Guess who doesn't really support the troops

Joe Knollenberg says he supports our troops. But guess what, actions speak louder than words. There is a new 2008 GI bill. It has 235 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. Guess who isn't one of those co-sponsors. If you guessed Joe Knollenberg, you'd be right.

Here's a video about the 2008 GI Bill:



This is what Joe has to say on his web site.
Joe in his own words:

America must maintain the strongest military in the world to defend our way of life from the threat of terrorists who want to destroy us. 9/11 changed everything.

I have consistently voted to provide our soldiers with the most updated and sophisticated military equipment. And I have voted numerous times to increase the pay of the brave Americans who are in harm’s way.

There is no greater sacrifice an individual can make. We must never shortchange our troops.

I feel just as strong about our veterans. In the past five years, I have voted to increase spending on veterans benefits from $48 billion to $71 billion.

This year, I voted for the largest increase in veterans spending in the Veterans Affairs Department’s 77-year history. I am frugal when it comes to the federal budget, but we must honor our commitments to our veterans. They risked everything to keep us safe. We need to ensure they have the benefits they deserve.

Joe Says He Supports Veterans. Another Lie

Joe Knollenberg voted against H.R. 3043 which would have provided the following for veterans. Looks like another case where what Joe says and what he does don't match up.

• $231 million for Veterans' Employment and Training programs to assist returning veterans to find and train for jobs
• $23.6 million for the Homeless Veterans' Program. $10 million for those veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI), for their rehabilitation, hospital care and long-term support.
• $3.4 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Here's what Joe says on his web site: CLICK HERE to read the rest of Joe's web site on Veterans issues.

Our most vulnerable veterans are those that were disabled during their tenure in the military. The government will always have a duty to care for these men and women. Recently, Congressman Knollenberg has strongly advocated for an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the benefits of disabled veterans.
Currently disabled veterans do not automatically receive a COLA for their benefits. Congressman Knollenberg supports an annual automatic increase for disabled veterans in order to keep their benefits relevant and their purchasing power equal to the cost-of-living.

Read what Joe says compared to what he does

Joe says he supports our veterans, yet his record is abysmal.

Joe Knollenberg says he supports the troops, but when given the chance put some money where his mouth is, he doesn't support them, he slashes their funding.

In fact, the Disabled American Veterans give him a ranking of 0.

* Voted against fully funding the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, guaranteeing them training and appropriate armor. [HR 1591, RollCall Vote 126, 4/25/07]

* Voted to continue awarding contracts to Halliburton even if the Pentagon's own audit processes found that more than $100 million of their contractor's costs in Iraq were unreasonable. [HR 4939, RollCall Vote 60, 3/16/06]

* Opposed expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to thousands of Reservist and National Guard members, even though 20 percent of all Reservists do not have health insurance, and 40 percent of Reservists aged 19 to 35 lack health coverage. [HR 1815 , Roll Call Vote #221, 5/25/2005]

* Voted against granting a bonus to grant a $1,500 bonus to every American service member serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including National Guard and Reserve forces. [HR 3289, Roll Call Vote #554, 10/17/2003]

Compare Joe's Rhetoric to his record. You decide.

Listen to what Joe says about his support for our troops. Click here to listen to a message from Joe himself, then read the rest of this post and see if Joe's rhetoric matches his votes.
Joe Knollenberg says he supports the troops, but when given the chance put some money where his mouth is, he doesn't support them, he slashes their funding.

In fact, the Disabled American Veterans give him a ranking of 0.

* Voted against fully funding the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, guaranteeing them training and appropriate armor. [HR 1591, RollCall Vote 126, 4/25/07]

* Voted to continue awarding contracts to Halliburton even if the Pentagon's own audit processes found that more than $100 million of their contractor's costs in Iraq were unreasonable. [HR 4939, RollCall Vote 60, 3/16/06]

* Opposed expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to thousands of Reservist and National Guard members, even though 20 percent of all Reservists do not have health insurance, and 40 percent of Reservists aged 19 to 35 lack health coverage. [HR 1815 , Roll Call Vote #221, 5/25/2005]

* Voted against granting a bonus to grant a $1,500 bonus to every American service member serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including National Guard and Reserve forces. [HR 3289, Roll Call Vote #554, 10/17/2003]