Honoring Our Veterans

An issue that has been very personal to me is the National Park Service's apparent political move to close the "open-air" monuments honoring the courage, conviction, and sacrifice of our veterans.  

Essentially what is happening is the Park Service is putting up barricades, rented at additional taxpayer expense, to block off outdoor war memorials.  It's incredible to me that the Administration has found something even more petty than closing the White House to school tours and the American public.  

This is the first time during a government shutdown that these "open-air" memorials have been barricaded and "closed."  Even more shameful is the latest report that the Park Service is reinforcing the barriers to obstruct access.  

On Tuesday, I sent a letter to National Park Service Director Jarvis requesting he address this totally unnecessary move.  As the week rolled on, a Park Ranger was quoted as saying "we’ve been told to make life as difficult for people as we can. It’s disgusting."

Disgusting is too kind of a word - it's appalling.  The National Park Service is acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner in order to make the American people feel pain.  This is precisely the opposite of what should be happening, which is why I have been fighting for Veterans to gain access to the memorials built in their honor.

This week I had the honor of helping constituents from Whitehall, Holland, Wyoming and several other cities across West Michigan gain access to the WWII & Korean War Memorials.  It was truly an amazing experience to share with these local heroes.