Okay, just Okay. So we are now live on Facebook and Paul will will share the Facebook link to Twitter so we'll go. we'll we'll make sure everybody knows how they can tune in. so I think we can go ahead and I'll do the intro again. So thank you to everybody who has had a lot of patience as we figure out some tech issues that we're encountering today and and also for tuning in. And taking the time to join our conversation today, I want to talk about with Eric and a representative from Left flank Vets just how very intersectional veterans issues are with every other issue that we face in our society. for example, we want to talk about how 19 is affecting veterans. We wanna talk about health care for all we. Talk about education and how we can ensure that everybody has access to tuition free higher education and so I'm so excited. Thank you Eric and left leg Vets for your partnership. if you want to do like a quick intro about what Lean Vets is, I think that will help our viewers just understand the direction that this conversation will go. For sure, so my name is Eric. I'm actually out here in San Diego. I've been part of Lean while we the history of Westlake is we actually stem from veterans for Bernie Sanders and that was founded in 2015 by a few post 911 Bess. I personally jumped on in California back in the 2016 cycle, and then most recently we decided to change our direction from supporting a singular Candidate and to you know more of a pro but pro political revolution anti-war post 911 veterans on the left into more of a more of the activist left community of veterans and so far it's it's done pretty well and we've gained a contraction for our social media and I actually was in the Navy from 2007 to 2015 and then I'll. My colleague introduce and so awesome. Hey how you doing so I was serving the Marine Corps from 2010 to 2016. So when the roots of you know left flank that started, I was actually still serving in the Marine Corps and as you know, kinda went on with this election cycle. I got connected and just kinda jumped in and so a. Of the posting on social media, it comes from me and so what do you enjoy it or not? I you know. I appreciate any feedback but also that's just gonna where I've come from and I'm now I work in some policy areas and that's kinda like I'm incognito so perfect well. Thank you both so much for taking the time to have this conversation with all of us today and I also. Wanted to say one of the things that I believe strongly is that veterans rights are human rights. human humans rights are veterans rights and whenever we fight for veterans, it has to go so far beyond you know just having a parade or saying, thank you when you see someone in a uniform in the store, it has to go further and we have to fight. Veterans rights as the human rights that they are so I wanted to start our conversation by kind of talking about how Co 19 is affecting veterans and I know Eric. we had a really wonderful conversation the other day talking about this, but one of the things I also wanted to highlight is how the United States Postal Service is coming under attack and it's facing a lot of financial insecurity at this. Because of previous bills that forced it to set aside decades worth of retirement for its employees and just forcing all of it's revenue to to not be able to be used as every other federal agency has the ability to so Cove 19 is is really affecting a lot of businesses across the United States and because the USPS is in. niche category of being pushed towards private privatization and has this very specific special requirements. it is being affected much more strongly than any other federal agency at this time. And so I know you mentioned the other day that there's a very large percentage of USPS employees that have served in our military. so I wanted to ask you to talk a little bit about what that means. The veteran community. Yeah, and that's a really good topic for a lot of the listeners who don't really understand what you're talking about. Earlier. It's like intersectionality between you know the civilian workforce and the veteran workforce where you have entities like the USPS federally funded that has what 618000 613000 employees, 18 percent of those are veterans. So when you're directly attacking the workers, the UPS and defunding them privatizing and downsizing you're directly affecting. In the workforce so when we talk about like workers right, so you can also talk about veterans right and how the when you're attacking these forces. it actually does affect us in a way and if any of any community knows about privatization of their their services', I mean they've been trying to privatize the VA for decades not successful so much, but they keep trying so they're doing the same thing. USPS they're taking funding away and then making them look bad and blaming them for their failures opposed to funding and expanding it. Definitely thank you so much for for going into that. and so whenever we're fighting to save the USPS, we are just as you mentioned and how intersectional all of this is. we're we're fighting for veterans that depend on that for their income and you brought up the VA which I know my good friends. I see James who's running for Congress in Brooklyn brings up just how important the VA is and the health care life-saving health. And mental health care that he's received from them and whenever we talk about Medicare for all, I know that's a huge part of my platform, but would you like to talk a little bit about what Medicare for all would mean for the veterans community and also kind of distinction between VA care and what Medicare for all would look like and your ideal platform and policy. so. Thing I just want to say