Jon Soltz / Vote Vets Action Fund – 2013-03-09 01:22:55

http://action.votevets.org/page/s/sequester?source=em130306

“What that means is the rest of the forces that are now back in the United States will not be able to train. They will be able to do small-level, squad-level training. They will not be able to do platoon-level, company-level, battalion-level training back at their installations. They will not be able to go out to combat training centers, which is what provides them the final readiness certification at the battalion and brigade level.”
— Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Ray Odierno

(March 7, 2013) — When Republicans rejected compromise solutions to avoid the “sequester,” they ushered in a series of cuts that promise to hurt military families at home and in the field.

At home, medical care, Department of Defense-run schools, social services like sexual assault prevention and treatment, tuition assistance, child care, and many other programs will get cut. In the field, operations and maintenance funding (O&M) — which is essentially responsible for readiness and deployment — already faces a $6 billion shortfall, and sequestration could double it.

We have a powerful voice and unique opportunity to stop these cuts. Sign our petition to congressional leadership calling on an end to the sequester and its impact on military families.

Nine Republican Senators already defected from a GOP plan to end the sequester, in large part because of the cuts impacting members of the military and their families. They also rejected a commonsense Democratic plan that would have millionaires and billionaires shoulder a small amount of the burden to avoid sequester.

The issue is at an impasse right now, and our voices are critical to ensure there’s a resolution to the crisis.

Sign our petition to congressional leadership and make your voice heard today.
http://action.votevets.org/sequester

We’ll deliver these petitions early next week and let you know about any responses we receive from legislative offices.

Jon Soltz is Chair of Vote Vets and an Iraq War veteran. @jonsoltz

THE LETTER
Tell Congress — The Sequester Hurts Military Families

This issue is at an impasse after Republicans recently rejected a commonsense plan that would have millionaires and billionaires shoulder a small amount of the burden to avoid sequester.

We have a powerful voice and unique opportunity to stop these cuts. Sign our petition to congressional leadership calling on an end to the sequester and its impact on military families. We’ll deliver the petitions next week and get back in touch with the response.