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THE WEIRS TIMES & THE COCHECO TIMES, Thursday, July 2, 2015
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As we approach the 4th of July, it is important to reflect not just on the unique freedoms we enjoy as Americans, but also on the extraordinary sacrifices that have been the price of those freedoms. Just last week, I attended a town hall in Exeter hosted by the Concerned Veterans for America where I was able to discuss issues affecting veterans, members of the military, and their families. I am grateful to all who attended for the questions posed and insights shared. There are around 130,000 veterans that call New Hampshire home, and the evidence of their service is all around us. It can be felt in the freedoms enjoyed across this state and nation, as well as in our household budgets, the businesses that employ our people, and in our daily lives as we buy and sell goods. This is because globalization and technological progress have demolished barriers of travel and trade, and the prosperity of our people now depends on the stability of regions a world away. I have always been inspired by the fact that our military men and women chose their life of service.
They chose to put our safety above their own. They chose a job that requires a tremendous commitment of body, mind and heart. They chose to be ambassadors of America’s values, even in the places where those values are met with violent hatred. I will be a president who fights for their interests the way they have chosen to fight for ours. The president must first ensure our military has the best training and equipment to meet the challenges they face while on active duty, which is why a top priority of mine once in office will be to reverse President Obama’s disastrous cuts to our defense budget. My goal will be to ensure our men and women in uniform are never sent into a fair fight but instead are always equipped with the upper hand. The president has another duty that is just as important, and it relates to many of the concerns I heard in Exeter. When our service members come home, we have a moral obligation to guarantee their needs are met, particularly in regard to their health and well-being. Unfortunately, the Department of Veterans Affairs remains a bureaucratic disaster, suffering from a devastating lack of leadership and oversight. My brother is one of many veterans who have struggled to resolve claims with the VA in a timely manner. Its unresponsiveness is the result of a lack of leadership that starts at the very top with President Obama. Our current leaders fail to realize that the same Department of Veterans Affairs established
in 1930 is not going to work in the 21st century. Instead of doing the work necessary to pass significant reform, they pump more money into the same antiquated system. In the last eight years, Washington has increased the VA budget by $91 billion and grown the staff by 101,000 people, with little to show for it. As president, I will continue working to reform the VA as I have in the Senate. Last year, I introduced – and Congress passed – a bill attempting to increase the liability and accountability of VA administrators. It has not been enough to break the systemic issues in the VA, but I’m just getting started. As president, I will have a far greater ability to enact meaningful changes. I will appoint a new Secretary and charge him or her with leading the Department into a modern era and acting decisively to hold VA bureaucrats responsible should they break faith with our veterans. The measure of true leadership on this issue – and on any issue – is the willingness to make tough decisions and enact bold reforms. As president, I will never forget that duty goes in both directions between the Commander and Chief and the men and women of our armed forces. I thank those of you who met with me in Exeter last week for your thoughts and questions on these issues. I also thank everyone at Concerned Veterans for America for hosting that event and for the important advocacy they do on behalf of our veterans and families.