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2014/03/02 23:13:45
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Democrats’ plans to expand education and health benefits for veterans died in the Senate on Thursday after Republicans blocked the bill for not having a funding source and thus busting the budget all sides agreed to just two months ago.
Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent and chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, vowed to try again later. But without finding substantial spending cuts elsewhere, it’s unclear he’ll have any better luck.
“I don’t know why we have a Congress, why we pass laws that say we’re only going to spend so much money and then we waltz in a few weeks later and spend billions more than we agreed to and, oh, we’ll just waive the budget we just passed,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who led the Republican resistance.
Two Republicans did vote with 54 Democrats, but that left them still four votes shy of the 60 needed to waive the budget and advance the bill.
The 367-page bill would have expanded education benefits for survivors and new veterans, worked to reduce the Veterans Affairs claims backlog and opened VA care to more veterans. It was paid for primarily through war money that will not be spent as troops pull out of Afghanistan, which Republicans say is a gimmick.
Mr. Sanders acknowledged that the $21 billion price tag isn’t cheap, but said that pales in comparison to the cost of war for veterans and families who have sacrificed so much for the country. He painted the decision before colleagues as a choice between veterans and the wealthy.
“If you happen to meet a veteran who is trying to get by on $28,000, $30,000, $35,000 a year and you notice that the teeth in his mouth are rotting I want you to go up to that veteran and have the courage, the honesty to tell him that you believe the United States of America does not have the money to take care of his needs,” Mr. Sanders said. “But explain to him why you may have voted for more than $100 billion in tax breaks for the wealthiest.”
He said he’ll continue trying to win more Republican support, saying “we are not going to give up on our veterans, and at some point we are going to pass this legislation.”
The two Republicans who voted with Democrats to waive the budget agreement were Sens. Dean Heller of Nevada and Jerry Moran of Kansas.
While the veterans bill died over budget questions, Republicans had also objected to Democrats’ decision to block out all amendments to it, thus denying Republicans a chance to debate stiffer sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program.
Republicans have been trying to force a vote on sanctions for months, and have been seeking any opportunity. In response, Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, has locked out amendments from either party, further hurting chances for cooperation.
Veterans’ groups called for Congress to focus on helping veterans, not partisan political games, and criticized senators for their “shenanigans” after the vote on Thursday.
“Republicans blame Democrats. Democrats blame Republicans. And veterans are caught in the crossfire,” said Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “Veterans don’t have time for this nonsense.”
Sen. Richard M. Burr, North Carolina Republican, wanted to offer an alternative to Mr. Sanders‘ bill that included increased sanctions on Iran if it backs out of an interim agreement to scale back its nuclear weapon research.
Republicans said if Mr. Reid had allowed a vote on Iran sanctions, it would pass with overwhelming bipartisan support. Mr. Reid, however, has said he wants to give President Obama room to conduct diplomacy without having Congress interfere.
I'm not quite sure what side to take on this personally. I do want there to be more veterans benefits though, they do deserve it.
Homosexuality is the #1 cause of gay marriage.
kronk wrote: Every pizza is a personal sized pizza if you try hard enough and believe in yourself.
sebster wrote: Yes, indeed. What a terrible piece of cultural imperialism it is for me to say that a country shouldn't murder its own citizens
BaronIveagh wrote: Basically they went from a carrot and stick to a smaller carrot and flanged mace.
2014/03/02 23:19:01
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Armies: Space Marines, IG, Tyranids, Eldar, Necrons, Orks, Dark Eldar.
I am the best 40k player in my town, I always win! Of course, I am the only player of 40k in my town.
Democrats’ plans to expand education and health benefits for veterans died in the Senate on Thursday after Republicans blocked the bill for not having a funding source and thus busting the budget all sides agreed to just two months ago.
Got that
It was paid for primarily through war money that will not be spent as troops pull out of Afghanistan, which Republicans say is a gimmick.
We were borrowing money to finance OIF/OEF...The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Mr. Sanders acknowledged that the $21 billion price tag isn’t cheap, but said that pales in comparison to the cost of war for veterans and families who have sacrificed so much for the country. He painted the decision before colleagues as a choice between veterans and the wealthy.
“If you happen to meet a veteran who is trying to get by on $28,000, $30,000, $35,000 a year and you notice that the teeth in his mouth are rotting I want you to go up to that veteran and have the courage, the honesty to tell him that you believe the United States of America does not have the money to take care of his needs,” Mr. Sanders said. “But explain to him why you may have voted for more than $100 billion in tax breaks for the wealthiest.”
