VFW vs VFW Tradewell

If you ever want to know the truth when people say terrible things, always check the record.

VFW Officer Hits VFW’s Tradewell in Testimony on Health Care
March 25, 2010 by Michael Leon
U.S. Rep Chet Edwards (D-Waco), member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, slammed the Veterans for Foreign Wars’ (VFW) discredited attack on Health Care Reform as a “betrayal” of American veterans in a Congressional hearing as a VFW witness refused to defend his own national commander’s “betrayal” remarks.

The line of attack against health care reform pushed by Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., national commander of the Veterans for Foreign Wars’(VFW) and a political opponent of health care reform, has been buried by a mountain of criticism as the VFW’s political credibility has been in free fall since Thomas J. Tradewell penned his screed over the weekend that that Health Care Reform harms Tricare and betrays veterans.

Edwards who voted No on Health Care Reform and Rep Sam Farr (D-CA) fairly humiliated the VFW’s Eric Hilleman (deputy director-VFW National Legislative Service) in Congressional testimony Tuesday appearing as a witness before the hearing of the House Appropriations Committee.

Hilleman repeatedly refused to defend Tradewell’s “betrayal” remarks, stating to the Committee in his sworn testimony that “(t)here is clear demonstration that this Congress and the administration has put forward an incredible effort on behalf of America’s veterans” in direct questioning on Tradewell’sremarks, and refering the Committee to the “the commander (Tradewell) on his own actions” and “remarks.”

A remarkable exchange among Chairman Edwards, the VFW’s Hilleman and Rep Sam Farr (CA) is below. Looks like Thomas J. Tradewell Sr. has been thrown under the bus and then backed over. The only question is how quickly the VFW will push out the discredited Tradewell.

.....in the last 3 years that I have chaired this subcommittee and Democrats have been a majority in the House, we have increased funding for veterans by more funding levels by higher amount, probably by a huge magnitude, in fact, than any other 3-year period in Congress.

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VFW Officer Hits VFWs Tradewell in Testimony on Health Care