2024 Election
J.D. Vance's Voting Record
Betrayed Veterans & Endangered Troops
J.D. Vance: A Record of Betraying His Fellow Veterans and Endangering The Lives of Our Troops
TOPLINE: J.D. Vance is more than eager to attack the honorable service of his fellow Veterans. But those are just words. While offensive and hurtful to those who sacrificed for America, the more pertinent issue for Veterans and Military Families is Vance’s abysmal voting record, in which he’s screwed over Veterans and their families – and risked national security and the lives of our Troops – again and again.
J.D. Vance has a LONG record of voting against Veterans and US service members. In less than two years in Congress, Vance voted against:
- A pay raise for US troops. US Service Members around the globe risk their lives every day to defend our freedom. And J.D. thinks they don’t deserve a pay raise.1
- Funding for the PACT Act, to provide healthcare to Veterans sick with cancer and other diseases from exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxins.2
- IVF for servicemembers and Veterans. Vance voted to block the Right to IVF Bill, which would have made access to IVF a right for all Americans, and expanded access to fertility care for servicemembers and veterans who want to have kids. Trump has said he supports IVF – making J.D. more extreme than Donald Trump.3
- Expanding home care services for Veterans.4
- VA medical care. Vance voted against funding the VA, which provides essential health services for more than 9.1 million Veterans.5
- Veteran suicide prevention. Approximately 17 veterans die by suicide every day – over 6,000 per year. J.D. Vance voted against $16.2 billion in funds for Veterans’ mental healthcare and suicide prevention.6
- Assistance for homeless Veterans. Vance voted against $3.1 billion in funding for housing assistance for homeless Veterans.7
- Access to healthcare for rural Veterans. Vance voted against $343 million to improve access to healthcare for Veterans in rural areas, including expanded access to transportation and telehealth.8
- Child care for Veterans. Vance voted against $23 million to expand the Child Care Pilot Program for Veterans in need of child care while attending medical appointments.9
- Better housing for military servicemembers and their families.10
- Operating Arlington National Cemetery and the Armed Forces Retirement Home.11
On national security, Vance has shown time and again he stands with Donald Trump and world dictators, and against US national security.
- Vance voted against aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Donald Trump was impeached for threatening aid to Ukraine in order to get political help – and Vance is right there with him. During his Senate campaign in April 2022, he said: “I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.”12 If Ukraine falls to Putin, NATO is under immediate threat. Any attack on NATO will trigger Article 5 of the charter, and require the US to commit Troops to a European War. Vance’s position on Ukraine would endanger the lives of the men and women who serve.
- Vance supported Tuberville’s hold on military promotions over abortion policy. The hold, which impacted hundreds of senior military officers and their families, put US national security at risk and severely undermined military readiness.
- Vance voted against securing the southern border – blocking the toughest bipartisan border security bill in nearly a generation – because Trump told him to.13
- Vance defended Trump calling our military “suckers and losers”. During a June 2024 appearance with Maria Bartiromo, he said, “[Biden] made up these ridiculous accusations that Donald Trump doesn’t respect veterans, doesn’t respect the greatest generation. I was with Donald Trump on D-Day in both public and private. He talked constantly about how much he admired those who served, especially in that generation, but all generations.”
1 Senate Roll Call, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670)
2 Congress authorized PACT in 2022. But Congress needs to approve funding for PACT every year, in order for VA to be able to provide care to toxic-exposed Veterans. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 fully funded PACT. Vance voted against it.
3 Senate Roll Call, Right to IVF Act (S. 4445)
4 Senate Roll Call, S. 326
5 Senate Roll Call, H.R. 4366
6 Senate Roll Call, H.R. 4366
7 Senate Roll Call, H.R. 4366
8 Senate Roll Call, H.R. 4366
9 Senate Roll Call, H.R. 4366
10 Senate Roll Call, H.R. 4366
11 Senate Roll Call, H.R. 4366
12 Senate Roll Call, H.R. 815
13 Senate Roll Call, S. 4361