VA Dental. A certain point after discharge with Tricare. Is it a new program? Or funding for the other two?
The two Republicans who voted with Democrats to waive the budget agreement were Sens. Dean Heller of Nevada and Jerry Moran of Kansas.
While the veterans bill died over budget questions, Republicans had also objected to Democrats’ decision to block out all amendments to it, thus denying Republicans a chance to debate stiffer sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program.
I much prefer a clean bill then stuffing "Pork" into it.
“Republicans blame Democrats. Democrats blame Republicans. And veterans are caught in the crossfire,” said Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “Veterans don’t have time for this nonsense.”
Nothing new
Proud Member of the Infidels of OIF/OEF
No longer defending the US Military or US Gov't. Just going to ""**feed into your fears**"" with Duffel Blog Did not fight my way up on top the food chain to become a Vegan...
Warning: Stupid Allergy
Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend
DE 6700
Harlequin 2500
RIP Muhammad Ali.
Jihadin, Scorched Earth 791. Leader of the Pork Eating Crusader. Alpha
2014/03/03 00:29:09
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
We could take some of the military's $682 billion and spend it on this. That way the vets get their benefits and we don't pay any extra. But nooo, we can't have sensible solutions now can we? Fething Congress.
Homosexuality is the #1 cause of gay marriage.
kronk wrote: Every pizza is a personal sized pizza if you try hard enough and believe in yourself.
sebster wrote: Yes, indeed. What a terrible piece of cultural imperialism it is for me to say that a country shouldn't murder its own citizens
BaronIveagh wrote: Basically they went from a carrot and stick to a smaller carrot and flanged mace.
2014/03/03 00:36:27
Subject: Re:Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Proud Member of the Infidels of OIF/OEF
No longer defending the US Military or US Gov't. Just going to ""**feed into your fears**"" with Duffel Blog Did not fight my way up on top the food chain to become a Vegan...
Warning: Stupid Allergy
Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend
DE 6700
Harlequin 2500
RIP Muhammad Ali.
Jihadin, Scorched Earth 791. Leader of the Pork Eating Crusader. Alpha
2014/03/03 00:40:05
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Co'tor Shas wrote: We could take some of the military's $682 billion and spend it on this. That way the vets get their benefits and we don't pay any extra. But nooo, we can't have sensible solutions now can we? Fething Congress.
Your about 160 billion off on your number. 2014's budget for the DoD was 526 billion. That includes money for OCO's (Afghanistan, etc.).
Full Frontal Nerdity
2014/03/03 00:47:51
Subject: Re:Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Co'tor Shas wrote: We could take some of the military's $682 billion and spend it on this. That way the vets get their benefits and we don't pay any extra. But nooo, we can't have sensible solutions now can we? Fething Congress.
Your about 160 billion off on your number. 2014's budget for the DoD was 526 billion. That includes money for OCO's (Afghanistan, etc.).
Silly me, that was the 2013 numbers . But still.
Homosexuality is the #1 cause of gay marriage.
kronk wrote: Every pizza is a personal sized pizza if you try hard enough and believe in yourself.
sebster wrote: Yes, indeed. What a terrible piece of cultural imperialism it is for me to say that a country shouldn't murder its own citizens
BaronIveagh wrote: Basically they went from a carrot and stick to a smaller carrot and flanged mace.
2014/03/03 02:38:50
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Co'tor Shas wrote: We could take some of the military's $682 billion and spend it on this. That way the vets get their benefits and we don't pay any extra. But nooo, we can't have sensible solutions now can we? Fething Congress.
Your about 160 billion off on your number. 2014's budget for the DoD was 526 billion. That includes money for OCO's (Afghanistan, etc.).
Silly me, that was the 2013 numbers . But still.
Still what? They already took a massive axe to our budget. They are continuing to do so.
We have a job to do believe it or not. It's not like we just sit around all day long doing nothing. The less money we have to do it with, the less likely it is to get done.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/03/03 02:39:29
Full Frontal Nerdity
2014/03/03 02:42:14
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Co'tor Shas wrote: We could take some of the military's $682 billion and spend it on this. That way the vets get their benefits and we don't pay any extra. But nooo, we can't have sensible solutions now can we? Fething Congress.
Your about 160 billion off on your number. 2014's budget for the DoD was 526 billion. That includes money for OCO's (Afghanistan, etc.).
