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The Indiana Daily Student

politics

Romney addresses veterans at Indiana American Legion

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney addressed The American Legion on Wednesday during its 94th national convention at the Indianapolis Convention Center.

Romney’s speech to America’s veterans came the day before he was to accept his party’s nomination at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

The American Legion said it has warned lawmakers for months the proposed $492 billion in automatic defense cuts — on top of $487 billion in cuts already planned — will hollow out the U.S. military budget, eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs and cripple America’s ability to defend itself, according to a press release from the American Legion.

“I am fully committed to strengthening America through our values, through a growing economy and through a military that’s second to none,” Romney said in the release. “I will not cut the military budget. I will instead expand our essential weapons programs and our active-duty personnel.

“I do these things not so that we have to fight wars, but so that we can prevent wars.”

Additional speakers during the American Legion’s national convention included Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.

Robert Spanogle, a former American Legion national commander, said veterans currently face unacceptable delays from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, struggle to find employment and face wait times of up to two months to see mental health professionals.

“Our soldiers shouldn’t come home to yet another battle,” Spanogle said. “Veterans are told things will get better; well, they are not.

That is why I am supporting Mitt Romney, who has the proven business experience, has the heart and understands the severe impact these policies have on the medical care and financial security of our nation’s veterans and their families.”

The current unemployment rate of post-9/11 veterans is at about 11 percent, said Thomas Cadmus, a former American Legion national commander, in the release.

In a response to Romney’s visit in Indianapolis, Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker said President Barack Obama has a strong record of supporting veterans. Last week, the White House announced that a program to encourage businesses to hire veterans and their spouses has exceeded its target and helped secure work for 125,000 people.

Although Obama appeared in person at the American Legion’s national convention last year, he appeared through a video to the convention’s attendees Wednesday.

“It goes without saying that the President, as commander in chief, led the mission that killed international terrorist Osama bin Laden and has ended two wars he inherited,” Parker said. “The President has also worked across the aisle with statesmen like Indiana’s own Richard Lugar to implement a worldwide nonproliferation strategy to keep dangerous nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists.”

— Mark Keierleber

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