Senator John Cornyn didn't stand up for Vets, Vet Runs Against Him

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Tony Gray at 713-857-2069
DATE: May 20, 2008 Cara Morris Stern at 202-261-2387

New Vets Ad: Cornyn Should Stand Up for Troops
Troops Gave 100% and Deserve Leader Who Will Do the Same, Says Noriega
Veterans Group Highlights Cornyn’s failure to fight for our Troops

HOUSTON, TX – Yesterday it was announced that more Texas troops will be heading to Iraq this fall and in 2009 – some of them for their third or fifth tour of duty. U.S. Senate candidate and Texas State Representative Rick Noriega, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Texas Army National Guard, is continuing his fight to make sure these men and women are supported when they return home with the bipartisan Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Act which would cover full in-state tuition at public universities.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn, however, refuses to support the bipartisan GI bill that passed the House of Representatives and is supported by the majority of the Senate and instead supports a greatly watered down bill that would only cover a fraction of the tuition for returning veterans.

“Our brave men and women give 100% on the battlefield and they deserve 100% of our support when they return home, but Senator John Cornyn backs GI benefits that would only cover a fraction of the tuition for our veterans. Texans and our troops deserve better,” said Rick Noriega. “As a member of the Texas National Guard and an American, I am proud to give our troops the tools they need on the battlefield, but I know they will also need new tools when they return home.

That’s why I support the bipartisan Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Act that would give our brave men and women the kind of GI Bill education benefit they deserve.”

Votevets.org, a group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, announced a television ad campaign today in Texas targeting John Cornyn and calling on him to support the bipartisan Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Act, which has the backing of most major veterans groups.

Cornyn’s Record of Shortchanging Our Troops and Veterans

• In May 2003, Cornyn voted against an amendment that would allow a 50 percent tax credit on the salaries employers pay workers who are in the National Guard or Reserves and have been put on active duty. [Vote 163, 5/15/03]

• In 2005 Cornyn voted against bringing to vote an amendment that would ensure that funding for the Veterans Health Administration takes into account changes in inflation [S AMDT 1937 to HR 2863].

• In the same year he voted against bringing to vote an amendment that would have appropriated $500 million annually from 2006-2010 for counseling, mental health, and rehabilitation services for veterans diagnosed with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder [S AMDT 2634 to S 2020].

• In 2006 Cornyn received a grade of D- by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and a rating of 60 by the Disabled American Veterans.

• In 2007 he voted against the Webb Amendment that would have mandated minimum intervals between deployments for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would have required that soldiers spend as much time at home as they do deployed in a combat zone (S AMDT 2909 to S AMDT 2011 to HR 1585, Vote #241, 7/11/07).

• In July 2007, he voted against an amendment that would have limited the length of troop deployments in Iraq, with certain exceptions, beginning 120 days after enactment. It would have limited the deployment of soldiers in the Army and Army National Guard to 12 consecutive months. [HR 1585, Vote #243, 7/11/07]

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Paid for by Rick Noriega for Texas

Rick Noriega is a member of the Army National Guard. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense


Moira Mack
Hildebrand Tewes Consulting Inc