Braley helps veterans, troops but opposes war

By Ana Radelat, Capitol News Connection

WASHINGTON - After serving both in Egypt and Iraq with the Iowa National Guard, Andrew Connolly developed a crippling tumor in his spine.

He asked Rep. Bruce Braley, an Iowa Democrat, for help in getting a federal grant to build a disabled-accessible home.

Connolly received the grant - but had trouble maneuvering his wheelchair in the tiny duplex he and his family lived in while his new home was under construction.

Braley responded again by introducing legislation that would give veterans like Connolly grants to adapt temporary homes for special needs.

Connolly testified at a hearing held earlier this month in a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee about the need for that legislation.

“I am praying for all soldiers and veterans that they may have all the support and dignity they deserve without having to jump through hoops or have friends in politics,” Connolly said.

Bob Norton, a lobbyist for the Military Officers Association of America, attended that hearing and was moved.

“I was pretty impressed by Braley's support of wounded warriors,” he said.

In his five years in Congress, Braley has carved a niche for himself as a champion of America's troops - and a foe of the wars they serve in.

John Goheen, spokesman for the National Guard Association, is grateful Braley has that balance - a balance that wasn't evident in those who opposed the Vietnam War, he says.

“It's wonderful we can have people like Braley that don't value the war but value the warriors,” Goheen said.

With redistricting, Cedar Rapids will become part of the 1st District Braley has represented since 2007.

And if Braley is re-elected, the city - which is now represented by Rep. David Loebsack, D-Iowa - will be represented by a Democrat who is increasingly critical of America's wars.

Last week, Braley called for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

When President Barack Obama announced plans for the U.S. military's involvement in Libya, Braley dashed off a letter to the White House, asking about the cost of the conflict and expressing concerns about the additional burden this “third conflict” will add to taxpayers with wars already going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He has denounced the costs of the Iraq war on the House floor.

“They have diverted $3 trillion that could have stimulated the economy,” he said as the nation plunged into a deep recession in 2008.

University of Iowa political science professor Cary Covington said Braley's increasingly anti-war stance will make Iowa's Republicans “more unhappy” with the lawmaker.

“But they're not going to like him anyway,” Covington said

The professor also said the state's lack of a military base that would make it economically dependent on the armed forces allows other Iowans “to be free to be a little more skeptical of the wars.”

Loebsack and many other congressional Democrats are critical of the wars.

“But most aren't going to be as vociferous as Braley,” Covington said. “He's a lot more pugnacious than Loebsack.”

Braley also has been sensitive to his military constituents.

He's visited Iraq and Afghanistan. And, in a move that's likely to shore up his support among Iowans who serve in the military, Braley this year sought - and was given - a seat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

From that perch, he was able to persuade the Pentagon to correct a technicality that prevented some Iowa National Guard members from receiving full educational benefits under the GI Bill because their deployment orders left them just days short of the 730 days of service required.

Braley also has sponsored a measure - included last week in a massive defense authorization bill - that would require the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs to disclose the “true cost” of the nation's wars, including the price to care for wounded troops for decades.

“Because these are not just the upfront costs, we're paying for weapons and munitions and health care. These are long-term costs we are going to be paying for the rest of their lives. So it's important for the American taxpayer to know what the true cost is,” Braley said.

Braley has never served in the military. But his father Byard was a Marine who survived World War II and was later severely injured at the grain elevator where he worked.