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Congressional candidate Anne Barth says recent pronouncements by Congresswoman Capito don't match her voting record.
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV02) last Saturday
attended a Military Appreciation Day observance in Jackson County, telling
attending veterans, enlistees and military families that, "I want them to
know I support them and that I always have them in mind when I vote."
[Parkersburg News & Sentinel, 6/15/08].
"The record shows that Shelley Moore Capito has cast a lot of votes
that have not been good for our troops and veterans," observed Anne Barth,
the Democratic nominee in the 2nd congressional race.
"Rep. Capito has maintained a 100% voting record with Bush and
Cheney on Iraq. And as American troops were beginning to invade Iraq, Rep.
Capito supported the House Republican Majority in pushing through President
Bush's proposal to slash veterans' health care." [H Con. Res 95, Vote #450,
7/25/03]
"I believe we should honor our soldiers by bringing them home from
Iraq soon. I also believe my opponent's votes against funding for veterans'
health care have made it harder to meet the needs of our returning heroes.
These are fundamental differences between me and my opponent," Barth said.
"Soldiers and veterans have long memories. They may not always like
to talk about what they remember, but they never forget. The people who have
felt the cuts in veterans' funding that Rep. Capito has supported for years
will remember. They don't forget."
"Our veterans have stood up for America when we needed them. We owe
them a debt that can never be fully repaid because you just can't put a
price on your freedom."
"I believe we should be committed to doing all we can
to meet veterans' needs, and I will support improvements to their health
care services that Mrs. Capito has often opposed," said Barth.
Recent Capito Votes That Will Be Remembered
* Shelley Moore Capito voted for the war in Iraq, and has maintained a
100% voting record with George Bush and Dick Cheney on Iraq votes since.
* Capito opposed the FY08 Democratic budget that included a $6.7
billion increase in funding for veterans' health care needs and services.
[H. Con. Res. 99, Vote #212, 3/29/07]
* Capito sided with President George Bush against a 2007 Iraq emergency
spending bill that included significant funding for veterans, including $229
million for healthcare treatment and $550 million to upgrade facilities like
the crumbling Walter Reed Army Medical Center. [HR 1591, Vote #186, 3/23/07]
* Capito opposed a motion that would have expanded TRICARE to most of
the 20% of Reservists and National Guard members who currently don't have
health insurance, even if they are called to active duty. [HR 1815, Vote
#76, 3/16/05]
* Capito voted against a Democratic motion to the FY 07 Department of
Defense Authorization bill that would have ended the Military Families Tax,
which penalizes more than 50,000 survivors in military families, most of
whom are widows. [HR5122, Vote #144, 5/11/06]
* Capito voted in 2005 in favor of final passage of the $2.6 trillion
budget conference report for 2006. The budget report cut funding for
veterans' health care by $13.5 billion over five years (this during
wartime). However, the budget still found room to give $106 billion in tax
cuts targets at people who needed it the least. [HCR95. Vote #149, 4/28/05] | 
