issues2000

Topics in the News: Veterans


Joe Biden on Veterans: (Principles & Values Mar 1, 2022)
Unity Agenda: Four big things we can do together

Tonight I'm offering a Unity Agenda for the Nation. Four big things we can do together. A unity agenda for the nation. We can do this. My fellow Americans--tonight , we have gathered in a sacred space--the citadel of our democracy. In this Capitol, generation after generation, Americans have debated great questions amid great strife, and have done great things. We have fought for freedom, expanded liberty, defeated totalitarianism and terror. And built the strongest, freest, and most prosperous nation the world has ever known. Now is the hour. Our moment of responsibility. Our test of resolve and conscience, of history itself. It is in this moment that our character is formed. Our purpose is found. Our future is forged.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.   Source: 2022 State of the Union address

Marty Walsh on Veterans: (Homeland Security Mar 24, 2021)
Prioritize permanent housing for every homeless veteran

Marty believes veterans deserve our respect and gratitude for putting everything on the line to serve our country. He believes our gratitude must go beyond holidays and beyond words, and extend to providing the housing, education, jobs, healthcare, and services they need to thrive and contribute their considerable talents to our city. He made it a priority to provide supportive and permanent housing for every homeless veteran.
Click for Marty Walsh on other issues.   Source: 2020 Boston Mayoral campaign website MartyWalsh.com

Pete Buttigieg on Veterans: (Homeland Security Mar 13, 2021)
Immigrants who enlisted deserve sure path to citizenship

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, in a Veterans Day address in 2019, said priority should be given to overhauling and renewing MAVNI. Buttigieg, a Navy Reserve veteran of Afghanistan, said MAVNI [Military Accessions Vital to National Interest] recruits deserve a sure path to citizenship "because if you are willing to risk your life for this country, then it is your country, and we ought to honor that and acknowledge that."
Click for Pete Buttigieg on other issues.   Source: Military.com on Biden Cabinet

Deb Haaland on Veterans: (Homeland Security Mar 13, 2021)
Calls herself a "military brat," parents both veterans

Major J.D. Haaland retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after serving 30 years. He served two years in Vietnam and was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. Secretary? Haaland has referred to herself as a "military brat" who attended more than a dozen public schools as her family moved from base to base before settling in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her mother, Mary Toya, a Native American woman, is a U.S. Navy veteran and a federal employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for 25 years.
Click for Deb Haaland on other issues.   Source: West Central Tribune on Biden Cabinet

Marcia Fudge on Veterans: (Government Reform Dec 13, 2020)
Filed complaint against colleagues sleeping in their offices

Along with several other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, she filed a House Ethics Committee complaint against an estimated 50 to 100 of her congressional colleagues who sleep in their offices, asking why they should sleep in for free in a public building while they were "cutting benefits to the poor, the mentally ill, to education, to veterans housing."
Click for Marcia Fudge on other issues.   Source: The Cleveland Plain-Dealer on Biden Cabinet

Deb Haaland on Veterans: (Government Reform Dec 10, 2020)
Introduced Simplifying Outdoor Access to Recreation Act

I'm still trying to get my Simplifying Outdoor Access to Recreation (SOAR) Act through before the end of the year. SOAR is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will make it easier for outfitters and guides to work with federal agencies, prioritize recreation on our public lands, an promote access for those who benefit the most from outdoor experiences, such as urban populations, low-income families, underserved or at-risk communities, and servicemembers and veterans.
Click for Deb Haaland on other issues.   Source: Press release haaland.house.gov on Biden Cabinet

Deb Haaland on Veterans: (Homeland Security Dec 3, 2020)
Allow VA funds for tribal care for Native American veterans

A bill Haaland co-led to improve health care access for Native American veterans passed the House and moves to the Senate. The Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act, introduced by Ro Khanna, would provide the Department of Veterans Affairs authority to reimburse coverage for care that Native American veterans receive at Urban Indian Organizations. This legislation would help Native American veterans acquire culturally competent care, relieving the burden on the VA system.
Click for Deb Haaland on other issues.   Source: Press release haaland.house.gov on Biden Administration

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Homeland Security Aug 28, 2020)
FactCheck: Obama signed Veterans Choice, not Trump

Trump falsely claimed he passed the Veterans Choice program. The Veterans Choice bill, a bipartisan initiative led by Sens. Bernie Sanders and the late John McCain was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2014.

In 2018, Trump signed the VA Mission Act, which expanded and changed the Choice program. Trump has told this lie more than 150 times.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: CNN Fact-Check on 2020 Republican Convention speech

Mike Pence on Veterans: (Homeland Security Aug 26, 2020)
Fact Check: Takes credit for Veterans Choice passed in 2014

Pence said: "After years of scandal that robbed our veterans of the care that you earned in the uniform of the United States, President Trump kept his word again. We reformed the VA, and Veterans Choice is now available for every veteran in America."

The Veterans Choice program was a bipartisan initiative enacted by Obama in 2014. The Trump administration "reformed the VA" by signing the VA MISSION Act of 2018, which boosted funding for the choice program and expanded the eligibility criteria.

Click for Mike Pence on other issues.   Source: NBC News Fact-Check on 2020 Republican Convention speech

Howie Hawkins on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jul 12, 2020)
Better care & support services for veterans

Provide better care for the wounded, sick and injured soldiers. Ensure that the Pentagon takes all steps necessary to fully diagnose and treat the physical and mental health conditions resulting from service in combat zones, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Ensure a smooth transition from active military service to civilian life by providing counseling, housing, emergency management, job protection and other support systems.
Click for Howie Hawkins on other issues.   Source: Green Party Platform adopted by 2020 presidential hopeful

John Hickenlooper on Veterans: (War & Peace Jul 9, 2020)
Veterans deserve priority in help to re-enter civilian life

We owe a priceless debt to those in active service and to our veterans. Too often, we fail them. Access to health care and job training can help ease this transition to civilian life, and I pledge to support funding for these programs. When veterans are finished with their service, they deserve priority in training that helps them get high-quality jobs and re-enter civilian life more easily.
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.   Source: 2020 Colorado Senate campaign website Hickenlooper.com

Steve Bullock on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jul 5, 2020)
Initiative focusing on veterans' suicide prevention

Bullock announced veterans' suicide prevention efforts through grants established by an initiative titled Governor's Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families. "When our military members return home, we must do everything we can to honor the promises our country has made when the battle is over," said Gov. Bullock.
Click for Steve Bullock on other issues.   Source: The Sidney Herald on 2020 Montana Senate race

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Crime Jul 4, 2020)
Enforcement to protect our monuments: ten years in prison

They are determined to tear down every statue, symbol, and memory of our national heritage. That is why I am deploying federal law enforcement to protect our monuments, arrest the rioters, and prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law. Under the executive order I signed last week--pertaining to the Veterans' Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act and other laws--people who damage or deface federal statues or monuments will get a minimum of 10 years in prison.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: Trump Administration: Trump Remarks at Mount Rushmore

Joe Biden on Veterans: (Social Security Mar 15, 2020)
Increase Social Security benefits without cuts

Bernie Sanders: You were in the Senate for a few years. Time and time again talking about the necessity, with pride, about cutting Social Security, cutting Medicare, cutting veterans programs.

Joe Biden: No.

Sanders: You never said that?

Biden: No.

Sanders: All right. America, go to YouTube right now. You were not a fan of the balanced budget amendment, which called for cuts in Social Security? Why don't you just tell the truth here? We all make mistakes.

Biden: I am telling the truth. Why am I rated 96% by the Social Security organizations? I have laid out how I will increase Social Security benefits. I have laid out how I'm going to make sure that it is in fact, paid for. Look at my exchange with Paul Ryan on his desire to try to privatize and/or cut Social Security, and understand how he manipulated it. Are you saying PolitiFact is wrong? In terms of the negotiations on how to deal with the deficit, everything was on the table. I did not support any of those cuts on Social Security.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues.   Source: 11th Democratic primary debate (Biden-Sanders one-on-one)

Pete Buttigieg on Veterans: (Health Care Feb 24, 2020)
Make it OK to publicly talk about mental health struggles

We also have to build up a culture broadly for veterans, yes, but for the country as a whole, where it's OK to talk about mental health struggles before they become deadly. It has got to become as normal and as acceptable to talk about a struggle with depression or bipolar disorder or addiction as it to talk about fighting cancer or having a knee surgery coming up. That's a cultural shift that the president can lead.
Click for Pete Buttigieg on other issues.   Source: CNN Town Hall 2020 with Don Lemon

Mike Bloomberg on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jan 20, 2020)
Address high suicide rates and mental illness among veterans

Mike's plan will increase funding for mental health across the VA, broaden access to mental health services through public-private partnerships, ease credentialing to increase the number of providers, provide annual mental health exams for active-duty servicemembers, and educate those leaving the service on mental illness and gun safety.
Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.   Source: 2020 Presidential campaign website MikeBloomberg.com

Gina Raimondo on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jan 17, 2020)
Close deficit, boost budget of RI Veterans Home

Raimondo has announced plans to bolster the Rhode Island Veterans Home in her tax and spending plan for this fiscal year. The plan would close the $2 million deficit in fiscal year 2020 and increase funding next year, WPRI-TV reported. Officials say the proposal will increase revenue by about $880,000 and generate general revenue savings of the same amount.
Click for Gina Raimondo on other issues.   Source: Associated Press on 2022 Rhode Island Gubernatorial race

Gina Raimondo on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jan 17, 2020)
At least 3% of contracts to go to veteran-owned companies

Raimondo has told veterans she's redoubling the state's efforts to help them. Veterans will now be given a preference when state contracts are awarded. The state gives a similar benefit to women-owned and minority-owned businesses. The bill sets a goal that at least 3% of the total value of all state contracts available to businesses in each fiscal year be awarded to veteran-owned companies.
Click for Gina Raimondo on other issues.   Source: Seattle Times on 2018 Rhode Island Gubernatorial race

Tom Steyer on Veterans: (Homeland Security Dec 24, 2019)
Refocus and reduce U.S. military spending

Steyer criticizes Trump for losing the trust of military leadership, unnecessarily increasing Pentagon spending, and appointing "incompetent" officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs He backs an overall reduction in U.S. military spending, but says he will ensure the U.S. military is the "best-trained and best-equipped fighting force in the world." He argues that more defense spending should go toward emerging threats, including information warfare and climate change.
Click for Tom Steyer on other issues.   Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2019 Democratic primary

Mike Bloomberg on Veterans: (Homeland Security Dec 24, 2019)
Argued against increasing military spending

Bloomberg has taken few stances on defense issues, but he has argued against increasing military spending. As mayor, he pursued a range of initiatives to help veterans. He has argued that overall military spending is "about where it should be," and dismisses claims that significant Pentagon budget increases are needed to sustain military readiness. He says the focus should be on developing high-tech equipment and "an effective cyberwar service."

