Strong supporter of our troops, veterans and their families.
Our men and women in uniform serve this great country with dignity, honor and bravery. They give up everything to defend our freedoms and we owe them our eternal gratitude. That's why I have and always will protect their interests and fight on their behalf with the same loyalty they have shown to this nation.
On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, we must pledge that when soldiers return home, we leave no veteran behind--that we as a government will keep our promises to our veterans and to those who serve and protect us today.
We must also take care of the families of our soldiers, who are often the unsung heroes of war. Our military families are forced to make extraordinary decisions and often face tragic circumstances and our government must also recognize their sacrifice.
I will never back down from supporting our troops, our veterans or their families. That's why I helped pass the largest increase in funding for veterans health care in the history of the VA. I also helped pass the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, which guarantees a college education for every returning veteran from Iraq and Afghanistan. I also fought hard to include a provision that allows these returning vets to pass the benefit on to a spouse or child if they choose not to go to college themselves.
I visited Iraq in 2004 and Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008. In Iraq, I visited the 39th Brigade from the Arkansas National Guard and my mission was simple--to thank our troops for their service and to ensure they were getting the equipment and support they needed to carry out their missions.
I am very proud to be the only candidate in this race endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC for my "strong support for veterans, national security & defense and military personnel issues."
Click here to read my endorsement letter from the Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC.
I am also proud to have earned an A+ rating from the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, a nonpartisan group that grades every congressman's efforts to help Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
As a common sense voice for Arkansas, I will continue to make supporting our veterans and our troops the focus of my work in our nation's capital. I firmly believe our veterans have given the ultimate contribution to their country and we must support them and their families.