COMMON DEFENSE ENDORSES DR. ARATI KREIBICH FOR CONGRESS

Glen Rock, NJ – Today, Common Defense—a grassroots organization committed to engaging, organizing, training and mobilizing veterans to elect accountable leaders and promote progressive values in 2020 and beyond—endorsed Dr. Arati Kreibich for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th District. Common Defense previously endorsed incumbent Reps. Mikie Sherrill, Tom Malinowski, and Andy Kim, making Arati’s campaign the first and only primary challenger in New Jersey to earn the organization’s endorsement.

Common Defense Political Director Alexander McCoy, a USMC veteran, released this statement: “We are proud to support Dr. Arati Kreibich and North Jersey veterans with this endorsement. Arati’s opponent Rep. Josh Gottheimer was one of only eight Democrats to support Trump’s reckless Iran strike earlier this year; he sides with Trump so often he may as well not be a Democrat at all. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrates we need to elect leaders like Arati who support ending the Forever War while fighting for veterans and their healthcare, rather than waiting till after a tragedy like at the Paramus Veterans Memorial Home to call for an investigation.”

Dr. Arati Kreibich released the following statement: “As the sister of a veteran, I understand the unique challenges veterans face and the support that they need. Veterans’ homes in North Jersey have faced tragic outcomes throughout the COVID-19 crisis; they are chronically underfunded and have left countless veterans with inadequate mental health resources. I’m honored to have the support of Common Defense in our fight to elect a real Democrat in NJ-5 who will work to end the Forever War while supporting comprehensive mental healthcare through Medicare for All.”

Common Defense Executive Director Jose Vasquez will join Dr. Arati Kreibich and a panel of mental health advocates for a virtual townhall tomorrow to discuss the intersection of mental health and the COVID-19 crisis. Veterans face startlingly high rates of mental health challenges, which may be further exacerbated by self-imposed isolation during this pandemic.