He advocates for a new congressional authorization for overseas military operations, many of which currently rely on two-decade-old legislation, to put them "on sound legal footing."

He points to his mayoral record on veterans' issues. His administration's programs included job placement and career assistance services, a veteran-run job center, and a joint program with the Department of Veterans Affairs to combat veteran homelessness in New York.

Click for Mike Bloomberg on other issues.   Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2019 Democratic primary

Andrew Yang on Veterans: (Drugs Dec 16, 2019)
Explore allowing therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms

Yang says the U.S. should loosen its ban on psychedelic mushrooms. "We should explore making psilocybin mushrooms legal for medical and therapeutic use particularly for veterans," he tweeted after meeting with a veteran who told him that the psychedelic substance is the "only treatment he found effective for his depression after returning home."

"We should pursue this - anything that makes people stronger and healthier should be more freely available," the candidate said.

Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.   Source: Forbes magazine on 2019 Democratic primary

Tulsi Gabbard on Veterans: (War & Peace Nov 20, 2019)
Oppose Bush-Clinton-Trump policy of regime-change wars

I want to rebuild our Democratic Party, takes it out of the hands of the foreign policy establishment in Washington, and truly puts it in the hands of the people of this country. A party that actually hears the voices of Americans who are struggling all across this country and puts it in the hands of veterans and fellow Americans who are calling for an end to this ongoing Bush-Clinton-Trump foreign policy doctrine of regime change wars, overthrowing dictators in other countries, needlessly sending my brothers and sisters in uniform into harm's way to fight in wars that actually undermine our national security and have cost us thousands of American lives.

These are wars that have cost us as American taxpayers trillions of dollars since 9/11 alone. As president, I will end this foreign policy, end these regime change wars, work to end this new cold war and arms race, and instead invest our hard-earned taxpayer dollars actually into serving the needs of the American people right here at home.

Click for Tulsi Gabbard on other issues.   Source: November Democratic primary debate in Atlanta

Gina Raimondo on Veterans: (Civil Rights Nov 11, 2019)
Signs law helping gay veterans get state and local benefits

Rhode Island's governor has signed legislation making it easier for veterans to get their state and local benefits if they were discharged from the military solely due to their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. "In the state of Rhode Island, if you're a veteran who's served, you oughta be eligible for veterans benefits that the state provides," Raimondo told local station WLNE-TV.
Click for Gina Raimondo on other issues.   Source: NBC News on Biden Cabinet Confirmation Hearings

Tom Steyer on Veterans: (Government Reform Nov 7, 2019)
The right to vote is gateway to inclusive democracy

There is not equal access to our right to vote. State and federal lawmakers have been working overtime to disenfranchise students, veterans, low-income people, seniors, people of color and the disabled for years. For the past ten years, I've been working to increase participation in our democracy through voter registration and grassroots organizing. The right to vote is the gateway to a fair and inclusive democracy. Without it, American democracy does not truly exist.

Calling out "voter fraud" is an old Republican tactic used to suppress the votes of students, veterans, low-income people, seniors, and people of color. The only ones responsible for creating this breakdown in civil society, are those state legislatures passing voter ID laws, and carrying out voter purges. A healthy democracy depends on the broadest participation possible, one that is of, by and for the people.

Click for Tom Steyer on other issues.   Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Homeland Security Sep 12, 2019)
We spend $750B on military & don't know who our enemy is

As the former chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, we cannot express our gratitude to all of the men and women who have put their lives on the line to defend us, who have responded to the call of duty. But I think, also, I am the only person up here to have voted against all three of Trump's military budgets.

I don't think we have to spend $750 billion a year on the military when we don't even know who our enemy is.

I think that what we have got to do is bring this world together-bring it together on climate change, bring it together in fighting against terrorism. And make it clear that we as a planet, as a global community, will work together to help countries around the world rebuild their struggling economies and do everything that we can to rid the world of terrorism. But dropping bomb on Afghanistan and Iraq was not the way to do it.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: September Democratic Primary debate in Houston

Beto O`Rourke on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jul 30, 2019)
We addressed suicide epidemic in El Paso VA & nationally

When I learned that the El Paso V.A. had the worst wait times for mental health care in the country, and was related to the suicide epidemic, we made it our priority. We took that lesson nationally and I worked with Republican and Democratic colleagues to expand medical health care to veterans, to show that, at the end of the day, we will put the American people first before party, before any other concern.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.   Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit)

Seth Moulton on Veterans: (War & Peace Jul 10, 2019)
AdWatch: Don't send troops back to Iraq

Click for Seth Moulton on other issues.   Source: OnTheIssues.org AdWatch: 2020 Democratic primary

Joe Sestak on Veterans: (Health Care Jul 9, 2019)
For public option as path to single payer

Sestak wants to restore the Affordable Care Act and include a public option to "expand access to health insurance." He wants the success of his public option to engender the transition to a national healthcare system based off the Veterans Health Administration. He advocates for allowing Medicare to bargain for the drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry. Sestak also wishes to import less expensive drugs from Canada.
Click for Joe Sestak on other issues.   Source: Townhall.com on 2020 Democratic primary

Joe Sestak on Veterans: (Health Care Jul 9, 2019)
Add public option based on Veterans Health Administration

Sestak wants to restore the Affordable Care Act and include a public option to "expand access to health insurance." He wants the success of his public option to engender the transition to a national healthcare system based off the Veterans Health Administration. He advocates for allowing Medicare to bargain for the drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry. Sestak also wishes to import less expensive drugs from Canada.
Click for Joe Sestak on other issues.   Source: Townhall.com, 2019 interview series

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Social Security Jul 9, 2019)
2013: Expand benefits and create $2.8 trillion surplus

A major issue that Sanders took a stand on was the 2013 cut to social security. The proposal would not only impact seniors, women, and labor unions, it also would negatively impact benefits for veterans. A year later, the White House finally backed down from the idea, and Sanders put forth a plan to expand benefits provided by the retirement system so that would include a $2.8 trillion surplus and not add to the deficit at all.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: The Democrats, by Alexander Moore, p. 98

Kamala Harris on Veterans: (Immigration Jun 27, 2019)
Immediately reinstate DACA protection, including parents

Immediately on January 20, 2021, I will reinstate DACA protection to those young people. I will further extend protection for deferral of deportation for their parents and for veterans, who we have so many who are undocumented and have served our country and fought for our democracy. I will also immediately put in place a meaningful process for reviewing the cases for asylum. I will release children from cages. I will get rid of the private detention centers.
Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.   Source: June Democratic Primary debate (second night in Miami)

Beto O`Rourke on Veterans: (Abortion Jun 24, 2019)
VA must cover full spectrum of women's reproductive care

His plan emphasizes care for female veterans, pledging to "cover the full spectrum of women's reproductive health care, and include the provision of contraception with no out-of-pocket costs, in vitro fertilization without regard to marital status or sexual orientation, and abortions to the extent they are provided by other federal programs." VA hospitals would also be required to provide free child care.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.   Source: CNN coverage of 2020 Democratic primary

Beto O`Rourke on Veterans: (Civil Rights Jun 24, 2019)
Upgrade records of LGBTQ vets who were discharged

O`Rourke also says he would require the Defense Department to upgrade the service records of LGBTQ veterans who were discharged due to their sexual orientation.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.   Source: CNN coverage of 2020 Democratic primary

Beto O`Rourke on Veterans: (Health Care Jun 24, 2019)
Expand health care benefits and support for veterans

O`Rourke was the lead sponsor of a measure that expanded mental health care for veterans with "other-than-honorable" discharge. He successfully pushed for a measure that requires mental health examinations for those leaving military service. O'Rourke's plan includes requiring the public reporting and display of staffing rations and wait times, expanding telehealth offerings, pushing for an industry-wide standardization of electronic health care data, and mandating a new focus on mental health, addiction treatment and suicide prevention. O`Rourke is also calling for National Institutes of Health spending on Alzheimer's research to double to $5 billion per year "to confront risks stemming from" military service.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.   Source: CNN coverage of 2020 Democratic primary

Beto O`Rourke on Veterans: (Tax Reform Jun 24, 2019)
War tax on non-military households to support vet healthcare

Non-military households would pay a "war tax" to help cover the health care of veterans under a plan O`Rourke's campaign unveiled. Money collected would go into a new trust fund for veterans. Households making less than $30,000 per year would pay $25; less than $40,000 would pay $57; less than $50,000 would pay $98; less than $75,000 would pay $164; less than $100,000 would pay $270; less than $200,000 would pay $485; and those making more than $200,000 would pay $1,000.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.   Source: CNN.com coverage of 2020 Democratic primary

Joe Sestak on Veterans: (Budget & Economy Jun 23, 2019)
Championed fiscally accountable "pay-as-you-go" legislation

In Congress, Joe championed fiscally accountable "pay-as-you-go" legislation to help ensure its passage. He advanced educational legislation, from pre-K through retraining; seniors' quality of life - including authoring and passing the first Elder Abuse Victims legislation in 17 years--and veterans' educational and healthcare expansion.

He sponsored small business legislation for access to start-up capital, tax and regulatory relief, and workforce development, including initiating and passing legislation for a 35% increase in funding for Women's Business Centers.

Click for Joe Sestak on other issues.   Source: 2020 presidential campaign website JoeSestak.com

Joe Sestak on Veterans: (Families & Children Jun 23, 2019)
Authored successful increase in funding for autism

In Congress, Joe pursued healthcare issues ranging from pediatric cancer to mental health parity, as well as autism as he authored the first successful increase in funding for autism in 12 years.

He advanced seniors' quality of life - including authoring and passing the first Elder Abuse Victims legislation in 17 years--and veterans' educational and healthcare expansion.

