Koch-Funded Tea Baggers Abandon Veterans

The national budget is a moral document that defines our nation.

The GOP House slashed Food Stamps to hungry families rather than close corporate loopholes.

The GOP House slashed school food programs rather than eliminate taxpayer subsidies for Dirty Energy.

And there are the Veterans the GOP has abandoned.

Is this how the Koch-funded Tea Baggers define 'waste'?
Is this what Americans support?
How are your morals today?

Since I last wrote you about the sequester, the spending cuts have begun to take their toll on veterans and military families. Programs affected include:

- A Department of Labor program designed to put veterans to work.

- The Army's Tuition Assistance Program.

- Vouchers to help homeless veterans put a roof over their heads.

And we're only two weeks into sequester…

Add your name to the 5,000-plus veterans and military families who have already signed our petition calling on Congress to end the devastating cuts.

http://action.votevets.org/sequester

Unfortunately, Republicans would rather see these cuts remain permanent instead of closing corporate tax loopholes, and asking millionaires and billionaires to pay the same tax rate as those who work for them.

We have a powerful voice in this fight, and I hope you'll make sure Congress hears yours.

Best,

Jon Soltz
@jonsoltz
Iraq War Veteran
Chairman, VoteVets




On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 11:39 AM, Jon Soltz, VoteVets.org <info@votevets.org> wrote:

"What that means is the rest of the forces that are now back in the United States will not be able to train. They will be able to do small-level, squad-level training. They will not be able to do platoon-level, company-level, battalion-level training back at their installations. They will not be able to go out to combat training centers, which is what provides them the final readiness certification at the battalion and brigade level." - Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Ray Odierno



When Republicans rejected compromise solutions to avoid the "sequester," they ushered in a series of cuts that promise to hurt military families at home and in the field.

At home, medical care, Department of Defense-run schools, social services like sexual assault prevention and treatment, tuition assistance, child care, and many other programs will get cut.

In the field, operations and maintenance funding (O&M) -- which is essentially responsible for readiness and deployment -- already faces a $6 billion shortfall, and sequestration could double it.

We have a powerful voice and unique opportunity to stop these cuts. Sign our petition to congressional leadership calling on an end to the sequester and its impact on military families.

http://action.votevets.org/ sequester

Nine Republican Senators already defected from a GOP plan to end the sequester, in large part because of the cuts impacting members of the military and their families.

They also rejected a commonsense Democratic plan that would have millionaires and billionaires shoulder a small amount of the burden to avoid sequester.

The issue is at an impasse right now, and our voices are critical to ensure there's a resolution to the crisis.

Sign our petition to congressional leadership and make your voice heard today.

http://action.votevets.org/ sequester

We'll deliver these petitions early next week and let you know about any responses we receive from legislative offices.

Best,

Jon Soltz
@jonsoltz
Iraq War Veteran
Chairman, VoteVets