Brett Guthrie In "Veterans" News.
Yesterday, Brett has a Press Conference Tour announcing that the first piece of legislation that he will file in Congress will be to take care of the family of KIA soldiers. Here are a few newspaper articles about his appearances:
Guthrie calls for increasing military benefits
10/22/2008
By Dariush Shafa
Messenger-Inquirer
About 20 people or so braved the nippy early evening hours Tuesday at the Mitch McConnell Plaza to hear state Sen. Brett Guthrie talk about veterans affairs.
***
Guthrie, who spoke to a crowd of mostly veterans and their families, said if elected, he will propose legislation that will enable families of active-duty soldiers killed to keep full health benefits indefinitely, instead of the current system where families get benefits for three years and then receive the same benefits as retirees, which means they have to pay more in fees and other costs.
Pat O'Bryan, a retired Army captain who lives in Owens-boro, said he is supporting the Republican candidate because of Guthrie's plans to take care of the soldiers and their families.
"I'm getting to where I know this fellow," O'Bryan said. "He's too decent to be a politician. He's a decent family man.
"He can relate to the military, he can relate to all the benefits the military has."
Guthrie is a former 101st Airborne Division field artillery officer and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
Guthrie said he wants to make himself available to constituents in a very important way.
***
Listening is just one part, Guthrie said.
"I believe that a really important part of a political office is constituent services. I want to make sure people have a one-stop shop where they can call my office and deal with the federal government," Guthrie said. "We need to be able to help them."
Guthrie said while a politician may not be able to do it all, he said he has the ability to work constructively to make things happen.
"I'm able to work with people of different parties and ideologies when we find a common ground to agree," Guthrie said. "I feel like I have the ability to bring people together and compromise. I feel you should maintain your principles, but you have to find common ground or else you can't have government."
Guthrie wants to help vets’ families
By ROBYN L. MINOR, The Daily News, rminor@bgdailynews.com
Susan Halsel, the wife of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, won’t have to worry about providing health care for her children with legislation proposed by U.S. Congressional candidate Brett Guthrie.
Halsel, of Bowling Green, the widow of Fort Campbell soldier Santiago Halsel, was in Bowling Green on Tuesday with Guthrie, who talked about the first piece of legislation he would sponsor if elected to the 2nd District Representative seat.
Halsel, standing at the American Legion Post 23, said Guthrie sought her out at the Shake Rag Celebration earlier this year and wanted to know how she and her children, a 14-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter, were doing since Santiago’s death in 2006.
Guthrie had earlier honored Santiago Halsel in Frankfort.
Because Guthrie had made it clear to her he would do what he could to help in her time of grief, Halsel said she felt comfortable relaying her situation to him.
Her children would soon no longer be receiving the health care benefits given to children of those in the military.
Guthrie, who was with the 101st Airborne after graduating from West Point, said he had some knowledge of veterans’ benefits and it sounded as though they would be treated as the children of retirees.
They would have to pay to enroll in insurance and have co-payments for doctor and dental visits and inpatient care - items that don’t cost anything for the children of active duty military members.
After researching the issue, Guthrie said he found that three years after a soldier’s death, their children no longer receive the same benefits as children of active military.
“But Sgt. Halsel did not leave active duty because he wanted to,” he said.
Halsel, in the Army for 10 years, was on a routine clearance mission, walking through an Iraqi town, his widow said.
Normally he would have brought up the rear of the group, but that day he was in front. “He stopped to talk to some children,” she said. “He usually had candy to give out to the kids.”
Halsel said she’s been told someone used a cell phone to detonate a nearby IED where Santiago stood. The explosion killed him and one of the children.
After learning of the family’s problems, Guthrie said he made a promise to Halsel that he would try to change the benefits through legislation.
Guthrie said such changes would benefit other Warren Countians and Kentuckians who had young children when they died.
When asked about the cost of such legislation, Guthrie said it should be absorbed into the much larger cost of fighting the war.
“It is a small cost on federal government but a big relief to these families who sacrificed,” he said.
Jim Manley, the finance officer for the post, thanked Guthrie for his support of veterans. “Of all the candidates ... you are the first person to mention veterans,” he said.
***
Guthrie would extend veterans benefits
By JOHN FRIEDLEIN
ELIZABETHTOWN — Brett Guthrie on Tuesday announced that the first proposal he would file if elected to Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District would be extending active duty benefits to families of soldiers killed in action.
The Republican state senator from Bowling Green discussed his plan in several of the district’s towns including this one, which has a large military population because of the nearby Fort Knox Army post.
Dependants of soldiers killed in action now receive the same benefits as those who are active duty for only three years. After that, benefits change to match those of retired soldiers — meaning families then must pay enrollment fees and co-payments.
When coping with the death of a spouse or parent killed while serving the country, families also shouldn’t have to worry about health benefits, Guthrie said.
A Bowling Green widow of an Army staff sergeant killed in Iraq inspired Guthrie to champion the proposal. He met Susan Halsel at her husband’s funeral.
In a telephone interview, Halsel said she and her children will lose dental benefits in May 2009. While she said she isn’t in a financial bind, others are — especially during this economic downturn.
***
“They deserve these benefits,” said Guthrie, who graduated of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who served in the 101st Airborne Division.
***
Also on Tuesday, a group called Veterans’ Vision endorsed Guthrie, according to a news release.