one thing I'll pass it over to my colleagues. It's really knowledgeable about VA and Medicare for all especially like regional centers and ability of workers and things like that. But what I was what I wanna get forward with like socialized medicine and how we talk about that and that messaging is it is the VA is the second largest search in the United States after Medicare and one thing I get frustrated watching you know, presidential debate or congressional debates when they're asked about Medicare for all. huh, They don't talk about things like the VA and you know how the great care that they provided at least for me I I help save my life through the rehab program in 2014 and so they had a bad open up and it was completely free. You know I have free mental health therapy sessions every week Thing that I want everyone to have now. I'll have my colleagues talk about Medicare for all and the VA and how that ties into each other. Thank you so much and I really appreciate you sharing your personal story as well because it's so important to understand just how specifically all of these issues impact veterans who are everyday people just like us. And I'll pass it over to my colleague talk about the I'm sorry I was yeah, so I was on me so when we talk about Medicare for all and you know versus the VA it's somewhat oranges. We're talking about health care but Medicare for all is an insurance policy and you know the government get making sure your doctors and your health care providers are paid for the VA. It is that plus so. The VA is the second biggest ensure that like I pointed out in Medicare being number one, but the VA is the largest health care system like the health care provider in the nation, and it's kind of it's more designed off of what they have in the UK their NHS, where from the director to you know the you know the interns. they are all government employees and then and. Subject to oversight when you know when you get elected, you'll be able to you know, hold them accountable. so that's part of the difference. You know Medicare for all just insurance. VA is full on health care, plus an insurance policy if veterans want to go outside of the VA system or they need What you know, Eric was bringing up his access. That's that's one of the more important things. I think having a government-run health care system is good like health care providers is good, just because of that oversight. That is that that is offered up to the public but just as a as an accessible health care system, it is night and day to what to what's civilians have to deal with and so there. Kinda describe a little bit of how things go in the VA but you know kinda to drive at home a little bit more. We don't deal with bills. you know really like whatsoever. you know there's some things where you need to. But if you're you're fully covered through the VA, there's no bills you walk in you. check in anytime you need an appointment you just call the number I I usually go to utilize the texting system. I utilize the VA they sell it in my. To me right to my House so it's just a lot of benefits of being able to actually advocate for your own health care, which is something that's been denied for the American people. you know, so you know it's for a very long time right. so we haven't this Medicare for all the discussions been going on for a hundred years. so that access to health care is very important. They cost that speed bump and is is is a that too many, you know really can't climb. So, yeah, when we're talking about Medicare for all the DA, it's really that access to health care where it's it's really important and that's like probably the biggest decision between what we have and what you know. civilians have. Thank you so much for helping with that distinction and I know Eric you had mentioned rehabilitation services. for example, I know that's one thing that I'm really passionate about is that Medicare for all would include that for for all of us. Rehabilitation services, Mental health services dental vision and hearing, which all of those issues are also very intersectional with with veterans as well because I know personally many veterans that come home with injuries or disabilities and you know don't have the hearing that they did before being sent to war, for example and For somebody that needs to save up $4000 for a pair of hearing Aids because health insurance considers hearing to be elected elective, it's something that I'm really fighting against and pushing for Medicare for all because nobody should have to choose between having one of their senses and being able to pay their rent for but anyway, do you have any feelings on? Like what all should be covered with Medicare for all and just any kind of experiences you've had with I know that I've spoken with one particular veteran who is having difficulty getting like the dental care that they need just from the A services so where where that could also be like a a bridge to more care even for veterans. I mean that's like the perfect I'm sorry, but I think I think a person really because those three things a vision hearing and dental are the things that really explain it for Medicare over you know under the the Medicare for all plan but you're right isn't included and that's you know one of the last things that the VA really really need to you know in my opinion and needs to cover down on but you're right when it comes. hearing and vision that's something that the VA does cover and it is exponentially cheaper. so like for veterans just because the cost is just insulated, you know, hearing Aids don't actually cost that much that don't actually cost as much as they do on the market. Maybe you know the VA gives these things away