The VA Archives

Did You Know Republicans Blocked Money for Veterans Benefits This Year?

Yes, there are decades old problems at the VA, but over the last few weeks, Republicans have awoken from their deep sleep on these problems and, seeing an opportunity to blame Obama, they have all jumped on the three wheeled bandwagon.

However, in a shameful display of partisan obstruction, the Mitch McConnell led Senate Republicans a blocked a bill that would have improved veterans benefits.

Senate Republicans blocked the veterans bill by using a procedural maneuver to invoke the 60 vote rule. The final vote to waive the budget point of order failed, 56-41. Only two Republicans (Sen. Dean Heller and Sen. Jerry Moran) joined with Democrats on the vote.

Republicans claimed that they blocked the bill because Majority Leader Harry Reid would not allow an up or down vote on an amendment that would have attached sanctions on Iran to the bill.

Sen. Reid said, “I hope all the veterans groups have witnessed all the contortions the Republicans have done to defeat this bill. Shame on Republicans for bringing base politics into a bill to help veterans.”

Bernie Sanders Explain – The VA is Not The Problem, The Wars Are The Problem

It’s really quite simple, anyone should be able to understand. If there were no wars, then there’ll be no need for the VA. Still, Republicans can’t seem to get this simple logic.

They are constantly pushing for new invasions in new locations, desperately trying to prove to anyone watching that we have the biggest kahunas. Republicans keep whipping it out every chance they get, and they’re the first ones to cry fowl when the VA makes its way into the news cycle.

Well thank God Senator Bernie Sanders gets it and he explains it in a way even the two year old leaders in the Republican party should understand.

“The bottom line here, I would hope that as a country, is that we fully understand the cost of war. And Andrea let me tell you, I think many people do not. We’re not just talking about the thousands of people who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’re talking about 200,000 men and women who came home with PTSD and TBI. We’re talking about people who came home without legs, without arms, without hearing, and without eyesight, and if this country stands for anything, what we have got to say is that we are going to provide adequate funding to make sure that every person who is entitled to those healthcare services gets the best healthcare they can and they get it in a timely manner.”

Unfortunately, the two year olds in the Republican party aren’t listening. They’re too busy insisting that President Obama apologize one more time for the history of problems the VA has faced.

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