Noriega calls out Cornyn for not supporting the troops

Posted on | 26 May 2008 | Comments Off

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Rick Noriega takes incumbent John Cornyn to task for not supporting our troops in opposing the GI Bill passed by the Senate last week.

Mr. Noriega’s remarks are part of an op-ed piece the Afghanistan vet wrote in the Houston Chronicle???????? today. Here is an excerpt:

Today’s veterans deserve the same sort of benefit that World War II veterans enjoyed. It’s not only good for the troops and their families, it’s good for our nation as a whole, strengthening our economy and our military recruitment.

Unfortunately, my opponent, Sen. John Cornyn, failed to stand up for our troops. Cornyn was one of only 22 senators to vote against the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Act, continuing his history of turning his back on veterans. Adding insult to injury, Cornyn went so far as to condone and encourage a presidential veto of the bill. Webb’s GI Bill passed with the support of 75 senators, including Texas’ senior Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Texas needs two senators fighting for our veterans and our families. It is reprehensible that Cornyn supports keeping our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan but refuses to provide for our soldiers once they return home. As a public servant, as a soldier and as a Texan, I am ashamed of Cornyn’s continued efforts to deny our troops the benefits they earned defending the United States. read the entire piece

It is apparent that Sen. Cornyn, Sen. McCain/Bush and those who wrap themselves in the flag while putting others in harm’s way only consider the troops – soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and guardsmen alike – as simple commodities.

On this Memorial Day, we should commit ourselves to truly supporting the troops. Stop the madness in Iraq. Prosecute the war profiteers. Hold accountable the chicken hawks who took us to war on lies and keep us there with more lies.

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