Wisconsin Republicans Abandon Veterans

Luther Olsen

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin veterans are questioning Republican motives as key political leaders ignore mounting problems at the state’s nursing home at King and continue to echo Donald Trump’s dangerous and offensive rhetoric against military families. The lack of support for veteran health care, worker training and basic services has many questioning the misplaced priorities of legislative Republicans.

“Veterans and their families deserve our utmost respect,” said Matt Ullsvik, SSDC Executive Director. “Instead of honoring our state’s commitment to veterans and military families, Republican politicians continue to attack war heroes, trivialize mental health challenges and undercut state support for our veteran nursing homes. They’ve become so tied to Donald Trump’s irresponsible rhetoric that they’ve lost touch with the reality facing our men and women in uniform.”

Most recently, Trump criticized combat veterans suffering from PTSD and accused them of not being able to “handle” the horrors of war. In addition, Trump has slammed Sen. John McCain saying, “He’s not a war hero” because he was captured as a POW and has insulted Gold Star parents who lost their son in Iraq. All the while, Wisconsin Republicans have defended these offensive remarks and continue to endorse Trump’s disparaging and reckless attacks.

“Our military veterans and families are stronger than Donald Trump will ever be,” said Ullsvik. “The fact that top Republicans in Wisconsin continue to encourage these offensive and dangerous comments against military veterans demonstrates how out-of-touch they’ve become. Their continued raids on veteran nursing homes, cuts to county veteran service offices and efforts to block justice for victims of asbestos exposure show that Wisconsin Republicans can’t be trusted to keep our commitment to veterans.”

In Wisconsin, Republican lawmakers passed legislation curtailing asbestos lawsuits and limiting the ability of injured veterans to seek compensation. More recently, Republicans raided $12 million from the King Veteran Home despite numerous problems with understaffing, infection outbreaks, tainted drinking water and serious injuries. A report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel revealed Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) cancelled a request to tour King so he could campaign at a local baking competition.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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