It's time to correct the record: A new phone message going out to voters in Congressional District 1 is incorrect and misleading about Congresswoman Berkley's impeccable record on supporting our troops.

The robocall, put out by Freedom's Watch, an ultra right wing front group controlled by Sheldon Adelson, incorrectly asserts that Berkley has voted against funding for troops in Iraq [http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jun/01/group-backed-adelson-picks-berkley-target/].

In fact, not only has Berkley has taken every opportunity to increase troop pay, she has been one of the most outspoken supporters of troops and veterans in Congress, voting for the largest veterans' health care funding increase in history, the Wounded Warrior Act to improve health care at Walter Reed Hospital, and the new GI Bill to give free college education to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans [http://www.speaker.gov/legislation?id=0205, http://www.speaker.gov/legislation?id=0154, http://www.speaker.gov/legislation?id=0203].

In addition to voting for every pay increase for troops and spearheading a new VA Hospital in North Las Vegas to serve Nevada's growing veterans population, Berkley has supported:

• The Family Medical Leave for Families of Soldiers Wounded in Combat, which would provide six months of unpaid, job-protected leave for families taking care of service members suffering from service-connected injury or illness.
• The 2008 Pay Raise for the Troops, giving all service members a 3.5 percent raise - 0.5 percent more than the President's budget - as well as special pay and bonuses to combat troops.
• The 2009 Pay Raise for the Troops, providing all service members with a pay raise of 3.9 percent, again 0.5 percent higher than the President's budget.
• The FY 2009 DOD Authorization, which took steps to expand suicide prevention in the Armed Forces and included extra provisions to expand quality housing for troops, increase family support programs, improve education for military children and pay a family separation allowance when both military parents are deployed at the same time.
• The Military Family Tax Relief, providing $1.3 billion in tax relief for military families to respond to economic hardships caused by deployments, plus permanent tax relief for service members receiving combat pay under the Earned Income Tax Credit.
• The Preserving the American Dream for Our Nation's Veterans bill, increasing VA Home Loan limits and helping returning soldiers avoid foreclosure by lengthening the time a lender must wait before starting foreclosure and protecting disabled veterans in bankruptcy.
• The 2009 Cost of Living Increase for Disabled Veterans.
• The Military Reservists and Veterans Small Business Reauthorization, which expands small business opportunities for veterans while strengthening relief for small businesses that employ National Guard or Reserve troops.

"Veterans would be lucky to have more friends in Congress like Shelley Berkley," said Sam Lieberman, chair of the Nevada Democratic Party. "It's very disappointing that - so early into the election cycle - Sheldon Adelson is playing games with the facts."