Vets give PA Congressmen "A," McCain a dismal "D."
Many Pennsylvania congressional lawmakers received an "A" from an Iraq and Afghanistan veterans group recently for casting votes in support of the military.
By contrast, the presidential candidates scored lower, according to The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the group that issued the 2008 Congressional Report Card.
Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama received a "B" grade from the group; Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain a "D."
Scores were based on how often legislators voted to support IAVA's Legislative Agenda. IAVA Action, the group's advocacy arm, selected 22 key votes on veterans' issues in the 110th Congress. This included nine votes in the Senate; 13 in the House.
Congressional votes used as criteria covered a broad range of issues facing "new veterans," including veterans' health care, the new GI Bill, mental health issues and support for homeless veterans, according to IAVA's Web site, www.iava.org.
Lawmakers voting in line with IAVA Action received one point. Those voting against IAVA Action's position, or those who failed to cast a vote, received no points.
Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter and Democratic Sen. Robert Casey both earned an "A+" from the group.
In the U.S. House, Reps. Joe Sestak, D-7th Dist., Allyson Schwartz, D-13th, and Patrick Murphy, D-8th Dist., all received an "A+" and Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist., earned an "A."
The IAVA group was a strong advocate of the new GI Bill that Congress approved last summer. Any legislator cosponsoring the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Senate Bill 22 or House Bill 5740) received two extra points.
Sestak votes coincided with IAVA Action 13 out of 13 times, and he received two additional points for being a co-sponsor of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, according to IAVA's report card.
Gerlach's votes were in line with IAVA Action 11 out of 13 times, and he also received two points for co-sponsoring Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Sen. Obama voted 5 out of 9 times with IAVA Action and also cosponsored the new GI Bill, while Sen. McCain cast only 3 out of 9 votes on IAVA Action's issues and was not a cosponsor of the GI Bill.
Founded in June 2004, IAVA is the nation's first and largest group dedicated to military troops and veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and their civilian supporters.
By contrast, the presidential candidates scored lower, according to The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the group that issued the 2008 Congressional Report Card.
Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama received a "B" grade from the group; Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain a "D."
Scores were based on how often legislators voted to support IAVA's Legislative Agenda. IAVA Action, the group's advocacy arm, selected 22 key votes on veterans' issues in the 110th Congress. This included nine votes in the Senate; 13 in the House.
Congressional votes used as criteria covered a broad range of issues facing "new veterans," including veterans' health care, the new GI Bill, mental health issues and support for homeless veterans, according to IAVA's Web site, www.iava.org.
Lawmakers voting in line with IAVA Action received one point. Those voting against IAVA Action's position, or those who failed to cast a vote, received no points.
Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter and Democratic Sen. Robert Casey both earned an "A+" from the group.
In the U.S. House, Reps. Joe Sestak, D-7th Dist., Allyson Schwartz, D-13th, and Patrick Murphy, D-8th Dist., all received an "A+" and Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-6th Dist., earned an "A."
The IAVA group was a strong advocate of the new GI Bill that Congress approved last summer. Any legislator cosponsoring the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Senate Bill 22 or House Bill 5740) received two extra points.
Sestak votes coincided with IAVA Action 13 out of 13 times, and he received two additional points for being a co-sponsor of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, according to IAVA's report card.
Gerlach's votes were in line with IAVA Action 11 out of 13 times, and he also received two points for co-sponsoring Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Sen. Obama voted 5 out of 9 times with IAVA Action and also cosponsored the new GI Bill, while Sen. McCain cast only 3 out of 9 votes on IAVA Action's issues and was not a cosponsor of the GI Bill.
Founded in June 2004, IAVA is the nation's first and largest group dedicated to military troops and veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and their civilian supporters.
posted by Keith Phucas at
12:10 PM
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