On May 28, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. The bill passed by a 229-186 vote, and incredibly, our own Congressman, Frank Wolf (R-VA) voted against this bill.

It’s really interesting that a congressman who voted for every defense authorization bill during the previous administration (and the concurrent explosion in federal spending because of it) would conveniently vote against defense authorization this year.

Here are some of the things included in H.R. 5136 that Congressman Wolf voted against funding:The act would:

• require the Administration to develop a National Military Strategic Plan to ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons

• authorize additional funds for the protection of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, including $3.5 billion for measures to counter improvised explosive devices

• provide $7.2 billion for new equipment for National Guard and Reserve units

• provide an average 1.9 percent pay increase for military personnel in Fiscal Year 2011 (.5 percent above the President’s request) and provides hostile fire/imminent danger pay increase from $225 to $260 per month and a family separation allowance increase from $250 to $285 per month

• extend health care coverage to dependent children up to age 26 for TRICARE Reserve Select beneficiaries

• allow wounded warriors to apply for expedited security clearance processing in order to facilitate the hiring of individuals who have had their military careers cut short due to a physical disability.

Is Frank Wolf against ensuring that Iran doesn’t acquire nukes? Is he against protecting the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan? He doesn’t believe that troops should get less than a 2% increase in pay? He’s against wounded servicemen getting an expedited security clearance so they can work?

Of course not; I don’t believe any rational American is against all of that. What Frank Wolf is doing, though, is using our brave military men and women as pawns in a political game, in a unified (or mostly unified) Republican front to see to it that the Democrats, and by extension President Obama, fail. Troops who put their lives on the line every day to ensure our freedom.  Frank Wolf obviously believes that political propaganda is more important than funding the troops. As a military veteran, it saddens me to see my congressman behave like this.

Jeff Barnett knows better. He served as one of those troops for 26 years, while Frank Wolf was sitting behind a desk in Congress.  Jeff’s own daughter is flying jets in Afghanistan. He has seen the ravages of war firsthand, and second-hand through his children. Jeff Barnett knows how important it is to support our troops, not to use them as fodder for his political games.

There’s a reason Jeff Barnett is out-raising Frank Wolf on the campaign trail by nearly 2-to-1. It’s because people believe Jeff can do a better job in Congress than the incumbent.

Please support Jeff Barnett for Congress.