Click for Joe Sestak on other issues.   Source: 2020 presidential campaign website JoeSestak.com

Joe Sestak on Veterans: (Health Care Jun 23, 2019)
Add public option to ObamaCare

Click for Joe Sestak on other issues.   Source: 2020 presidential campaign website JoeSestak.com

Joe Sestak on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jun 23, 2019)
More funding for veterans and for cyberspace

Click for Joe Sestak on other issues.   Source: 2020 presidential campaign website JoeSestak.com

Seth Moulton on Veterans: (Health Care Jun 2, 2019)
Expand mental care at VA, rest of country

I'm introducing these policy goals to talk about making sure that every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine gets regular mental health care checkups, that it becomes routine, both for active duty and for veterans at the VA. I hope that that will be a model for the rest of the country. That's why I will make sure that every high schooler in America gets to get a checkup with a mental health care professional, and not only that, but learn how to proactively take care of themselves mentally.
Click for Seth Moulton on other issues.   Source: CNN State of the Union 2019 interview

Seth Moulton on Veterans: (Health Care Jun 2, 2019)
Provide troops and vets both physical and mental health care

It's just like when you get a physical, and the doctor says, "you should go to the gym, you should go on runs, you should eat healthy." That's exactly what I believe about mental health care. That's why I'm introducing these policy goals to talk about making sure that every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine gets regular mental health care checkups, just like they get physicals, that it becomes routine, both for active duty and for veterans at the VA.
Click for Seth Moulton on other issues.   Source: CNN "SOTU" 2019 interview series

Seth Moulton on Veterans: (Health Care Jun 2, 2019)
Treat mental health like physical care with regular checkups

It's just like when you get a physical, and the doctor says you should go to the gym, you should go on runs, you should eat healthy. That's exactly what I believe about mental health care. That's why I'm introducing these policy goals to talk about making sure that every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine gets regular mental health care checkups, just like they get physicals, that it becomes routine, both for active duty and for veterans at the VA. I hope that that will be a model for the rest of the country. I will make sure that every high schooler in America gets a checkup with a mental health care professional and learn how to proactively take care of themselves mentally.
Click for Seth Moulton on other issues.   Source: CNN SOTU 2019 interview of presidential hopefuls

Marty Walsh on Veterans: (Homeland Security May 25, 2019)
Sad and disrespectful to vandalize veterans memorial

Walsh is calling on whoever vandalized the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Dorchester to attend the service and "listen to the roll call of names."

"It's sad and disrespectful for anyone to do that to any memorial and the Vietnam Memorial has gone through it last year," Walsh said. "Sixty-seven people from Dorchester that lost their lives in Vietnam, fighting for the United States of America, to free the Vietnamese people," Walsh added. "That's so disrespectful, what that person did."

Click for Marty Walsh on other issues.   Source: Military.com / Boston Herald, "Vietnam Memorial Service"

Amy Klobuchar on Veterans: (Drugs May 5, 2019)
Fund treatment & mental health with opioid tax

That means enough beds in this country for people with mental health problems if they're facing a crisis. That means doing something about our mounting suicide rate for farmers, for veterans, for LGBTQ youth. That means actually putting the money into treatment. I have a proposal for [a] 2 cents-per-milligram fee on these opioid pharma companies that have made tons of money off the backs of people who got addicted. You can also use it for these other drugs, as well as mental health.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.   Source: CNN SOTU 2019 interview of presidential hopefuls

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Drugs May 2, 2019)
Opposed allowing vets access to legal cannabis

The House Veterans' Affairs Committee held a hearing on three bills. One bill would allow VA healthcare providers to write state-legal medical cannabis recommendations for veterans who qualify. A separate bill would direct the VA to conduct a clinical study on the risks and benefits of medical marijuana. A third would prevent the VA from stripping veterans of their benefits because they consume state-legal cannabis.

The Trump administration opposed all three.

Not too long ago, veterans could lose their lifelong military benefits if a drug test turned up evidence of cannabis use, no matter how legal. The VA reformed that policy in late 2017--but it's a policy subject to easy change, not a protection codified by law. President Trump opposes codifying it into law.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: Bruce Barcott in Leafly.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls

Seth Moulton on Veterans: (Homeland Security Apr 28, 2019)
Veterans deserve the best health care in the world, period

Q: What about privatizing?

A: If we can't do it through the VA, then that should be an option. That should be an option. I believe what President Obama advocated for. What he wanted was to have a public option that competes with private options as well. What some people in our party want to do is force everybody onto a health care plan designed in 1963. I think we can do better than that.

Click for Seth Moulton on other issues.   Source: CNN SOTU 2019 interview of presidential hopefuls

Amy Klobuchar on Veterans: (Health Care Apr 22, 2019)
Ensure vets get equal support for mental health

Being sick physically should be treated the same as being sick mentally. That means having the type of psychiatrists and psychologists and counselors that we need. Insurance companies have got to handle mental health things just like they handle physical health things.

When it comes to the veterans, a lot of them go home to small towns. Sometimes they don't have the kind of access especially if they're in the reserve. So they're just coming back sporadically to our V.A. facilities. We have to do a lot better job when they're coming back to evaluate them, to see what they need, to touch base with them.

Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.   Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back

Mike Gravel on Veterans: (Health Care Apr 9, 2019)
VA4A: Veterans Administration healthcare for all

The United States should offer a fully socialized, National Health Service-style single-payer healthcare system for all Americans, covering everything that could conceivably be covered by a private insurer, including dental, vision, and hearing services. This would involve the abolition of private insurance companies. This plan might be called "Veterans Administration healthcare for all," or "VA4A" for short.
Click for Mike Gravel on other issues.   Source: 2020 Presidential campaign website MikeGravel.com

Marianne Williamson on Veterans: (Homeland Security Apr 8, 2019)
Make suicide prevention a top priority for veterans & VA

Every day, an average of 20 U.S. veterans commit suicide. We must not stop working until every veteran and service member has access to the best mental health care and community support. I will direct my VA Secretary to make suicide prevention a top priority.

When our service members come home from service, it is critical that they get the support they deserve. As our brave women and men of the military are transitioning out of service and reintegrating back into society, the right support can make all the difference during their transition and in the ensuing months and years. Many veterans don't even know about the variety of services that are available to support them, nor do they know how to take advantage of them. Solving this lack of outreach to veterans will involve coordinating efforts between the military, the veteran's administration, and outside non-profit groups and community centers.

Click for Marianne Williamson on other issues.   Source: 2020 presidential campaign website Marianne2020.com

Andrew Yang on Veterans: (Homeland Security Mar 29, 2019)
Military spending on modern threats, not decades-old ones

Click for Andrew Yang on other issues.   Source: 2020 presidential campaign website Yang2020.com

Julian Castro on Veterans: (Welfare & Poverty Mar 27, 2019)
Government can help needy families get back on their feet

As the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, I worked to expand the promise of opportunity to Americans all over the nation. Together, my team and I made housing more accessible, lessened homelessness among our nation's veterans and even offered internet access to families in public housing. We set out to help families get back on their feet and achieve more than they thought possible.
Click for Julian Castro on other issues.   Source: 2020 Presidential campaign website JulianForTheFuture.com

Howard Schultz on Veterans: (Corporations Mar 13, 2019)
Achieve profit with humanity & pathway to middle class

I became the CEO of Starbucks when the company had just six stores. By the time I left last year, it had almost 30,000 stores in 77 countries--and over the years, Starbucks has provided a job for nearly 3 million people. Along the way, I sought to build a different kind of American company: one that would achieve profit with humanity. We provided first jobs for tens of thousands of young people. We hired more than 20,000 veterans and military spouses. We provided our front-line baristas a pathway to the middle class. We offered all of our employees, even part-timers, healthcare and stock ownership. At each juncture, people said that these kinds of investments shouldn't and couldn't be done in a for-profit company. That it would not work. But we refused to listen to the skeptics. Instead, we put our people first and found a way to give them access to healthcare, ownership and education while building a profitable company.
Click for Howard Schultz on other issues.   Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com

Beto O`Rourke on Veterans: (Government Reform Mar 13, 2019)
Supports term limits for Congress

One of O'Rourke's campaign promises was to limit the number of terms he served. Term limits were an issue O'Rourke believed in, but it weakened his hand as a freshman in Congress, where long-term ambition translates to seats on powerful committees.

O'Rourke was initially appointed to the Veterans Affairs Committee. He would come to dislike Washington. O'Rourke tried defining himself as an independent voice in Congress, willing to buck party orthodoxy.

Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.   Source: Joe Hagan in Vanity Fair on 2020 Democratic primary

Bill Weld on Veterans: (Drugs Feb 15, 2019)
Accept benefits of cannabis; allow vets and seniors to use

Veterans should be permitted to receive health care from hospitals and health care providers outside the exclusive network of V.A. hospitals. They should be permitted to use cannabis for the relief of post-traumatic stress disorder without losing their veteran's benefits, as is the case under current V.A. law. The elderly must be permitted to have full access to non-addictive drugs which are useful for the relief of pain, including cannabis and CBD.
Click for Bill Weld on other issues.   Source: Speech in New Hampshire by 2020 presidential hopefuls

Howard Schultz on Veterans: (Health Care Feb 12, 2019)
President must take responsibility for V.A.

The U.S. government does some great things but the V.A. isn't one of them. I will fix the V.A. and I will be personally accountable if I run for president and I'm fortunate enough to win. No one in decades has fixed the V.A. with an annual budget of $200 billion. It is criminal. We have layers and layers and layers of government bureaucracy. No one knows who's in charge. There's no transparency of records. Veterans are waiting weeks and months for prescription drugs. There's all kinds of problems.
Click for Howard Schultz on other issues.   Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls

Pete Buttigieg on Veterans: (Homeland Security Feb 12, 2019)
Recognize Vietnam Veterans Day, as late honor

At the Vietnam Welcome Home event, I said: "At the end of my tour in Afghanistan, the reception couldn't have been better. At the airport, people lined up to shake our hands, waving flags." A little choked up, I continued to the point. "Many of you did not get that welcome home. And it's a shame. These days, as a society, we have learned how to separate how we feel about a policy and how we treat the men and women sent overseas to serve. That wasn't true for Vietnam veterans. I'm sorry that not everyone thanked you properly. I'm sorry that this is coming late: Thank you. And welcome home."

Recognizing Vietnam Veterans Day has only begun in the last few years, but it quickly became another occasion for me to see how important a symbolic act can be. Some of the vet's eyes water. It's clear to them the honor however late in their lives, is meaningful. One of them tells me he was 18 when he went, "They called me a baby-killer when I got back," he says, staring into the distance.

Click for Pete Buttigieg on other issues.   Source: Shortest Way Home, by Pete Buttigieg, p.258-9

Xavier Becerra on Veterans: (Homeland Security Feb 5, 2019)
Remove barriers for veterans seeking medical services

The wall on the border is not the only wall that we are seeing that this Administration is trying to build:

The Trump Administration are also putting a wall between our veterans and their medical services. They are ready to waste millions of dollars on a border wall instead of helping our veterans who deal with long delays in hospitals.

