Democrats voted Monday on a 91-page party platform that maps out a continuance of President Joe Biden's foreign policy and military commitments and calls for meeting a "sacred obligation" to care for troops, families and veterans.
The nine-chapter platform, approved by the Democratic National Committee's platform committee on July 16 -- five days before Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris nearly as soon as he halted his campaign, focuses on the administration's accomplishments and takes swipes at GOP nominee former President Donald Trump, arguing for continued Democratic leadership.
While the platform largely centers on issues such as the economy, abortion and reproductive rights, inequality and immigration, it also harkens back to Biden's 2022 State of the Union speech, addressing the president's "unity agenda" of policies such as cancer research, drug abuse, mental health and veterans that traditionally have been supported by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
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According to the platform, "President Biden believes that our nation has no more sacred obligation than providing for our military service members when they're sent into harm's way and caring for them and their families after they come home," while Trump "called members of the military who died in war 'suckers' and 'losers.'"
Trump has denied making the comments, which were reported by The Atlantic in 2020 and confirmed in 2023 by Trump's former chief of staff, retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly.
"President Biden signed into law more than 30 bipartisan bills addressing critical issues facing veterans, service members, and families today," including the PACT Act, the expansion of health care and benefits for veterans exposed to environmental pollutants overseas, the platform states.
As part of the platform, the Democrats pledged to increase support for veterans' mental health and legal and financial stability; prioritize implementation of military justice reform to protect victims of sexual assault and violent crime in the military; decrease veteran homelessness and crack down on fraud against veterans; improve Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities; and improve military spouse employment and access to child care.
"Properly investing in our military also means first and foremost investing in those who are the bedrock of it: our service members," the platform reads.
In 2021, the Biden administration relaunched Joining Forces, an initiative co-founded in 2011 by then-first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden to support military personnel, veterans and their families, focusing on improving military spouse employment, child care services and education.
Last year, Jill Biden visited 10 military installations as part of the initiative, saying that supporting military and veterans' spouse employment is a "national security imperative."
"Our service members shouldn't have to choose between their love of our country and their love of family," Jill Biden said in June during a visit to Fort Liberty, North Carolina.
In terms of foreign policy, the Democratic platform pledges continued help to Ukraine in its war against Russia, supports Israel against Hamas and calls for a cease-fire and two-state solution for Palestinians, and for the U.S. to be "tough but smart" toward China through economic strength at home and supporting allies in the Indo-Pacific region. It also expresses interest in working with China to tackle global concerns such as climate change and drug trafficking.
In their platform approved last month, Republicans vowed to "return peace through strength" by ensuring that the country's military is the strongest and best-equipped in the world, but also saying the military would be used "only in clear instances where our national interests are threatened."
The Republicans said they would counter China, defeat terrorism, build a missile defense system for the U.S., revive the defense industrial base and secure the borders.
"We will invest in cutting-edge research and advanced technologies, including an Iron Dome Missile Defense Shield, support our troops with higher pay, and get woke left-wing Democrats fired as soon as possible," they wrote, referring to progressive ideology and policies they say are out of sync with the beliefs of the majority of Americans.
The Democratic National Convention is being held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago. Prior to the largely ceremonial platform vote on Monday, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, co-chair of the convention platform committee, said the platform is a "forward-looking vision for our party that echoes the voice of all."
Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, co-chair of the DNC's platform committee, said the document spells out a "bold vision for our future."
"[Our platform] makes a strong statement about the historic work that President Biden and Vice President Harris have accomplished hand-in-hand," Landrieu said.
Whether any veterans besides presumptive vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will speak is not known; a full list of speakers has not been released.
Relatives of some of the 13 U.S. service members killed during the withdrawal from Afghanistan spoke at the Republican National Convention in July in Milwaukee. Biden has been sharply criticized for the chaotic withdrawal that resulted in the troops' deaths and an estimated 170 others by a suicide bomber at the Kabul airport in 2021.
In October 2020, Trump tweeted that he planned to complete the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan by Christmas that year, but he did not accomplish the task.
In the keystone speech of the night, Joe Biden recounted his administration's successes, including passage of the PACT Act -- in making an argument that the nation should support Harris.
"I was so proud to have written and signed the PACT Act, one of the most significant laws ever, helping veterans and their families exposed to toxic materials like burn pits and Agent Orange," Biden said. "It's already helping over one million veterans and their families just so far. Well, I love them, and I'm so proud of my son's service."
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