Summary
Pence frequently voted against the veterans:
2003: Pence Voted Against An Amendment That Would Have Increased Funding For Quality Of Life Programs For U.S. Service Members Such As More Water Treatment Plants For Deployed U.S. Troops And The Repair And Replacement Of Damaged Equipment By Cutting An Equal Amount From The Iraq Reconstruction Fund. In October 2003, Pence voted against an amendment that would have, according to the Washington Post, “shifted $3.6 billion from the Iraq reconstruction fund to the U.S. military to pay for the medical and dental screening of military reservists, for family assistance centers, for pre-paid phone cards for the troops in Iraq, for the transportation of troops on rest-and-relaxation leave, for the construction of more water treatment and power plants for the deployed troops, and for the repair and replacement of damaged equipment.” The underlying legislation was H.R. 3289, the FY 2004 Iraq and Afghanistan supplemental appropriations act. The vote was on the amendment. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 209 to 216. [House Vote 547, 10/16/03; Washington Post, 10/17/03; Congressional Quarterly, 10/16/03]
2003: Pence Voted Against Allowing Eligible Veterans To Receive Full Disability And Retirement Benefits At The Same Time. In November 2003, Pence effectively voted against an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “allow[ed] all veterans to immediately receive full disability and retirement benefits simultaneously.” The vote was on a motion to recommit the conference report on the fiscal year 2004 defense appropriations bill to the conference committee with instructions to add the specified amendment. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 188 to 217. [House Vote 616, 11/7/03; Congressional Quarterly, 11/7/03; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1588]
2004: Pence Voted Against Increasing Bankruptcy Protection For Members Of The Military, Veterans And Their Families. In January 2004, Pence effectively voted against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “increase[d] bankruptcy protection for members of the military, veterans and their families.” The underlying bill, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would make it more difficult for individuals to wipe out their debts by filing for bankruptcy protection. People with average or high incomes would be required to file under Chapter 13 — which creates a payment plan for a debtor to repay most or all creditors — instead of Chapter 7, which allows the debtor to escape certain unsecured debts after the liquidation of their property and assets.” The vote was on a motion to recommit the bill with instructions to report it back forthwith with the specified amendment. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 170 to 198. [House Vote 9, 1/28/04; Congressional Quarterly, 1/28/04; Congressional Actions, S. 1920; Congressional Record, 1/28/04; Congressional Quarterly, 12/4/04]
2005: Pence Voted Against Providing Job Training, Searching, And Relocation Costs To Veterans Returning From Iraq. In March 2005, Pence effectively voted against an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would provide financial assistance equal to the trade adjustment assistance program for job training, job searching or relocation costs for veterans returning from active duty in Iraq and to workers who are unemployed because their jobs were moved offshore.” The underlying bill, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “reauthorize[d] and amend[ed] the Workforce Investment Act of 1988 (WIA), which, among other things, created a system of one-stop career centers to help those seeking work. It also [would have] reauthorize[d] state programs for adult education and the Rehabilitation Act programs, which are intended to help individuals with disabilities become employable.” The vote was on a motion to recommit the underlying bill with instructions to report it back with the specified amendment. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 197 to 228. [House Vote 47, 3/2/05; Congressional Quarterly, 3/2/05; Congressional Actions, H.R. 27; Congressional Quarterly, 2/28/05]
2005: Pence Voted Against Adding $100 Million For Military Health Care And Providing $50 Million For Transitional Job Training For Returning Troops. In March 2005, Pence effectively voted against an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “increase[d] funding for military health care by $100 million and for transitional job training for military personnel by $50 million.” The vote was on a motion to recommit the fiscal year 2005 supplemental appropriations bill – which included approximately $81 billion in funding for military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan – with instructions to report the bill back with the specified amendment. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 200 to 229. [House Vote 76, 3/16/05; Congressional Quarterly, 3/16/05; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1268; Congressional Quarterly, 3/16/05]
2006: Pence Effectively Voted Against Increasing Pension Benefits Received By Widows And Orphans Of Deceased Or Fully Disabled Military Personnel. In May 2006, Pence effectively voted against an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would [have] eliminate[d] the requirement that widows and orphans of deceased or fully disabled military personnel who receive[d] pensions under the Defense Department’s Survivor Benefits Plan have those benefits reduced by the amount received from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Dependent and Indemnity Compensation program.” The vote was on a motion to recommit the underlying National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2007 to the House Armed Services Committee with instructions that it be reported back “promptly” with the specified amendment. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 202 to 220. [House Vote 144, 5/11/06; Congressional Quarterly, 5/11/06; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5122]
