Letter: Coleman actively supports troops, returning veterans

Peter T. Panos

Bemidji Pioneer

I recently read a letter written by the DFL Veterans Caucus chairman, Jim Bootz, trashing Sen. Norm Coleman’s support of U.S. service members and the Minnesota National Guard. I feel it is my duty, as a veteran of this most recent conflict, to respond with the facts.

It is obvious Mr. Bootz has never personally dealt with the senator or taken a realistic look at all he has done to support U.S. service members and veterans. After 36 months of deployments, I have seen firsthand what a powerful champion Sen. Coleman is for all U.S. service members and in particular Minnesota National Guard troops.

Thanks to Sen. Coleman’s support, our recently deployed units have had the very best in training and equipment to prepare for the trials of battle. I have looked at Sen. Norm Coleman’s voting record and found that during his time in the U.S. Senate, Norm Coleman has supported a 67 percent increase in federal funding for veterans programs. He has voted over 30 times to increase funding for veterans, and has done so without supporting the massive tax increases proposed by his Democratic colleagues.