Click for Xavier Becerra on other issues.   Source: Democratic Spanish response to the 2019 State of the Union

Steve Bullock on Veterans: (Education Jan 31, 2019)
Freeze college tuition; college credit for veterans

For our veterans, we've expanded opportunities to get college credit for prior learning gained through their military service. In 2013, states around the country were slashing university budgets and saddling students with steep tuition increases. Instead, we have increased investments in higher education while freezing college tuition four of the last six years; leading to Montana having the fourth lowest tuition and fees in the nation. Let's once again freeze in-state college tuition and prevent what is effectively a tax increase on 28,000 Montana students and their families. And let's finally join 49 other states providing state-funded, need-based financial aid for students and adult learners. These investments will determine for decades to come the economic success of Montana students, workers and families.
Click for Steve Bullock on other issues.   Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Montana legislature

Deb Haaland on Veterans: (Homeland Security Oct 9, 2018)
The Veterans deserve good health care and help finding jobs

Both of my parents were Veterans, and my dad is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Our country must live up to the promises made to our Veterans in exchange for their service and their lives. All veterans deserve good health care, including mental health services, and support to transition into civilian jobs.
Click for Deb Haaland on other issues.   Source: 2018 NM-1st House campaign website DebForCongress.com

John Delaney on Veterans: (Homeland Security May 29, 2018)
National service program, plus community & veterans' service

Click for John Delaney on other issues.   Source: The Right Answer, by Rep. John Delaney, p.141-4

Stacey Abrams on Veterans: (Civil Rights Apr 24, 2018)
Leaders should show that differences needn't be barriers

Part of the job of leaders is to show why difference doesn't have to be a barrier. My colleague Simone Bell held the distinction of being the first openly African American lesbian elected to a state legislature. Simone joined a Southern legislature that had awkwardly grappled with its first white lesbian ten years before, but mixing stereotypes of gender and sexual orientation with race proved too much for some veterans in the House. One member, a Democratic ally, urged me to tell Simone not to mention her status so often. It was making members uncomfortable. But for Simone, not only was her sexual orientation essential to her identity, it was central to her reasoning for running for office. She won her seat not because of her sexual orientation but because of what it signaled to an economically depressed, largely black community. Here is a woman who understood hardship and had fought against the very oppressions that seemed to seethe unchecked in their communities.
Click for Stacey Abrams on other issues.   Source: Minority Leader, by Stacey Abrams, p.46

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Homeland Security Apr 1, 2018)
Don't privatize the Veterans Administration

Q: Will you support Dr. Ronny Jackson as the nominee for the Veterans Administration?

SANDERS: Well, we know nothing about Dr. Jackson's vision for the VA. But what concerns me is that, right now in Washington, we have a family called the Koch brothers--with a few of their other billionaire friends--their view has been we have got to privatize, privatize, and privatize. And Dr. Shulkin [the previous DVA chief], who Trump fired this week, said the reason for his firing is that he resisted privatization of the Veterans Administration. I work very closely with the major veterans organizations, and what they say is they want to strengthen the VA, not dismember it, not privatize it.

Q: Well, the White House says, at this time, they have no intent to privatize the VA.

SANDERS: They have been putting more money into the private sector with VA money. I do not believe them on that issue. I think they are listening to the Koch brothers. And I think that that is a very, very bad idea.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: CBS Face the Nation 2018 interviews of 2020 hopefuls

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Health Care Jan 30, 2018)
The cruel ObamaCare individual mandate is gone

We eliminated an especially cruel tax that fell mostly on Americans making less than $50,000 a year--forcing them to pay tremendous penalties simply because they could not afford government-ordered health plans. We repealed the core of disastrous ObamaCare--the individual mandate is now gone.

And we are giving our veterans choice in their healthcare decisions.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: 2018 State of the Union address

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jan 30, 2018)
Fire 1,500 VA employees who failed to serve veterans

We are serving our brave veterans, including giving our veterans choice in their healthcare decisions. Last year, the Congress passed, and I signed, the landmark VA Accountability Act. Since its passage, my Administration has already removed more than 1,500 VA employees who failed to give our veterans the care they deserve--and we are hiring talented people who love our vets as much as we do. I will not stop until our veterans are properly taken care of, which has been my promise to them from the very beginning of this great journey.

All Americans deserve accountability and respect--and that is what we are giving them. So tonight, I call on the Congress to empower every Cabinet Secretary with the authority to reward good workers--and to remove Federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: 2018 State of the Union address

John Kasich on Veterans: (Homeland Security Dec 27, 2017)
Improve veteran healthcare with more options & fewer delays

The same kinds of policies that John Kasich has deployed successfully in Ohio to support veterans will be a model for the veterans policies he pursues as president. A particular focus will be health care, where he supports improving the current system as well as giving veterans new flexibilities and options to eliminate delays for needed care.
Click for John Kasich on other issues.   Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, JohnKasich.com

John Kasich on Veterans: (Homeland Security Dec 27, 2017)
Easier licensing for veterans; and more job services

Veterans have advanced training and experience in many of the skills that Ohio job creators are seeking. Reforms Gov. Kasich pursued in 2014 made it easier for veterans to transfer their skills to receive licensure credit so they can quickly begin applying their skills in good-paying jobs that support their families. Further, Ohio's state licensing boards and commissions have adopted consistent military definitions and made changes to their applications and policies to make certain that veterans and spouses are identified and prioritized.

Ohio created OhioMeansVeteranJobs.com--an online resource offering veterans a host of services to help them get a job. The website has a "military skills translator" that helps map military experience to job skills to build a resume from military service. For businesses looking for qualified workers, Ohio created the Veterans Business Support Center to assist employers in locating qualified veteran candidates for job openings.

Click for John Kasich on other issues.   Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, JohnKasich.com

John Kasich on Veterans: (Principles & Values Apr 23, 2017)
Focus on common humanity and fix problems where we live

Q: You want people to read your book "to understand their responsibility and their ability to bring this country together and stop waiting" because politicians won't "get it right until they get a message from us." So what can people do?

KASICH: A lot of it is to focus on common humanity. Why don't we focus on the things that pull us together? Are we concerned about drug addiction in our neighborhoods? Of course, we are. It's not Republican or Democrat. Are we worried about veterans who come home and can't get a job? Can we look out for them? Of course. What about a senior citizen that lost their spouse? You know, what about the issue of human trafficking? Can we keep our eyes open? There are families that are in war with one another over politics. It's ridiculous. There are more things that bring us together. If we can focus on common humanity and sit down and fix problems where we live and believe in ourselves, it will open our ears to people who might not think like us.

Click for John Kasich on other issues.   Source: CBS Face the Nation 2017: Two Paths, by John Kasich

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Homeland Security Feb 28, 2017)
More tools so our military can fight and win

To keep America safe, we must provide the men and women of the United States military with the tools they need to prevent war and--if they must--to fight and to win.

I am sending the Congress a budget that rebuilds the military, eliminates the Defense sequester, and calls for one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history.

My budget will also increase funding for our veterans. Our veterans have delivered for this Nation--and now we must deliver for them.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: 2017 State of the Union address to Congress

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Homeland Security Nov 15, 2016)
Care for our veterans, even if we disagree about wars

While serious people can have legitimate differences of opinion about when our country should go to war, there should never be a debate as to whether we fulfill the promises made to the men and women who served this country in the military. As a nation, we have a moral obligation to provide the best-quality care to those who have put their lives on the line to defend us. But we have often fallen short of that obligation.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: Our Revolution, by Bernie Sanders, p. 414

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Tax Reform Oct 4, 2016)
OpEd: Can't release tax returns while under audit? Nixon did

KAINE: Trump started this campaign in 2014 and he said, "If I run for president, I will absolutely release my taxes." He's broken his first promise. Second, he stood on the stage last week and when Hillary said, "you haven't been paying taxes," he said, "That makes me smart." So it's smart not to pay for our military? It's smart not to pay for veterans? It's smart not to pay for teachers? And I guess all of us who do pay for those things, I guess we're stupid.

PENCE: [Trump] is going to release his tax returns when the audit is over.

KAINE: Richard Nixon released tax returns when he was under audit.

FACTCHECK: When asked about Trump's assertion, the IRS said in a statement, "Nothing prevents individuals from sharing their own tax information." But while tax law does not prevent Trump from releasing his returns, waiting until his audit is completed may be beneficial, experts said.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: TheHill.com FactCheck on 2016 Vice-Presidential Debate

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Health Care Sep 7, 2016)
Let vets see private doctors or VA: that's not privatization

CLINTON: I will not let the V.A. be privatized. And I do think there is an agenda out there, supported by my opponent, to do just that.

TRUMP: I never said take the Veterans Administration private. I wouldn't do that. But I do believe, when you're waiting in line for six, seven days, you should never be in a position like that. You go out, you see the doctor, you get yourself taken care of. The V.A. is really almost a corrupt enterprise. So we are going to make it efficient and good. And if it's not good, you're going out to private hospitals, public hospitals, and doctors.

FACT-CHECK: Trump's campaign published a "Veterans Plan" last October. It doesn't call for the VA to be completely privatized, but allows veterans to get care at any non-VA medical center that accepts Medicare. Trump stuck to the idea when he released his "Ten Point Plan To Reform The VA" in July, giving "every veteran the choice to seek care at the VA or at a private service provider of their own choice."

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: USA Today Fact-check on 2016 NBC Commander-in-Chief forum

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Health Care Sep 7, 2016)
Create V.A. mental health division to reduce veteran suicide

Q: What is your plan to stop 20 veterans a day from killing themselves?

A: It's almost impossible to conceive that this is happening in our country, 20 to 22 people a day are killing themselves. A lot of it is they're killing themselves over the fact that they're under tremendous pain and they can't see a doctor. We're going to speed up the process. We're going to create a great mental health division. I have a powerful plan that's on my website. One of the problems is the wait time. Vets are waiting six days, seven days, eight days. Under my plan, if they have that long wait, they walk outside, they go to the local doctor, they choose the doctor, they choose the hospital, whether it's public or private, they get themselves better. We will pay the bill.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: 2016 NBC Commander-in-Chief forum with Matt Lauer

Hillary Clinton on Veterans: (Homeland Security Sep 7, 2016)
Move V.A. into 21st century, but not by privatizing

TRUMP: Hillary Clinton six months ago said the vets are being treated essentially just fine, there's no real problem, it's over-exaggerated. She said she was satisfied with what was going on in the Veterans Administration.

Q [to Clinton]: Last October you said that surveys of veterans show that they're overall satisfied with their treatment and that the problems with the V.A. aren't as widespread as they're made out to be.

