Vets For Freedom Endorses Sen. John Cornyn

Last Thursday, the House voted 416-12 to add transferability to the G.I. Bill, meaning many troops will be able to pass along education benefits to their spouses and children.

When I was active duty, this was the one aspect of the GI Bill that I most often heard other soldiers complain about.

My own G.I. Bill benefits expired unused before I could use them. It would have been nice to be able to transfer this benefit that I paid for and earned on to my family.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) fought for this benefit on behalf of our troops — he refused to support the Democrats’ previous bill until this provision was added.

Sen. Cornyn’s opponent in the upcoming election, state Rep. Rick Noriega, opposed adding transferability.

Sen. Cornyn’s campaign is going after Noriega — and rightfully so:

We sincerely hope Rick Noriega will put aside his objections and get behind the improved version passed overwhelmingly by the House last week. The welfare of our fighting men and women should come before personal political advantage.”

“If Representative Noriega continues to oppose the transferability provision insisted upon by President Bush, Sen. McCain, Sen. Cornyn, and others, he should explain his reasons,” Jesmer added. “Just as Rick Noriega reluctantly endorsed Senator Cornyn’s legislation to build a new Veterans Hospital in South Texas, he ought to swallow his pride and endorse this good piece of legislation too.”

Noriega is a a Lieutenant Colonel in the Texas Army National Guard, and was deployed for 14 months and spent a year in Afghanistan until August 2005. By all accounts Noriega is a good, and honorable man.

But that doesn’t meant that he’s right for Texas. And that doesn’t mean that veterans or active duty troops are lining up to support Mr. Noriega.

In fact, the opposite is true, as the largest Veterans organizations are throwing their support behind Sen. Cornyn.

Like Vets for Freedom, the largest Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans organization in America.

From a Cornyn press release:

Vets for Freedom is proud to announce its support of John Cornyn for United States Senate in Texas. Senator Cornyn is and always has been a strong supporter of America’s Armed Forces. As a first-term Senator who is highly active in the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Cornyn has proven time and time again his unwavering dedication to protecting our nation, defending those who risk their lives for our freedom, and supporting all who have ever worn the uniform.

“As a proud United States Marine and a Texas veteran of Iraq, I am humbled to speak on behalf of over 25,000 members of Vets for Freedom, including 574 active Texas veteran leaders, in offering our strong endorsement of John Cornyn for the United States Senate,” said Vets for Freedom Texas State Captain, Knox Nunnally. “Senator Cornyn understands that the fight we are currently undertaking in Iraq is essential to our success in the global fight against Islamic extremism. He recognizes and acknowledges the success of our current military strategy implemented by General Petraeus, and has been a steadfast source of support of all the men and women who are winning the Global War on Terror. Our country needs more dedicated people like John in Washington.”

Count me as one more Veteran who supports Sen. John Cornyn.