At least 76 Republican members of Congress have signed a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland asking that the Department of the Interior resume providing the Honor Flight Network with United States Park Police vehicular escort for Honor Flights traveling to Washington, D.C.
“The Honor Flight Network carries out a solemn mission to recognize the service of generations of veterans,” said Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Mike Bost (R-Ill.) “We owe it to them to do our part to ensure our nation’s heroes get the red-carpet treatment they have earned when they visit Washington.”
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“The least we can do is not screw up one of the few awesome things we’ve been getting right for a while,” added Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tx.)
The Honor Flight Network flies veterans, who often have special medical needs, from around the country to the nation’s capital, so that they can view the memorials they otherwise may never have the chance to see.
According to the group’s website, its mission is to "celebrate America’s veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at our nation's memorials."
According to WPEC, the chief of the U.S. Park Police recently sent Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fl) a letter explaining the suspension of nonprofit escorts, citing a policy review and staffing shortages.
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"Our policy on escorts is incorporated into our policy on Presidential protection, which only authorizes escorts when there is a true emergency," the letter states, adding that "funding and staffing constraints" remain a concern.
Prior to the suspension, Park Police vehicular escorts assisted in keeping the roads clear during stops at the memorials by Honor Flight.
The letter states in part that “our brave veterans have made tremendous sacrifices to secure the freedoms we enjoy today. As a nation, we owe it to our heroes to give them the utmost honor and privilege that they deserve on their Honor Flight to Washington, D.C."
Democrat members of Congress have also been seeking a way to have the vehicular escorts restored.
The Honor Flight Network has brought 245,000 veterans from all over the country to Washington to visit the memorials dedicated to them and their service since 2005. According to the group’s website, its mission is to "celebrate America’s veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at our nation's memorials."
The full text of the letter can be found here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.