Tom Cotton Discusses VA Scandal, Bergdahl Prisoner Swap In Speech to American Legion State Convention

On Saturday, U.S. Senate candidate Tom Cotton addressed the American Legion state convention in North Little Rock.

It's an honor to speak to my fellow Legionnaires today. I'm a proud member of the American Legion--and the son of another member, my dad Len--because of its long, distinguished history of service to both veterans and country. We're the largest wartime veterans-service organization and we sponsor many youth and community programs to promote patriotism, national security, and civic involvement. For instance, we run the Boys State program, where my dad and I both attended as delegates. I also was a delegate to the Boys Nation program. My dad and I both gave back as counselors at Boys State, and my dad today is chairman of the Boys State Commission in Arkansas.

Like so many young men, we were inspired by the example of heroic veterans like you, the example of courage, duty, and sacrifice. My dad wound up enlisting in the Army as an infantryman during Vietnam, serving there in the Fourth Infantry Division. My path was a bit more winding.

On 9/11, I was in class at law school, and that day changed my path in life. I worked for a couple years to repay my loans, then left my law practice. I walked into the recruiter's office. I told him I wanted to be an infantry officer, wanted to go to Ranger School, and wanted to fight in Iraq or Afghanistan. He said, "Hold on, sir. What do you do for a living?," probably because I was dressed in a suit and tie. I told him I was a lawyer. He replied, "Sir, you know you can become a JAG lawyer for the Army, right? It's more rank, better pay, less hardship, and shorter training. What about that?" I said no, I wanted to be in the infantry. And he said, "Sir, you must not be a very good lawyer."

I went into the Infantry, just like my dad did during Vietnam. I spent a year at Fort Benning, emerging as a Second Lieutenant and Airborne Ranger. I led an infantry platoon with the 101st Airborne in Baghdad. I laid my fellow soldiers to rest at Arlington National Cemetery as a platoon leader with The Old Guard. And I deployed a second time to Afghanistan.

Serving my country in combat was the great honor of my life. Now, I'm honored to serve you in a different way in the United States House of Representatives. We face many issues in the Congress, but few are as important as protecting our national security, supporting this generation of warriors, and caring for our veterans who have borne the battles past. I want to speak in greater detail about a couple of these issues you've probably seen in the news lately.

First, the Department of Veterans Affairs is failing our veterans today. Veterans have died waiting for doctor's appointments. Those who get appointments often have such bad experiences that they don't return for a second appointment. I am appalled that arrogant, greedy government bureaucrats would treat the men and women who risked their lives to defend our freedom in such a fashion. And I intend to do something about it.

I was among the first to call on Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign, while others stood loyally by President Obama. Secretary Shinseki may not be personally responsible for all the problems at the VA, but you all know the military leadership standard: I am responsible for everything that happens or does not happen in my unit. By that standard, President Obama and Secretary Shinseki failed miserably to lead the VA and solve the problems on which they campaigned years ago.

In the House, we're trying to do their work for them. I was proud to sponsor the VA Management Accountability Act, which we passed by a vote of 390-33. That legislation gives the VA Secretary increased authority to properly fire or discipline employees who aren't doing their jobs at the VA--rather than give them bonuses. I was also proud to support the Veterans Access to Care Act, which will allow veterans who have waited too long for an appointment to seek private-sector care. Our bill will also block those bonus payments to VA employees until these problems are solved.

These steps alone won't solve all the problems at the VA, which aren't limited to health administration. For instance, too many veterans of my generation wait too long for basic benefits they were promised, such as the 9/11 GI Bill. But these measures are an important first step to change the culture at the VA, and I hope President Obama will finally get serious about solving the problems he's talked about at the VA since 2008.

Second, the president and his aides are dishonoring our veterans with the shameful exchange of five Taliban commanders for PFC Bowe Bergdahl.

I believe this deal was a terrible mistake. Somewhere in Afghanistan tonight, a young Arkansan will pull guard duty. He or she is in greater danger now because the president has admitted there's a price on the head of American troops--and diplomats, and aid workers, and any American traveling abroad. Meanwhile, the Taliban 5 aren't innocent goat herders or even foot soldiers. They are stone-cold killers, among the most dangerous Taliban commanders. They are moving about freely in Qatar, able to reconnect with their terrorist allies.

That's why I wrote an amendment to the military-funding bill last week that would block all transfers of detainees from Guantanamo Bay. The House passed my amendment on a bipartisan vote. I call on the Senate to pass this urgent legislation immediately, before the president can act again.

But even if you support the exchange as an unfortunate fact of dealing with a messy world, the president and his aides are disgraceful in their defense of the deal. President Obama and his aides keep lecturing us about the principle of "leave no man behind," as if opponents of this deal would violate that sacred principle. Remember, the president never wore our country's uniform, nor did many people who now invoke that principle. They spent the last decade patrolling the mean streets of the Washington, DC cocktail-party circuit. The closest most of them have ever come to a gun is a water pistol at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

Bowe Bergdahl walked off his post and, in all likelihood, deserted his unit. Despite that, you know who didn't leave Bowe Bergdahl behind? All the soldiers who ran hundreds of missions trying to find him in the weeks and months after he disappeared. Brave soldiers like Darryn Andrews, who gave his life on one of those missions and earned the Silver Star.

What does the president and his senior aides think about all that? They assert Bergdahl served with "honor and distinction" and they anonymously attack the brave soldiers who served with him for pointing out the inconvenient facts about Bergdhal's disappearance--facts that may hurt the president's political standing.

I have a message for this crowd: step forward, reveal your names, and say it to those soldiers' faces, or apologize and thank the real heroes who risk their lives so you can live in comfortable Beltway luxury.

It's regrettable that so few people in Washington have worn our country's uniform. In Congress, we have fewer veterans than at any time since World War II. I believe--I hope--this will change soon as my generation raises its hand to volunteer to serve our country again. I believe many of these problems might be solved faster if we had more veterans in Washington. For freedom is perhaps sweetest to those, like you, who have worn the uniform and fought and bled in freedom's defense. Thank you all for your service, thank you for your support, and God bless you and our great country!

Source