Washington Protest Echoes Objection Recently Raised By Taitague Right Here In The Territory

By Jeff Marchesseault

GUAM - A Hawaii newspaper is reporting that a Republican from Oklahoma is blocking healthcare benefits for Guam and Hawaii's veterans. That may be true, but proponents of the new veterans healthcare legislation in Washington have reportedly failed to identify funding for the new programs spelled out in the $3.7 billion bill. This week a senator on Guam also called fellow lawmakers to task for proposing laws without doing their homework on available funding.

Senator Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, himself an award-winning champion of veterans benefits and a practicing physician who cares for wounded warriors, is the lone wolf in Congress howling for fiscal responsibility on the "Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act". The Honolulu Advertiser reports that Coburn chose the week of Veterans Day to block the legislation with a Senate procedure known as a "hold."

Democratic Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka, Chairman of the Veteran's Affairs Committee, is one of the bill's most ardent supporters. In an emotional speech before Senate colleagues, Akaka complained that the bi-partisan bill is at the mercy of Coburn and Coburn alone.

"This vitally important veterans' health bill is being held up by a single senator," said Akaka. "Each day that this measure is delayed means that vital benefits for veterans are delayed."

But Akaka seems more caught up in a rush to make dramatic appearances claiming a fight for underdogs than he is in passing a responsible piece of legislation with the teeth to deliver actual, on-the-ground results for veterans.

The Advertiser reports:

Coburn insisted that even the best intentions on Capitol Hill must be paid for.

"I believe we have an obligation to meet the needs of all our nation's wounded veterans," Coburn wrote in a letter to the Democratic Senate leadership. "I do, however, oppose any increase in federal spending that is not paid for, and increases the debt burden on our children."

With bi-partisan pressure to conform during a time when veterans issues have reached a fever pitch in our nation with deadly wars raging in Iraq and Afghanistan and a shooting spree that killed 13 soldiers in Fort Hood, Texas just before Veterans Day,  the senator from Oklahoma should be commended for not giving into the emotion of the moment and allowing unfunded legislation to pass into law. His message is clear and sincere: don't spend what you can't pay for. Good advice for any government, business or person who handles money.

Coburn's concerns echo sensible legislation recently introduced by local Republican Senator Telo Taitague on Guam earlier this week. Taitague aims to strengthen laws already on the books that require lawmakers to identify funding sources for their legislation before formally submitting it in bill form. Taitague insists that her colleagues have fallen into a bad habit of introducing legislation without figuring out how to pay for it.

Read the Guam News Factor story, "Guam Senator Seeks To End The Practice Of Proposing Laws Without Identifying How To Pay For Them", November 9, 2009.

Read the Honolulu Advertiser article, "Hawaii senator's new benefits for veterans blocked by Republican: Oklahoma's Coburn says he opposes any unfunded spending", November 12, 2009.

Here are news releases from Senators Coburn and Akaka spelling out their views on the "Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act":

November 9, 2009

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released the following statement today regarding the Senate's refusal to pay for S. 1963, the "Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act," by eliminating lower-priority programs.

"I support many of the goals of this legislation but we simply cannot continue to spend billions on new programs without paying for them. If Senators would pay for this program and make a few common sense changes this bill could pass the Senate today. Unfortunately, bill sponsors are more interested in holding press conferences and playing political games than doing the hard work of legislating," Dr. Coburn said. "For instance, the Veterans Appropriations bill that is on the floor right now doesn't provide a dime to pay for this program which means politicians are making a hollow promise to veterans."

"Our nation's veterans have made tremendous sacrifices in defense of our freedoms. The least Senators should do is make the easy sacrifice of eliminating a small amount of wasteful spending to improve veterans' health care. Leadership, after all, is making sacrifices and hard choices. Veterans and every family in America make hard choices every day between competing financial priorities. It's time for politicians in Washington to do the same," Dr. Coburn said.

Dr. Coburn has sent bill sponsors a list of proposed offsets to pay this bill. So far, Senators have not agreed to eliminate a single lower-priority program to serve our nation's veterans.

