House Republicans Vote to Block VA from Changing Motto to Include Female Veterans

Source: Military.com

House Republicans Vote to Block VA from Changing Motto to Include Female Veterans

27 Jul 2023
Military.com | By Rebecca Kheel

The Republican-controlled House voted late Wednesday to block the Department of Veterans Affairs from updating its motto to include female veterans.

The VA would not be able to "modify or remove any display" of the mission statement it adopted 64 years ago under an amendment passed as part of an annual VA spending bill. The motto refers only to male veterans and was based on a line in President Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address: "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan."

The new motto chosen by the VA hews closely to the original but acknowledges women who have served the country, as well as other surviving spouses and family members: "To fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers and survivors."

VA Secretary Denis McDonough announced the motto change in March, timed for Women's History Month. The announcement came after two surveys of 30,000 veterans, focus groups and years of lobbying by advocacy groups, mostly prominently the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

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Read more: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/07/27/house-republicans-vote-block-va-changing-motto-include-female-veterans.html