Klein Votes in Favor of Strengthening Accountability, Increasing Funds for Troops Readiness and Improving Veterans Health Care

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Ron Klein (FL-22) Friday voted in favor of the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act of 2007 (H.R. 1591). Klein supported the measure because it strengthens accountability standards for Iraq, boosts funding for our troop readiness, and addresses the crisis in veteran's health care services.

"By supporting this bill today, I am holding true to my promises I made to our brave men and women in uniform, our veterans, and the people of South Florida, to call for a real plan for accountability in Iraq," said Klein. "This bill puts an end to the blank check policy Congress has been granting President Bush when it comes to the mismanaged war in Iraq, and maintains that troop deployment be based on the Department of Defense's own standards of readiness and preparation"

"This bill also ensures that our troops will have the additional support they need, not only while in combat but also when they return home. After the sacrifices they've made, it's absolutely unacceptable that thousands of our veterans are forced to endure poor conditions in military hospitals and long waiting lists to receive the critical care they end when they return home. This bill boosts veterans' health care by $1.7 billion, and adds $2.5 billion more than what the President's budget requested for troop readiness. Our troops deserve absolutely nothing less than what this measure offers.

"This war has, so far, cost us the precious lives of 3,000 U.S. troops, 20,000 U.S. troops wounded, and more than $400 billion in U.S. tax dollars. Our military is dangerously pushed to the limit. Because a large portion of our military is deployed in Iraq, we have neglected real threats like Iran and have not done enough to protect our Middle East allies like Israel. This bill will help us refocus our efforts on Afghanistan, where the real threat of Al Qaeda is prevalent.

"The supplemental also provides additional assistance to State Children's Health Insurance programs, Katrina survivors, and farmers hit by national disasters."

Earlier this week, Klein participated in a press conference with retired high-ranking military leaders, as well as freshmen Rep's Rep.'s Tim Mahoney (FL-16), Tim Walz (MN-1), and Nancy Boyda (KS-2). During the press conference, the Members expressed their opposition to this Administration's "stay the course" strategy in Iraq, and professed their support for the Democratic Iraq supplemental bill. Captain Lawrence Korb, who participated in the press conference and served as Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Reagan, said that the war strategy Bush is employing has been tried before, and has failed.

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