OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Veteran Voting Support Act

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 17, 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Veterans


VETERAN VOTING SUPPORT ACT -- (House of Representatives - September 17, 2008)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6625, the Veteran Voting Support Act.

In May of 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs passed Directive 2008-25 that prohibited third party nonpartisan voting rights groups from holding voter registration drives on VA grounds. Outraged by this stance that the VA had taken, I, along with 54 of my colleagues, including Chairman Brady and Chairman Filner, sent two letters to VA Secretary James Peake requesting he overturn the policy.

As we returned from the August recess, on September 9, 2008, the VA passed a new policy directive, 2008-53. The new directive now allows State and local election officials and nonpartisan groups to give veterans access to their fundamental right to vote. We applaud the VA for overturning its previous directive, and I believe it is a step in the right direction. But the new policy still falls short of providing veterans complete access to voting in VA facilities. So H.R. 6625 will fix that problem.

The Veteran Voting Support Act would designate VA facilities as voter registration agencies under section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 which requires public assistance organizations provide voter registration opportunities by offering information related to requesting an absentee ballot, making absentee ballot applications available, and require the VA to work with elected officials to ensure the delivery of absentee applications and absentee ballots.

Currently, our Nation is fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as a consequence, our veterans are returning home with catastrophic injuries that require them to reside in a VA facility for extended periods of time to receive treatment for their wounds. This is why it is absolutely imperative that we give the selfless stewards of the Constitution complete access to voting in our elections. It is because of the sacrifice of men and women in the Armed Forces why we are free.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Brady and Chairman Filner for working with me on the legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6625.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward