Pence’s ‘Politically Correct’ Obama VA Claim
In an address to veterans, Vice President Mike Pence said “VA hospitals were removing Bibles” and “banning Christmas carols” under the last administration, and “will not be religion-free zones” under this administration. But VA hospitals have never been “religion-free zones.” And there’s less to the isolated incidents than Pence’s claim suggests.
Officials at some Veterans Affairs hospitals removed Bibles from public memorials for prisoners of war and those missing in action. But Bibles were, and still are, available to any veteran in a VA hospital who wants one.
And there was one instance in 2013 of Christmas carolers from a Christian school in Augusta, Georgia, being told by officials at a VA medical center that they could only sing songs from a list of nonreligious carols. But that situation was resolved, and the carolers returned after missing a year.
Pence’s comments come on the heels of the recent unveiling of new VA policies on religious and spiritual symbols that VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said are meant to “bring simplicity and clarity to our policies.” Pence referenced those policies during a speech on Aug. 28 at the American Legion National Convention in Indianapolis.
: And as we meet the health care needs of our veterans, let me make you another promise: This administration will always make room for the spiritual needs of our heroes at the VA as well. You might’ve heard even today that there’s a lawsuit
