August 26, 2020
Saratoga: In case you missed it, Taxin’ Tedra Cobb re-released her “veterans plan” on Twitter yesterday, which included her support for a bill that Congresswoman Stefanik wrote, passed, and had signed into law. Taxin’ Tedra plagiarized and tried to pass off Congresswoman Stefanik’s bill that is already law as part of her own plan.
“A Tuesday morning tweet sent by Rep. Elise M. Stefanik’s Democratic challenger Tedra L. Cobb has prompted the incumbent to accuse Ms. Cobb of plagiarizing her positions on veterans issues.
“Rep. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, said the Cobb campaign announced its veterans plan on Tuesday, which pointed to one piece of legislation, the Military Family Stability Act. That legislation was initially introduced to the House by Rep. Stefanik in January 2017, but was never voted on. Rep. Stefanik instead added language from the bill into the fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act while it passed through the House Armed Services Committee, of which she is a member. That bill was passed and signed into law in December 2017.
“In a series of releases sent Tuesday afternoon, the Stefanik campaign highlighted a number of positions from Ms. Cobb’s veterans page, and decried every instance when a Cobb campaign position intertwined with legislation and programs that Rep. Stefanik has voted on or supported in the past.
“Where Ms. Cobb’s webpage states veterans face issues ranging from substance abuse to unemployment to unemployment, the Stefanik campaign highlighted bills addressing veteran suicide, substance abuse and homelessness the congresswoman introduced or co-sponsored.
“Where Ms. Cobb’s webpage states federal education grants and scholarships for soldiers, veterans and their dependents should be sustainably funded, the Stefanik campaign highlighted legislation that Rep. Stefanik introduced or cosponsored relating to education for soldiers and veterans.
“Where Ms. Cobb’s webpage states that peer-to-peer mentoring and counseling for veterans should be expanded, the Stefanik campaign highlighted a number of bills that have passed the House, some of which the congresswoman cosponsored.”
“U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, took issue on Tuesday with the fact that her political opponent touted an endorsement on her website of veterans legislation that Stefanik authored and helped pass.
“The dust-up unfolded when Democrat Tedra Cobb tweeted a link to her campaign website’s plan to support veterans, tens of thousands of whom live in the 21st District. The plan dated March 28, 2018, states that Cobb “support[s] legislation such as the Military Family Stability Act, which provides flexible timing when moving for new assignments.”
“Stefanik introduced the Military Family Stability Act in 2017, which allows some service members and spouses more options when they relocate to a new base, and it passed into law in the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.
“My opponent released a veterans plan that actually copies and steals legislation not only that I introduced but that I passed and it was signed into law,” Stefanik said on a call with reporters Tuesday afternoon. “This is a stunning example of intellectual theft and plagiarism. My opponent should apologize to not only me but to North Country veterans and to frankly all the voters in the district. Literally, the only bill that she includes in her entire veterans plan is the bill I got signed into law.”
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PAID FOR BY ELISE FOR CONGRESS