because they're actually cheap. so it's it it makes. A lot easier but you're right dental care. it's something that it's only it's only giving a certain instances but it does absolutely need to be expanded. Thank you for yeah and I wanna take you back on that with the dental care. I mean I have private dental insurance, not the VA and I had a root canal recently and it cost $2500 with insurance. so it's really that's still a burden or even better not just the population as they talk about you know. The without teeth, you can still work so it really is the meaning and the like you're a labor is to me and it's not having teeth, but you can absolutely still work with your arms and it does go it all of these points. I know that we're talking about how intersectional all of these issues are and for me it all leads back to this main point that for so long profit has been prioritized over people. In this country by most of our representatives and whenever you mention, for example, you can still work without teeth. I would like to point out something that I've learned from going to my dentist and having a dental Hygienist as an an for so long is that a lot of our health starts in our mouth and I know heart disease is very strongly linked to having unhealthy. dental history, for example, so whenever dental health is completely left out of being covered or if you're left with 20 - $500 of debt from seeking the dental care that you need. that's still a very large gap that not only veterans, but everybody shouldn't have to worry about and we would see how much healthier society so thank you. for going into that and for speaking about your personal experiences as well and I know that we talked about Eric the other day, how there's you know there's a link between people getting education paid for which is wonderful but getting education paid for by serving in the military, but what it would mean for veterans and people considering next. In their life, if higher education were tuition-free so I don't know if you would be open to talking about your personal journeys and into deciding to go into the military and what that kind of look like for each of you. and if you have the option for tuition for higher education with that have changed your path. yes, that's the easier when I joined the military at 18 straight out of high school. I graduated high school and I left for boot camp later because I was not. I didn't really have an option for College. I didn't build strong study skills and I was. That's living in a pretty small town and that was not the greatest place to live. I wanted to get out a low-income family. It's just it's the it's called the school of the military pipeline. I know a lot of people talk about the School-to-prison pipeline and criminal Justice. but if it's not, it's military for a lot of people and that's where you know we. I'm sure we'll be talking about like the marginalized community. It's the military praise on and I was part of that community and I. I have the option of tuition for University, I probably wouldn't come join or if I had an option for health care you know because when you join the military, you're in it, you you're getting three meals a day you're getting a guaranteed roof over your head. You're getting free free medical care, including dental all you have duty and you're getting College out of it, but I don't think I have my personal opinion. If you don't you shouldn't have to suffer mental health or physical injury or possible death for free College and I I think if they. One of the biggest anti Medicare for all anti tuition for University and CS are the military because they would lose or recruiting based on these factors. And so if you were to give us all of these universal programs coming out of high school and this is the opportunity for military with no would not have the ability to to pray on in communities like they do and Omar can talk a little bit that about too. Alright, Yeah. So for me I think I'm more of a product at least me join the military is more of a product of like just general propaganda. my father, my uncle, my cousin, you know, I've got a quite a bit of family that that have all served and you know I went. I went to a College in high school and was it's not a very good student and so ended up spending my tires for a while and like the military, you know I especially. After 911 like pushing the the the Wars, Afghanistan and it was just kind of something to do and that's something that you'll see a lot of veterans that it's siing down to a lot of just military families and you'll see a lot of you know people generation that generation serving in the military and you know I kinda think I'm just like a product of that. I didn't really like me or want for much. You know I wasn't living lavishly or anything but it was really I didn't have any direction and since my dad was. in the army, I said why not there is some distinctions. My dad was in a position that actually too tired of the skill. I joined the imagery in the Marine Corp, so there's definitely like experience may vary right but yeah, that's kind of like why I joined but to tie and do some of the things that that we're talking about. That's you know the majority of the people. It's it's you know it. It was an option that was better than reality at the time and it largely people find out that yeah. It's not all. It's not all the with the recruiter tells you so as far as yeah, I just kinda go into the communities. That's just where the military you know. praise upon. most of the people in the military come from lower, so you can come from marginalized communities. You know like the portion of the margins like the people of color within the in the military is