Congressional Candidate Addresses Military Healthcare

08/11/2005

Paul Munnis

(MANKATO, MN)—Tim Walz is a recently retired Army Chief Master Sergeant and a possible DFL candidate for the Congressional House of Representatives. As such, he has strong opinions concerning military healthcare. He feels strongly that health insurance must be provided to National Guard and Reserve soldiers.

Mr. Walz is openly critical of the vote cast in May by Rep. Gil Gutknecht who voted against extending military health insurance (known as TRICARE,) to approximately 22,000 Minnesotans.

If the Bill had passed, the legislation would have covered a group of National Guard and Reserve soldiers who are or will soon be veterans of the War on Terrorism. These 22,000 Minnesota National Guard people are being called up for duty in Iraq this month.

Mr. Walz makes it clear that he would have voted for the TRICARE measure.

Walz said, “Representative Gutknecht needs to understand that military health care is a matter of national security. Voting to send troops to Iraq and then voting against giving those same troops health coverage makes no sense to me. Reservists and Guard members have to pass the same fitness standards as full time military personnel. To short change them on their medical care jeopardizes their ability to protect our country.”

We will likely be hearing more from Mr. Walz on these matters although he wants to make it clear that military issues are only a part of his concerns with the overall record of Rep. Gutknecht.