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One of the most important responsibilities I have as a Member of the United States Congress is to ensure adequate support for and appreciation of our nation's veterans. Veterans gave themselves in service to defend our freedom and our nation, and we owe it to them.
A recent letter to the editor criticizing one of my votes was extremely misleading. The letter claimed that I voted to cut benefits for survivors of our fallen troops by voting against a motion to recommit the Defense Authorization Bill. The motion to recommit would have sent this bill, which authorizes all funding for our servicemen and women, back to committee, effectively killing it. I stand by our troops and voted to authorize the funding they need to get the job done.
Since coming to Congress, I have consistently voted to provide more funding for veterans benefits and the survivors of troops who make the ultimate sacrifice. With my strong support, an increase in the maximum life-insurance benefit for servicemen and women from $250,000 to $400,000 and an increase in the one-time death benefit for combat-related fatalities from $12,000 to $100,000 were passed into law. In addition, I strongly supported the most recent veterans budget which provides $35 billion, a $2.6 billion increase over the previous year.
These important bills are two examples of providing real support for veterans and their families. The motion to recommit I voted against would only have hurt our troops. |
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