Local voters who bemoan the absence of bipartisanship in Congress and, particularly, veterans who rightly resent the false claims of charlatans regarding their imaginary but non-existent military service and/or awards, should welcome Gary Harmon’s report in this morning’s Sentinel:  “U.S. House approves reworked version of Stolen Valor Act”.

As Gary reported, this bill was first introduced by our former Democratic Congressman John Salazar and was signed into law by Republican President George W. Bush in 2005.

After the Stolen Valor Act was struck down as “overbroad” by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year, its language was modified to eliminate the Court’s objection – and has now passed again by a margin of 410-3.

As modified, the bill invokes the common law of fraud and criminalizes the “intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit” by falsely claiming to be the recipient of specified decorations and/or medals.

As our current Republican Representative Scott Tipton aptly observed, the revised bill could “better ensure that America’s true heroes are recognized for their valor, not fraud”.

Hopefully, the bill will promptly pass in the Senate (the likelihood of another Republican filibuster being remote), will be expeditiously signed into law by President Obama, and will pass constitutional muster in the Supreme Court should it be litigated there again.

As recent events in the Middle East and North Africa clearly demonstrate, “freedom is not free”.  Those who willingly lay their lives on the line for “duty, honor, Country” should not have their proven commitment diminished by dishonest would-be “heroes”.

                Bill Hugenberg