Biden-Harris admin has been disastrous for veterans, active-duty service members

OPINION:

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Though President Biden has stepped aside as Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris is equally detrimental to active-duty service members and veterans. Under the Biden-Harris administration, the world is in turmoil.

Conflicts have arisen in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, rivals and hostile nations are challenging American primacy, and our military has been debilitated. As a veteran who cares about those who have served and those currently serving, I call on my fellow brothers and sisters in arms to get active and vote for former President Donald Trump and J.D. Vance in November.

Before discussing the shortcomings of the Biden-Harris administration, it is worth noting the many accomplishments of the Trump administration. Under Mr. Trump’s stewardship, our men and women in uniform witnessed the rebuilding of our military. Over four years, more than $2.2 trillion was spent on defense, and service members received three historic pay raises. Moreover, Mr. Trump acted swiftly to defeat the Islamic State group and decisively against hostile states such as the Assad regime in Syria.

Beyond showcasing American strength, Mr. Trump was also a capable negotiator on the international stage. His administration successfully negotiated a cease-fire involving Turkey in northern Syria, facilitated the Abraham Accords, bringing peace to parts of the Middle East and demonstrated a willingness to engage with our adversaries in pursuit of peace in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia.

Mr. Trump was adamant about providing and upgrading resources for our nation’s veterans. For example, in 2018, he signed the VA MISSION Act, ensuring veterans had access to quality care of their choice. Additionally, the Trump administration’s policies dramatically lowered the rate of homelessness among veterans. It was evident from his rhetoric and policies that Mr. Trump was a robust commander in chief who protected our military men and women — past and present.

In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration has been a disaster for veterans and active-duty service members alike. Consider the increase in veterans experiencing homelessness under the Biden regime or the fact that the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital system helped pay for the treatment of illegal aliens. At the same time, over 400,000 veterans waited for care. Unfortunately, this trend of prioritizing foreign citizens over our veterans has extended to our active-duty military members. For example, while servicemen and women struggle to keep up with high inflation, the Biden-Harris administration has funneled millions of taxpayer dollars in support of illegal migrants.

Given this, why would anyone want to promote Kamala Harris as our next commander in chief? She represents a continuation of the same atrocious policies that have made Americans — both civilian and military — less safe. We can ensure, however, that Ms. Harris’ bid for the White House ends as suddenly as it began. To do so, we must pay attention to two demographics that both political parties often neglect.

Veterans and active-duty military members understand the price of service more than most in this country and have a unique understanding of the president’s role as commander in chief. Many of their lives depend on a strong and capable leader at the helm. Therefore, as Republicans, we must do everything we can to not only expose the dangers of a Harris presidency but also promote the future of a Trump-Vance administration by encouraging the participation of active and retired military to vote in this upcoming election.

There should be no reason that over 15% of active military members did not receive their ballot in time for the 2022 midterm elections, and we should all be concerned with the fact that only 26% of active military members voted in that same election. We must do more to ensure the men and women who signed up to fight America’s wars have their voices heard.

Mr. Trump has shown he is committed to providing for those who answered our nation’s call by continuing policies from his first term and selecting a veteran as his running mate — the first veteran in nearly two decades on a major party’s ticket. Now, it is time for those same men and women to once again defend the future of their country by voting for Mr. Trump and J.D. Vance to help make America great again.

• Kate Monroe is a Marine Corps veteran, CEO of Vetcomms, founder of Border Vets and author of “The Race to Save America.”