Cites Bennet’s Record of Standing Up for Veterans, Buck’s Plan to Privatize Veterans’ Health Care

WASHINGTON, DC (4 October 2010) — Today, the Veterans Alliance for Security and Democracy Political Action Committee (www.vetpac.org <http://www.vetpac.org> ) is proud to announce its endorsement of Michael Bennet for U. S. Senate for his dedication defending the values for which veterans served, fought and died.

“In his short time in Washington, Michael has stood on the side of America’s military veterans, supporting efforts to bring the VA into the 21st century and improve veterans health care,” said Paul H. “Bud” Bucha, the chairman of the VETPAC advisory board and a Medal of Honor recipient. “In Colorado, he helped to finally break ground on a stand-alone VA Hospital at Fitzsimons and move the ball forward on the creation of a National Veterans Cemetery in Southern Colorado.”

“While Michael continues to demonstrate his support for veterans, Ken Buck has extreme plans like privatizing VA health care and fails to denounce special interests for characterizing funding for our troops as wasteful, pork-barrel spending,” said Colonel Richard Klass, USAF (retired)). “Veterans didn’t put their lives on the line to see their health care subjected to a private companies bottom line. Ken Buck’s proposals are just too extreme for our veterans and too extreme for Colorado.”

Since arriving in the Senate, Michael has fought hard on behalf of America’s veterans, including:

§ Introducing a new law to make sure military families are eligible for federal nutrition programs, even when they receive an increased salary as a result of combat pay;

§ Helping to secure funding to finally begin construction of a state-of-the-art Veterans Hospital at Fitzsimmons;

§ Working to secure a new Veterans Cemetery for southern Colorado;

§ Pushing to make it easier for veterans to receive Post Traumatic Stress Disorder benefits;

§ Introducing “Troops to Teachers” legislation with Senator McCain to help veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan become teachers; and

§ Pushing to extend GI Bill benefits to National Guard Members, and pushing to expand resources for caregivers of veterans

“Veterans demand to know where Ken Buck stands on other issues? Would he end education benefits guaranteed in the 21st Century GI Bill of Rights? Would his plans to privatize Social Security also include privatizing the VA pension system? Would his anti-government ideology mean an end to disability compensation payments?” asked Ms. Lorin Walker, the groups vice president. “We need Michael Bennet in the United States Senate to ensure that our veterans, especially our wounded warriors, receive the care they were promised and deserve,” she added.