Cassi Creek:
…”Democrats pointed to statements from several
major veterans groups and AIPAC, the influential pro-Israel lobbying group,
urging Republicans not to push for a vote on Iran on this bill.
The $21 billion bill, which was written
primarily by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, who chairs the veterans committee,
would improve veterans’ access to health care services, and expand educational
and job training programs for vets. It also aims to reduce the giant claims
backlog the Department of Veterans Affairs currently faces.
Sanders argued that “we still have a very long
way to go” to meet the needs of older veterans as well as the thousands of
service members recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. “
“Please do not inject extraneous issues in here
for totally political reasons. I think that’s unfair to American’s veterans,”
Sanders said during a floor speech this week. “Let’s not kill this bill because
of the same ol’, same ol’ partisan issues that we face.”
Republicans cited several concerns with the
bill, including its funding - money originally intended for the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan. They also complained the bill would open the VA’s health
services to any veteran regardless of whether their disability was service
related or if they had private insurance to cover it”…
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42964.pdf
Members of Congress
with military service: “At the beginning of the 113th Congress, there were 108
Members (20% of the total membership) who had served or were serving in the
military, 10 fewer than at the beginning of the 112th Congress (118 Members)
and 12 fewer than in the 111th Congress (120 members). According to lists
compiled by CQ Roll Call, the House currently has 88 veterans (including 2
female Members, as well as 2 Delegates); the Senate has 18.
These Members served
in World War II,30 the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War,
Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo, as well as during times of peace. Many have
served in the Reserves and the National Guard. Eight House Members and one
Senator are still serving in the Reserves, and six House Members are still serving
in the National Guard. Both of the female veterans are combat veterans. The
number of veterans in the 113th Congress reflects the trend of steady decline
in recent decades in the number of Members who have served in the military. For
example, 64% of the members of the 97th Congress (1981-1982) were veterans; and
in the 92nd Congress (1971-1972), 73% of the Members were veterans.
For summary
information on the demographics of Members in selected past Congresses, including
age trends, occupation backgrounds, military veteran status, and educational
attainment, please see CRS Report R42365, Representatives and Senators: Trends
in Member Characteristics
Since 1945, coordinated
by R. Eric Petersen.
I sent the following message to our GOP legislators this
morning. I may get a short note back
from Phil Roe. I will get only form
letters back from our two Senators who never wore the uniform.
“ I regard the failure
to pass this bill as a direct display of how little concern for veterans and
active duty troops actually exists in the ranks of the U,S. Senate. The GOP is quite willing to deploy troops
into ill-advised and even fraudulent wars, paying trillions of dollars to wage
these wars. The GOP members of the
Senate are willing to spend billions on weapons systems and for private
contractors, but are almost entirely opposed to providing any care for the
veterans of the wars they fund and otherwise support. The amount of money spent paying off Iraqi
and Afghani politicians, alone, would make a major difference for our veterans. So would the money paid to Halliburton, Blackwater,
and other private contractors.
Neither Senator from
Tennessee has served in the armed forces, much as is true for most states. I will vote against any national or state
candidate for office who does not support increased benefits and services for
veterans. “
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