Cross-posted from Huffington Post:
By Paul Rieckhoff
From their flag lapel pins to their yellow ribbon bumper stickers, every politician in America wants you to believe they "support the troops." But actions speak louder than words. When veterans' issues actually came to a vote in Washington, what did your representatives do?
Now, it's easy to find out, thanks to IAVA Action Fund's 2008 Congressional Report Card. At IAVA Action Fund, we tracked every bill and vote on veterans' issues. We've crunched the numbers, and today we're releasing letter grades for every single Senator and Representative on Capitol Hill (including McCain, Obama and Biden). In just a few clicks, you can find out how your representatives voted.
How did Congress do this year? Over all, they scored very well. From the passage of the landmark Post-9/11 GI Bill to fully funding the Department of Veterans Affairs, we have tremendous progress to celebrate this year. More than 150 legislators earned a perfect score, a grade of A+.
But some lawmakers failed to vote in support of our troops and veterans. This year, 9 politicians earned Ds or Fs. If you want to ask your Senator or Representative why they failed to show real support for our troops and vets, we've made that easy - just click here.
There are many serious issues at stake this election year. Unfortunately, Iraq and Afghanistan have gotten pushed to the back burner, even as the media have found plenty of time for Paris Hilton and other silliness. For a country at war, this kind of neglect is simply shameful.
Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are hard at work every day. It's time that our lawmakers put their money where their mouth is, and show the same devotion to their jobs here in Washington. As we head into tonight's presidential debate, please help keep the needs of our troops and veterans in the public eye. Visit VeteranReportCard.org, and share it with your friends.
You can let your member of Congress know that yellow ribbons aren't enough by signing our petition as well.
