Republicans Block TRICARE/VA Amendment that Addresses their Concerns

[babylonsister]

http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3868

Republicans Block TRICARE/VA Amendment that Addresses their Concerns
by: Richard Allen Smith
Thu Mar 25, 2010 at 11:50:44 AM EDT


Even though nothing in the health care reform bill that recently passed the House of Representatives in any way indicated that VA or TRICARE benefits would be affected, or that anyone would have to pay a fine for those benefits being their source of health insurance, Republicans raised hell about it anyway. That's what they do. Make things up and feign outrage.

"Alright," said the Democrats. "We'll placate your fear-mongering based in fantasy." So the majority in the House passed a bill that explicitly stated that nothing would be effected in regards to VA or TRICARE benefits.

That must have angered Senate Republicans, because they decided to block the same measure in their Chamber. From a press release out of Senator Webb's office:

During a debate last night on health care legislation, Republicans blocked a motion by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) to provide immediate fixes to two areas of the law that would have clarified and protected coverage for millions of TRICARE and Veterans Administration beneficiaries.

Senator Webb put forward a motion to adopt two bills-S. 3148, his TRICARE Affirmation Act and S. 3162, sponsored by Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka-which garnered the cosponsorship of every Democratic Senator and five Republican Senators.

"If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle really want to fix this problem, we can and should fix it right now," Senator Webb said last night on the Senate floor. "I introduced a bill on Monday which already passed the House unanimously to protect TRICARE benefits. Today, Chairman Akaka introduced a bill to clarify that the health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs constitutes minimum essential coverage. I ask unanimous consent that we pass these two measures and not allow this issue to be tied up in the melodrama of the moment."

Webb continued: "The American people should understand that the Republicans blocked legislation that could have enacted into law immediately a permanent fix to this issue.

If you had any doubts previously, this should clear them up: on this issue, Republicans have no concern for Vets or military families. They are opposed to the health care reform legislation, which is fine with me if they want to have that opinion. What gets me angry is that they are playing politics with and fear-mongering those Vets and military families.

If they had any legitimate concern for reassuring us that our benefits would be protected, Republicans in the Senate would not have blocked the amendment. However, allowing it to pass would not support their fear-mongering narrative. Instead, they punted the Vets and military families that they use as a Political football.

Stay classy, Senate Republicans.

[Solly Mack]

1. I'll print out copies and pass'em around

K&R

[babylonsister]

3. Great! More people, especially rethugs, need to see how they're

being represented.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Why do chickenhawk Republicons hate our US Veterans?

I mean really? The republicons are led by a cabal that is virtually all chickenhawks who have not served America for even 5 minutes...and their overpaid corporate media propagandists (Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, O'Reilly, etc.) are all chickenhawks. And then -- over and over -- they do shit like this against our veterans. Totally shameful.

[Submariner]

4. Republicans solidly PROVED they are anti-Veterans forever in 2004

These images of a couple of hundred repukes at the 2004 RNC convention proved that they are FALSE PATRIOTS. They disparaged ALL Purple Heart recipients, in essence saying that if you do not believe in my rethuglican principles, then you are a phony wounded service man or service woman.






Republicans are unpatriotic cowards.

[LiberalFighter]

5. I was so hoping my Representative had voted against the Resolution.

It would had helped drive a nail thru the bastard's heart.

[Captain Hilts]

6. Priceless. nt