Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) joined Congressman Pat Ryan (N.Y.-18) and 10 of his Democratic Veteran colleagues as an original co-sponsor on the Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act. This legislation would honor the immense sacrifices made by US troops in the Iran War and stop Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth’s attempts to obscure the true cost to our troops and the American people.
The Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act would ban the Secretary of Defense from manipulating casualty records and jeopardizing the benefits of our servicemembers and public servants. The bill introduction comes after the Pentagon unprecedentedly recategorized recent casualties suffered in Trump’s Iran war — including four killed and over 200 wounded servicemembers — under a separate category outside Operation Epic Fury in a shameless attempt to downplay the damage done and evade accountability to the American people.
“Every service member who puts on the uniform deserves to know that their sacrifice will be honored and that their service will be accurately recorded,” said Vindman. “Casualties are not numbers to be moved around for political convenience. They represent Americans who were wounded, families who lost loved ones and are owed benefits, and communities that bear the lasting cost of war. The American people deserve an honest accounting of what is happening to our troops, and our servicemembers deserve the benefits and recognition they have earned. I’m proud to join my fellow veterans in demanding transparency, accountability, and a permanent record of their sacrifice.”
“Every Patriot deployed to this war in Iran – the 50,000 still in theater, the hundreds wounded, and especially the 18 killed – are American heroes. They deserve to be honored as such – not swept under the rug by a President and SecDef so humiliated by their failure that they’d rather dishonor the troops than tell the truth,” said Ryan. “It’s a total betrayal of our armed forces by the very people that swore to protect and do right by them. I’m proud to lead so many of my fellow veterans in Congress to make it clear we will not stand for the Trump Administration’s disgraceful disrespect of American heroes – before, during, or after their deployments.”
Joining Vindman as original cosponsors are Representatives and Democratic veterans Maggie Goodlander (N.H.-02), Chris Deluzio (Pa.-17), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.-06), Jason Crow (Colo.-06), Herb Conaway (N.J.-03), Derek Tran (Calif.-45), Mike Thompson (Calif.-04), Jimmy Panetta (Calif.-19), Ted Lieu (Calif.-36), and Salud Carbajal (Calif.-24).
The legislation is endorsed by VoteVets and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
“Families who have lost a servicemember deserve an accurate, permanent record of their sacrifice. Congressman Pat Ryan’s companion bill in the House helps ensure that record can’t be rewritten. VoteVets is proud to support his leadership on this issue,” said Vote Vets Senior Advisor Major General (Ret.) Paul Eaton.
“We are proud to stand with Congressman Ryan in demanding the Department of Defense be accountable and transparent in their decision to reclassify casualty records,” said Jess Finucan, Director of Policy & Advocacy for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). “It is imperative to Congress and to the American people that we understand the true cost of war, not just in dollars but in lives forever affected. Purposefully reclassifying records to minimize the impacts of war is negligent and is a disservice to the servicemembers and families who have borne the costs. The Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act ensures transparent, accurate accounting and prevents long-term, negative impact on benefits for those who have served in harm’s way.”
###