Op-Eds from Mike
Setting the Record Straight About Support for Our Veterans
Washington, DC,
June 12, 2023
With Memorial Day just having passed, I wanted to take a moment and set the record straight on a critical aspect of our federal government’s work - funding and providing services for our veterans. For weeks, Democratic dark-money groups and far-left activists have been lying about the Limit, Save, Grow Act and its impact on funding for our veterans here in the 17th Congressional District. In fact, in May, the Working Families Party, who have consistently advocated for the defunding of our military, stooped so low as to use veterans as political pawns by protesting outside of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hospital in Montrose. The WFP and other dark-money groups have spent millions of dollars across the country to spread this insidious lie and, not surprisingly, some people are confused, scared, or both. Let me be clear: I never have and never will support cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Limit, Save, Grow Act they reference contained zero language outlining any cuts to veterans programs. In fact, it didn’t touch on veterans benefits at all, not even mentioning the word “veteran” once. Even the Washington Post admitted there are no cuts to veterans in the bill. A recent poll shows that 60% of Americans believe we need to lift the debt ceiling while reducing runaway federal spending, something that drove inflation to record levels and created economic instability for families right here in the Hudson Valley and across the country. The Limit, Save, Grow Act tackles spending head-on. In conjunction with capping federal spending, however, we must not forget our commitment to America’s veterans. To that end, House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee announced over $18 billion in new funding for veterans, their care, and services for our brave heroes. I will never stop fighting to secure funding for the veterans in our district, and the $18 billion commitment from House Republicans will enable the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to improve care, provide additional services, and keep our promise to America’s veterans and their families. My office has been proud to assist dozens of veterans so far this year with claims at the VA, Social Security and Medicare issues, and more. I remain hopeful that, at some stage, the Democratic dark-money groups and far-left activists will stop using our veterans as political pawns and treat them with the respect they deserve, just as House Republicans are working to do. |
