Partisan Debate in the Iowa House over Military Families

by Paul Deaton

“If we consider that the United States is fighting two
wars, it is hard to say anything other than it is despicable to play partisan games when it comes to supporting our active duty military's
families.”

At one of the several legislative forums taking place around the state on Saturday morning, Representative Dave Jacoby (HD30) mentioned that there was a sickening debate in
the house pertaining to unemployment insurance benefits for spouses who
leave employment to accompany a spouse on a military assignment. (HF
2110) Republican Representatives Tymeson and Kauffman argued against
the bill saying it would impact employers. Republican Royd Chambers was
quoted as saying, “Why should Iowa businesses pay out unemployment
benefits when you volunteered?”

According to a member of an Iowa Veterans’ group, American Legion lobbyist, Laverne Schroeder “changed the
Legion’s position regarding proposed legislation allowing for the
spouse to be eligible for unemployment when leaving a job to be with a
reassigned soldier from ‘undecided’ to ‘against’ one minute before
discussion began. Then, Republicans used this information to argue
against it”.

Veterans caught flak in their communities over these
shenanigans and if we consider that the United States is fighting two
wars, it is hard to say anything other than it is despicable to play partisan games when it comes to supporting our active duty military's
families.

While some Republicans use national security issues to criticize
Democrats in partisan debate, the debate in the Iowa House
over HF 2110 this week is evidence that the Republican party has moved
further into a self-serving camp of making life harder for the families
of soldiers called to active duty if it might cost their constituents. The estimated cost of funding this bill was about $200,000 per year and employers were not to pay the benefit directly.

After this debate, the American Legion of Iowa was called on the
carpet by House Speaker Murphy and Majority Leader McCarthy. Iowa
veterans are calling and e-mailing the Iowa Legion Commander asking for
the lobbyist’s immediate firing. Thanks partly to the largely Democratic majority, HF 2110 passed 56-44 on January 26th.

From this debate, it is clear that Democrats do positive things for veterans in the Iowa House and each day earn the respect and support of constituents who have served in the military.

~Paul Deaton is a native Iowan living in rural Johnson County.  Check
out his blog, Big Grove Garden.
   E-mail Paul Deaton