Silly me, that was the 2013 numbers . But still.
Still what? They already took a massive axe to our budget. They are continuing to do so.
We have a job to do believe it or not. It's not like we just sit around all day long doing nothing. The less money we have to do it with, the less likely it is to get done.
But there is still enough money for veterans benefits was my point.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/03/03 02:42:29
Homosexuality is the #1 cause of gay marriage.
kronk wrote: Every pizza is a personal sized pizza if you try hard enough and believe in yourself.
sebster wrote: Yes, indeed. What a terrible piece of cultural imperialism it is for me to say that a country shouldn't murder its own citizens
BaronIveagh wrote: Basically they went from a carrot and stick to a smaller carrot and flanged mace.
2014/03/03 02:49:34
Subject: Re:Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Co'tor Shas wrote: We could take some of the military's $682 billion and spend it on this. That way the vets get their benefits and we don't pay any extra. But nooo, we can't have sensible solutions now can we? Fething Congress.
Your about 160 billion off on your number. 2014's budget for the DoD was 526 billion. That includes money for OCO's (Afghanistan, etc.).
Silly me, that was the 2013 numbers . But still.
Still what? They already took a massive axe to our budget. They are continuing to do so.
We have a job to do believe it or not. It's not like we just sit around all day long doing nothing. The less money we have to do it with, the less likely it is to get done.
But there is still enough money for veterans benefits was my point.
How do you know?
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Ouze wrote: Not sure what the point of a budget is if you're going to propose new spending not covered by it.
Exactly. BUt, it's par for the course in Congress.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/03/03 02:50:46
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!
2014/03/03 03:01:31
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Co'tor Shas wrote: We could take some of the military's $682 billion and spend it on this. That way the vets get their benefits and we don't pay any extra. But nooo, we can't have sensible solutions now can we? Fething Congress.
Your about 160 billion off on your number. 2014's budget for the DoD was 526 billion. That includes money for OCO's (Afghanistan, etc.).
Silly me, that was the 2013 numbers . But still.
Still what? They already took a massive axe to our budget. They are continuing to do so.
We have a job to do believe it or not. It's not like we just sit around all day long doing nothing. The less money we have to do it with, the less likely it is to get done.
But there is still enough money for veterans benefits was my point.
How do you know?
An educated guess. $526,000,000,000 is a lot. There has got to be something that could be trimmed/cut.
Homosexuality is the #1 cause of gay marriage.
kronk wrote: Every pizza is a personal sized pizza if you try hard enough and believe in yourself.
sebster wrote: Yes, indeed. What a terrible piece of cultural imperialism it is for me to say that a country shouldn't murder its own citizens
BaronIveagh wrote: Basically they went from a carrot and stick to a smaller carrot and flanged mace.
2014/03/03 03:04:18
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Co'tor Shas wrote: We could take some of the military's $682 billion and spend it on this. That way the vets get their benefits and we don't pay any extra. But nooo, we can't have sensible solutions now can we? Fething Congress.
Your about 160 billion off on your number. 2014's budget for the DoD was 526 billion. That includes money for OCO's (Afghanistan, etc.).
Silly me, that was the 2013 numbers . But still.
Still what? They already took a massive axe to our budget. They are continuing to do so.
We have a job to do believe it or not. It's not like we just sit around all day long doing nothing. The less money we have to do it with, the less likely it is to get done.
But there is still enough money for veterans benefits was my point.
How do you know?
An educated guess. $526,000,000,000 is a lot. There has got to be something that could be trimmed/cut.
Of all government departments... military benefits ought to be one of the last places to look to cut/reduce.
Sure, the provisioning aspect needs to be overhauled, but there are opportunities outside of the military budget to save.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/03/03 03:04:38
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!
2014/03/03 03:07:54
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Co'tor Shas wrote: We could take some of the military's $682 billion and spend it on this. That way the vets get their benefits and we don't pay any extra. But nooo, we can't have sensible solutions now can we? Fething Congress.
Your about 160 billion off on your number. 2014's budget for the DoD was 526 billion. That includes money for OCO's (Afghanistan, etc.).
Silly me, that was the 2013 numbers . But still.
Still what? They already took a massive axe to our budget. They are continuing to do so.
We have a job to do believe it or not. It's not like we just sit around all day long doing nothing. The less money we have to do it with, the less likely it is to get done.
But there is still enough money for veterans benefits was my point.
How do you know?
An educated guess. $526,000,000,000 is a lot. There has got to be something that could be trimmed/cut.
