VETERANS CALL ON OBAMA TO FIRE ALAN SIMPSON
FOR DEFAMING THOSE WHO SERVED AMERICA
Washington DC - The nation's largest progressive veterans organization, VoteVets.org, is calling on President Obama to relieve former Senator Alan Simpson from his chairmanship of a deficit reduction commission for defamatory comments about veterans.
In a letter to the President, Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org, wrote, "On Tuesday, Senator Simpson actually put veteran's benefits on the chopping block... blaming disabled veterans for the country's fiscal situation. And for us, that is the final straw." The full text of the letter is below.
On Tuesday, in regards to the cost of treatment of veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and now suffering ill-health effects, Simpson said, "The irony (is) that the veterans who saved this country are now, in a way, not helping us to save the country in this fiscal mess."
His comments came on the heels of outrageous comments about seniors and others on Social Security, as well as women. The veterans pointed to those comments as well, but wrote that Simpson's attacks on ill veterans compelled them to write. They said firing Simpson was a matter of honoring our veterans.
"President Obama, this week you called for all Americans to honor and thank our troops," Soltz wrote. "I know you agree that honoring our troops can't just be lip service. And the best way to honor those who serve our country is to make sure that we take care of them once they return home."
"We ask that you remove [Simpson] from his current position so that the commission can continue its work in a way that will give the military community--and all Americans--confidence in the conclusions it reaches," the letter concludes.
VoteVets.org is a pro-military organization of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, dedicated to the destruction of terror networks around the world, with force when necessary. It primarily focuses on education and advocacy on issues of importance to the troops and veterans, and holding politicians accountable for their actions on these issues.