Texas is sending the most veterans to Congress in 30 years

[Elderberry]

Houston Chronicle by Jeremy Wallace 12/24/2022

State will send 11 military veterans to serve in Congress in January, the most in 30 years.

After decades of decline, Texas is seeing an upswing in the number of veterans going to Congress.

On Jan. 3 when the new Congress gavels in, Texas will have 11 veterans among the 38-member delegation — the highest number of veterans in 30 years. In 2018, Texas was down to just 4 returning veterans to Congress.

The state increase mirrors a national trend that has 80 veterans among the 435 members of the U.S. House elected in November — the first increase in the number of veterans in the House in decades.

“This is the first election since the Vietnam War where congressional military service has significantly increased,” said Seth Lynn, a University of San Francisco adjunct professor and founder of Veterans Campaign, a nonprofit that studies military service in politics. “While this seems like a moderate uptick, it represents a profound and very positive shift in America's relationship with its veterans.”

More veterans on Capitol Hill is good not only to bring policy expertise on military and veterans issues, but veteran advocacy groups believe it can also bring more bipartisan problem-solving to an institution beset by partisanship.

Coming from the military, veterans can be more mission-oriented and focused on finding bipartisan solutions, according to With Honor, a political advocacy group that recruits and financially supports veterans from both sides of the political aisle to run for office. As part of that effort, Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action, said his group backs candidates who sign a pledge that includes a promise to meet with members of Congress from the opposite party and work on legislation together.

While With Honor supported Democrats like U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and U.S. Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, the group has also helped Republicans such as U.S. Reps. Jake Ellzey of Fort Worth and Tony Gonzales of San Antonio, who both won a second term in office in November.

More: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Texas-sending-the-most-veterans-to-Congress-in-30-17666584.php

[catfish1957]

Good for us.

But, that shouldn't be a prerequisite for serving in Congress.

Not the Ike's military industrial complex issues are paramount, but.......

[Kamaji]

Coming from the military, veterans can be more mission-oriented and focused on finding bipartisan solutions ....

In this day and age, that should be a red-flag.  "Bipartisan solutions" are, typically, democrat party policy preferences dressed up with enough fig leaves to entice a sufficient number of GOP defectors.

[GtHawk]

  John F'n Kerry's a veteran.....just sayin I know he was a senator and not from Texas, but being a veteran is no guarantee or being from Texas.

[sneakypete]

John F'n Kerry's a veteran.....just sayin I know he was a senator and not from Texas, but being a veteran is no guarantee or being from Texas.

@GtHawk

BINGO!

So are those Lt Colonel twin brothers who were born in eastern Europe that gave classified files to the press to harm Republicans.

In FACT,look at the majority of the senior brass that is running the US Army today,and you will see chestsfull of colorful ribbons,and not a single damn one of them will be a combat award.

Not even the CIB's,which are NOT supposed to be awarded to staff members in the rear,but who is going to tell a General officer he can't give presents to his pets?