(The Center Square) – Stolen valor snared attention in the presidential race through the actions of Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and a Texas congresswoman has brought back her bill for increased penalties with the push of a North Carolina Democrat.
U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne three weeks ago reintroduced the Valor Earned Not Stolen Act, and thus far the 12 cosponsors even including one member of Walz’ party, Rep. Don Davis from North Carolina. Walz was on the failed presidential ticket of Kamala Harris.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., in the 9th Congressional District that is home to the world’s largest military base, is the other North Carolinian cosponsoring. The legislation would “increase the penalty for fraudulent misrepresentation about the receipt of a military decoration or medal.”
Van Duyne’s initial bill came long before Walz grabbed attention, and for other reasons. She first introduced it in 2021 – and only garnered three Republicans as cosponsors – after becoming aware of civilians trying to obtain government funding based on military accommodations. She brought it back a second time July 18.
The Stolen Valor Act of 2013, her release says, “made it a federal crime for an individual to fraudulently represent themselves to have earned military decorations or medals with the intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit with a punishment of up to one year in prison.”
Her bill pushes the one year to three, similar to impersonating a public official. It also instructs a study and report on improper benefits received. The legislation introduced Jan. 9 is in the Judiciary Committee.
The discovery in the campaign season, however, that Walz printed the wrong rank on coins that he himself distributed drew plenty of ire from veterans. Harris’ campaign in August adjusted his biography on the website because of a misrepresention in his service time.
All turned up the temperature on stolen valor.
U.S. Rep. Pat Harrigan, the Army Green Beret in North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District seat, went to an event in Pennsylvania for J.D. Vance and said it did not seem likely Walz never received final paperwork committing his unit to a deployment in Iraq just before he quit. Harrigan said it was impossible to misspeak on such matters, called Walz a coward “who betrayed his men at their greatest time of need.”
Walz, regularly using the flawed military record in campaign stumps, was in the U.S. House from 2007-19. He’s in the final two years of his second term as Minnesota’s governor.
Davis was among the first half-dozen signing on as a cosponsor. That he would support the Republican bill isn’t far-fetched in the polarized fishbowl of Washington. He’s a veteran from the Air Force, was ranked as one of the five most bipartisan members of the House last May, and won his campaign over Laurie Buckhout in the 1st Congressional District more moderate than hard left.
Davis is vice ranking member of the Armed Services Committee in the House.
In refiling the bill, Van Duyne posted to social media on Jan. 11, “Bad actors are attempting to steal our servicemember’s valor and defraud the government by falsely claiming to have earned military accommodations.”
