An Open Letter to Senator John McCain

Senator McCain,

I would like to thank you for your service to our great country, both in uniform and in government. You are someone that I have admired as having a pragmatic, positive view on the world while standing by your convictions. I was hoping you would make the 2000 Presidential Republican ticket and would have been proud to cast my vote for you.

A few weeks ago there were two issues in which you involved that caught my attention. The first was the Rand Paul bill asking the United States to cease all aid to Egypt, Libya, and Pakistan. You issued a statement in support of aid to Libya and asked that the bill not be passed. The second was the Veteran Jobs Corp Act, which you voted against and issued a statement that said this bill was not properly funded at a time when our country is facing its own fiscal issues.

At issue in the Jobs bill was an estimated $1 billion cost, which may or may not be full funded. The total aid to the three countries on the other side of the world, who have not been staunch allies, was over $4 billion.

I believe that we need Senators looking at foreign policy and issues overseas. I can understand that supporting pro-democracy groups in other countries may lessen the need for military presence and perhaps save lives.

However I cannot understand placing a priority on sending $4 billion overseas over spending $1 billion on our veterans. You could have proposed any number of solutions, including introducing a bill to aid those countries at a lower number. 

These two disparate votes concern me greatly. I feel that you have forgotten where the true priorities are in the wake of bitter partisan politics, and you have ignored the fact that it is American citizens that are paying the price for poor relations between parties and the misguided agendas advanced by our representatives in support of narrowly focused interests.

I hope you will reconsider your positions in the future. While you may focus more on foreign matters, please remember that your votes and your governance should put the United States ahead of all other countries.

Sincerely,

J Steven Jones

Colorado