CLINTON: Look, I was outraged by the stories that came out about the V.A. And I have been very clear about the necessity for doing whatever is required to move the V.A. into the 21st century, to provide the kind of treatment options that our veterans today desperately need and deserve. And that's what I will do as president. But I will not let the V.A. be privatized. And I do think there is an agenda out there, supported by my opponent, to do just that. I think that would be very disastrous for our military veterans.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.   Source: 2016 NBC Commander-in-Chief forum

Kamala Harris on Veterans: (Homeland Security Aug 31, 2016)
Champion a robust VA for our Veterans

With more than two million Veterans, California has more Veterans than any other state, and we owe them the support and care they earned while wearing our nation's military uniform. Over the years, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been plagued by scandal and budget crises, resulting in disgraceful levels of service and irresponsible delays in providing medical care and disability benefits.

As Attorney General, Kamala formed a working group to fight scams and other predatory conduct uniquely targeting service members, and secured enhanced protections for active-duty and Veteran homeowners during the foreclosure crisis.

In the Senate, Kamala will champion a robust VA for our Veterans. She will fight to ensure that when Veterans leave military service, they have the support they need to readjust to civilian life, including proper physical and mental health care. It's unconscionable that 22 Veterans take their own lives each day.

Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.   Source: 2016 California Senate campaign website, KamalaHarris.org

Mike Pence on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jul 20, 2016)
We see promise after promise to our veterans forgotten

We have seen borders that go unrespected, a military that has been diminished, promise after ringing promise to our veterans promptly forgotten. Then Donald Trump came along and started saying what practically everybody was thinking anyway, that our leaders need to be stronger.

Under Donald Trump, our deals will be stronger. Under Donald Trump, our deals will be smarter, our soldiers will have what they need, and our veterans will have what they earned.

Click for Mike Pence on other issues.   Source: Speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention

John Hickenlooper on Veterans: (Welfare & Poverty May 24, 2016)
Denver's Road Home: wraparound services for homeless

[In 2005] the U.S. Interagency on Homelessness would control all of the different federal sources of funding being used against homelessness, whether from HUD or the Veterans Administration or Health and Human Services or wherever , and for the first time integrate them and award funding to cities based on results-based outcomes. What a concept! We were one of the first cities to commit to a ten year plan to end homelessness. We called it "Denver's Road Home."
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.   Source: The Opposite of Woe, by John Hickenlooper, p.258

Mike Pence on Veterans: (Homeland Security Mar 22, 2016)
Supported expanding benefits and opportunities for veterans

Pence signed more than a dozen bills he says will expand benefits and opportunities for Indiana's military servicemembers and veterans. [One veteran's spokesperson], who led the Indiana National Guard for 11 years, says he's particularly pleased with one that expands the Military Family Relief Fund. That program was originally created to help post-9/11 veterans pay food, housing, utility, transportation and medical bills. Umbarger says the legislation extends that help to all veterans.
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.   Source: WFYI news "Pence Signs 13 Bills," 2016 Indiana Governor race

Ted Cruz on Veterans: (Homeland Security Mar 15, 2016)
Provide our veterans the care they have been promised

Click for Ted Cruz on other issues.   Source: 2016 presidential campaign website TedCruz.org

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Social Security Feb 11, 2016)
Lift cap on wealthy: at $250,000 program lasts 58 years

We should lift the cap on taxable income coming into the Social Security Trust Fund, starting at $250,000. We expand Social Security by $1,300 a year for people under $16,000, and we extend the life of Social Security for 58 years. The wealthiest people will pay more in taxes. I will do everything I can to expand Social Security benefits, not just for seniors, but for disabled veterans, as well.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: 2016 PBS Democratic debate in Wisconsin

Hillary Clinton on Veterans: (Homeland Security Feb 4, 2016)
Fight the idea of privatizing the V.A.

Q: You will likely face a Republican opponent who wants to privatize or even abolish big parts of the V.A. It's a newly popular idea in conservative politics.

CLINTON: First of all, I'm absolutely against privatizing the V.A. I am going do everything I can to build on the reforms that Senator Sanders and others in Congress have passed to try to fix what's wrong with the V.A. There are a lot of issues about wait times & services that have to be fixed because our veterans deserve nothing but the best. Yes, let's fix the V.A., but we will never let it be privatized, and that is a promise.

SANDERS: Republicans give a lot of speeches about how much they love veterans. But when it came to put money on the line [in my comprehensive veterans bill], to protect our veterans, frankly, they were not there. Secretary Clinton is absolutely right, there are people, a group called Concerned Veterans of America, funded by the Koch brothers, yes, there are people out there who want to privatize it.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.   Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire

Hillary Clinton on Veterans: (Homeland Security Feb 4, 2016)
Promise to never privatize V.A.

Q: You will likely face a Republican opponent who wants to privatize or even abolish big parts of the V.A. It's a newly popular idea in conservative politics.

CLINTON: I'm absolutely against privatizing the V.A. And I am going do everything I can to build on the reforms that Senator Sanders and others in Congress have passed to try to fix what's wrong with the V.A. There are a lot of issues about wait times and services that have to be fixed because our veterans deserve nothing but the best. Yes, let's fix the V.A., but we will never let it be privatized, and that is a promise.

SANDERS: Republicans give a lot of speeches about how much they love veterans. But when it came to put money on the line [in my comprehensive veterans bill], to protect our veterans, frankly, they were not there. Secretary Clinton is absolutely right, there are people, Koch brothers among others, who have a group called Concerned Veterans of America, who want to privatize.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.   Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Homeland Security Feb 4, 2016)
Strengthen the V.A.; don't privatize the V.A.

CLINTON: I'm absolutely against privatizing the V.A. I am going do everything I can to build on the reforms that Senator Sanders and others in Congress have passed to try to fix what's wrong with the V.A. .

SANDERS: Republicans give a lot of speeches about how much they love veterans. I work with the American Legion, the VFW, the DAV, the Vietnam Vets, and virtually every veterans organization to put together the most comprehensive piece of the veterans legislation in the modern history of America. Every Democrat voted for it; I got two Republicans. That is pathetic. So Republicans talk a good game about veterans, but when it came to put money on the line to protect our veterans, frankly, they were not there. Secretary Clinton is absolutely right, there are people, Koch brothers among others, who have a group called Concerned Veterans of America, funded by the Koch brothers, yes, there are people out there who want to privatize it. We've got to strengthen the V.A. We do not privatize the V.A.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Homeland Security Feb 4, 2016)
Promise to never privatize V.A.

Q: You will likely face a Republican opponent who wants to privatize or even abolish big parts of the V.A. It's a newly popular idea in conservative politics.

SANDERS: Republicans give a lot of speeches about how much they love veterans. But when it came to put money on the line [in my comprehensive veterans bill], to protect our veterans, frankly, they were not there. There are people, Koch brothers among others, who have a group called Concerned Veterans of America, who want to privatize it.

CLINTON: I'm absolutely against privatizing the V.A. And I am going do everything I can to build on the reforms that Senator Sanders and others in Congress have passed to try to fix what's wrong with the V.A. There are a lot of issues about wait times and services that have to be fixed because our veterans deserve nothing but the best. Yes, let's fix the V.A., but we will never let it be privatized, and that is a promise.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire

Hillary Clinton on Veterans: (Health Care Nov 10, 2015)
The VA has failed our veterans & needs to be revamped

Supporting our military veterans is a sacred responsibility, yet the Veterans Administration has systematically failed to uphold its core mission. We need a new initiative similar to the post-WWII Bradley Plan. We need to synchronize the VA with Medicare & ACA, and also expand services such as childcare, reproductive services, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment. Privatization of our medical system will only undermine veterans' ability to get the unique care that only the VA can provide.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.   Source: Bloomberg.com News, "Oppose Veteran System Privatization"

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Homeland Security Nov 3, 2015)
VA is one of the most incompetently-run agencies

The Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA) is probably the most incompetently run agency in the United States government. And that's saying something. The problem is that there are too many political people involved within its operation.

The taxpayers pay more than $150 billion a year for the VA, and what do we get for that? Right now, the VA is being run by people who don't know what they're doing. They're getting more money from the government than ever before and yet the care gets worse. The list of men and women waiting for care is growing and their wait times are longer. How can the VA possibly be so inefficient? We need to put people in charge who know how to run big operations. We have to get the best managers and give them the power, the money, and the tools to get the job done. We owe our veterans nothing less.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: Crippled America, by Donald Trump, p.106-7

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Homeland Security Oct 13, 2015)
I pushed bill for $15B for veterans' healthcare services

What we did is pass a $15 billion dollar piece of legislation which brought in many new doctors and nurses into the V.A. so that veterans could get health care when they needed it, and not be on long waiting lines. The other part of that legislation said that if a veteran is living more than 40 miles away from a V.A. facility, that veteran could get health care from the community health center or the private sector.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: 2015 CNN Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Social Security Oct 13, 2015)
Defend against chained CPI, and expand Social Security

Q [to CLINTON]: Senator Sanders would expand Social Security. What's wrong with that?

CLINTON: I fully support Social Security, and will defend it against continuing Republican efforts to privatize it.

Q: Do you want to expand it?

CLINTON: I want to enhance the benefits for the poorest recipients of Social Security.

SANDERS: When the Republicans in the Congress and some Democrats were talking about cutting Social Security and benefits for disabled veterans, for the so-called chained CPI, I q founded a caucus called the Defending Social Security Caucus. When you have millions of seniors in this country trying to get by--and I don't know how they do on $13,000 a year--you don't cut Social Security, you expand it. And the way you expand it is by lifting the cap on taxable incomes so that you do away with the absurdity of a millionaire paying the same amount into the system as somebody making $118,000. You do that, Social Security is solvent until 2061 and you can expand benefits.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: 2015 CNN Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Tax Reform Sep 22, 2015)
OpEd: One-time wealth tax could cause stock market collapse

Political veterans such as Dick Morris observed that Trump was publishing a new book, The America We Deserve, which might get a boost in sales from the author/candidate's appearances on TV talk shows such as "Larry King Live" (CNN), "The Early Show" (CBS), and the "Tonight" show (NBC), which invited him to talk politics. Many of his ideas were dismissed as unworkable. For example, a onetime tax on the rich was labeled "harebrained" by economist and securities analyst David Jones, who said it could cause a stock-market collapse. (A former IRS commissioner called it "wacky, constitutionally.") A few of Trump's proposals did show he was both forward-looking and ideologically flexible.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: Never Enough, by Michael D`Antonio, p.250

John Kasich on Veterans: (Homeland Security Sep 20, 2015)
Expand voucher program for veterans' healthcare

Q: Dr. Ben Carson has called for essentially closing the VA and folding in most health care for veterans into the Pentagon. Do you think that plan would work? What would you do?

