Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often
Mark Twain
When it comes to supporting veterans, Republicans talk a good talk, but if we look at the GOP scorecard, the party doesn’t necessarily live up to its rhetoric.
Last Veterans Day, Congressional members posted statements on social media honoring those who served our country, yet many of those same lawmakers voted against the PACT Act.
Last fall, Republicans on the Hill initially voted against the PACT Act, a bill that would boost health care services and disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq (after being shamed by John Stewart and veterans groups GOP legislators reversed course and passed the Act.)
Support for veterans needs to be much more than a tweet thanking them for their service.
There are several examples in which Republicans have failed veterans.
For example, in 2009, GOP legislators killed the Wounded Veteran Job Security Act, which would have provided job security for veterans obtaining medical treatment for injuries suffered while enlisted.
In 2012, Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would have established a $1 billion jobs program putting veterans back to work, and in 2014, Senate Republicans blocked Democrats from advancing a bill that would have expanded healthcare and education programs for veterans.
In 2014, Republicans in the Senate a bill that would have expanded health care and education programs for veterans. Then shortly after, they killed a $21 billion proposal to build new VA clinics, claiming the price tag was too expensive.
In 2017 the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization bill died in the Senate. If signed into law this legislation would have reauthorized programs to assist homeless veterans in finding jobs and providing them with counseling and job placement services through the VA.
In 2022, Republicans haggled about the Veterans Retraining Act, which provides financial assistance for unemployed veterans while job hunting (Joe Biden signed it into law last year).
On the positive side, we can’t forget the bipartisan Veterans Reform Bill sponsored by Bernie Sanders (I-VT), chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and former Arizona Senator and Vietnam veteran John McCain. The bill came on the heels of numerous VA scandals and allocated resources for 26 new VA facilities in 18 states, and $500 million to hire more medical staff, improve services for victims of military sexual assault, and offer educational assistance to veterans and family members.
It may seem like partisan bashing, but research from 2018 found that while Republicans talk a lot about veterans, and thank them for their service while they’re out campaigning, Democrats have proven more effective at creating legislation that helps veterans. However, despite Democrat’s track record, a new recent 2022 poll from Data for Progress revealed that 51% of voters think that the GOP supports veterans more than Democrats.
More than 18 million veterans live in the U.S. today and according to that census, the vast majority of Americans believe it’s the government’s job to support veterans. Given this data, perhaps the GOP should work with Democrats and Independents and put their words into action.