The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is out with its 2008 Congressional Report Card, and the news for our most prominent veteran at the moment, John Sydney McCain III, isn't good. McCain gets a "D" from the IAVA. That would be the letter immediately after the letter "C," which, incidently, is what Mac's fellow Arizona Sen. John Kyl got.
The scoring was based on the Senators' votes on a number of bills important to veterans, including:
- A 2007 bill funding veterans' healthcare
- A March 2007 bill funding so-called MRAPS ("mine resistent ambush protected" vehicles for use in Iraq and Afghanistan
- A 2008 vets' healthcare funding bill
- October 2007 legislation added to the National Defense Authorization Act that expanded veterans' opportunities to seek VA healthcare and for Guardsmen and Reservists to keep education benefits after separating from the military.
- An April 2008 bill to improve so-called "adaptive housing" for disabled veterans
- A move in may of this year to stop the second rate G.I. bill being pushed by Miss Lindsey Graham to try and kill Jim Webb's stronger benefits bill
- The "Post 9/11 G.I. Bill" improving veterans' education benefits
- The second vote on the G.I. Bill that passed with an emergency supplemental for Iraq war funding in June of this year
- And the final phase of passage of the 21st Century G.I. Bill (Webb version, which McCain opposed.)
McCain declined to become a co-sponsor of the Webb G.I. Bill, despite entreaties from friends of his in the Senate including Chuck Hagel. His low score also stems from the fact that he was absent for 6 of the 9 votes. (Kyle was there every time, but he voted against veterans benefits four out of nine times, including against the enhanced G.I. Bill).
As for Barack Obama? He receied a "B" from the IAVA. The Illinois Senator signed on as a co-sponsor of the G.I. Bill, and voted with veterans all but the four times he was absent from the chamber.
To download the IAVA report card, click here.
Labels: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, IAVA, Iraq, John McCain, presidential candidates, supporting the troops, veterans |
