Browse the latest Headlines from trusted So much for those über-patriotic, military-supporting, love-our-vets Republicans.
“After everything our veterans have done for us, the least we can do is make sure they are afforded every opportunity to thrive here at home.”
So said U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) a week ago, right after Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would have established a $1 billion veterans’ jobs program. He was one of only five Republicans to vote for the bill. According to CBS (emphasis mine):
Republicans said the spending authorized in the bill violated limits that Congress agreed to last year. Democrats fell two votes shy of the 60-vote majority needed to waive the objection, forcing the legislation back to committee.
But the Examiner reports:
PA Congressman [Patrick] Murphy… said yesterday’s vote was another example of Republicans stopping “at nothing to favor those at the very top at the expense of everyone else.” The bill, he said, was “fully paid for, didn’t raise taxes or increase the debt.”
This after Republicans just recently voted to require the President to replace billions in planned Pentagon cuts before the sequester kicks in in January. Now, to add insult to injury, Politicususa reports this week:
A Republican senator is using an anonymous hold to block the traditionally bipartisan cost of living adjustment that is given to America’s disabled veterans and their survivors.
The anonymous senator used an informal custom referred to as a hold, which allows any member of the Senate to stop legislation from coming to the floor for a vote by notifying and getting agreement from the party leadership for their intentions.
The Republican party leadership agreed to the hold. The Senate voted to end anonymous holds at the beginning of the 112th Congress, prompting Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to declare at the time:
“No longer will senators be able to hold up legislation anonymously. From now on, they’re going to have to own it.”
That lasted a mere 5 months. Regarding this current hold, Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee, released this statement:
“This is stunning, particularly because we still don’t have any indication why someone would block a cost-of-living adjustment for veterans and their surviving spouses, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet.
This adjustment for our disabled veterans is hard earned and well deserved. My hope is that whichever senator has decided to hold up this bill will at least come forward to own up to it. That way we can move forward to overcome their oppositions and get our veterans the support they need.”
Blocking this cost of living increase is disgusting enough by itself; to do it anonymously makes this person a gutless coward, who doesn’t belong in public office representing anybody. Americans deserve to know who this Senator is, and they need to call all Republicans out for their phony, hollow patriotism.
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