On Thursday, Nov 15th, just before leaving for his Thanksgiving vacation, Peter Roskam again voted against a package of services that would help Illinois veterans.

The measure, H.R. 3043, would have provided significant aid to veterans returning from service in Afghanistan and Iraq and facing problems associated with job loss and disabilities such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. The vote was to override President Bush’s veto. Peter Roskam and many of his Republican colleagues voted to support the President in his effort to deny funding for veterans services including:

• $228 million for employment programs for veterans
• $3.6 billion for job training programs
• $3.4 billion in unemployment-insurance and employment-services programs
• $906 million for mental health services
• $23.6 million for homeless veterans

The President and the Republican delegation labeled these items as “pork” in defending their decisions.

Roskam likes to pose for pictures with wounded veterans to promote his political aims, but when it comes to supporting our returning soldiers with funding for needed services, Roskam says “no”.