huge. there are you know immigrants that are serving which you know during the Trump administration have been like even did denied citizenship through you know even though they're serving in the military. you know like I'm like my parents are immigrants. My father gained his citizenss to service, so there are plenty of things that it's like the military does need to you know prey on people in order to get them to enlist and especially when you talk about the officer right ROTC. Program that's that is it right there. You get school. you serve your country as an officer in the military. so you can look at the officer ranks. You know people who literally did the one -on- one slot school for military. So yeah, and I wanna hit that real fast. That's the new that's the new tactic to going after student debt so when we talk about. That which we should absolutely do you're you're in the military critters are now pulling you know 3028 to 30 year-old to are drowning to death from their bachelor's degree in the military with the promise that they'll take care of that those student loan debt. so you know we have a lot of people who just can't. I can't. I'm struggling to pay the bills because of $700 student loan payment every month. Yeah and the idea of the military paying for that is a pretty good. I have friends right now who are texting me saying. Hey, what should I do? this? Should I go to the military. I need to take care of my team one day and that's why I bill. We're getting off to the phone that is so important but also going to get a lot of pushback from the military industrial complex. Yeah and and again it's just every subject we talk about and thank you for helping to highlight this is education, policy and health care policy. Every single issue that affects society at large is a veteran issue and you also brought up how you. Come from an immigrant family and you've talked about how you've seen people not get immigration status after serving so again. Immigration policy is a veteran's issue as well. and so whenever we fight for the people over profit and the people over complexes like the military industrial complex, we're helping veterans as well. so thank you for continuing to highlight. That and I know we had talked about How immigration issues like people do that track because of seeking citizenship, for example, do you see a lot like is there a large percentage of people that you see just not get the status that they promised. I've seen it you know and this is like I don't know the the the numbers on that, but I've served in the US. Yes where members were denied citizenship. You know for one reason or another and also I've you know just been connected with you know with Marines that yeah, you know I have a friend that is one of his reads could not deploy because it's because of his immigration status which was. Absolutely crazy to me, but yeah, Yes, the members that Cannot and for just immigration like deported veterans is a big issue right where I live in San Diego down here in Tijuana right across the border. There's two support veterans houses that have veterans who were deported and they take them in and they just keep fighting it right so, Governor Needham and some local reps out here. You have been really fighting with this fight for a long time. I'm getting the veterans they're status back and the argument that you see mostly about not getting them back is Oh they had a DUI after they got out so they're criminals, but and that's the thing they still serve and they still a lot of them saw on that for the US military and yet they're just started because of a minor infraction on their record and they're sent out. and of course, the current administration is going to take advantage of that all they can. they see a DUI on your record. They're gonna try to get you out and. This is something that the military has fought for a long time. This is not just about this administration. I wanna point that out there that's been going on for deported veterans that's going on for a long time and it really just comes down to you know you have people getting out of the military with mental health issues with trauma with injuries and because of their immigration status, they cannot be taken care of and they're deported or they get a misdemeanor and they get deported and it's now they're stuck with. Health care they that we feel they deserve absolutely and it's just it's a promise that multiple administrations have failed to keep and you're so right that this is not a partisan issue. It's that so many representatives and so many administrations have failed this entire community by and I think it does tie into kind of this propaganda messaging that you brought up is We we see patriotism as just like going up to people in uniform and thanking them and having parades, but we forget about taking care of veterans after they've served our country very bravely and put their lives on the line and to deport them and deny them the care that they deserve is is really infuriating to me. so thank you for highlighting that and one of the. Things we talked about the other day. Eric is kind of inflated military budgets and I know on my end going after inflated military budgets and saying that we shouldn't be spending all of this money on the military industrial complex sometimes can be turned into an attack about how your anti military and I actually very strongly disagree and we talked about how a lot of the military budget doesn't even go towards people like. That have served the country it goes towards contractors, so I don't know if you want to go into a little bit more detail about that, but just kind of highlighting that increasing the military budget is just feeding this