Friend,
You may have seen the video of my GOP colleagues in the House storming out of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Want to know the point of this temper tantrum? They were walking out to avoid extending additional veterans' benefits to the women who serve our country.
This isn’t the first time Republicans have turned their backs on our veterans, and it won’t be the last. The problem is, this disdain for our military starts at the top. By allowing Trump to insult, attack, and deport our active duty service members and veterans, the GOP has made it crystal clear that they view our military as nothing more than a political prop.
If you think I’m exaggerating, here are just a FEW of the many, many assaults Trump has made on our service members:
- Trump verbally attacked a Vietnam veteran during an interview at the Normandy Cemetery
- Trump stole military retirement funds for his border wall
- Trump wouldn’t allow a Marine veteran into the US for a citizenship interview
- Trump purged 200,000 veterans’ healthcare applications
- Trump deported the spouse of a fallen soldier and spouses of active duty service members
- Trump deported veterans
- Trump forced the Coast Guard to go without pay during his shutdown
- Trump skipped a visit to Arlington Cemetery on Veterans Day because it was raining
- Trump attempted to deny female soldiers access to birth control
- Trump first visited troops two years after taking office
- Trump discriminated against HIV-positive service members
- Trump discriminated against service members based on gender identity
- Trump suggested that veterans with PTSD “aren’t strong”
- The list goes on and on…
Trump may have done these things, but the Republicans have stood by him every step of the way. The GOP is walking out on our service members -- it’s up to us to stand up for them.
Last Monday, elected officials on both sides sent out “thank you” messages to our veterans -- but for many Republicans, this was nothing but hot air. Let’s make sure we elect the leaders whose actions match their words.