Of all government departments... military benefits ought to be one of the last places to look to cut/reduce.
Sure, the provisioning aspect needs to be overhauled, but there are opportunities outside of the military budget to save.
Well yes, you could do that. In fact our whole government needs to be looked over, but with such a divided congress and so many special interests that's practically impossible. That leaves us with the only way of getting money as a great boost in the economy increasing tax dollars or raising taxes, the prior not likely to happen any time soon and the latter nobody wants.
Homosexuality is the #1 cause of gay marriage.
kronk wrote: Every pizza is a personal sized pizza if you try hard enough and believe in yourself.
sebster wrote: Yes, indeed. What a terrible piece of cultural imperialism it is for me to say that a country shouldn't murder its own citizens
BaronIveagh wrote: Basically they went from a carrot and stick to a smaller carrot and flanged mace.
2014/03/03 03:10:26
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Here is a daring thought, stop paying for private contractors, I mean mercenaries to fight for the US and private interests. I bet we save billions there.
30% of Americans believe the sun rotates around the Earth. We have bigger problems than wars we can't win and should have never started.
I think there is a ton of money that can be cut in the military. I think its a bloated, wasteful, giant machine and the people funding it are often more concerned about pork barrel projects in their districts instead of the actual needs of the military. Slash away at the military all you want, you won't find me arguing about any of that.
But if you decide to use the military and put our soldiers in harms way causing psychological and physical injuries that will be with them for the rest of their lives, then you better be damn well prepared to hold up your end of the bargain and provide for them and give them what was promised to them when you decided to play God with their lives.
As much as I am critical of the military, you take care of those that served.
2014/03/03 03:43:21
Subject: Re:Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Yeah, I feel what D said. I have no problem with, as the earlier phrase went, "taking a massive axe to the budget"; because you don't ramp up the budget over 10 years to fight 2 simultaneous wars and then at the end go "well, this is the new normal".
I don't know who can look at this and say with a straight face that this isn't a prioritization problem:
(I can't find a nice pie chart of the actual, vs proposed, numbers)
However, veterans benefits are a different area entirely.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/03/03 03:51:04
lord_blackfang wrote: Respect to the guy who subscribed just to post a massive ASCII dong in the chat and immediately get banned.
Flinty wrote: The benefit of slate is that its.actually a.rock with rock like properties. The downside is that it's a rock
2014/03/03 03:45:36
Subject: Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Ouze wrote: Yeah, I feel what D said. I have no problem with, as the earlier phrase went, "taking an axe to the budget"; because you don't ramp up the budget over 10 years to fight 2 simultaneous wars and then at the end go "well, this is the new normal".
I don't know who can look at this and say with a straight face that this isn't a prioritization problem:
However, veterans benefits are a different area entirely.
What does it look like when NOT fighting two wars?
Automatically Appended Next Post:
cincydooley wrote: While I completely think our vets should be given top notch, priority service, I'll ask the dumb question:
Why not thru Obamacare. Seriously?
Because they offer separate healthcare as part of their benefits. (Tricare?)
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/03/03 03:50:03
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!
2014/03/03 03:51:38
Subject: Re:Expanded veterans benefits bill fails in Senate
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
Ouze wrote: Yeah, I feel what D said. I have no problem with, as the earlier phrase went, "taking an axe to the budget"; because you don't ramp up the budget over 10 years to fight 2 simultaneous wars and then at the end go "well, this is the new normal".
I don't know who can look at this and say with a straight face that this isn't a prioritization problem:
However, veterans benefits are a different area entirely.
It should be clarified that that is NOT the total federal budget. Only what is called discretionary spending. Which is a flawed way to look at the problem.
Discretionary spending is a very small portion of the total budget.
This more similar to what the actual budget looks like.
Social Security, Unemployment, Labor, Medicare and Health are where all the money is for cutting. 58% of all the money spent goes here. Only 18% goes to the military.
The Military, while they do have some wasteful areas, are nowhere near the cash hogs that people think they are.
We will never solve our deficit problems by focusing on Discretionary spending. We need to go after the real culprits.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/03/03 03:59:35
Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
Well mine was pulled off google under President's proposed 2013 budget. Only for comparison to show that only using discretionary spending is a dishonest way of portraying the budget.
Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
Fething Congress.
. But still.
1850 0 - 0 - 0
Marines 1850 1 - 0 - 0
210 points Trolls 9 - 0 - 3 
