Coburn (R) named as senator holding up vets bill

[DainBramaged]

Thirteen major military and veterans groups have joined forces to try to force one senator — Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma — to release a hold that he has placed on a major veterans benefits bill.

Coburn has been identified by Senate aides as the lawmaker preventing consideration of S 1963, the Veterans’ Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act of 2009, by using an informal but legal practice of putting a hold on a bill.

Coburn’s staff did not respond to questions, but Senate aides said the first-term senator has expressed concern about creating new and unfunded benefits and wants the opportunity to amend the measure.

One of Coburn’s suggestions is to divert money from unspent economic and job stimulus programs to cover costs of new benefits for veterans and their families, according to sources who have discussed the issue with Coburn’s staff.

So far, at least, Senate leaders don’t want to let Coburn offer any amendments because of the precedent that would set to delay other legislation. Actual funding for benefits traditionally is handled separately from the bills that authorize the benefits, Senate aides said.

Earlier this fall, Coburn placed holds on S 252, the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009, and S 728, the Veterans’ Insurance and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009, which led to the introduction of S 1963, which combines key provisions of the two earlier bills in an effort to get around Coburn’s opposition.

In a letter sent Monday night to the Senate majority leader, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the 13 military and veterans groups ask the Senate to get on with it.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/11/military_veteransbill_coburnhold_110309w/

[Horse with no Name]

1. I'm really sick of all the procedural crap that they can pull in their little club

This shit needs to stop.

[DainBramaged]

2. The GOP is doing EVERYTHING they can to obstruct EVERYTHING

and we were the good guys for YEARS. Makes you wonder what Harry Reid was really about.

[TankLV]

3. Harry is USELESS - he needs to LEARN about Johnson, Rayburn and O'Neil...

you know, someone with a BRAIN and a DESIRE to GET THINGS DONE!!!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

4. Why does Sen. Coburn hate our veterans?

:eyes: :wtf: :shrug:

[Hawkeye-X]

5. Might want to spread these words to vet groups and vet blogs

so they can march to DC and take a big fat dump on Coburn.

Hawkeye-X

[DainBramaged]

6. And the cowards are Un-recing the thread.........

I hate that shit, especially on a thread as important as this one is.....to the Vets, not to the fucking Pukes......

[The River]

7. Why Do Republicans

Hate the Military?

[pscot]

9. Because most of them never served

n/t

[Bitwit1234]

8. What I'd like to know is are all the politicans in

congress from OK as much of buttholes as the two senators.

[DainBramaged]

10. This needs attention today, please call this asshole

Washington D.C.:
172 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-5754
Fax: [phone]

Tulsa:
1800 South Baltimore
Suite 800
Tulsa, OK 74119
Main: 918-581-7651
Fax: [phone]

Oklahoma City:
100 North Broadway
Suite 1820
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Main: 405-231-4941
Fax: [phone]

[iceman66]

11. I guess they only "support the troops" when the President is a Republican!

[DainBramaged]

12. I JUST CALLED these idiots in Washington asking why the hold up

the woman who answered hemmed and hawed and stammered until I finally said 'spit it out' at which time she stated he's holding up the bill for 'finance considerations'. I stated loudly "THE ONE BILL YOU DON'T HOLD UP IS FUNDING FOR VETERANS" at which time she said she'd pass my concerns along and promptly Hung up.


Assholes abound in DC.

[DainBramaged]

13. Kick for the Vets, the Yanks just aren't as important folks