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Pass wounded warrior bill

On the list of military issues on which Congress has shown a breathtaking mismatch between rhetoric and action, few examples loom larger than taking care of troops wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For months, both the House and Senate have been sitting on their respective versions of “wounded warrior” legislation designed to overhaul the confusing and contradictory military and Veterans Affairs health care systems.

Among other things, the effort would expand treatment and rehab alternatives for injured troops; ease their transition between the incompatible military and VA systems; and revamp today’s muddled and unfair disability ratings system.

Normally, such legislation would be folded into the broader defense authorization bill. But recognizing that the defense bill would likely become bogged down in disputes over Iraq policy, House and Senate leaders decided months ago to strip the wounded warrior legislation out and make that a separate, stand-alone bill. This was supposed to put it on a fast track to President Bush’s desk.

But the wounded warrior bill is inexplicably stuck in the muck — for no reason other than that Congress just hasn’t gotten around to dealing with it. And while five to seven troops are wounded or injured in Iraq and Afghanistan every day, lawmakers continue to speak loudly but do little.

There is simply no excuse for this delay. If lawmakers truly “support the troops,” as they so often proclaim, they should rethink their priorities and finish the wounded warrior bill.

Right now.