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COLORADO VETERANS LAUNCH “VETERANS FOR UDALL” EFFORT, CRITICIZE SCHAFFER VETERANS' RECORD |
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COLORADO VETERANS LAUNCH "VETERANS FOR UDALL" EFFORT, CRITICIZE SCHAFFER'S VOTES AGAINST VETERANS' FUNDING
Veterans from across Colorado today stood with Congressman Mark Udall to support his campaign for the U.S.
Senate, citing Udall's long-standing support for service-members and his consistent commitment to veterans' programs.
Veterans also criticized Udall's opponent, Bob Schaffer, for voting against nearly $200 billion in funding for veterans programs and services while in Congress and for traveling to Iraq during the war to cut an oil deal for Aspect Energy that undermined the U.S. mission there.
"Mark Udall has consistently fought to make sure veterans have the health care, the support, and the educational opportunities we've been promised," said Jason Crow, a veteran of three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and co-Chair of Veterans for Udall.
"Bob Schaffer has voted against more than $184 billion in funding for health care and services for veterans.
"Mark Udall has supported billions of dollars in support for troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, to ensure that we have the resources we need.
He's visited both Iraq and Afghanistan to view the situation on the ground.
"Bob Schaffer visited Iraq too.
But he didn't come to support the troops there.
He came to cut an oil deal for his company that actually made it harder for us to accomplish our mission.
"I believe that we veterans deserve leaders who respect our service and who will demand the best for us.
Mark Udall has proven time and again that he is one of those leaders – that we can trust him to stand up for us.
With his votes and his actions, Bob Schaffer has not been on our side." After fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Crow returned home to make the most of the G.I.
Bill benefits he had earned by enrolling at University of Denver.
He soon found out that his next battle would be with the federal government, fighting to make them keep their promise to pay his college tuition after he risked his life for his country.
With Congressman Udall's help, Crow was able to get those benefits.
Udall repeated his promise to support America's service-members when they return home from war.
"As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I know that our national security begins with the strength and dedication of our servicemen and women," said Udall.
"And the strength of our armed services relies on honoring our commitment to troops and their families for the sacrifices they make for this country.
Part of that commitment includes taking care of our veterans after they return home from war.
"We should be strengthening our veterans' programs on the federal level – not voting against them as my opponent in this race has done.
It's hard for me to imagine voting against measures to provide health care and support services to the men and women who have been fighting to defend our country, but that is exactly what Bob Schaffer did – four years in a row.
"I think we owe our veterans a much greater commitment than that." Udall also contrasted his work for a smarter military strategy with Bob Schaffer's actions that undercut the U.S. mission in Iraq.
"We have a responsibility to refrain from asking our servicemen and women to fight unless it is necessary and unless it is in our nation's best strategic interests," said Udall.
"That is why I opposed the War in Iraq from the beginning, and that is why I am working every day to end it safely, responsibly, and honorably.
"What we CAN'T afford is to actually make the mission of our troops MORE difficult, as my opponent did when he flew into Iraq to cut an oil deal with the Kurds, undermining the same Iraqi government our troops are fighting to stabilize." Introducing Udall at the press conference was Major General Paul Eaton, who served in Iraq as Commanding General of the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team, training the Iraqi military.
General Eaton previously served in the 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson.
General Eaton praised Udall's commitment to a smarter, strong national security policy and to honoring the service of the nation's veterans.
"From his position as a respected member of the House Armed Services Committee, Mark Udall has been committed to strengthening our national security and supporting our troops by responsibly ending the War in Iraq," said General Eaton.
"Mark knows that this conflict has stretched our military too thin, and he's been a leader on efforts to rebuild, making our national security policy tougher and smarter.
And here at home, Colorado's veterans and their families have had no greater friend and voice than Mark Udall.
Mark understands that the commitment our soldiers make to the country deserves to be matched by the commitment the country makes to our soldiers." Veterans from across Colorado attended the event to stand with Udall for his unwavering commitment to support for America's service-members and veterans.
They will be working with fellow veterans all over the state to help elect Mark Udall to continue his work on their behalf in the U.S. Senate.