A: I first of all think that we need to expand the voucher program so a veteran can get the health care they need as soon as they can possibly get it and should not be just limited to the VA hospitals. Secondly, my sense is you're going to have to decentralize the VA.

Click for John Kasich on other issues.   Source: CNN SOTU 2015 interview series: 2016 presidential hopefuls

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Homeland Security Sep 20, 2015)
Fix veteran's hospitals, and pay private doctors for them

Q: You said that you would build more hospitals for veterans--is there anything else you would do?

A: One of the things I would do is fix the hospitals. What I'm going to do is make sure that they will be able to go out and use private doctors and we will pay the private doctors. We're going to do a bit of a free market thing so that veterans can get immediate service and good treatment.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: CNN SOTU 2015 interview series: 2016 presidential hopefuls

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Welfare & Poverty Sep 5, 2015)
3.5 million Americans homeless is unacceptable

It is unacceptable that in one of the wealthiest countries in the world as many as 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness over the course of a year. In 2013, the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that on any given night, over 600,000 Americans are homeless. It is unacceptable that so many Americans are living on the streets. We must increase affordable housing and work to reduce homelessness among veterans.
Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: 2016 grassroots campaign website FeelTheBern.org, "Issues"

Amy Klobuchar on Veterans: (Homeland Security Aug 24, 2015)
Offer troops care for traumatic brain injury

[After my 2007 visit to Iraq, I said in a national speech]: "Between the Gulf War in the early 1990s and our invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, our country had spawned a generation of young veterans with unique needs. All too often they had traumatic brain injuries (the signature injury coming out of these wars) or mental health issues or a lack of gainful employment when they returned home. As I said at dozens of deployment and welcome home ceremonies, we owed it to our troops to do the right thing--despite major disagreements about the policy in Iraq, our nation simply could not make the same mistake that so many made during the war in Vietnam. This time, we would agree to disagree about the war but still respect and support the warriors. When our troops signed up to serve our country there wasn't a waiting line, and when they come home to our country and they need a job or a house or health care or an education, there should never be a waiting line in the United States of America.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.   Source: The Senator Next Door, by Amy Klobuchar, p.233-4

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Families & Children Jun 16, 2015)
Stress importance of a strong family, & a culture of Life

Trump has over 7 million followers on social media. He frequently uses this platform to advocate for Conservative causes, Republican candidates and to educate the public on the failures of the Obama administration. Trump appears on "Fox and Friends" on Monday mornings & devotes much of his time to media interviews in order to promote a Free Market, the importance of a strong family, a culture of Life, a strong military and our country's sacred obligation to take care of our veterans and their families.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, DonaldJTrump.com

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jun 16, 2015)
Increased Veterans Day parade audience from 100 to 1 million

Trump has long been a devoted supporter of veteran causes. In 1995, the fiftieth anniversary of World War II, only 100 spectators watched New York City's Veteran Day Parade. It was an insult to all veterans. Approached by Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the chief of New York City's FBI office, Trump agreed to lead as Grand Marshall a second parade later that year. Mr. Trump made a $1 million matching donation to finance the Nation's Day Parade. On Saturday, November 11th, over 1.4 million watched as Trump marched down Fifth Avenue with more than 25,000 veterans, some dressed in their vintage uniforms. A month later, Trump was honored in the Pentagon during a lunch with the Secretary of Defense and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, DonaldJTrump.com

Rand Paul on Veterans: (Homeland Security Apr 7, 2015)
Provide veterans support tools to adjust to civilian life

As a physician, it is particularly upsetting to me when I hear of bad experiences our veterans have had with the Department of Veterans Affairs. These experiences represent a failure of one of our most basic obligations - to provide for those who have worn the uniform and shouldered the burdens of war.

We owe it to the men and women who have served in combat to provide them with quality care for injuries sustained in defense of this nation. We must provide our veterans the necessary support tools as they adjust back to civilian life.

We consider all veterans, service members and their families to be an important part of our local communities. As President, I will continue to support veterans and service members of this country. It is my strong belief that we must protect those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation.

Click for Rand Paul on other issues.   Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, RandPaul.com, "Issues"

Howard Schultz on Veterans: (Homeland Security Nov 9, 2014)
Volunteer army means 98% of us have no skin in the game

Q: You wrote a book, "For Love of Country," about these veterans that are coming home. There's been a lot of talk about trying to help them get back into civilian life. What is the one thing that you think the public needs to understand about helping these folks back into civilian life?

HOWARD SCHULTZ: Two and a half million extraordinary young men and women have served for the last ten, 15 years in an all-volunteer service. As a result of that, most of America, 98% have not had real skin in the game. We need to have a conversation, be empathetic, be understanding, and do everything we possibly can across the country, in rural America and every town, to hire a veteran.

Click for Howard Schultz on other issues.   Source: Meet the Press 2014 interview by Chuck Todd

Gina Raimondo on Veterans: (Homeland Security Nov 4, 2014)
Honor and support our veteran population, including housing

Gina will work every day to ensure that all Rhode Islanders are treated fairly and with the respect they deserve. She will fight for policies that give working families the support they need to thrive.
Click for Gina Raimondo on other issues.   Source: 2014 R.I. Gubernatorial campaign website, GinaRaimondo.com

Kirsten Gillibrand on Veterans: (Homeland Security Sep 9, 2014)
Address backlog of veterans' claims & chronic underfunding

Once, a veteran who lost a limb in Vietnam told me, "When I strap on my leg, I strap on my patriotism. Why isn't the VA supporting me?" Those two sentences moved my office to work until we got him $60,000 in benefits and back pay. This story also opened my eyes to the backlog of veteran's claims caused by the chronic underfunding of the Veterans Administration.
Click for Kirsten Gillibrand on other issues.   Source: Off the Sidelines, by Kirsten Gillibrand, p. 60

Seth Moulton on Veterans: (Homeland Security Sep 1, 2014)
Better funding and services for veterans

Congress is failing our veterans. As a veteran myself, I see it firsthand. We have never had fewer veterans in Congress in our nation's history, so it's not surprising that so few Members of Congress understand the urgency of the problem. There are three things Congress can do to improve how we treat our veterans today:
  1. Improve VA health care quality
  2. Properly fund the VA to eliminate the claims backlog
  3. Expand educational opportunities in the GI Bill.
Click for Seth Moulton on other issues.   Source: 2014 House campaign website, SethMoulton.com

Bernie Sanders on Veterans: (Homeland Security May 25, 2014)
V.A. doesn't have resources to accommodate 2 million vets

Q: All of a sudden we're learning of these wait times, of veterans who are dying while waiting.

SANDERS: Clearly, there are incompetent administrators. But I think one point that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. If you speak to veterans organizations, they will tell you that, by and large, the quality of care that veterans receive in VA hospitals around this country is good to excellent.

Q: Sure, but, if you can't get in, it doesn't do any good that it's great care.

SANDERS: That is quite right. The VA has established a self-imposed goal of getting people into the system in 14 days. That's pretty ambitious. That's more ambitious in general than the private sector. And I think there are places around the country where they simply do not have the resources to accommodate the fact that two million more people have come into the system in recent years. And I think some people may be cooking the books to make it look like they're accommodating people in 14 days.

Click for Bernie Sanders on other issues.   Source: CNN SOTU 2014 interview series: 2016 presidential hopefuls

Marty Walsh on Veterans: (Civil Rights Mar 16, 2014)
Sat out parade that barred gay veterans group

Boston's Mayor Marty Walsh has refused to participate in South Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade because parade organizers will not permit an openly gay group of veterans to march under a separate banner that identifies them by their sexual orientation.
Click for Marty Walsh on other issues.   Source: Breitbart News on 2021 Biden Cabinet

Marty Walsh on Veterans: (Homeland Security Nov 7, 2013)
Values the sacrifice of veterans & provide benefits

Boston is home to more veterans than any other community in the Commonwealth and is thus the municipal services hub for our state's veteran community. Every veteran and military family deserves the respect and access to benefits they have rightfully earned. The Walsh Administration will improve the delivery of services on which Boston veterans, military families, and Gold Star families depend. Marty values their sacrifice and will work to ensure these men and women have access to stable jobs, affordable homes, and rehabilitative services, and comprehensive healthcare, among other critical services. Outreach and communication on the programs available in these areas is the first step, as utilization helps vets live fulfilling lives. Marty's Administration will also partner with the Veteran's Administration and local non-profits so that veterans' services are brought to the neighborhoods where they can be accessed more easily.
Click for Marty Walsh on other issues.   Source: 2013 Mayoral campaign website, MartyWalsh.org, "Issues"

Steve Bullock on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jan 30, 2013)
Wrap-around services to reintegrate heroes to civilian life

This morning, I went to the airport and welcomed home 45 soldiers from the Montana National Guard who had just spent a year in Afghanistan. I told them I would ensure that we live up to the promise all of us made the day they signed up.

That's why I asked this Legislature to invest in our university system and make certain that we are providing the services and the space to meet veterans' needs-- the wrap-around services that will reintegrate these heroes back into civilian life and on our college campuses. When I got back from the airport, I found out that, while I was gone, a legislative committee cut the funding for these critical services for returning vets. I urge you to restore these funds, live up to the promises we've made and welcome these warriors home with more than just words.

Click for Steve Bullock on other issues.   Source: 2013 State of the State Address to Montana legislature

John Hickenlooper on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jan 10, 2013)
Make hiring veterans a priority

Make hiring veterans a priority Let's not forget our veterans and those on active duty. This week, we welcomed home 208 of our National Guard men and women.
Click for John Hickenlooper on other issues.   Source: 2013 Colorado State of the State address

Ron DeSantis on Veterans: (Homeland Security Nov 6, 2012)
Gave legal support to Gitmo terrorist detention center

As a JAG officer in the United States Navy, he supported operations at the terrorist detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and deployed to Iraq during the 2007 troop surge as an advisor to a U.S. Navy SEAL commander in support of the SEAL mission in Iraq.

He is currently an officer in the reserve component of the United States Navy. He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. He has lectured on the law of war at Florida Coastal School of Law.

Click for Ron DeSantis on other issues.   Source: 2012 House campaign website, voteRon2012.com, "Issues"

Eric Swalwell on Veterans: (Homeland Security Nov 6, 2012)
More benefits for veterans' valiant sacrifices

The valiant sacrifices made by our veterans, and their families, on behalf of our county need to be remembered and rewarded; they have made great sacrifices so we can enjoy the freedoms we take for granted. There are many proposals in Congress to reduce their benefits or to require veterans to pay more for the benefits we have promised them for their service to our Country. I do not support reducing benefits that have already been promised to current veterans and active duty military.

