PRESS RELEASE from Obama for America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 17, 2012

Contact:
Marianne von Nordeck, Virginia Press Secretary

Norfolk, Va. – Today, Beau Biden, the oldest son of Vice President Joe Biden, Delaware Attorney General, and Major in the Delaware Army National Guard, joined local veterans from the Hampton Roads community for the national launch of Veterans and Military Families for Obama. Attorney General Biden served active duty on a deployment to Iraq in 2008 and 2009.

Veterans and Military Families for Obama is dedicated to ensuring that the public is well-informed on  President Obama’s record of strong support for the brave men and women who have fought to protect our nation, as well as their families. The president has kept our country safe, fulfilled his promise to end the war in Iraq, and fought to expand and improve benefits for veterans and their families.

"President Obama understands that being commander in chief is not just about how, when, and where we send our troops. It's about how we take care of them when they get home. President Obama has invested more in our veterans than any other president in more than 30 years," said Biden. "We can move forward with President Obama, who wants to increase investments in our veterans by 10%, or we can go backward with the Romney-Ryan budget, which could cut veterans' funding by $11 billion. The choice for our veterans and military families is clear."

At the event, the Virginia co-chairs of of Veterans and Military Families for Obama were announced, including:

Angie Morgan – Statewide Military Families Co-Chair
Robert “Bob” Martin – Hampton Roads Co-Chair
Howard Foard, III – Northern Virginia Co-Chair
Terry Ellen Carter – Southwest Virginia Co-Chair

"There is no doubt that President Obama has our backs, not just when we're on the battlefield, but also when we come back home," said Howard Foard. "I am voting for President Obama this November because he is clearly the candidate who is looking out for our troops, our veterans, and our families."

President Obama is committed to ensuring veterans can find work when they return home, receive the health care and benefits they’ve earned, and have the chance to get a college education through the post-9/11 GI Bill. As our nation’s servicemen and women return home from war, now more than ever we must fulfill our duty to them.

The president’s record stands in stark contrast to Mitt Romney, who lacks the foreign policy judgment and vision necessary to be President. The Romney-Ryan budget includes deep spending cuts that could cost veterans $11 billion a year. He has suggested privatizing veterans’ benefits and giving veterans vouchers for health care. Romney even said he would consider eliminating the U.S. Department of  Housing and Urban Development, which would eliminate support for homeless veterans and put thousands veterans on the streets.

Veterans and military families across the country are working tirelessly to re-elect President Obama because they know voters will face a clear choice in November.  They understand what’s at stake and that the President has made it a priority to serve those who serve our country.