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By Karoun Demirjian (contact) 
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 | 3 a.m.
Heck speaks about veterans
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KSNV coverage of Joe Heck's speech about veterans, Nov. 12, 2011
Joe Heck
Nevada Congressman Joe Heck delivered the weekly Republican address this morning, and in honor of the holiday, he spoke about veterans.
Heck was chosen for this address in particular because he’s an active member of the Army Reserve: he serves as a physician and was deployed to Iraq in 2008 to run the emergency services section of a combat support hospital.
Heck framed the bulk of his address through an anecdote from that experience, telling the story of how two of his medics draped the body of a Marine they could not save in an American flag.
“Four hours later, I asked ‘You guys need a break?’” Heck said in relaying the story. “Their answer was, ‘Sir, never leave a fallen comrade.’ Such is the caliber of the men and women we call ‘veterans.’”
Heck did not spend much time on partisan distinctions, as is usually the case with these addresses — instead, he made one pitch for the House Republicans’ roster of economic bills and spent the rest of his time praising the recent trend of Congressional bipartisanship in passing bills to ensure post-9/11 veterans are able to find jobs when they return home.
“Last month, the House of Representatives passed the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act which would provide training and assistance to unemployed veterans, and break down bureaucratic barriers preventing them from finding work,” he said. “It’s smart legislation that members of both parties support, and I’m pleased the Senate passed it.”
That’s really half of it: the version of the bill the Senate passed also includes tax incentives for companies to hire post-9/11 veterans who have been unemployed for six months or more: up to a $5,600 tax break for hiring a veteran and up to $9,600 for hiring a disabled veteran. The House has not yet voted on that portion of it, which is also a piece of President Barack Obama’s jobs bill.
But in general, bipartisan spirits do seem to be prevailing when it comes to helping veterans find a job once they find their way home: the Senate passed that bill by a vote of 94 to 1, and the House passed its bill by a vote of 418 to 6.
“We have a lot more to do,” Heck said. “With unemployment still much too high, we just can’t wait to take bipartisan action that will help put Americans back to work. Together, we can rise above politics to make certain our nation remains great and worthy of our veterans’ sacrifices.”
The link to Heck's address is available here.
Heck? Who is he? Been completely invisible the last two years. What has he done? Absolutely nothing.
Is Heck gonna comment on fellow Republican Sen. Demint and his vote?
Well Congressman Heck?
This is perhaps the only instance where I agree with what Congressman Heck has said. For the most part. All except this...
"'We have a lot more to do,' Heck said. 'With unemployment still much too high, we just can't wait to take bipartisan action that will help put Americans back to work. Together, we can rise above politics to make certain our nation remains great and worthy of our veterans' sacrifices.'"
Are you kidding me?!?!
Congressman Heck, ever since being elected (not popularly elected...elected...he got the nod by only 1,700 votes over Ms. Titus on November 2, 2010), has shown nothing but partisan politics.
This 112th Congress, especially the Republican Party, has done everything all cards on the table double down in with no division at all, and definitely no other thought than purely party politicking purpose. If something gets voted down, they participate to every man/woman. If something passes, they participate to every man/woman. The Republicans, especially the majority in the House, never even go anywhere close to the middle. It's always and forever to the right, sometimes so far it goes off the dial. Not one of the elected Republicans thinks for themself, or are allowed to vote how they want in order to represent their constituents. They only pound out right wing nutballism and party politics.
Congressman Heck has been a willing participant in this endeavor. All indications show if he is given the choice between licking dust off of Speaker Boehner's shoes and what Nevada constituents want, Congressman Heck has a tongue that is perpetually brown, covered with mud.
I am so, so glad that I am no longer a part of Heck's rodeo. I am now in CD1 here in Eastern Las Vegas, away from Heck's circus of Republican right wing radical extremism.
It's really sad to note Congressman Heck, who used to be a doctor at an emergency room, has willingly converted into a ruthless, heartless and cruel politician. He traded following the Hippocratic Oath and has happily replaced it by being a warped ideological purely political hypocritic oaf. He needs to take all those diplomas and graduate degrees hanging on his wall and chuck 'em in the trash. Because he is now an embarassment, not only to his constituents, but to his former calling.
If CD3 gets smart, they'll get rid of him. Before he gets a chance to victimize every single person over to his nutball views that are only realized when you are immersed in a Tea/Republican Party hell world.
I do want to thank Congressman Heck's prior military service to this country I love. But I thoroughly detest his current political service. He didn't serve me when he was my Congressman. Only himself and his ridiculous ideological devolved and rotting extremist political party.
COPIED: I am very much a strong advocate of veteran assistance in helping to soften the often brutal transition from military service into the civilian sector. However, I do not agree with the government giving prospective employers financial incentives that make consideration as to who they hire for an opening unfair to other applicants. In another words, I'm saying that these proposed incentives must be tempered to a reasonable level. Just as a veteran, or a minority does not deserve to be discriminated against, as well other applicants who do not meet the criteria for incentives should not be discriminated against. It is imperative to remember that the goal is of reaching equality for the veteran, not changing the trump card from one group of job seekers, to another.
As a United States Marine, after completing more than several years of deployments overseas that were quite detrimental to my state of mental health, the Marine Corps slowly integrated me into positions that gave me a more broad perspective into a more normal work environment. In the coming years, I held dual positions of, Secretary to the Commanding General, and Assistant Regional Director of Prisoner Security. However, in 1983 after leaving the Marine Corps to pursue a career in the civilian sector, I quickly discovered that all my experience in the Marine Corps meant basically nothing, or little to prospective employers. I knew at this point I had to take college classes and receive at least some type of formal education. Utilizing my benefits from the "GI Bill", I did exactly that. Once I had completed all my community college courses in Criminal Justice, this pole vaulted me into equality in applying for careers in my field of choice.
Again, government programs for assisting veterans in their reintegration process into the civilian sector are paramount. However, if and when these programs promote handouts and or preferential treatment of veterans over their civilian counterparts, this can only have damaging effects to all concerned.
All repugnicans should be removed from office. All they care about is the rich 1%.
They are supposed to represent the 99%. Since they don't- they don't belong in office.
Vote anything, but don't vote repugnican.
Joe Heck is more concerned with aligning himself with Grover Norquist's pledge than doing anything for his constituents. IF he's voted back in (NOT with my help, that's for sure), he won't do anything to benefit his constituents for another two years. Voters must educate themselves about who they're voting for and then get out and VOTE. There should be NO excuses for voting dumb this time. The republic party has shown us and told us what they're about, and they don't even try to hide it anymore.
Bob635 - I agree 100% with your post.