Excerpt:
The Senate would have liked to honor veterans on Veteran’s Day by passing a bill to improve veterans’ benefits and health programs. Thanks to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), the bill was put on hold.
The bill is known as the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 (S. 1963). According to Military.com, the centerpiece of S. 1963 is unprecedented support for family caregivers of severely wounded veterans, those injured since 9-11.
Sen. Coburn (R-OK) prevented the bill from coming to vote today by putting a hold on it, which a legislative tactic to prevent passage of a bill. He sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), saying that the bill needs to be fully debated because it will cost taxpayers an estimated $3.7 billion over the next five years and it is unclear how it will be funded.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called Coburn’s stance on the bill illogical, criticizing the Oklahoma Republican for supporting war funding while blocking health care funding for veterans. “Where was he when we were spending a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq?” Reid asked. “That wasn’t paid for. I didn’t hear him stopping the bill from going forward at that time. I think he should become more logical and understand we have people who are suffering.”
Perhaps the relatively modest $3.7 billion cost over five years for the Caregivers bill could be funded by diverting some of the $190 billion in supplemental war funding that is planned for 2010.
Did Harry Reid finally grow a pair?
Read more here: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-23316-Madison-Independent-Examiner~y2009m11d11-Caregiver-bill-for-veterans-put-on-hold