Veterans Issues

Kenny Hulshof voted to slash funding for the traumatic brain injury research center. The Commander-in-Chief of the VFW called the decision "out of touch with the realities and consequences of war." Duane Burghard will restore this funding. (Hulshof vote HR 5631, Vote #305 6/20/2006. Also see http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=3562 )

Kenny Hulshof voted to deny health coverage to thousands of Reservist and National Guard members, even though 40 percent of Reservists aged 19 to 35 lack health coverage. Duane Burghard believes that all National Guard and Reserve forces serving in combat should be covered. (Hulshof vote HR 1815 , Vote #221, 5/25/2005)

Kenny Hulshof denied a $1,500 bonus to all troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Duane Burghard believes our troops should be rewarded, especially for extra service. (Hulshof vote HR 3289, Vote #554, 10/17/2003)

Kenny Hulshof received a zero score from the Disabled American Veterans for his voting record on Veterans' Issues in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Duane Burghard has been endorsed by VetPAC, VMFP and other military groups and is a member of the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans' Commanders Club. ( http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BC033402&type=category&category=Veterans%2BIssues&go.x=6&go.y=9 )

The Republicans current 5 year budget plan calls for cutting of billions of dollars in veterans funding between 2008 and 2011. Duane Burghard will vote to make sure that "support our troops" is more than just a slogan and that "a grateful nation" is more than just a graveside condolence. ( http://www.vetpac.org/Releases.html )

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel recently said of the Bush Administration's managing of our military in Iraq "we are decimating our Army." (see http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2005568.php )

Rep. Hulshof voted to continue awarding contracts to Halliburton even after the Pentagon's own audit processes found that more than $100 million of their contractor's costs in Iraq were unreasonable. (Hulshof vote HR 4939, Vote #60, 3/16/2006 )

Fifteen years after it was first used in battle, there is only one U.S. government study monitoring veterans exposed to depleted uranium. The number of soldiers in the survey: 32. Number of soldiers in both Iraq wars: more than 900,000. The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses is comprised of scientists, physicians and veterans advocates. Its mandate is to judge all research and all efforts to treat Gulf War Syndrome patients against a single standard: Have sick soldiers been made better? The answer, according to the committee's December 2005 report, is no.

More than six flag level officers have now called for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to Resign, including Maj. Gen. Charles H. Swannack Jr., who led troops on the ground in Iraq as recently as 2004 as the commander of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, and Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who led the First Infantry Division in Iraq.

Kenny Hulshof recently noted on KFRU radio that the government is spending a lot of money on body armor. What he failed to mention was that he and others in Congress authorized the commitment of troops to combat, at a time entirely of their choosing, without body armor, and that some troops died as a result. Far worse, Congressman Hulshof did not mention that, when troops began buying their own body armor (to protect themselves when their own government would not), the government initially refused to reimburse troops for buying their own body armor. Finally, he failed to note that the legislator most responsible for fixing this incredible injustice to our troops was a Democrat (US Senator Chris Dodd).

Later in the same interview, Congressman Hulshof noted that the Army had made its recent recruiting goal (backtracking, he indicated he was referring to the US Military Academy ... none of our Military Academies have ever had a problem finding far more applicants than they have room for). What the Congressman did not mention was that the military has recently had to lower its recruiting targets, and then lower the standards for recruits, and then raise the maximum age for recruits (TWICE in the last year), and that they're offering citizenship to immigrants in exchange for enlisting.

Duane Burghard believes strongly that our troops deserve better. Many of our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are going to require long term medical assistance. Duane believes that we have a moral obligation to take care of those who have put on a uniform and sworn to support and defend both us and our Constitution.

Duane Burghard served on Active Duty as a United States Naval Officer from 1987 until 1991.