for-profit industry rather than helping veterans who have served our country. Yeah, so the military budget is obviously inflated. I think most people know that on the left one thing that doesn't get talked enough about when we talk about like you know the question, how are you gonna pay for it? No one ever says you no one never responds will never ask that about the more the the to the floor. He never asked that about the largest military budget in history, but you'll ask it for social programs. You'll ask for for University College that forgiveness. Our student unforgiveness and it's it's just it's it's a problem and it's a I think messaging is important with it. But yeah, we have what 727 billion dollars was the last budget. I could be off on those numbers, but it was very high 740 or something and a lot of that goes to contractors. So basically they're paying out this private corporations to subcontract building weapons building planes building AI systems for the military and weapon systems, and so instead of using that military budget accordingly in a way that you know, smaller or cutting. You can still do the exact same thing, but not have the the government civilian contractors doing all the work for you at a much higher price point. No thank you. thank you for going into that and also just if I could of course I if I just add on that because you know one thing with the contractors as well. It's that you know you've got the big, you know corporations that produce military hardware, but also it's the individual contracts that are on the ground. You know deploying with the military is something that's you know increased substantially over the past few decades and you. Kind of put it in numbers terms, Vietnam era you'd see one contractor to a few hundred military members, which seems like a normal thing. You know you just need one special government employee to go in or not government to do some sort of job whatever now, you know just over the past few days, we're looking like A- 21 in the reverse. so for every two contractors that you have on the ground and you know the countries all over the world. There's only one military member and. Contractors they they do not answer to Congress. They do not answer to the American public. They answer to whatever Corporation you know it is hiring them and whatever they're profits are so that's something to that. essentially we're using our military budget to pay Non-military. Yeah. Thank you so much for highlighting that and it does just point back to the issue that I know in my campaign, we raise a lot of issue a lot of awareness about. Is the person I'm running against has voted for the Iraq War. She's voted for the latest increase in our military budget, but she's also accepted throughout her career, defense contractor and weapons manufacturer money. So it really points to the fact that we need people who understand. We need people who understand these issues to be making the decisions in Congress on all of our behalf rather than somebody who's going to let themselves be influenced by a giant lot of money and basically buy their support for endless wars and just continuing down the path of the military industrial complex. So thank you for that and I know we got one question Most people assume that veterans Veer conservative, why do you think that is and how should Progressive candidates go about engaging veterans communities? I know from our conversation. Eric the other day that is absolutely not the case and I would love to continue to build this partnership and understanding with the veteran community so that I understand very personal situations and personal issues and how I can best advocate for the community in the way that. Is most helpful but if you wanted to kinda talk about, I know left flank is not very conservative. But what kind of I can actually answer where that that stereotype comes from so there's there is merit in that you know a few decades ago. So Jimmy Carter did cut the military budget quite a bit. You know, like one of the first time of military didn't get a raise and then Reagan actually ran a lot on that and I you know, extending the budget and so for you know quite a bit of time. Actually, you know my my My dad actually spoke to me about the specifically because regardless of him, you know it feels like voting Democrat Now I'll be you know in the United States he talks about Reagan because he was in the military at you know at the time when Reagan came in and gave him a raise. he did a whole bunch of things as well. but that's kinda where that comes from it's just kind of carried on and and I think another thing is. That when you see a lot of these, you know Trump supporters or what have you there are a lot of times just the most vocal and so if you've got a military member, that's you know full of confidence and ignorance. It's kind of feeds into that. But I think most military members are more of like anti government, which you know it's it's weird because they're in the military. but because of the the things that we see a lot of times, it's just like anti establishment and also you. A lot of veterans could go either way you know like for a Bernie Sanders or a Donald Trump, you know if they're pushing that anti establish a message because after serving in the military, you don't have that kind of a natural distrust of government authority. Definitely, I think yeah and and with that and you know with your district just the New York 12, has 18000 veterans around there and they talk. I mean that's a small veteran community. they they definitely thought. You know you get someone like myself or my colleague in that area. You know they they they talk to other veterans and you know I can