Veterans Should Be Our First Priority

Press Release

Last week, Jamie Wall joined with Wisconsin veterans to call on Congress to protect veterans in the federal budget.

Wall is the son of a veteran. His father Jim fought in the First Cavalry Division in the Korean War and was a member of the American Legion and the VFW in later life. Wall's campaign has a veterans' advisory committee that meets monthly.

"Congress must protect funding for our veterans," said Wall. "Sadly, the budget that Congressman Ribble helped put together turns its back on veterans. It cuts $11 billion in funding for veterans' programs while preserving handouts for big oil companies and tax breaks for corporations that ship jobs overseas. It's one thing to pose for pictures with veterans at home. It's another to fight for them in Washington."

The Ribble/Ryan Budget also ends Medicare as we know it. Fully-disabled veterans now rely on Medicare for primary care and the VA for service-connected injuries. Some veterans suffer from injuries and disabilities including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. They also experience homelessness and have suicide and unemployment rates higher than the national average. "In this time of war, it is ridiculous that Congress is even considering cutting funding for veterans," said Randy Scannell, a Gold-Star stepfather of an Iraq War veteran.

"We can't send service members off to war for one, two or three deployments and then tell them we can't afford to help when they return home," said Wall. "We need to get our fiscal house in order, but we shouldn't start with veterans. In fact, funding for veterans in the budget should be our first priority. No one has given more to this country."

For the last four months, Wall has highlighted waste in the federal budget. Since the initial "Cut of the Week," he has identified billions of dollars in common-sense savings, including ending special perks for Members of Congress and Washington bureaucrats, eliminating foreign aid to China, and stopping subsidies for big oil companies.

A small businessman from Green Bay, Wall brings real-world experience helping Wisconsin businesses solve problems and create jobs.

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