Issue Position: Veterans

Issue Position

Brett Whittenburg, a United States veteran, wrote to the campaign to ask Joe his views are on medical care, job assistance, and taking care of families of deployed soldiers.

Joe wrote in response:

Brett,

My Dad is a Marine Corp Veteran and I am proud to offer true support to anyone who volunteers service to our nation. What I mean by true support is this: There are politicians who pay lip service to supporting our soldiers all the time. They think saying "Thank you for your service" is good enough. Those same politicians are quick to put our soldiers in harm's way for political interests. As you may have seen below in my position on National Defense, I would like the troops to come home -- only to be sent to war in times of true need where our national security is threatened, and Congress has made an official declaration to fight.

Now -- in terms of Veteran's Benefits as you have inquired: Libertarians (like me) believe in upholding contracts. We have made a commitment to our men and women in uniform and my vote will never be used to take anything away from them. Their service is too important!

Obviously, spending is a huge issue in America. We need to do MUCH less of it. But it won't be at the expense of those who risk their lives for our safety. However, it should be noted that keeping our troops home will mean less money spent on assisting the family of deployed service members. That will be a welcome decrease in our financial obligations, because to me, nothing says "Thank you for your service" like making sure Baby Lilly's Daddy, Brett Whittenburg, is home to be a part of her life as she grows up. That, my friend, is true support. -- Joe

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