian life.
Among its expanded provisions, the initiative would improve the screening process for troops before deployment so that they receive better diagnosis and treatment for psychological injuries after their return.
"The doctors and nurses and staff ... are performing admirably," Clinton said. "But everyone is falling into the same trap laid by a broken bureaucracy, a strained military, and presidential leadership that is missing in action."
Clinton also highlighted the need for improved methods for determining medical compensation for injured troops and called for attention to the unique challenging facing children of single parents who are killed during their tour of duty.
Clinton said that the American people needed to be reminded of their "basic bargain" to provide well for U.S. service members.