sit down with the right way better and talk about how the Iraq was a bad decision, and it's still unpopular majority of majority of the nation's very popular. so and what we talked about that. but a lot of it is just like you know Anti-government libertarian ideals, but also there are. A veteran on the left and we we we talk and we know each other. We know we follow each other's podcast. We're talking you know there's so many different orgs that are doing certain things, but not really getting out these talking points to congressional candidates and that's why it's really good to have these conversations with veterans on the left because we can go into certain districts and talk to those constituents and say, hey, I'm a veteran. I'm a veteran. I wanna talk to you about this. Candidate and so one thing we definitely wanted to ask you is if you be willing to put a veteran check box on your volunteer form because that would be a way for candidates cuz you've never seen it before. I think we did it out here in Southern California for a congressional candidate, Doug Applegate. so that way we have a better constituency to go out to certain neighborhood or certain constituents and so you have that better have a can. Because we gain it through the military of just like putting our head down and getting the mission done, you know there's no fighting. It's just like let's get it done and we'll argue about it later and I think my colleague can kind of talk like just cosign on there. It's just we. we know how to do that or they call or just help you with policy and help you understand military Uss or complex. And so if you have a bad veteran signing up to volunteer for you, that's a huge thing and you know that it's it's just power. It's not. Power. Yeah, I I would absolutely love to be able to be as accessible and also intersectional. Yes, I want to put that check Mark on my volunteer forms. So I'm looking at Paul who's gonna he's giving me the thumbs up. We're gonna get on that. Thank you for pointing us in that direction and as far as staying in touch on policy and making sure that I'm advocating in the best way possible I would I would absolutely. We love to do that so thank you. And the other I know that we have some questions coming up, but the one other thing that I wanted to touch on before we get into Q and A is that foreign policy I know that I studied international relations as my undergraduate degree and I did not learn in my high school education, for example, about our military industrial complex about what I call. Imperialism as well and in College, is when I first really started to understand the things that we have done throughout the world and foreign policy is something that I think is just so important for congressional candidates and representatives to understand so I know that my personal stance is that. Absolutely need to move away from just entering into endless wars so quickly and so easily I am I consider myself, anti-war and anti imperialism and I wondered if you would be willing to speak a little bit about what having like Anti-war representatives would mean. Well, I think you kinda spoke a little bit earlier about the difficulty in that message right of of of being anti-war in immediately, you know you know you must be anti-military or anti the troops, but you know, actually you know not sending troops to war or you know over oil or you know what have you? that's the better way and how to kinda go about doing that and it's it's it is tough. Cuz there's we live in this framing that everything America does when when we sends out there in the world, it is for good and we have you know we don't have a reckoning of of of what's going on. you know like so it's it is hard. I think that you know kinda drive that message in a way that You know that that can really be affected to those naysayers but really like that. That is that is the key you know that is it right there. You know like when I think about what I was a part of in the military, you know it it either goes to you know people that I cared about dying by suicide or Iraqi children being born with the all sorts of issues and problems and and I don't feel good about that. And I think that I hope you know, I hope they'd be in a day. you know. I'm sure people are actually you know. I mean they're serving the military. It's great and they they. they learn that you know great a great amount. but when we go out to war over lives it, it hurts us forever. to put it plainly as possible. and so, yeah, it's it's it's imperative to have members of Congress to to speak on that and you know where I think we're hopelessly can be beneficial is that you know. You got some guy like Dan Crenshaw, who You-know-who Navy Seals member of Congress and he goes up there. It is that's the way he he started. Speaking about leading from the front you know, and it just doesn't make any sense, but a lot of members just have to let it slide because Oh, you can't speak to a better in that way. But you know we will show you how to how to deal with these people because we've had to deal with them. so yeah, it's going on the attention but no not. it's it's important. It's it's it's so necessary to just have members understand that everything that. Have lived everything that you think of America it. it may not be so and we need to reckon with that in order to move forward and I think I would say that where we can just be humane in our policy. definitely yeah and sorry, sorry please there's definitely a lot a lot to add to all of this and this is such a huge topic. I'm just like Progressive foreign policy. What really is it or less foreign policy? You know you can be anti ander, but there's so many so many factors in that and