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Last week, vulnerable Republican Scott Perry voted against bipartisan legislation “aimed at providing housing for military veterans” with his office claiming it was “not remotely a sound use of Taxpayer dollars.
The bill cleared the house with 408 votes. Only 10 members voted against it, all of whom were Republicans.
There are more than 45,000 veterans in Pennsylvania’s 10th congressional district, but that hasn’t stopped Scott Perry, who has a history of voting against benefits and assistance for veterans:
DCCC Spokesperson Aidan Johnson:
“Scott Perry turned his back on our veterans a long time ago. Pennsylvanians deserve better.”
The Pennsylvania Capital Star: Veterans’ assistance program passes U.S. House, with Pa. U.S. Rep. Scott Perry voting against
John Cole | December 13, 2023
Key Points:
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Last week, the U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation aimed at providing housing for military veterans. All of Pennsylvania’s House delegation, including three veterans, voted in favor of the Housing our Military Veterans Effectively Act of 2023, with one exception: U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-10th District).
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The HOME Act increases the rate the Veterans Affairs’ Department pays nonprofits like the Salvation Army that assist veterans with short-term transition housing, from a rate of 115% to 133%, which could be raised to 200% in certain circumstances, such as in rural areas or areas with a high veteran suicide rate.
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The Act creates a stipend for veterans experiencing homelessness to purchase necessities, including food, shelter, clothing, hygiene items, and transportation services. It restores the Veterans Affairs Department’s former pandemic authority to help unhoused veterans, which contributed to an 11% reduction in veteran homelessness in two years.
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According to the 2022 Census, there were more than 45,000 civilian veterans in the 10th District.
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The text of the bill includes language that says the Secretary of Veterans Affairs “may collaborate, to the extent practicable, with one or more organizations to manage the use of land of the Department of Veterans Affairs for homeless veterans for living and sleeping.”
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Pennsylvania U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-17th District), Chrissy Houlahan (D-6th District), and Guy Reschenthaler (R-14th District), are also military veterans and all voted in favor of the HOME Act.
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“As a third-generation veteran, ensuring our veteran community is treated with dignity and respect is personal to me – and it should be personal to every American who values those who fought for our freedoms,” Houlahan, a retired Air Force officer, told the Capital-Star. “The HOME Act is a great example of an overwhelmingly bipartisan initiative that doesn’t always get the spotlight in a fractured Congress, but I’m proud to have been one of the 408 Members who supported it.”
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When asked about Perry’s “nay” vote, she said it was a “shame” that he “so often votes against the measures that would improve the lives of his constituents, including veterans.”
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Deluzio echoed Houlahan’s comments.
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“This nation has a sacred promise to support my fellow veterans when they come home from service, and that absolutely includes working to get veterans out of homelessness,” Deluzio, a Navy veteran, said in an email to the Capital-Star. “The HOME Act is a powerful step forward to tackle veteran homelessness. It’s plain and simple, votes against this measure are a betrayal of our obligation to our nation’s veterans.”
- On Wednesday, the Cook Political Report shifted its rating for the 10th Congressional District race from Likely Republican to Lean Republican.
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