Rep. Shea-Porter. Thanks… for nuthin’
From the NRCC:
Washington- Today, Congress passed a critical troop funding bill with overwhelming support from members in the House, but no thanks to any help from Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) who voted to hamstring our troops in the field, without the critical funding for everything from replacing worn-out equipment to providing healthcare, to keep them safe in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan (House Roll Call 265).
But just before Shea-Porter voted to cut off funding, she voted in favor of a House Resolution to “state that the House remains committed to supporting the military and encourage Americans to show appreciation on Armed Forces Day 2009.” Her blatant posturing is particularly insulting since she turned right around and denied the troops the very “support” she claimed she was committed to giving them (House Roll Call 263).
This critical war funding bill had the support of Democrats and Republicans in Congress and has the backing of the White House, yet Carol Shea-Porter refused to put her money where her mouth is and actually deliver real support in the form of much-needed funds for our men and women in uniform.
“There is no acceptable explanation for Carol Shea-Porter’s vote to endanger our American troops fighting overseas,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Carol Shea-Porter’s decision to add insult to injury by voting against a critical troop funding bill after claiming she was ‘committed’ to supporting the troops, will not sit well with families in her district who are protected by our brave men and women in uniform every day.”
By voting “no” today, Carol Shea-Porter voted against providing our troops with the following:
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$734.4 million to provide more than 170,000 service members who have had their enlistments involuntarily extended since September 11, 2001 with $500 per month for every month they were held under stop-loss orders.
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$1.2 billion for defense health and programs to support military families
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$1.1 billion for hospital construction to address hospitals that are decades old and do not meet current standards for medical care.
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$488 million for wounded warrior complexes to help soldiers wounded in combat recover and remain on active duty or transition to civilian life and support families through this process.
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$263 million to accelerate and enhance the construction of new hospitals at Bethesda and Ft. Belvoir to replace Walter Reed, as requested.
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$23 billion to refurbish or replace equipment worn out or damaged in Iraq and Afghanistan
(Source: House Committee on Appropriations, Summary: 2009 Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Pandemic Flu As Passed by the Full Committee)