Conference Call with Senator Hillary Clinton

08/20/2007

Dear Veterans and Military Retirees,

Hillary will be a keynote speaker at the VFW Convention in Kansas City this Monday, August 20. That night, she'll host a special conference call with veterans and military retirees to talk about her commitment to them.

Hillary has been a strong advocate for veterans and military families on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and is 100 percent committed to serving them when she is elected to the White House.

Please join Hillary, campaign director of veterans outreach Burns Strider, and your fellow veterans and military retirees for this important toll-free live conference call.

And be sure to forward this on to other veterans, Hillary supporters, and potential supporters and encourage them to join the conversation as well. Details are below.


Conference Call with Senator Hillary Clinton


Hosted by the National Veterans & Military Retirees Steering Committee
Monday August 20th
10:35 PM Eastern Time
(9:35 PM Central, 8:35 PM Mountain, 7:35 PM Pacific)

Toll Free Number: 1-866-237-3252

Passcode: 794398

Please dial in 3-5 minutes prior to conference start time.

Enter your passcode, followed by the pound (#) sign.

Your line will be placed on hold with music until conference start.

Are you interested in joining Hillary's Steering Committee for Veterans, Military Retirees, and Military Families? Please email ..

Hillary on the Issues

Senator Clinton has a long history of fighting for our veterans. She believes that once service members have fulfilled their duty to our country, our country must fulfill it’s obligation to them. As First Lady, Hillary called attention to Gulf War Syndrome. As the first member of the Senate Armed Services Committee from New York, she has traveled overseas to witness firsthand the incredible honor and courage of our troops. And in the Senate, she has consistently taken a leading role in improving mental health services, access to medical care, family benefits, and assistance in transitioning to civilian life for our veterans.

As a presidential candidate, Hillary’s Veterans Agenda includes:

A new G.I. Bill of Rights. Hillary has proposed a new bargain with our troops. Her plan would reduce the level of red tape facing our wounded service members and veterans; make available microloans for entrepreneurial ventures up to $100,000; expand opportunities for veterans to purchase, build, repair or improve a home; protect service members against predatory lending, insurance, and other financial practices; and provide educational scholarships for those who have served.

Guaranteed, mandatory funding of our veteran’s healthcare system. Hillary does not think that the Veteran’s Administration should be fighting every year to get the funding necessary to care for our wounded Veterans. She has called for full funding of veterans’ health care, taking into account the fluctuating number of veterans and inflation in each year going forward.

A pay raise for wartime troops. One in five military families rely on food stamps and other public assistance to survive and last year's pay increase for members of the uniformed services was just 2.2 percent, the lowest since 1994. Hillary has called upon President Bush to increase pay for our troops by 3.5%.

A monthly stipend for Gold Star Parents. Hillary introduced the Gold Star Parents Annuity Act, legislation that would provide a $125 monthly stipend to surviving mothers and fathers whose sons or daughters lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces during a period of war for the rest of their lives.

Free postage for the family and friends of service members. Hillary introduced legislation that provides each service member deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan or hospitalized at a Department of Defense (DOD) facility as a result of service in Iraq or Afghanistan with a voucher every two months that would enable his or her family or friends to send the service member one free package or piece of mail (up to ten pounds).

Senator Hillary Clinton’s Record

In the Senate, Hillary has championed legislation to improve the lives of our veterans and their families. She has secured funding for Veterans’ hospitals, and secured additional support for disabled veterans. She also successfully fought off the Administration's proposal to double the co-payment for prescription drugs of certain veterans.

She created a health tracking system for all active duty personnel and Reservists to ensure that they receive regular check ups; and expanded access to military healthcare benefits (TRICARE) for all Guard and Reserve members whether they are on active duty or not in order to prevent another illness like Gulf War Syndrome.

She successfully passed her Heroes at Home legislation, which helps family members learn to support loved ones suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), identify ways to help Guardsmen and Reservists transition back to civilian jobs, and assess the mental health challenges – including PTSD – faced by members of the Guard and Reserve. Hillary’s initiative improves the detection, assessment and treatment of traumatic brain injury and expands support systems for members and former members of the Armed Services with traumatic brain injury and their families.

She passed legislation to increase the military survivor benefit from $12,000 to $100,000.

Clinton successfully worked to address Veterans’ mental health needs. In part as a result of her efforts, the Veterans Administration will be directed to take into consideration the needs and concerns of Veterans as it proceeds with the CARES process.

Hilary wrote to Postmaster General John Potter, and launched a petition on her website to urge the Postmaster General to continue issuing the Purple Heart stamp. Hundreds of people signed the petition which were then delivered to Postmaster General John Potter. As a result, the U.S. Postal Service decided to continue printing the Purple Heart Stamp despite the recent rate change.

In recognition of her efforts, the American Legion named Senator Clinton an “unsung hero” of the 108th congress for her leadership in securing record increases in funding for veterans health care.