Friends,

Last week, I publicly criticized Steve Buyer’s 16-year record in Congress of failing to protect our veterans and provide them with the health benefits they need.

In an article printed this past weekend in the Hendricks County Flyer, Buyer chose to lash out at me instead of addressing his record of pushing to cut funding for our troops once they return home.

It’s a sad indication of politics as usual when a member of Congress responds to criticism of his policy record with false allegations and a personal attack.

The truth is, I volunteered to serve my country in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1967, but I was ineligible to serve due to a severe back injury.

Steve Buyer’s personal attack that I sat idly by is false. I tried to join other Americans who were willing to put their lives on the line.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get back to the issues.

Steve Buyer doesn’t want Hoosiers to know that he has repeatedly proposed increasing the fees veterans must pay to receive the health care they deserve. He wants to call it an enrollment fee, but in plain English, it’s a tax on veterans.

Steve Buyer doesn’t want Hoosiers to know that as Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, he aggressively fought to cut funding for veterans health care and education benefits.

He underestimates Hoosier veterans if he thinks he can hide his record behind a personal attack. They deserve to hear the facts about his record, and I’ll be sure they do.

I’m ready to provide leadership to give veterans all that we have promised them; I consider our commitment to our troops to be a sacred contract.

I sincerely hope Steve Buyer will join me in an honest debate that focuses on those issues, not on untrue personal attacks.

Yours for a new Congress,
Nels Ackerson