"The American people and our veterans understand that our spending problem has become a national security problem. We are borrowing massive sums from potential adversaries and are watching the value of the dollar decline because other nation's doubt our ability and willingness to pay off our $12 trillion debt. If we don't start making hard choices we may not have a country left to defend," Dr. Coburn said.

Dr. Coburn is also concerned that S. 1963 discriminates against Vietnam veterans, Gulf War I veterans, and World War II veterans, all of whom are excluded from this program. The bill also duplicates some existing programs which are designed to help veterans who need care in their homes rather than nursing homes or hospitals. More background on Dr. Coburn's concerns is here.

Tom Coburn's Official 'Issues Statement' On Veterans

As a member of the Senate, my commitment to our veterans has remained firm. I have supported fiscally reponsible efforts to increase spending on veterans' health care. I also supported an amendment to increase the military death gratuity to $100,000 for members of the Armed Forces on active duty after October 7, 2000. I have consistently voted to expand funding for medical care, long-term care and extended care programs. In fact, in a report by the national Disabled American Veterans (DAV), I was ranked number one in the Oklahoma delegation for having co-sponsored the most veteran's bills.

As a practicing physician, I have personally cared for hundreds of Oklahoma veterans. While a member of the House of Representatives, I consistently voted to protect and increase funding for veterans health programs. In fact, I offered an amendment that increased veteran's health care funding more than $300 million by shifting resources away from bureaucracy to direct patient care. Time and again, I voted to expand funding for medical care, long-term care, and extended care programs.

It is important we remember the sacrifices these brave men and women have made to protect our freedom. Veterans have made a commitment to our nation and our nation must keep its commitment to those who sacrificed to keep us free. However, spending more money is far from a cure-all solution. Only by addressing the structural challenges in our health care system will we improve health care for veterans and all Americans.

Part of the solution, I believe, should begin with giving our military personnel a dose of what they are fighting for overseas – freedom. Our soldiers and veterans should be empowered to make choices, not forced to navigate a rigid health care bureaucracy that makes decisions for them. If you are a veteran and need assistance, I encourage you to contact Pat Guinn in my Tulsa office at (918) 581-7651. Pat is a veteran of the Army and Army National Guard who is exclusively dedicated to assisting veterans and active military with problems they might have.

Chairman Akaka Calls for Passage of Caregiver and Veterans Health Services Act

Legislation To help Wounded Veterans, Caregivers, Homeless Veterans, Women Veterans And Rural Veterans Currently Blocked By A Single Senator

November 6, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, spoke on the Senate floor today calling for immediate passage of S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009. This bill merges two omnibus veterans' health bills which passed the Committee with unanimous bipartisan support, but which have been blocked by a lone Senator. Committee Members Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mark Begich (D-AK) also delivered floor speeches today calling for the passage of this vital legislation.

Chairman Akaka's Senate floor statement as prepared for delivery:

Mr. President, I have come to the floor today to discuss an important veterans' bill. Before I do so, I wish to express my great sadness about the horrible tragedy yesterday at Fort Hood. My thoughts and prayers are with those wounded, the families of those killed, and to all the soldiers and civilians defending our great nation at Fort Hood.

Mr. President, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I take my responsibility to the nation's veterans very seriously. We are an active Committee and are working hard to make improvements in VA care and benefits. I am delighted to note that the President signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 into law last month. This measure will provide timely and predictable funding for the veterans health care system. I'm grateful to all who worked on this, including the Committee's Ranking Member, and the Veterans Service Organizations that made this one of their priorities.

Despite this success, we, as a Committee, have not been able to achieve action on S. 1963, the proposed "Caregiver and Veterans Health Services Act of 2009". This vitally important veterans' health bill is being held up by a single senator. Each day that this measure is delayed means that vital benefits for veterans are delayed. This is a bi-partisan bill, the provisions of which were reported by the Committee as S.801 and S. 252, with the full support of our Ranking Member, Senator Burr.

This bill is supported by many veterans' organizations, including The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Various other advocates support this bill, as well, including the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs, the Brain Injury Association of America, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and many others.

