WEBVTT

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Okay.

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My name is William

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Townsend, and I'm

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the President of AFGE

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Local 1732 out of

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Madison, Wisconsin.

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I represent the

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VA employees

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at the VA Hospital

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and at the North

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Central SEAPAC.

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It's important as a

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veteran, as a

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disabled veteran,

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that I be here today

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in order to support

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veterans and to stop

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these unnecessary

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cuts to veterans

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care, veterans

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benefits, and to

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jobs of

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VA employees that

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come to work every

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day dedicated to

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caring for veterans

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like myself.

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So that's why

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I'm here today.

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Because

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want to see

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the privatization

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of the VA, okay?

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Because as a

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veteran, I want my

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care to come from

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the VA, not some

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outsourced, unnamed

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entity that does not

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know anything about

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me or what I've gone

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through or anything

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that me or my

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brothers and sisters

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that have served

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with me have gone

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through.

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So that's why

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I'm here.

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And the VA-- its

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motto is to care

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for those who have

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borne the battle.

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I have borne the battle.

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I have the scars

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and wounds

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to prove it.

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And I want my care

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at the VA,

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and I

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want America to

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keep its promise

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to us veterans.