Brian D. Smith
Campaign Manager
Brett Guthrie for Congress
Guthrie calls for increasing military benefits
10/22/2008
By Dariush Shafa
Messenger-Inquirer
About 20 people or so braved the nippy early evening hours Tuesday at the Mitch McConnell Plaza to hear state Sen. Brett Guthrie talk about veterans affairs.
***
Guthrie, who spoke to a crowd of mostly veterans and their families, said if elected, he will propose legislation that will enable families of active-duty soldiers killed to keep full health benefits indefinitely, instead of the current system where families get benefits for three years and then receive the same benefits as retirees, which means they have to pay more in fees and other costs.
Pat O'Bryan, a retired Army captain who lives in Owens-boro, said he is supporting the Republican candidate because of Guthrie's plans to take care of the soldiers and their families.
"I'm getting to where I know this fellow," O'Bryan said. "He's too decent to be a politician. He's a decent family man.
"He can relate to the military, he can relate to all the benefits the military has."
Guthrie is a former 101st Airborne Division field artillery officer and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
Guthrie said he wants to make himself available to constituents in a very important way.
***
Listening is just one part, Guthrie said.
"I believe that a really important part of a political office is constituent services. I want to make sure people have a one-stop shop where they can call my office and deal with the federal government," Guthrie said. "We need to be able to help them."
Guthrie said while a politician may not be able to do it all, he said he has the ability to work constructively to make things happen.
"I'm able to work with people of different parties and ideologies when we find a common ground to agree," Guthrie said. "I feel like I have the ability to bring people together and compromise. I feel you should maintain your principles, but you have to find common ground or else you can't have government."
Guthrie wants to help vets’ families
By ROBYN L. MINOR, The Daily News, rminor@bgdailynews.com
Susan Halsel, the wife of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, won’t have to worry about providing health care for her children with legislation proposed by U.S. Congressional candidate Brett Guthrie.
Halsel, of Bowling Green, the widow of Fort Campbell soldier Santiago Halsel, was in Bowling Green on Tuesday with Guthrie, who talked about the first piece of legislation he would sponsor if elected to the 2nd District Representative seat.
Halsel, standing at the American Legion Post 23, said Guthrie sought her out at the Shake Rag Celebration earlier this year and wanted to know how she and her children, a 14-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter, were doing since Santiago’s death in 2006.
Guthrie had earlier honored Santiago Halsel in Frankfort.
Because Guthrie had made it clear to her he would do what he could to help in her time of grief, Halsel said she felt comfortable relaying her situation to him.
Her children would soon no longer be receiving the health care benefits given to children of those in the military.
Guthrie, who was with the 101st Airborne after graduating from West Point, said he had some knowledge of veterans’ benefits and it sounded as though they would be treated as the children of retirees.
They would have to pay to enroll in insurance and have co-payments for doctor and dental visits and inpatient care - items that don’t cost anything for the children of active duty military members.
After researching the issue, Guthrie said he found that three years after a soldier’s death, their children no longer receive the same benefits as children of active military.
“But Sgt. Halsel did not leave active duty because he wanted to,” he said.
Halsel, in the Army for 10 years, was on a routine clearance mission, walking through an Iraqi town, his widow said.
Normally he would have brought up the rear of the group, but that day he was in front. “He stopped to talk to some children,” she said. “He usually had candy to give out to the kids.”
Halsel said she’s been told someone used a cell phone to detonate a nearby IED where Santiago stood. The explosion killed him and one of the children.
After learning of the family’s problems, Guthrie said he made a promise to Halsel that he would try to change the benefits through legislation.
Guthrie said such changes would benefit other Warren Countians and Kentuckians who had young children when they died.
When asked about the cost of such legislation, Guthrie said it should be absorbed into the much larger cost of fighting the war.
“It is a small cost on federal government but a big relief to these families who sacrificed,” he said.
Jim Manley, the finance officer for the post, thanked Guthrie for his support of veterans. “Of all the candidates ... you are the first person to mention veterans,” he said.
***
Guthrie would extend veterans benefits
By JOHN FRIEDLEIN
ELIZABETHTOWN — Brett Guthrie on Tuesday announced that the first proposal he would file if elected to Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District would be extending active duty benefits to families of soldiers killed in action.
The Republican state senator from Bowling Green discussed his plan in several of the district’s towns including this one, which has a large military population because of the nearby Fort Knox Army post.
Dependants of soldiers killed in action now receive the same benefits as those who are active duty for only three years. After that, benefits change to match those of retired soldiers — meaning families then must pay enrollment fees and co-payments.
When coping with the death of a spouse or parent killed while serving the country, families also shouldn’t have to worry about health benefits, Guthrie said.
A Bowling Green widow of an Army staff sergeant killed in Iraq inspired Guthrie to champion the proposal. He met Susan Halsel at her husband’s funeral.
In a telephone interview, Halsel said she and her children will lose dental benefits in May 2009. While she said she isn’t in a financial bind, others are — especially during this economic downturn.
***
“They deserve these benefits,” said Guthrie, who graduated of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who served in the 101st Airborne Division.
***
Also on Tuesday, a group called Veterans’ Vision endorsed Guthrie, according to a news release.
Brian D. Smith
Campaign Manager
Brett Guthrie for Congress
Labels: Kentucky politics, Public Service, Republicanism
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 8:32 PM
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