Boozman, Manchin, Budd Lead Bipartisan Resolution Honoring Gold Star Spouses

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Ted Budd’s (R-NC) bipartisan resolution to designate today, April 5, 2024, as Gold Star Wives Day. The resolution honors the sacrifices made by the spouses and families of fallen members of the United States Armed Forces. 

“The loved ones of our fallen servicemembers experience a sense of loss and grief that few will ever know. We must always commemorate their sacrifice while also honoring the incredible courage and resilience it demands of the spouses, children and parents left behind. This resolution helps extend to these Gold Star families the eternal gratitude they are owed by those of us who enjoy the freedoms so many American heroes have given their lives to protect,” said Boozman. 

“We will never be able to repay our brave servicemen and women and their families who have paid the ultimate price to protect our beloved country. West Virginians and Americans are forever grateful to these heroic patriots, and I’m proud to lead this bipartisan resolution to designate April 5, 2024 as Gold Star Wives Day to honor their dedication and sacrifice. Gayle and I extend our deepest condolences and profound gratitude to every Gold Star family and spouse,” said Manchin. 

“We are forever indebted to all those who lay down their lives to protect and defend us. We often forget the sacrifice that military families also bear. That’s why I’m proud to help pass a bipartisan resolution honoring Gold Star spouses. I would like to extend the gratitude and condolences of all North Carolinians to the spouses of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” Budd said.

On April 5, 1945, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt convened the first meeting of the Gold Star Wives of America, a congressionally-chartered nonprofit to acknowledge the incredible sacrifices of the families of those who died in service during World War II. 

Boozman has also introduced bipartisan legislation that would adjust monthly benefits for family members and survivors of veterans who lost their lives in service to our country. The Caring for Survivors Act of 2023 will bring parity to payments for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) recipients, which currently lag behind other federal program payments by nearly 12 percent. The bill is supported by Gold Star Wives of America. 

The full text of the resolution can be found here.

Cotton, Colleagues to Biden: Hosting Iraqi Prime Minister is Inappropriate, Undermines Israel

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and 7 of his congressional colleagues today sent a letter to President Joe Biden to express their deep concern with the White House’s plan to host Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in April.

The letter notes that President Biden’s decision to meet with Prime Minister al-Sudani at this time sends the message that the Biden administration is more interested in appeasing Iran than supporting Israel defeat Hamas. The planned visit will occur even as Iraq continues to fund numerous terror groups and remains under significant Iranian influence.

Co-signing the letter were Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida), Congressman Jake Ellzey (Texas-06), Congressman French Hill (Arkansas-02), Congressman Mike Turner (Ohio-10), and Congressman Mike Waltz (Florida-06). 

Text of the letter may be found here and below.

March 28, 2024

President Joseph R. Biden
The White House,
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20502

Dear President Biden,

We write to express our deep concern with your invitation to host Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to the White House in April. 

Hosting the Iraqi Prime Minister, especially while failing to meet with leaders of some of our most trusted partners in the region, amplifies the message of your ongoing campaign to undermine Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: The Biden administration is interested in appeasing Iran, not supporting our allies. 

The Iraqi government remains under significant Iranian influence, and the Iraqi government provides some $3 billion per year to the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces militias, including four U.S.-designated terrorist groups. These militias have attacked Americans and Kurdistan over 180 times just since October 7, 2023, resulting in three American servicemember deaths and over 100 casualties. Yet you continue granting sanctions waivers to the Iraqi government to import Iranian electricity and natural gas, all while using U.S. dollars transferred to Iraq from the Federal Reserve. And while you invite the Iraqi Prime Minister to visit Washington, you have refused to meet with Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, a critical partner and the host of the most U.S. forces in the region. 

The Iraqi government is actively working with Tehran against our Kurdish allies, including cutting off government funds and closing the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline, which represents most of Kurdistan’s economy. You should focus on reducing Iranian influence in Iraq and shoring up support for our partners in Kurdistan. As a precondition of any visit by Prime Minister al-Sudani, you should require the immediate reopening of the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline so that the Kurdistan Region is able to export oil and U.S. public and private financing are no longer threatened by Tehran’s influence in Baghdad. You should also require that the Iraqi government resume funding for the Kurdistan Region, the immediate sale of Kurdistan crude already at the Ceyhan port, and a full cycle of oil sales and payments to Kurdistan and its oil investors. Finally, you should not allow further U.S. dollar transfers to Iraq until the Treasury Department certifies that such transfers do not benefit the Iranian regime or its proxies.

Your appeasement of Iran has endangered American national security and weakened our relationship with our allies. While the corrective actions outlined here will not undo the damage you’ve caused, they represent an important first step.  Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,