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Press Releases
Seals Calls for Change in Priorities as America Marks 2500th U.S. Military Death in Iraq
Friday, June 16, 2006
Statement from Dan Seals
"We've reached another tragic milestone in Iraq. Yesterday the U.S. military announced the death of the 2500th serviceman since our invasion of Iraq more than three years ago. Eighteen thousand more of our best and brightest have come home wounded. This is a time to show our support for the troops, and especially for the veterans who have survived combat missions in that unstable country.
Our Congressional leadership seems to have different priorities. This week, as we marked the grim 2500 milestone, the Congressional leadership voted in support of legislation that provided themselves and their colleagues with a pay raise. I take issue with the message we send to our military when we repeatedly cuts veterans' benefits and now vote for an unseemly pay raise, both in a time of war. Our young people are putting their lives on the line. We owe them our full support.
My opponent, Mark Kirk, shares the misguided priorities of his party's leadership. Just last year, Kirk voted to cut veterans' benefits by $13.5 billion over 5 years. Two years before that he voted to cut the same benefits by $30 billion over 10 years. Though he promised to work towards providing "our nation's veterans with state-of-the art health care here at home" (Kirk press release, 5/26/05), he has repeatedly cut the programs that would provide that care. And now, he too has voted in support of a pay raise for himself.
When we send our soldiers into harm's way, we take on a grave responsibility. It is our duty to provide our nation's retired serviceman with the very best care - this means well-funded programs, job training and assistance, and, yes, state-of-the-art health care. In the greatest nation in the world, we cannot allow any veteran to be without the care they have valiantly earned. I believe true leaders would not put their own bottom lines over that of our armed forces in a time of war. As I join my nation in mourning the deaths of 2500 American men and women, I know we can do better."
The 10th District Race
The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan Washington political publication, recently upgraded the 10th District race between Dan Seals and Mark Kirk to its Competitive House Race chart. In a district that has voted for a Democrat in every presidential race since 1996, incumbent Congressman Mark Kirk votes with his party 91.49% of the time (from the nonpartisan Congressional Quarterly). Additionally, Kirk holds the Republican leadership position of Assistant Majority Whip, which gives him the responsibility of enforcing party discipline and lining up members on critical party votes.
About Dan Seals
Seals lives in Wilmette with his wife, Mia, and three young daughters. Born in Chicago, he received a master's in public policy from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and served as a Presidential Management Fellow during the Clinton Administration in both the Department of Commerce and Sen. Joseph Lieberman's office. Seals went on to earn his MBA from the University of Chicago. He is currently on leave from his position as Director of Marketing at GE Commercial Finance while he campaigns full time.
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