FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2019
PRESS CONTACT
press@defendamericandemocracy.org
Veterans Launch Defend American Democracy to Call on Congress to Put Country Over Party and Hold the President Accountable for His Actions
Vets appeal to Congress to put partisanship aside in seven-figure ad buy: “We kept our oath, now members of Congress have to keep theirs. Stop putting politics ahead of our country and hold the president accountable for abusing his office and risking national security for his own gain.
WASHINGTON—Today, veterans from around the country announced the launch of Defend American Democracy, a campaign to call on Congress to put country over party and honor the oath they took to uphold the Constitution when it comes to impeachment. The campaign was announced in an op-ed in USA Today by Ret. Sgt. Alan Pitts, an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient.
Over the coming weeks, Defend American Democracy will visit several U.S. House districts to bring the message to members of Congress that they should treat the allegations against President Trump with the seriousness they deserve. A seven-figure ad buy will feature veterans repeating the call for Congress to do what they swore an oath to do—protect and defend the U.S. Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic.
“Today, dozens of other veterans and myself are announcing Defend American Democracy. From Washington state to Washington, D.C., men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to stand up for our democracy will stand up again, calling on members of Congress to do their constitutional duty—to protect the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” Pitts wrote in USA Today.
The campaign tour will visit five House districts—WA-03, MI-06, IL-13, NY-24, and PA-01— and conclude in Washington, D.C., at the United States Capitol.
Ads will run in Washington, D.C., as well as 14 House districts throughout the country: FL-15, IL-13, MI-06, MO-02, NE-02, NY-01, NY-02, NY-24, OH-01, PA-01, TX-10, TX-23, TX-31, and WA-03.
“We have a president who withheld crucial military aid from an ally in order to secure an investigation into a political rival—this is beyond troubling. The American people want their representatives to put politics aside and investigate the attacks on the Constitution they swore to protect,” said Pitts. “The citizens of the districts we’re visiting are not motivated by partisanship and they don’t want their representatives to be.”
Featured in the ad were:
Alan, Iraq War Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient from Colorado
Jason, Iraq War Army veteran from Tennessee
Alex, Afghanistan War Marine Corps veteran from Colorado
Terron, Iraq War Army veteran and West Point graduate from Virginia
Kyle, Afghanistan War Marine Corps veteran and former infantry officer from New Jersey
Skip, Vietnam War Army veteran from New York
Defend American Democracy is a partnership between Common Defense, Truman National Security Project, National Security Action, Law Works, Protect Democracy, Stand Up Republic and Protect the Investigation.
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