CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio (12/3/2007) - Democratic congressional candidate Bill O'Neill launched an online petition drive today to pressure Rep. Steve LaTourette to support a bipartisan bill that would eliminate a loophole allowing the government to demand a refund on injured veterans' enlistment bonuses.
The bill (H.R. 3793) was submitted by Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) and currently has 219 cosponsors. Rep. Steve LaTourette, is not among these cosponsors.
"I know what it's like to serve your country, and this policy is not just an outrage, it's an insult to all of us" O'Neill said. "Rep. LaTourette has voted time and again to authorize and continue this war, and yet he does not step forward to draw the line when it comes to this kind of mistreatment of our soldiers."
The online petition -
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/latourette_veterans/index.html - asks that LaTourette join more than 200 of his colleagues and cosponsor this bill.
O'Neill earned the Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam and was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame earlier this month. His son Shawn has served in Afghanistan and Iraq. O'Neill stepped down from the 11th District of the Ohio Court of Appeals in June to announce his candidacy for Congress.
CONTACT:
* Toby Fallsgraff, 440-247-7340, toby-AT-oneill08.com