Keeps Promise to Bring Care Closer to Home for Rural Alaska Vets

Ad Titled “Clinic” features Wainwright Vietnam Veteran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/16/2014

ANCHORAGE — U.S. Senator Mark Begich this week released a new television spot highlighting his success in allowing rural veterans to receive care closer to home - bridging the gap between the military benefits they have earned and deserve and the lack of VA medical centers in Alaska.

 

The ad shows Begich walking with Vietnam veteran Terry Tagarook in Wainwright, Alaska. Terry lives 400 yards from a local health clinic. Thanks to Senator Begich’s efforts Terry can visit the clinic in Wainwright instead of a $2,000 roundtrip flight to Anchorage to receive care.

“Mark Begich won’t take ‘No’ for an answer from bureaucrats in Washington. After hearing directly from the thousands of Alaska veterans like Terry who faced the same costly challenges in receiving care, Mark facilitated an agreement with the VA so rural vets could get care closer to home. With more veterans per capita than any other state, Mark knows the debt we owe our veterans and is standing up to Washington to make sure they get the benefits they earned,” said Max Croes, Alaskans for Begich Communications Director.

Begich stood up for Alaska veterans by writing and championing the Alaska Hero’s Card Act of 2011, which VA officials mirrored in their agreement with Alaska Native tribes. Begich’s leadership and effectiveness in pushing for solutions for rural veterans gave way to negotiations between the VA and rural clinics. Begich’s plan is now being implemented across the country.

Begich’s previous commercials:

“Polar Ice” - Begich’s years-long fight for Arctic drilling produced historic permits despite objections from the Department of Interior, EPA, NOAA, national Democrats and the White House.

“Road” — Begich won a fight with the Obama administration, EPA and Army Corps to advance oil drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, which will lead to the first ever commercial oil production from the NPR-A.

“Alaska’s Son” — As a born-and-raised Alaskan, there’s nowhere Begich won’t go to listen to Alaskans and then deliver results. Named the best ad of the 2014 electoral cycle so far.

“Into The Ground” — Begich fought back against attack ads from the billionaire Koch brothers accusing Mark Begich of supporting a “Carbon Tax.” Two separate independent fact check organizations labeled the attack ads “False” and “Not True.”

Transcript:

Mark Begich: Mark Begich: Terry lives 400 yards from a health clinic. As a veteran, if he wanted to see a doctor he had to fly to Anchorage to go to the VA. One trip costs nearly 2,000 dollars. I’m Mark Begich and I fought for years so veterans could go to a local clinic. They finally gave in, and now they’re doing it across the country. I approved this message because sooner or later, Washington’ll figure out that I don’t take no for an answer.

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