VFW at the RNC: Tuesday Highlights

Last night, VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley and Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker were on hand for the first night of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. The theme of the evening was “We Built It,” which provided an opportunity to highlight the importance of entrepreneurship and to showcase the differences between the parties on the role of government in job-creation and the economy.

Many of the speakers featured last evening were small business owners from across the country or rising stars within the Republican Party, such as Mia Love from Utah and Ted Cruz from Texas.

The evening’s marquee speakers, Ann Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, are well known and admired among the ranks, and they didn’t fail to deliver for the crowd.

Mitt Romney, who earlier in the day officially secured the Republican nomination, made a brief cameo, stepping on stage to personally congratulate his wife, thanking her for her remarks. She electrified and prepped the audience for Christie with her words, which focused from several aspects on her view that the Romneys “don’t have a storybook marriage… but a real marriage.” The boldest statement of the evening from Ann Romney was that her husband “Will not fail.” Ann Romney was the ideal message bearer of this conviction, and with those words she deftly moved the crowd to a roaring applause.

Christie energized the crowd by speaking about responsible government, making hard choices, and the need to agree with leaders in the Democratic Party without forfeiting conservative principles.

Noticeably absent from last night’s speeches was any substantive talk about the policies that affect our nation’s military and our veterans. With vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan speaking tonight, and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney speaking tomorrow, the VFW fully hopes and expects concrete ideas and policy positions on these important issues to be front and center.

Check back tomorrow for more VFW highlights from the Republican National Convention.

(Image: The floor of the Republican National Convention when Mitt Romney officially secured the Republican nomination for president. Photo by Ray Kelley.)

VFW Touches Down in Tampa for GOP Convention

VFW legislative staff landed safely in Tampa, Fla., yesterday to carry the voice of 22 million veterans and 2.3 million service members to the 2012 Republication National Convention. VFW National Legislative Director Ray Kelley and VFW Senior Legislative Associate Shane Barker will be on hand all week, listening to keynote speakers and speaking directly with GOP leadership on issues concerning veterans, service members and their families.

These issues include improving military and VA mental and behavioral health treatment options; streamlining VA’s benefits delivery system to ensure swift and accurate claims-processing; fostering service member success after service through education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities; and preserving military and veterans’ benefits programs during a time of budget constraints. To learn about each of these issues in detail, and to read VFW’s proposed solutions, click here.

Your VFW will also be on hand next week in Charlotte, N.C., for the Democratic National Convention, continuing the long-standing VFW tradition of ensuring candidates for the highest office in the land fully understand the needs and concerns of our nation’s diverse veterans’ and military communities.

Once the conventions conclude, VFW’s work will not stop, as delegates from the VFW National Legislative Committee will report to Capitol Hill to meet with every House and Senate office, pushing Congress to “Finish Strong For Veterans” by passing comprehensive veterans’ legislation before the end of the 112th Congress.

VFW advocates participating in both the Republican and Democratic national conventions will file regular reports on this blog, bringing you up-to-date information on how each party plans to meet the needs of all generations of our nation’s veterans. Check back regularly over the next two weeks for updates from Tampa and Charlotte.