20190404 Andy Flick (Trone Chief of Staff)

Intern: He's about to go to meet with Congressman. I'm sure you want to.

Logan M Isaac: I put in an email to her February 7th. I'm still waiting on a response.

Intern: Um. I don't know now will be the [00:01:00] best of times, but

Logan M Isaac: I called ahead.

Intern: She didn't, I dunno, she wasn't, she looked at an email, she couldn't find you. But

Logan M Isaac: I can forward it again. Um,

Andy Flick: what can I help you with?

Logan M Isaac: Uh, I am an Iraq vet and resident in Knoxville, Maryland. Um, I had been in contact with Christina, well, I emailed Christina Lio. I've been speaking with Jessica because Christina doesn't respond to emails. I'm trying to get bills passed to protect, to strengthen the protections that I have as a combat vet.

Andy Flick: Okay.

Logan M Isaac: Or as a veteran. Um, great.

Andy Flick: I'm his chief of staff, so do you wanna

Logan M Isaac: Sure.

Andy Flick: I'm happy to, yeah. Talk about something.

Logan M Isaac: Um, unfortunately I'm almost out of all my stuff, but in essence. There is two federal statutes that currently protect veterans. Title eight, uh, 38 and 18. Mm-hmm. Uh, the Vietnam Era, veterans Readjustment [00:02:00] Assistance Act passed in 1972.

And then the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, Matthew Shepherd, James Byrd, HCPA. Mm-hmm. Each of those contained protections for veterans, but they're so poorly worded or, um, unknown. They are effectively unenforced. Um. I have been speaking with Jessica about it. Mm-hmm. I initially reached out to Christina on the recommendation of maybe somebody answering the phone.

I'm not sure. I don't know if I have a RA one. Oh god dang. Oh, well, um, I am looking for a member of Congress to take action to expand, strengthen, and enforce those two statutes. 18 US Code 1389. And 38 US. Code 42 amend it. It's on the back of the hate crime sheet VEVRAA one I don't have another copy of, but I know that Jessica does.

Andy Flick: Mm-hmm. [00:03:00] And, um, have you talked to the committee about it?

Logan M Isaac: Yep.

Andy Flick: What do they say?

Logan M Isaac: The majority side in the house is dragging their feet I've been accused of attacking one of the subcommittee members for asking. What they're going to do and if they'll ever put something on a schedule after he told me last Congress, this is Chris Bennett, uh, this is HVAC, not HCEL. Um, Bobby Scott, uh, his office put me in touch with Carolyn Ronis. Carolyn Ronis, um, believes that there's jurisdiction, but that there's not enough support. Um, I'm running out of friends to commit suicide, so I don't have the time for not enough support. I know that a bill can be introduced.

You can sit on the committee floor and do nothing. Things right now. Nobody knows about this stuff because nobody's talking about it. And because the military actively disincentivizes asking for help and stigmatizes victim status, which is precisely what Hate Crimes Prevention Act is supposed to do. So I need someone to put something on the house [00:04:00] floor, uh, so that I can tell reporters that it's not just me that thinks this is a, a, a problem and a solution.

Andy Flick: Got it. Great. We're happy to take a look at it.

Logan M Isaac: When should I follow up?

Andy Flick: Um, I'm not sure. Um, but do you have a card on you and, um, we can talk it over with our team and the boss.

Logan M Isaac: What's a reasonable amount of time to expect something to occur? Either an email or action?

Andy Flick: Yeah, I can't in that chamber. Can't tell you that, but um, like I said, we'll take a look.

I appreciate you sending back.

Logan M Isaac: I know people are taking a look. It's going to look bad if my representative, who is aware of this stuff, February 7th. If somebody else takes action and my rep hasn't, even though he is on educational labor.

Andy Flick: Mm-hmm.

Logan M Isaac: If I have to come here again and be turned away, I'm going to have my smartphone on and it's going on social media. This is not appropriate to continue to ignore the needs of not just your constituents, but combat vets.

Andy Flick: Mm-hmm.

Logan M Isaac: Disabled Combat vets.[00:05:00] 

Andy Flick: Great.

Logan M Isaac: But you can't tell me a reasonable amount of time when I should expect some kind of feedback.

Andy Flick: I think we're good.

Logan M Isaac: Does that mean you're not reasonable or because you don't want to?

Andy Flick: Neither of those.

Logan M Isaac: So what should I, okay. Oh, do you have a card? 

Andy Flick: Uh, yeah. Over here.