Pro-Military, Pro-Vet Akin Introduces Veteran ID Card

The strong Pro-Military, Pro-Veteran Congressman introduced and sponsored the Veteran ID Card legislation, which obtained gross bipartisan suport:

Washington, DC – Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, today announced the introduction of H.R. 2985, the Veteran’s ID Card Act. Currently only veterans who are entitled to receive retirement or medical benefits are issued an ID card from the Veterans Administration. This means that many veterans who have served honorably have no easy way to prove their status as a veteran. This bill corrects this deficiency. Congressman Akin released the following statement:

“Millions of Americans have served honorably in our nation’s armed forces, including over two million who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since 9/11. Many of these heroes have returned to normal life, but unless they are receiving medical or retirement benefits from their military service, they have no easy way to prove that they are veterans. Their only option currently is to carry a paper copy of their DD form 214, a form that includes their social security number.

“I believe that a standardized identification card will benefit many veterans. I know that numerous businesses today are eager to hire returning veterans, or recognize their special service, and would like to be able to confirm that an individual is in fact a veteran. This bill will address this deficiency in a common-sense and budget-neutral way.

“I am honored to have my Democratic colleague on the Armed Services Committee, Silvestre Reyes of Texas, as my cosponsor of this legislation. This is a bipartisan bill that is good for veterans and I hope we can work to get it passed soon.”

For more information see the summary of the legislation (PDF), and the text of the bill (PDF).

UPDATE: Current cosponsors of H.R. 2985, the Veteran’s ID Card Act, can be found here. The bill has also been endorsed by the following veterans groups: American Veterans (AMVETS), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA).

The Navy Times recently ran a story on the Veteran’s ID Card Act

George Washington “Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.” (Farewell Address, September 19, 1796)

Via Congressman Todd Akin.