2008: Pence Voted Against Expanding Education Benefits For Veterans. In May 2008, Pence voted against a motion to that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, provide[d] a permanent expansion of education benefits for post-Sept. 11 veterans, offset with a 0.47 percent surtax on modified adjusted gross income above $500,000 per year for individuals and $1 million for couples.” The vote was on a motion to concur in the Senate amendments with House amendment no. 3 to the underlying bill, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008. According to Congressional Quarterly, the amendment “would greatly expand GI Bill educational benefits for veteran, extend unemployment benefits for 13 weeks beyond the normal 26 weeks and suspend implementation of seven Bush administration Medicaid regulations that would shift costs to the states.” The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 256 to 166. The Senate subsequently amended the legislation, which the House also subsequently amended, the Senate agreed to the House amendment, and the president signed into law. The bill signed into law provided more funding in domestic programs than the House amendment, extended unemployment insurance benefits, and included flood, tornado, and hurricane relief. [House Vote 330, 5/15/08; Congressional Quarterly, 5/15/08; Congressional Quarterly, 5/15/08; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2642]
2009: Pence Voted Against Authorizing A 3.4 Percent Pay Raise For Military Personnel. In October 2009, Pence voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “authorize[d] a 3.4 percent pay raise for military personnel.” The bill also appropriated defense funds, prohibited Guantanamo detainees transfer to U.S. soil, and added sexual orientation and military service definitions to hate crimes laws. The vote was on adopting the conference report on the bill; the House did so by a vote of 281 to 146. After the Senate also agreed to the conference report, the bill was sent to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 770, 10/8/09; Congressional Quarterly, 10/8/09; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2647]
Pence Voted Against Adding $20 Million To VA Funding Bill To Publicize Suicide Prevention Services For Veterans. In June 2011, Pence voted against an amendment that would have increased Fiscal Year 2012 funding for “advertising of assistance and services for the prevention of suicide among veterans” by $20 million. The amendment was proposed as a motion to recommit the Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (H.R. 2055). The motion failed by a vote of 184-234. [House Vote 417, 6/14/11; Congressional Record, 6/14/11]
2011: Pence Voted Against Continuing To Provide Mortgage Assistance To Veterans, Active-Duty Service Members And Their Families Under The Emergency Mortgage Relief Program. In March 2011, Pence effectively voted against an amendment to a bill eliminating the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would direct the Department of Housing and Urban Development, in consultation with the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, to determine the amount necessary to provide assistance under the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program to homeowners who are active duty servicemembers, their spouses or parents; veterans; Gold Star eligible or injured. Congress would be authorized to appropriate the amount determined by the agency for such mortgage relief.” The vote was on a motion to recommit the underlying bill to the Financial Services Committee, with instructions that it be reported back with the specified amendment. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 182 to 238. [House Vote 173, 3/11/11; Congressional Quarterly, 3/11/11; Congressional Quarterly, 3/11/11]
2012: Pence Voted Against Adding $75 Million In Funding For Veteran Rental Vouchers. In June 2012, Pence effectively voted against an amendment to the FY 2013 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would [have] increase[d] the amount for tenant-based rental assistance and veteran rental voucher assistance each by $75 million. It also would [have] reduce[d] the funding level for Housing and Urban Development salaries and expenses accounts by $86 million.” The vote was on a motion to recommit the bill to the Hosue Appropriations Committee with instructions to report it back with the specified amendment. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 188 to 233. [House Vote 449, 6/29/12; Congressional Quarterly, 6/29/12]
Motion’s Sponsor Said It Would Provide Enough Funding To Provide Housing Vouchers To All 70,000 Homeless Veterans In The U.S. According to the Congressional Record, Rep. Ron Barber (D-AZ), the motion’s sponsor, said, “I rise today to ask that we come together on an amendment to help those who most deserve our gratitude and our assistance, the veterans who have bravely served to defend our homeland. Today, we have an opportunity to take care of the veterans of our military who, much to our collective shame, are homeless. I remember the Vietnam War, and I remember how it divided our Nation. But most of all, I remember the men and women who were sent to fight in Vietnam, who often bore the brunt of the anger over the war itself. Derision that should have been directed towards policymakers was, instead, directed to those who had put their lives on the line for the country we love. And we let them down. We failed them when they came home, and now they, and other veterans, a total estimated 70,000 of our Nation's homeless population--70,000. That is, I'm sure we all agree, completely unacceptable. I don’t believe that anyone on either side of the aisle thinks that we should allow 70,000 men and woman who wore our Nation's uniform to continue to go without a home. With my amendment, we will ensure that we have enough housing vouchers to assist every one of those veterans. I submit, Mr. Speaker, and esteemed colleagues, that this is the least we owe to our veterans.” [Congressional Record, 6/29/12]
2011: Pence Voted To Turn Veterans’ Healthcare Into A Voucher Program. In April 2011, Pence voted against preventing veterans’ healthcare from becoming a voucher program as part of the Democrats’ proposed budget resolution covering FY 2012 to 2021. According the text of the budget resolution, “It is the policy of the House that the important health care safety net for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations provided by Medicaid should be preserved and should not be dismantled by converting Medicaid into a block grant that is incapable of responding to increased need that may result from trends in health care costs or economic conditions.” The vote was on an amendment to the House budget resolution replacing the entire budget with the House Democrats’ proposed budget; the amendment failed by a vote of 166 to 259. [House Vote 276, 4/15/11; Congressional Record, 4/15/11]