Tsongas & Coakley: Something Else in Common (Veterans)

Behind the fluttering coverage of the fact that both Rep. Tsongas and AG Coakley are (stop the presses!) female, there lurks an actual substantive issue: advocacy for veterans.  As Coakley pointed out,

We are both, Niki and I, daughters of WWII veterans.

 Tsongas, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, announced her endorsement of Coakley at the VFW hall in Lowell yesterday. She referred to the fifth district’s first congresswoman, Edith Nourse Rogers, who was one of the principal authors of the GI bill, and urged the district to continue that spirit by electing Coakley.   Coakley’s web site has added a new page of information about her past work with veterans, including her efforts to shepherd veterans through the benefits process, and about her positions regarding veterans’ legislation.

Accepting the Tsongas endorsement , Coakley said:

…we know that Massachusetts is home to almost half a million veterans.  These brave men and women, along with their families, deserve our steadfast support and access to quality care and services. 

She said that if elected, she would work to expand both the mental and physical health care services for veterans and their families. 

If we are going to ask them to risk their lives for us… we need to support them, particularly when they return.

Coakley also praised Tsongas for her work

to ensure that our service men and women have the equipment and protection they need and working to protect our veterans’ health care when they return home…  Today, the president is signing into law a bill sponsored by Niki that will improve the research, development, and procurement of lighter-weight body armor to better protect our service men and women…