McCain Camp’s Response to Obama’s Remarks on Veterans
Below is comment in response to Barack Obama’s attacks on John McCain’s efforts to supply the best possible incentives to our nation’s veterans:
“It is absurd for Barack Obama to question John McCain’s commitment to America’s veterans, when Obama himself voted against funding our nation’s veterans, and troops in the field during a time of war. Voters need a leader with uncompromising judgment, and will reject Barack Obama’s decision to vote against funding our troops in the field, after he said it would be irresponsible to do so.” —Tucker Bounds, spokesman John McCain 2008
Obama Voted Against The FY 2007 Iraq Emergency Spending Bill That Provided Nearly $1.8 Billion For Veterans Medical Care. (H.R. 2206, CQ Vote #181: Passed 80-14: R 42-3; D 37-10; I 1-1, 5/24/07, Obama Voted Nay; House And Senate Committees On Appropriations, “Summary Of The Fiscal 2007 Supplemental Funding Legislation,” Press Release, 5/24/07)
Obama Voted Against The FY 2007 Iraq Emergency Spending Bill That Provided Nearly $1.8 Billion For Veterans Medical Care, Including:
* $595 million for medical facilities
* $228.982 million in additional funds to treat OEF/OIF veterans
* $20 million for vet centers and re-adjustment counseling
* $30 million to establish at least one new Level I comprehensive polytrauma center
* $9.4 million for operations costs associated with the establishment of new polytrauma residential transitional rehabilitation programs
* $10 million for additional transition caseworkers to work with separating veterans and their families
* $10 million for rehabilitation programs for vision impaired veterans
* $100 million for enhancements to mental health services
* $20 million for substance abuse treatment programs
* $8 million for polytrauma clinic support teams
* $25 million for prosthetics
* $250 million for the administration of the VA health care system
* $32.5 million for medical and prosthetic research
* $83.2 million for general operating expenses
* $326 million in construction funding for VA-identified needs
(H.R. 2206, CQ Vote #181: Passed 80-14: R 42-3; D 37-10; I 1-1, 5/24/07, Obama Voted Nay; House And Senate
Committees On Appropriations, “Summary Of The Fiscal 2007 Supplemental Funding Legislation,” Press Release, 5/24/07)
In The Senate, Obama Previously Talked Of His Support For Funding For Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan:
“‘I Think That Nobody Wants To Play Chicken With Our Troops On The Ground,’ Said Obama.” (Mike Glover, “Obama Says Congress Will Fund Iraq War After Expected Bush Veto,” The Associated Press, 4/1/07)
* Obama: “[W]hat You Don’t Want To Do Is To Play Chicken With The President, And Create A Situation In Which, Potentially, You Don’t Have Body Armor, You Don’t Have Reinforced Humvees, You Don’t Have Night-Vision Goggles.” (CNN’s “The Situation Room,” 3/28/07)
Obama: “I know nobody in Congress, Republican or Democrat, who is going to in any way strand troops who are presently in Iraq. We’ve got to make sure that they have all the resources necessary to come home safely and to execute the missions that have been laid out for them.” (MSNBC’s “Reaction To The President’s Speech On Iraq,” 1/10/07)
Obama Later Voted Against Funding, And Promised Not To Fund Troops In Iraq In The Future:
Obama Voted Against Providing $94.4 Billion In Critical Funding For The Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan. (H.R. 2206, CQ Vote #181: Passed 80-14: R 42-3; D 37-10; I 1-1, 5/24/07, Obama Voted Nay)
Obama Voted Against $70 Billion In Emergency Iraq Funding. (S. 2340, CQ Vote #410: Rejected 45-53: R 44-3; D 0-49; I 1-1, 11/16/07, Obama Voted Nay)
“Eli Pariser, [MoveOn.Org’s] Executive Director, Told ABC News … That MoveOn.org Will Expect Clinton And Obama To Once Again Vote Against Any Iraq War Funding That Does Not Include A Timeline For Withdrawal.” (Teddy Davis, “MoveOn’s Challenge To Clinton And Obama,” ABC News’ “Political Radar” Blog, www.abcnews.com <http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/09/moveons-challen.html> , 9/14/07)
* “What’s More … MoveOn.org Wants The Top Democratic Presidential Contenders To Speak Out ‘Sooner And More Vocally.’” (Teddy Davis, “MoveOn’s Challenge To Clinton And Obama,” ABC News’ “Political Radar” Blog, www.abcnews.com <http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/09/moveons-challen.html> , 9/14/07)
Obama Responded To MoveOn.Org’s Warning Against Funding The Troops By Promising To Vote Against Future Iraq Funding. “Seventy-two hours after MoveOn.org threw down the gauntlet, telling ABC News that Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., needed to speak out ‘sooner and more vocally’ in opposition to voting for an Iraq funding measure that does not include a timetable for withdrawal, both Democratic presidential contenders have done exactly that.” (Teddy Davis, Jonathan Greenberger, and Donna Hunter, “Clinton, Obama Take No Funding Pledge,” ABC News’ “Political Radar” Blog, www.abcnews.com <http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/09/clinton-obama-r.html> , 9/17/07)
