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Tuesday 12 November 2019
Continued from Front the "very ugly practice" of
A former Navy intelligence deporting military veterans
officer, Buttigieg said fe- who are not U.S. citizens.
male veterans and service "How cruel is it that when
members in particular have people put their lives on
been neglected, including the line to protect us," they
on concerns about sexual are deported, he said.
harassment and women's As president, Sanders
health. Women are the mil- promised he would build
itary's fastest-growing sub- upon his past legislative ef-
group. forts by making it easier for
"I think leadership plays a veterans to get into the VA
huge role so absolutely I'd system.
seek to name a woman to He joins Buttigieg and Mas-
lead VA," he said. sachusetts Sen. Elizabeth
Trump was the first sitting Warren in urging increases
president to attend New in doctor pay to attract
York's veterans parade, top VA candidates and
viewing veterans as stand- fill 49,000 VA positions that
ing among his biggest sup- have sat vacant as the
porters. Past presidents Trump administration pro-
have typically spent Vet- moted private health care
erans Day at Arlington Na- options.
tional Cemetery for a cer- During a Veterans Day
emonial wreath laying. speech in Rochester, New
Trump praised the strength Hampshire, Buttigieg re-
of the U.S. military and flected on his own military
the death of Islamic State path, while taking some
leader Abu Bakr al-Bagh- digs at Trump.
dadi, saying the nation's "Having seen the outrage
veterans "risked everything of Americans willing to put
for us. Now it is our duty to their lives on the line for this
serve and protect them ev- country having their ca-
ery single day of our lives." reers threatened by a presi-
More than 100 protesters dent who avoided his own
booed, some holding black President Donald Trump attends the New York City Veterans Day Parade at Madison Square Park chance to serve, yes, we
balloons that read "support in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. are going to end the trans-
our troops, impeach." In a Associated Press gender military ban right
liberal city where Trump is away," Buttigieg said.
deeply unpopular in spite building's soaring windows reading "IMPEACH" and force to develop a broader He added later in the
of his roots there, a nearby were adorned with signs "CONVICT." roadmap for veterans' sui- speech that the VA needs
Veterans overall have cide prevention, due out to be depoliticized.
strongly backed Trump next spring. "We're going to have five-
throughout his presidency, "Our veterans deserve year terms for key positions
though views vary widely leaders who will fight for so that decisions are made
by party, gender and age, them as ardently and as based on what is best for
according to AP VoteCast, forcefully as they have veterans and not based
a survey of 2018 midterm fought for us," Biden wrote on whoever last spoke to
voters. In particular, young- in a Veterans Day state- the president during a golf
er veterans and women ment with his wife, Jill. game or made the right
generally were more skepti- In a jab at Trump, Vermont campaign contribution,"
cal of Trump, who received Sen. Bernie Sanders re- Buttigieg said.
multiple draft deferments leased a video highlighting During a campaign stop
to avoid going to Vietnam. his role in working with the in southeast Iowa, Biden
Former Vice President Joe late Republican Sen. John noted that he carries with
Biden, whose late son Beau McCain, a decorated war him every day the totals
spent a year in Iraq with hero, to pass legislation of those who have died as
the Army, stressed that he that included the Veterans a consequence of wars in
would "restore trust" in VA. Choice program in 2014. Iraq and Afghanistan.
Taking aim at Trump's Trump routinely takes credit As of Monday, he told
stalled progress in reducing for being the first to enact about 200 people at a pri-
suicide among veterans, the Choice program. What vate college in Oskaloosa,
Biden pledged to hire more he actually got done was the total had reached
VA staff to cut down office an expansion of the pro- 6,900.
wait times for vets at risk of gram achieved by Mc- "Every single one of those
suicide to zero as well as Cain and Sanders, a former fallen angels leave a bro-
continuing the efforts of the chairman of the Senate ken community behind,"
Obama-Biden administra- Veterans Affairs Commit- he said.
tion to stem homelessness. tee. Tens of thousands more,
About 20 veterans die by Speaking at an event fo- however, have returned
suicide each day, a rate cused on seniors and vet- home with post-traumatic
basically unchanged dur- erans in Des Moines, Iowa, stress disorder, Biden said.
ing the Trump administra- Sanders pledged to com- "They are in trouble and
tion. bat efforts to privatize the they deserve every single
Trump earlier this year di- VA and assured a ques- thing we can give them,"
rected a Cabinet-level task tioner that he would end he said.q