The Facts: 1998: Bob Schaffer Was 1 of Just 14 Members Voted Against 42.3 billion in Veterans Programs: [Roll Call #483, HR 4194, 10/6/1998, Failed 409-14] 1999: Bob Schaffer Was 1 Of Just 18 Members To Vote Against $44.3 Billion in VA funding: [Roll Call #500, HR 2684, 10/14/1999] 2000: Bob Schaffer Was 1 Of Just 24 Members To Vote Against $47 Billion For Veterans Administration Programs And Benefits: [Roll Call #536, HR 4635, 10/19/2000, Passed 386-24] 2001: Bob Schaffer Was 1 of Just 18 Members to Vote Against $51.1 Billion For VA Programs And Medical Care: The bill provides $27.3 billion for mandatory veterans programs and $23.8 billion in discretionary funding for the VA including $21.3 billion for veterans medical care.
[Disabled American Veterans Magazine, Jan 2002; Roll Call #434, HR 2620, 11/8/2001, Passed 401-18] Bob Schaffer Traveled To Iraq During the War To Help Cut An Oil Deal For His Company In Northern Iraq, Which Was Opposed By The State Department Because It Undercut The Mission Of U.S. Troops In Iraq.
"An oil contract Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer helped negotiate in Iraqi Kurdistan is one of several production deals the U.S.
State Department has flagged as problematic for Iraq and its attempts to establish a national oil policy… According to a June 23 report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, Aspect Energy's oil contract and roughly two dozen other similar deals have proven a point of contention between Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government… 'We continue to advise all companies that…signature of such contracts would needlessly elevate tensions between the (Kurdistan Regional Government) and the government of Iraq," Jeffrey T.
Bergner, the State Department's assistant secretary of legislative affairs, wrote in an Oct. 18 letter to Congressman Edward Markey, D-Mass." [Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, 7/9/08] Since 9-11, Mark Udall has voted for more than $7 Trillion for our national defense, homeland security, and troops.
[Numerous House Roll Calls, 2001-Present] Udall is a Co-Sponsor of Legislation to Increase The Number of Forces in Afghanistan: H.RES.911 : Expressing the sense of the House that the United States should increase United States forces in Afghanistan and responsibly redeploy forces from Iraq.
[Signed as a Co-Sponsor on 1/23/2008] Mark Udall is a member of the Armed Services Committee and Was Appointed To Serve On The Terrorism And Radical Islam Gap Panel.
The gap panels are the second phase of the Committee Defense Review (CDR) and will review existing national security threats and military requirements needed to address those threats.
The CDR served as an independent, bipartisan process to complement the Department of Defense's Quadrennial Defense Review.
Udall and Rep. Tauscher Introduced Legislation in 2005 Increase U.S.
Troop Strength By 80,000: The United States Army Relief Act would boost the overall troop levels authorized by Congress by 20,000 active duty members per year over four years, giving the Army the breathing room to reduce the burden on our active duty troops as well as our Guard and Reserve and rebuild our capacity to respond to future threats.
[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-3275] Udall authored bipartisan legislation with Reps. Frank Wolf (R-VA), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Michael McCaul (R-TX), and Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) to Implement the Recommendations of the Iraq Study Group: The five members led in introducing legislation, H.R.
2574, to implement the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group as the way forward in dealing with the war in Iraq.
There are now 62 bipartisan cosponsors of the bill.
Mark Udall Has Consistently Voted To Protect Our Veterans And Make Sure Veterans Health Care Is Adequately Funded… Cosponsor of the 21st Century GI Bill of Rights (H.R.
2702), which would improve current educational benefits - including coverage of tuition, room and board, and monthly stipend - for all those who have served at least two years of active duty since 9/11.
[Senator Jim Webb introduced the US Senate version of this bill, S.22] Cosponsor of the HONOR Warriors Act, with Congressman John Salazar, which would create pilot programs, including one at Fort Carson, to better prevent and treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cosponsor of the Heroes at Home Act of 2007 (H.R. 3051), which would improve the diagnosis and treatment of veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and require that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs conduct outreach to enhance awareness of veterans and the public about the symptoms of TBI and PTSD.
Cosponsor of H.R. 1589, which would modify the Survivor Benefits Plan so that SBP benefits are no longer reduced to 35%, from 55%, of the retiree's benefit as soon as the surviving spouse reaches age sixty-two.
Cosponsor of two bills, H.R. 1660 and H.R. 1159 which would each establish a national cemetery for veterans in Colorado.
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