I convened a roundtable discussion with area veterans to learn how we can best support them upon their end of military service. I pledged to continue fighting to keep the Livermore VA Hospital open in some fashion, to serve local Vets.

Veterans are concerned about their ability to hold meaningful jobs. We must help veterans find job opportunities once they complete their service and I support new tax credits to encourage businesses to hire unemployed and disabled veterans.

Click for Eric Swalwell on other issues.   Source: 2012 House campaign website, swalwellforcongress.com

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Budget & Economy Oct 22, 2012)
After 10 years of war, it's time for nation-building at home

After a decade of war, it's time to do some nation-building here at home. And what we can now do is free up some resources to, for example, put Americans back to work, especially our veterans, rebuilding our roads, our bridges, our schools, making sure that, you know, our veterans are getting the care that they need when it comes to post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, making sure that the certifications that they need for good jobs of the future are in place.

The first lady has done great work with an organization called Joining Forces putting our veterans back to work. And as a consequence, veterans' unemployment is actually now lower than general population, it was higher when I came into office. So those are the kinds of thtwings that we can now do because we're making that transition in Afghanistan.

Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: Third Obama-Romney 2012 Presidential debate

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Tax Reform Oct 16, 2012)
It's unfair for a nurse to pay a higher tax rate than Romney

Romney was asked: Is it fair for somebody like you, making $20 million a year, to pay a lower tax rate than a nurse or a bus driver, making $50,000 year? He said, "Yes, I think that's fair." Not only that, "I think that's what grows the economy." I think what grows the economy is when you get that tax credit that we put in place for your kids going to college. I think what grows the economy is when we make sure small businesses are getting a tax credit for hiring veterans who fought for our country.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: Second Obama-Romney 2012 debate

Joe Biden on Veterans: (Corporations Oct 11, 2012)
Same rules for Wall Street as for Main Street

BIDEN: Governor Romney said 47% of the American people are unwilling to take responsibility for their own lives. These people are my mom and dad, the people I grew up with, my neighbors. They are elderly people who in fact are living off of Social Security. They are veterans and people fighting in Afghanistan right now who are "not paying any taxes." I've had it up to here with this notion that 47%--it's about time they take some responsibility here. And instead of signing pledges to Grover Norquist not to ask the wealthiest among us to contribute to bring back the middle class, they should be signing a pledge saying to the middle class, we're going to level the playing field. We're going to give you a fair shot again. We are going to not repeat the mistakes we made in the past by having a different set of rules for Wall Street and Main Street, making sure that we continue to hemorrhage these tax cuts for the superwealthy.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.   Source: 2012 Vice Presidential debate

Joe Biden on Veterans: (Homeland Security Oct 11, 2012)
Caring for veterans is our only sacred obligation

BIDEN: We only have one truly sacred obligation as a government. That's to equip those we send into harm's way and care for those who come home. That's the only sacred obligation we have. Everything else falls behind that. [Veterans] should be honored; not be thrown into a category of the 47% who don't pay their taxes.
Click for Joe Biden on other issues.   Source: 2012 Vice Presidential debate

Deval Patrick on Veterans: (Technology Sep 4, 2012)
Don't just talk about it; invest in life sciences & biotech

Mitt Romney talks a lot about all the things he's fixed. I can tell you that Massachusetts wasn't one of them. He's a fine fellow and a great salesman, but as governor he was more interested in having the job than doing it.

When I came to office, we set out on a different course: investing in ourselves and our future. And today Massachusetts leads the nation in economic competitiveness, student achievement, health care coverage, life sciences and biotech, energy efficiency and veterans' services. Today, with the help of the Obama administration, we are rebuilding our roads and bridges and expanding broadband access. Today we're out of the deficit hole Mr. Romney left, and we've achieved the highest bond rating in our history. Today--with labor at the table--we've made the reforms in our pension and benefits systems, our schools, our transportation system and more that Mr. Romney only talked about.

Click for Deval Patrick on other issues.   Source: 2012 Democratic National Convention speech

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Free Trade Jun 14, 2012)
Skeptical on whether China feels bound by global trade rules

Obama was skeptical about the degree to which China felt bound by the rules of the global trading system in general and the rules of the World Trade Organization in particular. Obama made it plain to veterans of the Clinton administration that he felt they had allowed China to enter into the World Trade Organization under terms that weren't tight enough-- thus allowing China to become a trading giant and leaving Obama with too little leverage when China flouted the trading rules.

There was also a certain Asian quality to the president's negotiations with China. "They push and push and push until you say no," Obama told those around him. "And then they stop pushing."

Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: The Obamians, by James Mann, p.179-180

Deval Patrick on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jan 23, 2012)
Massachusetts leads the nation in veterans benefits

Like every state, we cut spending and headcount, and slimmed down programs or eliminated some. But we also chose to invest in education, in health care and in job creation--because we all know that educating our kids, having health care you can depend on, and a good job is the path to a better future.And it's also why we have not only closed our budget gaps, eliminated our structural deficit, and achieved the highest bond rating in our history, but made the kinds of meaningful reforms in the pension system, in municipal health benefits, in our schools, in our transportation and so much more that had eluded our predecessors for a long, long time. None of this is happening by accident.
Click for Deval Patrick on other issues.   Source: MA 2012 State of the State Address

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Corporations Sep 8, 2011)
$4,000 tax credit for companies who hire unemployed workers

The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working. It will create more jobs for construction workers, more jobs for teachers, more jobs for veterans, and more jobs for the long-term unemployed. It will provide a tax break for companies who hire new workers, and it will cut payroll taxes in half for every working American and every small business. It will provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled, and give companies confidence that if they invest and hire, there will be customers for their products and services. You should pass this jobs plan right away.

Pass this jobs bill, and starting tomorrow, small businesses will get a tax cut if they hire new workers or raise workers' wages. Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get a $4,000 tax credit if they hire anyone who has spent more than six months looking for a job. We have to do more to help the long-term unemployed in their search for work.

Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: Pres. Obama's 2011 Jobs Speech

Rahm Emanuel on Veterans: (Health Care Jan 5, 2009)
Universal healthcare is not out of reach

As we put America on the road to achieving healthcare savings, the goal of universal health care will no longer seem out of reach. But to get there, we have to learn from history Four presidents have sought universal health care; four presidents have come up short. Yet, although our country remains a long way from universal coverage, it HAS done a great job on universalizing health care for seniors, veterans, and low-income families--segments of the population that wouldn't otherwise have it. To build on these successes, we propose three national goals that would make a significant down payment on the ultimate objective of ensuring affordable, meaningful, accountable health care for every American: covering all children; preparing the Medicare program for its demographic date with the Baby Boomers; and making employees' health care coverage affordable for our nation's small businesses.
Click for Rahm Emanuel on other issues.   Source: The Plan, by Rahm Emanuel, p.103-104

Jennifer Granholm on Veterans: (Homeland Security Nov 7, 2008)
Proclaimed Hire a Veteran Month in Michigan

Granholm encouraged residents across the state to observe Veterans Day by giving thanks to the brave members of our armed forces for their sacrifices and commitment to Michigan and to the United States throughout the years. The governor also issued a proclamation honoring distinguished Michigan citizens who serve our country and proclaimed November Hire a Veteran Month in Michigan to promote the hiring of qualified veterans.
Click for Jennifer Granholm on other issues.   Source: Gubernatorial press releases (Michigan 2003-2010)

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Budget & Economy Sep 26, 2008)
Spending freeze is like a hatchet where you need a scalpel

Q: In the middle of a huge financial crisis that is yet to be resolved, how this is going to affect you not in small ways, but in major ways, and the approach you would take to the presidency.

McCAIN: How about a spending freeze on everything but Defense, Veterans Affairs and entitlement programs? We ought to seriously consider, with the exceptions of caring for our veterans, national defense and several other vital issues.

OBAMA: The problem with a spending freeze is you’re using a hatchet where you need a scalpel. There are some programs that are very important that are currently underfunded. I want to increase early childhood education. We’re currently spending $10 billion a month in Iraq when they have a $79 billion surplus. It seems to me that if we’re going to be strong at home as well as strong abroad, that we’ve got to look at bringing that war to a close.

Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: 2008 first presidential debate, Obama vs. McCain

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Principles & Values Aug 27, 2008)
We’re more decent & compassionate than last 8 years

America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this. This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work. Thi country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he’s worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China. We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slid into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes. To the American people across this great land: Enough! This moment, this election--is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. The same party that brought you two terms of Bush and Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: “Eight is enough.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention

Jesse Ventura on Veterans: (Civil Rights Apr 1, 2008)
Don't amend Constitution to outlaw flag-burning

Sometimes, of course, speaking my mind proved a bit controversial. I told the veterans gathered at an American Legion post that I opposed any constitutional amendment to outlaw flag-burning. The point was that we have the freedom to do something like that in America, and the flag is only a symbol. Besides, I told them, flag-burners usually get the crap kicked out of them by construction workers, anyhow.
Click for Jesse Ventura on other issues.   Source: Don`t Start the Revolution, by Jesse Ventura, p. 43

Jesse Ventura on Veterans: (War & Peace Apr 1, 2008)
Bush violated Constitution by misleading US into Iraq War

George Bush violated the Constitution by going to war under false premises. He and others in his administration did everything they could to ensure that the American people were misled. What are the Democrats going to do now, nothing? For fear of being unpatriotic?

By the time he leaves office, Bush will have spent more than a trillion dollars on his military adventures. While more than 20 retired American generals have come out strongly opposed to what we're doing in Iraq, our veterans are receiving shameful treatment. In the course of this war, more than 20,000 soldiers have been discharged with so-called "personality disorder," meaning that they're often being denied disability and medical benefits.

Now, I ask you: Who are the real dysfunctional personalities here? Maybe a president who thinks he's getting messages straight from God? Or a vice president so delusional he believes we can "bunker-bust" Iran's supposed nuclear sites without opening up a whole new front in this madness?

