We are veterans from every branch of uniformed services and  every conflict from World War II to the Global War on Terror. We are the  family members of those who have proudly worn the uniform. We are  freedom-loving citizens who value America’s heroes and are concerned  about the fate of our country. We come from all walks of life and live  in every community across America.

We all share a strong belief that the freedoms we have defended –  that our friends and loved ones suffered and died for – are being  threatened by the irresponsibility, broken promises, and misguided  priorities of our leaders in Washington. We know that veterans, service  members and their families are, and will continue to be,  disproportionately affected by the current economic crisis. For this  reason, we must rally again to serve as active citizens, just as we  fought as soldiers.

Throughout our years of service and many deployments around the  world, we have seen firsthand what happens when freedom and free markets  are interfered with and fail. We know all too well that freedoms  surrendered are rarely – if ever – regained. And we watch as our elected  leaders continue to shrink from challenges and betray the trust placed  in them. The truth is, the ideals and freedoms that have defined America  since its founding are dissolving before our eyes.

We are committed to the historical promise of our nation: that all  Americans have an equal opportunity to pursue prosperity. We affirm this  commitment by working to return to the tradition of limited, effective  government so that those men and women who have given the most in  service to this nation will not be denied their chance to enjoy that  prosperity.

We are resolved that it is our sacred duty to stand as one –  veterans, family members and active citizens alike – in defense of the  fundamental ideals of liberty that are the soil from which opportunity  for prosperity grows.

CVA spokesperson Matthew DePaul,  a veteran himself, gave us an excellent presentation on what his organization does and what they are trying to accomplish. He became increasingly interested in veterans’ healthcare issues when his uncle/Godfather had such difficulty dealing with agent orange complications.  He reminded the group of CVA’s recent successes getting vets health care choice and  explained the issues they are dealing with now.

1.   The Mission Act:  Improving healthcare choice by authorizing decreasing the mileage and wait time  requirement. As of June 6, vets can opt for choice if the VA can’t see you  within 20 days and the driving time is more than ½ hour. They are further  improving the benefits for spousal care. 

2.   CVA is also  pushing for AUMF (Authoring Use of Military Force) a bill that would return war  powers to the congress. Our military is deployed far too often for questionable  causes.

  3.   Another issue is allied burden sharing. The United States is funding the giant share of military  costs for NATO. Our allies must step up to the plate.

4.   They are also  pushing for another round of BRAC (Base Re-alignment Closures. He assured us that Yuma will not be affected. However, there are military complexes that are obsolete, and that land and equipment could be put to better use.

  Matthew pointed out some stats that should make people think twice about Medicare for All. In spending, the VA ranks second highest at the Fed and they only serve 90,000 people. The population of the US is 327,000,000. Good luck.

We all need to call and send emails to our Congressional as well as Senate representatives to inform them how we feel.