NEW YORK - Responding to the President's proposed budget for the Department of Veterans' Affairs, released today, Paul Rieckhoff, an Iraq veteran and Executive Director of Operation Truth, released the following statement:

"The overwhelming majority of the Veterans community had high hopes for how this administration would treat us, following the State of the Union, but theproposed budget by the President is a slap in the face to those of us who have served this nation.

"With many of those patriots in Iraq about to return home, now is the time to fully fund the VA budget request - not force it to cut back on services to Veterans. The President's budget will force the VA to cut staff and services, and will limit access to care among the current and soon-to-be Veterans. This is anything but 'supporting the troops.'

"We were pleased that the President chose to notbe cheap when it came to calling for an increase in death benefits to the families of the fallen. Today, the administration has shown those in uniform it doesn't really care about you unless you die."

Operation Truth is the largest group of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in the nation. The national, non-partisan group's mission is to give voice to those who have served in the current conflicts, and connect the American public with them.