yes, we need to get out of the war in Iraq. We need to go to work kinda thing we need to stop by with some countries are continually bombing right now But also when military members join you go over there and you find out it's just for people fighting for people and it really is the governments' military and that's so complex that drives that and I mean, if you wanna really get down to the capitalism, you know the profit system drives more oil prices, things like that. There's a reason we antagonize like Iran, but you know it's Saudi Arabia is one of our largest allies in the Middle East. Why is that well body is able to and not a good dude and Willing to cut cut deals with the US for weapons what weapons contracts for their war in Yemen Bernie Sanders said it best you know the best way to help better stop sending us to war. Yeah. So you're you're allowed to be as I but so pro you know I guess the worker because what we are just for this in the military and it goes back to the whole intersectionality of like London or tuition for University. It's it's that's how you get up to sign up or a direction because we weren't educated enough and in high school to the point of like oh, maybe the military isn't the greatest option for us or what's trade school was free. I could just feel a lot better. Or like learn how to weld or learn how to do a trade job or an apprenticeship after high school. I didn't even know it's an option so about two years ago. Actually I got out and I'm like, Oh I could have done that. you know that those are the things that they don't tell us and then so we're talking about like a Progressive domestic policy. There has to be that time with the Progressive foreign policy and so the six point two trillion dollars that we spent in the Middle East so. One so I think my colleague had a lot of those points too, and I just this is a long conversation. So I'm just like foreign policy right, Yes absolutely and then how that ties in locally. Yeah. and it's like I add one more thing. I think that I think what we're hitting on. It's just the lack of a foreign policy message. some some of the last even some you know just Democrat. In general, that's just something that's like and you're like. we know how Democrats feel about health care we know or the left Shields here. we know how in the left feel about education but you know like bring your SD foreign policy is something that's not flushed out which it really needs to be. It's not good enough to say we end the wars. we actually need to be talking about how do we do that and it's not through sanctions. It's actually through comedy. Going to the table meeting with certain you know meeting with people that you do not agree with meeting with our enemies, you know it goes to that all that that that route which is a hard route because the same naysayers was you know if you wanna sit with the enemy blah blah blah blah so, but that's that's kinda where I think the Democrats and the left they're just missing a huge, a huge gap and policy all because of the amount of money that we spend on foreign policy totally and. I mean, I'm learning so much from having conversations with both of you and with left flanks left leg but I just feel like if every single representative sat down and spoke with veterans who have served and who have come home and experience life after the military. If every single representative just have these real conversations, I think everything would look a lot different, but I think so. Representatives let themselves be influenced by all the money coming at them from you know capitalism and for profit industry seeking more profit and also consultants that have never served and have nothing to do with the military advising on foreign policy. So I'm just so appreciative of both of you and left flank as a whole, just being open to having these conversations with us as. It's in educating the public through live streaming today, for example, so I just wanna take this opportunity to thank both of you and left for your partnership and I think we have one question Paul do we have any additional that came in VA and how prices are set there, which is. Okay. Yeah. So we got a question about how we would determine rates with Medicare for all because whenever you are seeking care through the VA, there are certain costs that are already determined and it's very clear what you'll end up paying and what those what those prices are so would be kind of look at VA care as a starting point of what that would look like overall or do you have any ideas about how rate-setting would. What it would look like with Medicare for all for all of us. No actually I think that's I guess a fantastic way of doing it right because you know if you wanna look at you know what's a good base rate for you know sending a package from you know from New York to California. going to the postal service is a good way to you know cuz it's just you know the government is gonna get you there and they're not going. you don't have to you're not paying for the. EOG, As you go through the process of service came with the VA, you're not paying for the CEOs yacht If you go to the VA, so it's it's that it's a more natural I guess like cost for how much does it take to you know, pay doctors to do this, you know procedures and that's like so yeah, it's something that that can be done but just a factor of some of the the past you know the the ability for you know, I think it's just you know should be making a massive amounts of certain medications because we just know that we're gonna need it. that's some of that. Drive down cost quite a bit get having our production line, which we see now is you know the the 19 that's just not having our own ability