Click for Jesse Ventura on other issues.   Source: Don`t Start the Revolution, by Jesse Ventura, p.274

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Homeland Security Feb 21, 2008)
Unacceptable to have veterans drive 250 miles to a hospital

The incredible burden that has been placed on the American people, starting with military families, and the fact that we still are not doing right by our veterans, that we still don’t honor their service, that there are still homeless veterans, that we still don’t screen properly for post-traumatic stress disorder and make sure that they’re getting mental services that they need, that we are still having veterans in south Texas have to drive 250 miles to access a veterans hospital. That’s unacceptable.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Homeland Security Feb 2, 2008)
Improve veterans’ mental health treatment & PTSD benefits

AT A GLANCETHE PROBLEMOBAMA’S PLANOBAMA RECORD
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: Campaign booklet, “Blueprint for Change”, p. 56-57

Hillary Clinton on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jan 15, 2008)
Passed legislation to treat veterans’ traumatic brain injury

We have to do everything necessary to help returning veterans get the health care and the support that they need. This new signature wound called traumatic brain injury is something that I am really upset about, because we’ve only begun to recognize it and diagnose it. I was able to pass legislation to begin to provide the physical and mental evaluations so we could treat this. They’re now getting these exams because we’ve got to track what happens to the veterans and provide the services for them.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.   Source: 2008 Democratic debate in Las Vegas

Hillary Clinton on Veterans: (Health Care Sep 13, 2007)
A plan is necessary; but consensus is more necessary

Q: You have been involved with health care for a long time. Because of your long involvement, you should have been first out of the gate on health care.

A: Well, I’ve been at the gate and out of it for 14 years, and you know when we weren’t successful with the overall reform, I moved ahead and was one of the people responsible for the children’s health-insurance program and trying to make sure drugs were safe for kids, and dealing with aftereffects the Gulf War veterans suffered. So, I’ve stayed consistently focused on health care and am engaged right now in this battle with the president over his threatened veto of the children’s health-insurance program. But I learned, among other things, that we’ve got to build a consensus. A plan is necessary but not sufficient. We’ve got to have a political consensus in order to withstand the enormous opposition from those interests that will have something to lose in a really reformed health-care system.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.   Source: Huffington Post Mash-Up: 2007 Democratic on-line debate

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Homeland Security Aug 26, 2007)
Support veterans via the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act

Following reports of neglect at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Obama introduced the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act. The bill improves the condition of troop housing, streamlines the process for seeking care, provides greater information to recovering servicemembers, requires the hiring of more caseworkers, and provides more support to family members who care for injured troops:
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: 2008 Presidential campaign website, BarackObama.com “Flyers”

Joe Biden on Veterans: (Homeland Security Aug 9, 2007)
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is antiquated & unworkable

Q: Would you support a repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which would allow gay, lesbian, and bisexual soldiers the right to serve openly in the military?

A: Sen. Biden supports ending the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. It is antiquated and unworkable. According to recent polls, 3/4 of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan said that they had no problem serving with openly gay people. 24 of the nations serving alongside US forces in Iraq permit open service which has had no negative impact on these forces or the morale of our brave soldiers. Finally, the US does not have enough troops to fulfill our current missions--it is ridiculous to turn away brave and patriotic Americans who volunteer to serve solely because of their sexual orientation--especially in light of the Defense Department’s recent decision to extend tours of duty in Iraq. Sen. Biden believes that we should treat everyone serving in the military by the same standards regardless of orientation.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues.   Source: 2007 HRC/LOGO debate--written questionnaire

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jun 3, 2007)
Address the deficiencies in the VA system

We don’t have a full-service VA system, so a lot of troops that have been injured are having to travel elsewhere, and that’s something that we have to address. There are important efficiencies that we can obtain by having a VA hospital system; for example, prescription drugs. But we have to have a VA that serves everybody. In some rural communities that the veterans don’t have access to the services needed, we’ve got to make sure that they do have the option for a private hospital that is close by
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jun 3, 2007)
Make sure the outpatient facilities work for veterans

I visited Walter Reed repeatedly. Typically what would happen is we would go to visit troops in the medical facility, and people will acknowledge that the medical facility at Walter Reed does great work. Unfortunately, it turned out that the outpatient facilities were disastrous. That’s why we now have legislation to make sure not only that we’re just painting over some of the mold in there, but also making it easier for families & veterans to negotiate the system once they’re outpatients.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College

Barack Obama on Veterans: (War & Peace Jun 3, 2007)
Spending on the Cold War relics should be for the veterans

Keep in mind that there is a difference between the Pentagon budget and the size of the military. So it may be that, for example, there are weapon systems that are outmoded relics of the Cold War; but what I want to make certain of is, is that our troops are not going on these repeated tours, lengthy tours, that we are providing them with all the support they need when they’re on the ground. And we can’t do that currently. When they come home we are treating them with the dignity and honor that they deserve. Whether you were for the war or against the war, we can all agree to, and the Bush administration has not done that because they tried to do it on the cheap. Folks who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, folks who have disability payments that are due are not getting the kinds of services they deserve. I have some specific plans to address that.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Homeland Security Mar 27, 2007)
America must practice the patriotism it preaches

I think it is unconscionable for us to stand by our troops and hoist the flag and suggest how patriotic we are at the same time as the veterans’ budget is being effectively cut.

I’m going to monitor very closely how we are treating 100,000+ veterans wh are coming home, to make sure the VA has the capacity to provide transition services for veterans who are leaving the service and reentering civilian life--particularly the National Guardsman and Reservists who did not expect to be fighting in Iraq.

Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: In His Own Words, edited by Lisa Rogak, p.155

Barack Obama on Veterans: (Homeland Security Mar 14, 2007)
Comprehensive plan for our veterans healthcare

Washington says that they support the troops. They give long speeches about valor and sacrifice. But when it comes time to sending our troops into battle with the proper equipment and ensure that veterans have what they need when they get home, they don’t do anything except slap a yellow ribbon on the back of their SUV. That’s how come our men and women have to use scrap metal to protect their Humvees.

Our veterans end up living among mice and mold. They stare at stacks of paperwork. They thought they left the frontline in Iraq but they came home to a new frontline of red tape and bureaucracy.

This is unacceptable. When our veterans come home, I don’t want them crawling around a dumpster for a meal or a box for shelter. I don’t want them drowning in whiskey to silence the PTSD. I don’t want that for our veterans. We know they deserve more.

So let’s make a promise today--and say that, right here and right now, is when we begin to put together a comprehensive plan for our veterans.

Click for Barack Obama on other issues.   Source: 2007 IAFF Presidential Forum in Washington DC

Mike Gravel on Veterans: (Homeland Security Dec 25, 2006)
Raze Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons to the ground

Click for Mike Gravel on other issues.   Source: 2008 Presidential campaign website, gravel2008.us, “Issues”

Kirsten Gillibrand on Veterans: (War & Peace Nov 7, 2006)
Iraq: exit strategy & redeploy troops

Click for Kirsten Gillibrand on other issues.   Source: 2006 Senate campaign website, gillibrand2006.com, “Issues”

Amy Klobuchar on Veterans: (Homeland Security Jan 18, 2006)
Our troops need the best equipment and intelligence

I will fight for our government to do all we can to protect our brave men and women who are serving our country abroad. They need the best equipment and intelligence to keep them as safe as possible. And when they return, we must honor their service and bravery by giving them the education and health care benefits they were promised. I am committed to ensuring that our veterans and their families, particularly those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, receive all they deserve.
Click for Amy Klobuchar on other issues.   Source: 2006 Senate campaign website, www.amyklobuchar.com, “Issues”

Ken Salazar on Veterans: (Health Care May 5, 2004)
Allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices

“Allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies-amazingly enough, expressly banned by Congress in last year’s Medicare overhaul law,” should also help drive down the costs of prescription drugs in the near term,“ Salazar added. ”The Department of Veterans Affairs has been able to successfully negotiate for lower drug prices.“
Click for Ken Salazar on other issues.   Source: Attorney General’s office Press Release, "Rx Drugs"

Donald Trump on Veterans: (Homeland Security Oct 27, 1997)
1994 Veteran's parade: Such high-quality people led military

[After a poorly-attended Veteran's Day parade], a group of veterans wanted to do it differently the following year. Those veterans asked me to lead it as Grand Marshal--essentially they wanted my stamp of approval. They needed dollars. They knew I could raise lots of money and get additional donors. They also knew I would attract a lot of press.

I agreed. I thought it would be fun, and I knew it was important. Mayor Giuliani was pledging the support of the city. I put up money; others matched it. I always knew there was a military out there, but I had no idea such high quality people led it. This is something I got to know, and know very well, over the next few months.

Click for Donald Trump on other issues.   Source: The Art of the Comeback, by Donald Trump, p.168-72

Hillary Clinton on Veterans: (Social Security Sep 25, 1996)
Respect unique power of government to meet social needs

Competing visions of the role of government and the rights of individuals exist all along the political spectrum. Most of us hold a point of view that exists somewhere between the extremes. We may grumble about taxes, but we generally support programs like veterans’ benefits, Social Security, and Medicare, along with public education, environmental protection, and some sort of social safety net for the poor. We are wary of government interference with private initiative or personal belief and the excessive influence of special interests on the political system. We respect the unique power of government to meet certain social needs and acknowledge the need to limit its powers.

In times of profound social change like the present, extreme views hold out the appeal of simplicity. By ignoring the complexity of the forces that shape our personal and collective circumstances, they offer us scapegoats. Yet they fail to provide a viable pathway from the cold war to the global village.

Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.   Source: It Takes A Village, by Hillary Clinton, p.286

  • Additional quotations related to Veterans issues can be found under Homeland Security.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Homeland Security.
Candidates on Homeland Security:
 Related issues:
Afghanistan
Armed Forces Personnel
Benghazi
Defense Spending
Gays in Military
Guantanamo
Iranian Nukes
Iraq
Israel & Palestine
Nuclear Energy & Weapons
SDI Missile Defense
Terrorism
War on Terror
WMD

2020 Presidential primary contenders:
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Gov.Bill Weld (R-MA&L-NY)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY) 		2020 Presidential Nominees:
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE for President)
CEO Don Blankenship (Constitution Party)
Rocky De La Fuente (Alliance/Reform Party)
Howie Hawkins (Green Party)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA for V.P.)
Jo Jorgensen (Libertarian Party)
V.P.Mike Pence (R-IN for re-election)
Gloria La Riva (Socialism and Liberation)
Pres.Donald Trump (R-NY for re-election)
Kanye West (Birthday Party) 		Other Topics in the News:
Black Lives Matter
China
Coronavirus Pandemic
Energy Independence
Gay Rights
Global Warming
Illegal Immigrants
Iranian Nukes
Israel/Palestine
North Korea
ObamaCare
Russia
Second Amendment
Supreme Court Bailout_+_Stimulus
Please consider volunteering for OnTheIssues!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Mar 02, 2022

Error processing SSI file