Maj. Gen. Evan “Curly” Hultman, ret.: Chuck Grassley Works for Veterans
Maj. Gen. Evan “Curly” Hultman, ret. | Iowa Torch
I’ve known Chuck Grassley for a long time. He’s a dedicated public servant, who’s never let Washington go to his head. He’s been laser-focused on Iowa for as long as I can remember.
As dedicated as he’s been to our great state, he’s also shown great dedication to our veterans. Notably – Senator Grassley has devoted a significant amount of time documenting the price of freedom and democracy through the Veterans History Project. These are interviews conducted for the Library of Congress to tell Iowa veterans’ stories from their time in service. It’s honorable that Senator Grassley takes the time to ensure the stories of our heroes in uniform are told and archived for generations yet to come.
In addition to ensuring that their legacy of service and sacrifice is honored and preserved, Senator Grassley has been a tireless fighter for veterans’ mental health and working to ensure all my brothers and sisters in the armed forces get the proper care they need. Twenty-two veterans die by suicide every day. Our veterans shoulder unspoken burdens at homecoming.
Returning from war and transitioning into civilian life takes an emotional, physical and mental toll. Without the proper resources and support, a cloud of uncertainty oftentimes becomes overwhelming.
Our family lost a young combat veteran to suicide.
I’m thankful for Grassley’s work to pass the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevent for American Veterans Act and the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevent Act, which provide lifesaving resources and care for veterans wrestling with emotional stress. Grassley also worked to ensure veterans who are struggling to get a fresh start financially aren’t penalized. In 2019 President Trump signed the Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need Act (HAVEN) into law that excludes veterans’ disability payments in bankruptcy proceedings.
A tireless good government watchdog, Chuck Grassley also sunk his teeth into the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) wait list scandal. When the VA lied about the length of the wait times for our heroes and hired doctors with revoked medical licenses, Senator Grassley stepped in to ensure sunshine reached into the nooks and crannies of the federal bureaucracy to fix the mismanagement. Grassley knows that our veterans deserve the best care we can give them, and when the VA failed us, Grassley did not.
As you can see, Senator Grassley has been a long-time friend to our brave veterans. It’s disappointing to see his opponent indicate that he only served his country for those who agree with him. When we raised our right hand and took our oath —an oath for which brave sons and daughters have laid down their lives in the name of freedom — we weren’t signing up to only protect some Americans. We signed up to protect and defend all Americans. We didn’t sign up to protect only those we feel deserve it. We signed up to show the world that we would protect our fellow Americans. Free speech extends to all Americans, even those with whom we vehemently disagree.
Iowans expect and deserve better from those who are aiming to represent the values and priorities of our veterans, families, farms and businesses. Luckily, we already have the Senator we need in Senator Chuck Grassley. He upholds his oath to the Constitution. He respects and works for all Iowans, even those who disagree with him – just look at his commitment to his 99 county meetings and his commitment to representative government.
I’m grateful for his service. I’m grateful to rally behind him for his re-election, and I’m grateful that we will have another six years of Senator Grassley’s leadership.
