Lawmakers set to check out as vets wait for checkups?

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Lawmakers set to check out as vets wait for checkups?

Veterans await VA fix as Congress readies for August break

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING "Cost of Freedom Recap" CONTAINS STRONG OPINIONS WHICH ARE NOT A REFLECTION OF THE OPINIONS OF FOX NEWS AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS INVESTMENT ADVICE WHEN MAKING PERSONAL INVESTMENT DECISIONS. IT IS FOX NEWS' POLICY THAT CONTRIBUTORS DISCLOSE POSITIONS THEY HOLD IN STOCKS THEY DISCUSS, THOUGH POSITIONS MAY CHANGE. READERS OF "Cost of Freedom Recap" MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN INVESTMENT DECISIONS.

VETERANS STILL WAITING FOR VA FIX AS CONGERSS GETS READY FOR AUGUST RECESS

CHARLES PAYNE: It's a five-week recess and nothing is resolved. It's just a bunch of ideas out there, and hey, let's throw more money at it: $18 billion, $30 billion. You hear about more of these horror stories every day as well as the 100 investigations. It is an absolute nightmare and I don't know how we can do this disaster disservice to the vets.

DAGEN McDOWELL: This does seem to be at least pure somewhat partisan bickering between the House Republicans and the Senate Democrats, and that is what is most disgusting about it. They can't come together for a mutual good cause to fix a very serious problem; they are just fighting with each other. You read the articles and I can't figure out what they are fighting over.

BEN STEIN: It is a bad situation in terms of medical practice in particular because in the private sector, if you don't like your doctor, you go get another one. But in this case, you are chained to the V.A., and I think that the Congress should be getting the academy awards, because they put on the incredibly serious faces and look seriously concerned and frown and point the fingers at

each other.

ADAM LASHINSKY: I do believe that we should throw more money at the situation as well as all of the things that you mentioned, Neil, because we should do what we can for the veterans. But I want to make the observation on this program and many others over the years, when Congress can't get anything done; that are a good thing for the country. Gridlock is good because they are so bad.

DEMOCRATIC REP: PAY PART-TIME WORKERS EXTRA FOR LAST-MINUTE SHIFT CHANGES

BEN STEIN: California will do almost anything to make it difficult to run a business here. They will do anything to have high taxes and incredibly strict regulations and anything to drive the businesses out of the state. Obviously, there should be some consideration given to the workers' feelings, but to make it more expensive to hire the part-time workers in a state that is suffering, that is a big problem.

ADAM LASHINSKY: Well it is amazing, given how business- unfriendly we are in California, how much business we do from Silicon Valley to Hollywood. Nobody on the show believes it, but we are all capitalists here, including me.

CHARLES PAYNE: The idea that I, as a business owner, am obligated to call up someone within 24 hours and say I will have work for you and if I don't, I have to pay them more. I mean, this is a thing called business.

DAGEN McDOWELL: I like how they are trying to legislate it for businesses across the country and present no evidence about how widespread these problems are. How egregious this abuse of the employees is by these businesses getting called in. Listen, we have all experienced that, and it is working as a journalist, working in restaurants or retail, and you will be called in.

GOV'T INSISTS INFLATION IS TAME DESPITE WAVE OF PRICE SPIKES

BEN STEIN: The way the government collects statistics on prices really is amazing. It's so complicated and so convoluted and so out of touch with reality. The data on housing is ridiculous. Anybody who goes into a Walmart to go shopping leaves in a

state of shock and for the government to be telling us there's no problem with inflation is comical. They must live off of eating air. The prices are soaring. Why is the government making up these stories?

CHARLES PAYNE: There's a difference between porter house and skirt, you know what I mean. Let's be honest. Butter is through the roof. All the things on the screen are through the roof. You ask why do they do this? It is to keep pushing certain policies through. You can't keep printing money and admit we have inflation. You can't keep certain fiscal policies in place.

DAGEN McDOWELL: When celery and alfalfa goes up she will complain. You have more available supply and that will bring down prices. Love you designed a segment around bacon and chocolate. Way to go, Neil! Gas prices let's talk about the opposite, gas prices are falling. You'll find sub $3 gasoline.

ADAM LASHINSKY: There's going to be inflation but inflation is not going to be across the board right now. I don't believe there's a conspiracy theory to convince people otherwise.

"MILLENNIAL" STOCKS

CHARLES PAYNE: TriQunt (TQNT)

ADAM LASHINSKY: Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF (VBR)

BEN STEIN: SPDR S&P 500 Dividend ETF (SDY)