By blocking S. 1963, this single senator is denying veterans many benefits and services.

One of the key benefits is caregiver assistance for our most seriously wounded veterans. The Committee continues to hear about family members who quit their jobs, go through their savings, and lose their health insurance as they stay home to care for their wounded family members. For those family members who manage to keep their jobs, their employers, including many small businesses already struggling in these economic times, lose money from absenteeism and declining productivity.

The toll on the caregivers who try to do it all can be measured in higher rates of depression, and poor health as they struggle to care for these wounded warriors, an obligation that ultimately belongs to the government. This legislation fulfills VA's obligation to care for the nation's wounded veterans by providing their caregivers with counseling, support, and a living stipend. The measure also provides health care to the family caregivers of injured veterans. These caregivers deserve our support and assistance. As a representative of the Wounded Warrior project said in testimony before the Committee, "The time has surely come to create a robust, nationwide wounded warrior family caregiver program to address the urgent needs of these family members." S. 1963 creates such a program.

By blocking S. 1963, this senator is also blocking benefits specifically for women veterans. This bill, and Senator Murray has been a leader on this, would do a number of things, such as increase funding for mental health care for women who suffered military sexual trauma, and for medical services for newborn children.

With the help of Senator Tester, this bill also would improve access to care in rural areas. States which have an especially high number of veterans living in rural areas, such Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, Virginia, Idaho, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, would benefit greatly from these programs.

Mr. President, the bill also attacks another problem - that of homeless veterans. On any given night we know that more than 130,000 veterans are homeless. We know that homelessness is often a consequence of multiple factors, including unstable family support, job loss, and health problems. S. 1963 would also create programs to help ease the burden of veteran homelessness, including programs aimed at outreach, so veterans know that they are eligible for benefits.

This lone senator also is blocking provisions that would improve quality controls for VA health care, from the facility level to the national level. Two years ago, the VA hospital in Marion, Illinois had nine veterans die following surgery. The VA's Inspector General found that the Marion VA's quality controls were not adequate to ensure that veterans received good quality care. This month, the IG published another report on the Marion hospital, finding that it still did not have adequate quality controls. It is time for this body to act, so that no more veterans receive less than the best care VA can provide. Senator Durbin drafted provisions in this bill that will help improve overall quality management so as to help fix the problems at Marion and other facilities.

S. 1963 would provide uniform allowances for VA police officers. Many organizations have expressed support for these provisions, including the Fraternal Order of Police. VA police officers ensure the security of veterans and their families while they are visiting VA hospitals and clinics. To refuse to provide for these officers because it is too expensive is not only penny-wise and pound-foolish, it cheapens the sacrifices of these uniformed officers and the nation's veterans who are protected by them.

Mr. President, while I understand that the senator who is refusing to agree to allow this bill to go forward questions the cost of the underlying bill. I would say that we cannot now turn our back on the obligation to care for those who fought in those efforts. When we, as a body, vote to send American troops to war, we are promising to care for them when they return. I firmly believe the cost of veterans' benefits and services is a true cost of war and must be treated as such.

We are preparing to observe Veterans Day. Let us remember that we owe our veterans our gratitude and appreciation year round, and not merely on the day set aside for the commemoration of their service and sacrifice. It would be truly disgraceful if veterans were made to feel forgotten, except for this one day per year. Indeed, our gratitude should be as steadfast as the great monuments that Americans have built in commemoration of the very service and sacrifices our veterans made.

There should be no ambivalence in our attitude toward those who serve in the United States Armed Forces, and this legislation should be immediately cleared by the Senate.

Thank you.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

Comments

Add New Search

Write comment

Name: Email:  do not notifynotify Website: Title: UBBCode:         -color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge     Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Michael Giannetti   |2009-11-15 07:55:18 This bill is at the door step of being passed. To have this bill die and force to re-introduce it in 2010. Then speeches to veterans and groups should be put on hold till then. I thought there was a way to go around him, if so your wasting daylight, just do it. There are more pork barrel bills that should have stopped thru the years and never were. lets pass a good one. Reply | Quote 0   0

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."