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John -- This Veterans Day, we’d like to take a moment to highlight two powerful women of color on our slate.

We asked Brittany Ramos DeBarros (NY-11) and Jessica Mason (TX-30) to share their experiences as veterans and their perspectives on Veterans Day.

Brittany reflected on returning home after a combat deployment in Afghanistan, discovering the truth about America’s 20-year occupation, and fighting for justice for ALL:

“I’ve been home for almost a decade now and Veterans Day still brings a flood of painful memories and complex emotions. Every year there are parades, festivities and politicians posing for photos. And every year, as we’re trotted out like props by both political parties, I wonder how many more Veterans have been created by endless, expensive wars, and how many more of us have died at home lacking adequate care and support that some claim is ‘too expensive.’”
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“It took me a while to realize it, but when I came home from war I was traumatized and in shock. I didn’t need pats on the back, I needed care and investment.”

Read Brittany’s full piece here. [[link removed]]

Jessica wrote about why she joined the service, and how minority veterans face structural barriers both in and out of the military that leave them struggling to survive.

“There is no archetype for what it means to be a veteran. Veterans are diverse and come from a variety of backgrounds. Some grew up in families where military duty is like part of a tradition. Some join because they want to fight for our country. And some, like me, enlist due to economic reasons.”
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“It pains me that after risking life and limb to this country, our returning veterans are met with such a lack of respect and support to ensure their continued survival.”

Read Jessica’s full piece here. [[link removed]]

You can help us elect both of these bold, progressive fighters with a split contribution here. [[link removed]]

This Veterans Day let's set aside the empty platitudes. Don’t say “Thank you for your service,” show it.

And the best way to show our gratitude towards our service members is to keep our promises.

We promised our veterans free healthcare for life , yet Congress continues to underfund the VA.

We promised our veterans rewarding careers and good wages , yet 20K active duty troops and over a million veterans depend on SNAP to feed their families.

We promised to take care of veterans if their service left them disabled , then constructed a bureaucratic process that leaves many without the benefits they are owed.

We promised immigrants they would be granted citizenship for their service , yet some veterans remain undocumented -- some have even been deported.

We promised them a free college education , yet only a fraction of veterans successfully claim their GI Bill benefits.

Nearly 40,000 veterans have nowhere to sleep tonight. Hundreds of thousands -- disproportionately Black veterans -- are living in poverty.

We promised so much to our veterans for their service, and we expected tremendous sacrifice in return.

Yet instead of meeting their needs we are defunding the VA and dumping billions of dollars into perpetual war.

Veterans have lived up to their end of the bargain, but America has not. But we’re working to change that. This Veterans Day, we must honor our service members by honoring our word.

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To all who have served in uniform, past or present, we thank you, and we commit to fight for you.

Together we will build a world where ALL of us can truly be free. Join us in the fight for justice for all. [[link removed]]

Adrienne Bell
Executive Director
Brand New Congress

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Since 2016 BNC has led the way in advancing popular policies like Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and Abolishing ICE. In 2018 we recruited and elected AOC. In 2020, we elected Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, and we helped Rashida Tlaib win a tough re-election fight.
We are building yet another strong slate of progressives for 2022. Pitch in today and join us as we take over Congress and return power to the people.
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