IRRESPONSIBLE: Rehberg votes against veterans again

Today’s vote would have helped homeless veterans, cut bureaucracy, reduced deficit

BILLINGS, Mont. – Congressman Dennis Rehberg today voted against a bipartisan measure that would have improved housing opportunities for Montana’s homeless veterans—his second vote against veterans in the past month.

In the U.S. House of Representatives today, Rehberg voted against a bipartisan measure that would have increased funding to help homeless veterans by $75 million. The measure also would have paid down the national deficit by $11 million. It was paid for by cutting bureaucracy and expenses in the government’s Housing Management and Administration and Program.

An explanation of the measure Rehberg voted against is online HERE.

“Congressman Rehberg voted to raise his own pay five times, but he voted against PTSD research last month and against veterans’ housing this month,” said Diane Carlson-Evans, a co-chair of the organization Veterans for Tester. “Montana veterans can’t bear to imagine what the Congressman will do next month. Congressman Rehberg broke the promise made to Montana’s veterans by voting against this bipartisan measure, failing to give Montanans an independent voice in the House.”

Just 29 days ago, Rehberg voted against another measure that would have increased funding for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury and prosthetics research by $28 million. That measure would have also paid down the deficit by $28 million.

Rehberg tried to defend his vote by claiming he supports Montana’s veterans, but veterans and their families aren’t buying it.

“I find it unconscionable to make a decision that affects soldiers and veterans, like my son, who defended our country and whose lives are now forever changed,” Montana’s Second Lady, Karen Bohlinger, said of the vote in a newspaper opinion this week.

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