One of the major myths at large today is that John McCain can be trusted to stand up for veterans and their families. Not so!
John McCain glorifies the United States military. Yet over a long, 22-year career in the United States Senate, he has voted against no less than two dozen measures that would have improved benefits for disabled veterans and their families.
He has even voted against providing funds for improving veterans hospitals as well as for research into prosthetics for veterans who have have returned home with missing limbs.
Following are the details of McCain’s record:
• In 2008 McCain opposed the new GI Bill which offers funds for higher education to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a lame explanation for his position, McCain said the prospect of a free college education would prompt many servicemen and women to leave the armed forces and not re-enlist.
• In 1991 McCain voted against an amendment that would have allocated $53 million on prosthetic research for veterans who had lost limbs.
• In 2006 McCain opposed an amendment that would have added $430 million for veterans outpatient services. McCain was one of only 16 senators to vote against the amendment.
• In 2005 McCain voted against an appropriation of $1.9 billion for veterans hospitals so that they could adequately care for soldiers returning from war.
• In 2005 McCain opposed an amendment that would have provided an additional $2.8 billion for veterans medical care.
• In 2006 McCain voted no on a plan to add $1.5 billion to veterans programs with money used by closing some corporate tax loopholes.
• In 2006 McCain opposed a plan that would have automatically increased funding for veterans health programs by indexing the appropriations to inflation. The bill would have automatically indexed spending to rise or fall depending on the number of veterans.
• In 2005 McCain voted against a measure that would have targeted $500 million for veterans mental health programs.
• In 2006 McCain voted against an amendment that would have increased funding for military and veterans hospitals by $19 billion.
• In 2005 McCain voted no on an amendment that would have provided a $10 million increase in the budget for counseling for veterans trying to readjust to civilian life after serving in Afghanistan or Iraq.
• In 2005 McCain opposed an amendment that would have increased funding for the Veterans Affairs Department by nearly $2 billion. The money would have gone to regional health networks for veterans and to increase mental healthcare for returning veterans.
• In 2003 McCain voted against an amendment that would have increased health benefits for veterans by $1.3 billion.
• In 2003 McCain voted no on an amendment that would have provided $20.3 billion over 10 years to give members of the National Guard and reserves greater access to federal healthcare programs.
• In 1998 McCain voted against an amendment that would have increased funding by $1 billion for the Veterans Health Administration.
• In 1997 McCain voted to table an amendment that would have switched $400 million in Defense Department funds to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The money would have been used to provide better healthcare for veterans.
• In 1996 McCain opposed an amendment that would have extended federal healthcare to the children of Vietnam War veterans who suffered from spina bifida.
• In 1995 McCain voted no on an amendment that would have increased funding for veterans healthcare by $511 million.
• In 1994 McCain voted against an amendment that would have provided funding for the construction of two acute care facilities for veterans in Hawaii and California.
• In 1990 McCain voted no on an amendment that would have transferred $200 million from the budget of the Reagan/Bush "Star Wars" program to medical programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In 2005 the Disabled American Veterans Association assigned McCain a rating of 25 (on a scale of 0 to 100). Obama received a rating of 92 from the Disabled American Veterans Association.
In 2006 McCain was given a 20 rating by the Disabled American Veterans Association. In contrast, Obama supported the disabled veterans group’s position 80 percent of the time.
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans association has tracked more than 300 key votes of concern to veterans since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It gives John McCain an overall grade of D. Obama was given a rating of B+.
The Vietnam Veterans of America’s legislative scorecard reports that on 19 key votes on veterans issues since Obama came to the Senate, he voted for the position favored by the association on 13 measures. McCain voted for the position favored by the association three times.
There are 24 million veterans in America today. There is an equal number of veterans’ spouses and children of voting age who are deeply concerned about veterans issues and benefits.
The Obama campaign needs to show these voters that McCain is not the friend to America’s veterans that he pretends to be.
For more political strategies on the 2008 presidential election, go to ObamaElectionWatch.com