Musgrove Comments on Wicker's Vote Against the Troops

Just received this via email from the Musgrove campaign. Seems that not only was Wicker busy voting against the interests of the military in favor of holding out for the oil companies, but he chickened out of a scheduled debate with Ronnie Musgrove at the Neshoba County Fair in order to do so:

Roger Wicker cancelled a scheduled debate at the Neshoba County Fair in order to hurry back to Washington so he could vote on important issues.

One of the votes he cast last night blocked a bill that included pay raises for troops and improvements for health care for troops and their families.

“Our military has done everything we’ve asked of them. (said Musgrove) Service men and women have put country before family and they have sacrificed to defend our freedom. It is outrageous that Roger Wicker would vote against pay raises and health care for our troops and their families.”

“This is a clear of example of the broken system in Washington that needs to be changed. Rather than looking out for the people’s interests Roger Wicker is knee deep in partisan politics and Washington gridlock.”

The bill Wicker voted to block was the Defense Authorization bill, which sets out Defense Department policy guidance and authorizes weapons systems. This bill includes a pay raise for troops, improvements in health care for troops and their families, including a rejection of a proposed fee increase by President Bush, and an authorization for $3 billion to defeat IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the past month Roger Wicker has voted against Mississippi doctors, seniors and military families when he blocked a bill to prevent cuts to Medicare, he voted against Mississippians struggling to pay at the pump when he protected Wall Street speculators who profit off high gas prices, and now he has voted against the men and women who serve out country in the military.

Musgrove doesn't note this in the release, but it should be remembered that the GOP is blocking the troop's funding as part of its efforts to pass legislation beneficial to the oil industry. It's a matter of priorities, I guess.