to produce medical equipment is you know a huge shortfall that is engaging in you know in providing medical equipment and training, then you know it's it's eventually gonna bring cost down. and when you talk about you know Medicare for all how do you make that cheaper as well giving College education for free cuz becoming a doctor is? In insanely expensive and so that cost less, you know, so it's it's kind of like it's being that it's so connected to all of the things but going back to the rates. I think that yeah, I think that I don't know for sure, but I think that's a great place to start just because it's more of a natural cause. How much does it take to just pay the doctor to do their job not pay the private hospital and their CEO and their board members. Wow. I it's it's just all goes. To just how overlapping every single one of these issues is and you hit the nail on the head by saying Tuition-free higher education would make health care cheaper because I know a lot of doctors who have said to me, I don't know if I'm for Medicare for all because I have six figures of debt to pay off for the rest of my life and you're exactly right in that. doctor is pay and PS Physicians assistant Pay for example, is is. Geared towards making sure that that debt can be paid off, which even at you know, one of the highest paying doctor's salaries in New York City Hospital that paying off debts still takes a lot of time. so you're so right about the intersectionality of even those issues. But all of this is related and we in general have to move away from privatization of what we consider human right. I consider health care human rights education is a human right housing is a human right and that's why I do support a home' guarantee and homelessness is a human rights issue, but also a veteran's issue and addiction is a human rights issue and also a veteran's issue. and all of these things are so overlapping that if you as a representative want to fight for veterans is. Then you fight for veterans by tackling the lack of human rights being provided to all of us so I don't know if you you wanna say any last words, but I've really enjoyed our conversation and just really appreciate both of you and your time and just wanna give you an opportunity to say any closing words and I really look forward to staying in touch and working out my foreign policy with you whenever I'm honored to serve my community. Yeah. Well, Thank you. I wanna first of all. thank you for having us on also I wanna touch a little bit on just like you know the congressional cancer congressional reps or members of Congress going to sit with veterans. You know often times they have this town Hall, but they go in with kind of a fact finding mission opposed to going in with the facts and the way out of Australia is like having numbers ready and say well, what about the 18 percent of the USPS? did you know that veteran and a lot of veterans? don't know the details about certain. Thing so if you're going in to town Hall you know having a base set of values and they set of policy that you're ready to throw on the table is a good thing and start out with that. so you can leave that conversation so veterans can share their stories and say, Oh yeah, That makes a lot of sense for me. When you talk about you know the war or the VA or Medicare for all with other veterans because you can walk into a VFW and you'll meet someone like me and my colleague, but you'll also meet like a old conservative. better who who's just a Trumper right so you you never know who you're gonna get this at home and sometimes it's just it's good to have a base of knowledge and going prepared and that's what I'll say for any congressional that are asking. is you know, go in go with with numbers? Yeah absolutely and thank you for that and I I I just feel very fortunate to know you both because it's it's exactly right that. This is these are the kind of conversations that we need to continue to have and all representatives should really be having. thank you. Yeah, If I close it, you know, thank you for having this call. you know being you know involved in a little bit like it. It's it's refreshing to see candidates going about you know. You can put the information in its way and and kinda just like Eric said part is just you know reaching out to different. you know communities and and and getting you know they're they're you know getting that connection going but you know it's also it takes you know having a good mind for policy to see what can be done to actually affect that. yeah, because you know like like Eric said, you could you could run into a veteran. That's just gonna tell you that you know, cut taxes and you know pick everybody up. Drink but you know just diving into and just hearing the experiences and then thinking just policy wise. How do we how do we fix this overly problems? which you know? I'd say a lot of them come from out of like a Democratic social like mine of if you just help everybody a little bit, you know we all get pass it a little bit easier but yeah, thank you for speaking with us and and just really doing the job the way it should be done. Oh thank you so much and I really. Everyone who's watching definitely follow left flank on social media because the information that you share is so important for all of us to continue to understand and I personally just really look forward to continuing these conversations with both of you and your Organization and really pushing for change together. So thank you both for your time and I'm sure we'll be talking very soon. And I hope you stay healthy and safe and it's this pandemic and take care. Thank you for. thank you talk to you soon. Buh bye. Thanks everyone for joining.