Blumenthal Controversy Leads To Bill To Make Lying About Military Service A Crime

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced a proposal in the Senate this week that would make it a crime -- punishable with up to six months in prison -- to make inaccurate or misleading statements about one's military service record.

The Stolen Valor Act from Hatch comes one week after Democratic candidate for Senate in Connecticut Richard Blumenthal was exposed as having misstated his service record during the Vietnam War.

"It is sad that there are those who attempt to inflate their record and make these claims," Hatch said in discussing the intent of his proposal. "To do that defiles the sacrifice and service of those who have served in combat. Worse yet, it dishonors the sacrifice of the brave men and women in uniform who have given their lives in combat so that the freedoms we enjoy are defended."

Hatch introduced the legislation as an amendment to a supplementary war spending bill currently being debated in the Senate.

Here's more on what the Utah Senator had to say in debuting his proposal:

My amendment would add to this existing statute, making false statements regarding participation in combat operations. It appears to me that individuals make these false claims in order to obtain honorariums, employment, elected office or other positions of authority.

If convicted of this misdemeanor offense, the perpetrator could face 6 months in jail and/or a fine. This is the same penalty for falsely obtaining and wearing awards or medals.
...
It is a crime to dishonor the sacrifice of so many by falsely representing combat service for the purposes of self-promotion or benefit. My amendment would deter those who would falsely prop themselves up in order to appear worthy of the award and title of "combat veteran."

I would urge my colleagues to support this amendment and vote in favor of it.

Comments

[owlbreath]

02:08 PM on 05/30/2010

Repub Rep. Mark Kirk has lied about his military record. Of course he is in the process of finessing his inaccurate statement. How does Hatch feel about his own misrepresenting his military service? By the way, are there not some questions about Mitch McConnell's service? This could go on ad nauseum. Hatch needs to drop this time wasting bill.

[rawresolve]

05:42 PM on 05/28/2010

But lying us into invading and occupying Iraq, no problem. Sure these Republicans love the military to death, literally.

[Tulka2]

05:35 PM on 05/28/2010

My father never spoke of his service in the thick of WWII. You couldn't talk to our neighbor for five minutes to know he had a purple heart. When my neighbor's service was examined, you learned he was shot in the butt in the opening moments of a landing and spent the rest of the war selling war bonds with celebrities in the best hotels. He actually saw the war for a few moments and had a purple heart. My father always told us that the guys who talked about the glory of it were never the guys who bore the brunt of it. So... anyone who brags about their service is suspect to me.

[lippp]

05:29 PM on 05/28/2010

Howabout a law making all politicians guilty of a crime for lying to the American public during their campaigns and when they get into office? If this passes, we may have to increase the number of correctional institutions for Republicans alone.

[Tulka2]

05:36 PM on 05/28/2010

I likey.

[RRK70]

05:13 PM on 05/28/2010

Since passing legislation about truth telling seems to be in fad right now, maybe a law that makes lying about cheating on your spouse a crime?

Better yet, let's just pass a law that makes it illegal for people to believe everything a politician says as truth?

[Tulka2]

05:38 PM on 05/28/2010

It sounds like a jobs bill that will require monitors in bedrooms. It sounds like a jobs bill Republicans can get behind. They love that lookey-loo stuff.

[DesertDawgAlpha]

03:44 PM on 05/28/2010

How about a bill to give those who serve in combat (not in the military, but actually face hostile fire) a permanant 10 percent reduction in their income and payroll taxes with the balance to be made up by surcharges on those who don't serve, with no surcharge on those who join the active military but don't go into combat? That's income redistribution I could endorse!

[DesertDawgAlpha]

03:40 PM on 05/28/2010

I'm not sure we can criminalize the psychology that makes losers such as Blumenthal, who late in life feel guilty about their physical courage (or lact thereof) after they seek deferment after deferment to avoid service, lie about how they fought in a war. 40 years from now there will be some 60 year olds lying about how they served in Irag or Afghanistan, while they sat safely in the USA going to grad school while Mom and Dad paid the bill.

Bush, Cheney, Obama, this idiot. All courageously were OK with having someone else take their place on the front line - on stictly the most courageious moral grounds, of course.

[dratster]

05:01 PM on 05/28/2010

Obama was 18 in 1979, what war were we involved in back then, and in fact we had an all volunteer force at the time.

[DesertDawgAlpha]

10:51 PM on 05/31/2010

How old was he during Desert Storm?

[dratster]

05:02 PM on 05/28/2010

Furthermore, what was your military service?

[DesertDawgAlpha]

10:51 PM on 05/31/2010

United States Marine Corps!! And yours? I expect no response by those who hold their manhoods cheap......

[342HP]

03:27 PM on 05/28/2010

As soon as we make it illegal for corporations to lie, and all of their employees, officers, assigns and whatevers........you first, Hatch. How about you stop lying?

[lbarnett]

04:58 PM on 05/28/2010

He has to lie to get reelected, it's a job security issue!

[grumbles]

03:05 PM on 05/28/2010

how about passing a law that makes it illegal to say you are a US senator when all you are is a US obstructionist????

[grumbles]

03:03 PM on 05/28/2010

isnt it amazing how fast the gop can legislate when they are trying to "get" a dem??? AMAZING! orin hatch hasnt moved so fast since college.....

[mipartee]

03:00 PM on 05/28/2010

AAAAAAAHAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! it is stupid to try to legislate stupidity. If people lie, and other people know they have lied and have the proof that they lied, then it will work itself out. Geez, I thought republicans wanted SMALLER amount of government in our daily lives.

The only benefit to a bill as stupid as this would be if we could expand it to make it a crime to lie about a "Bridge to Nowhere". That would take care of at least one pain in our collective backsides.

[deepintheheartoftejas]

02:37 PM on 05/28/2010

I think we can all agree it should be a crime to shout "YOU WEREN'T THERE MAN" in a crowded theater.

[deepintheheartoftejas]

02:33 PM on 05/28/2010

Even though it'd be a blatant violation of freedom of speech, one of the best things you could do for this country would be to make it illegal to brag about past military service when running for any political office.

[SimplyBkuz]

02:33 PM on 05/28/2010

How about making it a crime to lie in political ads or to lie about proposed legislation to your constituents so you can score political points. I don't think there would be one republican politician who wouldn't end up in the pokey.

[kamenwati]

02:32 PM on 05/28/2010

How about a bill to prosecute those who lied to get repeated deferments? And let's make it retroactive.I bet half the republican leadership would be indicted, starting with Dick Cheney.