Veterans protest shutdown at WWII Memorial FOR VETERANS

Military groups protest handling of veterans affairs during shutdown
The Washington Times
By Meredith Somers
October 15, 2013

A coalition of military associations on Tuesday lambasted Congress for its handling of veterans affairs in the wake of the government shutdown and demanded a permanent solution to balancing the federal budget.

Standing along the eastern plaza of the National World War II Memorial, dozens of veterans and military advocates pleaded their case that using veterans as political leverage harms the country.

“We were assured the budget would not be balanced on the backs of veterans, and yet here we are today,” said Steven Gonzalez, assistant director of the American Legion’s economic division.

Tuesday’s protest was different from other recent shutdown-inspired rallies at the war memorial, several of which devolved into confrontational shouting matches and aggressive dismantling of National Park Service-enforced barriers.
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