Rubber Stamp Rob: Loves the Ships, Not the Sailors

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Thursday August 02, 2018 · 1:52 PM PDT

2018/08/02 · 13:52

Rubber Stamp Rob loves his ships. That’s why he attempted to amend last month's $675 billion defense spending bill with $1 billion for submarines that the United States Navy and Pentagon have said they don’t need or want.

Had it passed, the amendment would have shifted an additional $6 billion in funding used for other Pentagon programs to pay for the new submarines. Fortunately, however, the amendment failed with a 144-267 House vote. Undeterred, Wittman is now advocating for new amphibious combat vehicles for the Marines.

Over the course of his congressional career, Wittman has taken close to $1 million from the defense industry. Given this fact, it is unsurprising that Rubber Stamp Rob has regularly cosigned on legislation benefiting defense contractors as opposed to the military members themselves. Simply put, Wittman loves the ships but not the sailors working on those ships or the sailors’ families.

A perfect example is how Wittman voted to enact stringent work requirements and tighten eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the 2018 farm bill – the Agriculture and Nutrition Act that Congress renews every five years to address farmers and ranchers, natural resources, food and food assistance benefits.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has estimated that almost 1.5 million veterans use SNAP (commonly known as food stamps). And the farm bill that Wittman voted for is likely to affect veterans in his own district, especially those who are unemployed, underemployed, seniors, have disabilities or serious health conditions.

In the 1st District of Virginia, we have three major military installations at Quantico, Dahlgren and Fort A.P. Hill, and nearly one-third of enlisted military families receive food assistance to feed their families. Additionally, within our district, we have the unfortunate situation of both active duty and veteran poverty steadily rising. There is no reason why those who dedicate their lives to service of our country and their families should go hungry or be left out in the cold. So, why did Wittman vote to make it harder for military families and veterans to be able to feed themselves?

It’s because he cares about the ships and not the sailors. In Wittman’s eyes, defense contractors mean more than military families, and his position is both untenable and unacceptable.

If elected to represent the 1st Congressional District of Virginia, I will fight on behalf of the people of the district, not just corporations or defense contractors like my opponent does. That is why I’m proposing the Income Now for Veterans, Enlisted military families, Safety officers and Teachers (INVEST) tax initiative which will exempt the first $50,000 of earnings of federal income tax for these individuals.

These career positions are critical to the fabric of our society but rely on public funding. Instead of using the tax code to benefit the wealthy (as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Wittman voted for did), I think we should use it to fix some of the serious problems facing our communities.

Vangie Williams

Candidate for Congress

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About the INVEST initiative

Exempt the first $50,000 of earnings of federal income tax from INVESTers and give them an immediate boost of up to $6,000 a year in income.
Pay the estimated $60 billion annual cost of this initiative by closing the loopholes from the alternative minimum tax that allows corporations and the wealthiest 1% to hide income.
Use this measure as a first-step solution to give state legislatures, local jurisdictions and the federal government time to develop strategies to improve long-term compensation for teachers and school personnel, first responders, veterans and enlisted military families.

INVESTers will still pay Social Security, Medicare, state and local taxes, and premiums on healthcare and retirement plans, but my proposal provides a much-needed income boost without costing local taxpayers an extra cent.

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Vangie Williams is a public servant and strategic planner who solves problems for our federal government. A real-world professional with 30 years of experience, Vangie is not a career politician who will put corporate interests above people. She is committed to an economy for everyone, healthy families and investing in our communities. Learn more about her vision to put people first at www.vangieforcongress.com.

Donate to Vangie’s historic campaign.

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