GOP blocked cost-of-living adjustment for veterans

[Carne Seca]

The chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee complained Thursday that an unnamed Republican senator blocked a bill last week to provide veterans with an annual cost-of-living adjustment, a maneuver that could delay payments for recipients.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) brought the bill to the floor Sept. 21. The bill was cleared by Democrats but was held up by an unidentified Republican, according to her office. The Senate subsequently recessed without passing the bill.


Under Senate rules requiring unanimous consent, a single senator can block legislation by privately placing a hold on the bill.


The bill, HR 4114, was passed by the House in July and is intended to provide more than 3.9 million veterans and their survivors with a cost-of-living adjustment to disability compensation and benefits meant to offset inflation and other factors, according to Murray’s office. The bill normally passes each year without controversy.


With the Senate out of session until Nov. 13, the legislation will have to be passed immediately to provide the increase in time for January’s disability checks, according to Murray’s office.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday afternoon that for VA to pay the December adjustment as scheduled on Jan. 1, Congress would have to pass the COLA by Nov. 13.


“Should Congress pass the COLA after that date, VA would have to make complex programming changes to the system that could not be accomplished in time to pay the COLA increase on January 1,” the VA said in a statement. “Consequently, the December COLA increase would have to be paid retroactively.”


Veterans’ representatives reacted angrily to Murray’s disclosure.


“It is outrageous that disabled American veterans are once again being held hostage to partisan politics,” said Bob Wallace, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.


Failure to pass the bill could cost veterans and their families up to $500 next year, according to Paul Sullivan, director of veterans outreach for Bergmann & Moore, a law firm concentrating on VA disability law.


Last week, Senate Republicans blocked a bill to create a Veterans Job Corps after raising procedural objections over the program’s cost.

Way to go GOP. That's really some patriotic shit right there.

 

[Ernst]

Why pay the ex-employees benefits?

It's worse when you think saying you are a Vet to an employer might get a positive response. Trust me it's worthless unless you are really young and they want you anyway.

 

[Carne Seca]

Ernst. I have kept my promise not to interact with you. I wish you would do the same.

 

[Antidisestablishmentarian]

So it gets through all the republicans in congress but one guy in the senate who is a republican is holding it up so now it's the entire GOP?

Sounds more like some guy doesn't like it and he happens to be a republican.

 

[NLXSK1]

So it gets through all the republicans in congress but one guy in the senate who is a republican is holding it up so now it's the entire GOP?

Sounds more like some guy doesn't like it and he happens to be a republican.

They also forgot to mention it happens to be him and 40 or so other senators...

 

[nontheist]

Anyone read this bill? Did we have a dozen other laws stuffed into this like most? What was the specifics, it seems the maximum is 500dollars a year who is qualified? Is it a hack ass bill for looks only that will continue to cost tax payers every year? Just because it has a good title history has shown it isn't always a good bill.

Ok can't find the actual bill but from other news sources it looks like a 1.9% increase and a maximum of 500. As for patriotic I don't think continually spending money we don't have is helping anyone long term. How about we get more jobs going so they can have more money to give away?

 

[Carne Seca]

Anyone read this bill? Did we have a dozen other laws stuffed into this like most? What was the specifics, it seems the maximum is 500dollars a year who is qualified? Is it a hack ass bill for looks only that will continue to cost tax payers every year? Just because it has a good title history has shown it isn't always a good bill.

Ok can't find the actual bill but from other news sources it looks like a 1.9% increase and a maximum of 500. As for patriotic I don't think continually spending money we don't have is helping anyone long term. How about we get more jobs going so they can have more money to give away?

Sooo... no one knows what's in the bill but you're all pretty damn sure it was a socialist plot. Because the internet said so. Brilliant. With that kind of thinking Romney is sure to win the election.

 

[UncleBuck]

i agree with nontheist, we can't be pissing away money we don't have on our veterans. get real here, carne. the sock has it right.

 

[ink the world]

I said it last week and this just reinforces it. The GOP and Romney couldn't care less about us veterans.

Yeah a cost of living increase to families of dead soldiers and handicapped soldiers is so unpatriotic. It's sickening, but it's waking vets up to the fact that we don't have enough $ to matter to the GOP or Romney. After all, most of us vets are in that 47%.

 

[Carne Seca]

I said it last week and this just reinforces it. The GOP and Romney couldn't care less about us veterans.

Yeah a cost of living increase to families of dead soldiers and handicapped soldiers is so unpatriotic. It's sickening, but it's waking vets up to the fact that we don't have enough $ to matter to the GOP or Romney. After all, most of us vets are in that 47%.

It's mind boggling. It almost seems deliberate. Like they're trying to piss everyone off. But I'm not a conspiracy nut. I'm a religious nut. Not in my job description.

 

[londonfog]

as a VET this is sickening...Some have given arms, legs, sanity in the name of this country. Whoever this GOP member is he needs to be called out front and center.

 

[NoDrama]

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr4114eh/pdf/BILLS-112hr4114eh.pdf


nothing hidden in there.

$500 a year maximum? we are crying and moaning about $41.66 a month like it was going to put all disabled vets out on the street or something. They put a hold on fed employees COLA and SS increases for everyone too, maybe the gubbermint doesn't have enough money to keep increasing benefits and only has enough money to give to bankers and weapons manufacturers?

 

[NoDrama]

After all, most of us disabled vets are in that 47%.

Fixed it for ya.

 

[desert dude]

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) brought the bill to the floor Sept. 21. The bill was cleared by Democrats but was held up by an unidentified Republican, according to her office. The Senate subsequently recessed without passing the bill.

Spending bills must originate in Congress. Patty Murray is a senator, not a congressman. This "bill" was bogus to start with.

 

[TheMan13]

Sadly this is only a part of the culture on the hill. I will never forget the fact that as a young soldier many of my friends began families young. Nearly all of their wives worked and they still qualified for WIC! If this is how congress treats your active duty soldiers that they are sending to war, can you really expect much better care for vets

 

[londonfog]

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr4114eh/pdf/BILLS-112hr4114eh.pdf


nothing hidden in there.

$500 a year maximum? we are crying and moaning about $41.66 a month like it was going to put all disabled vets out on the street or something. They put a hold on fed employees COLA and SS increases for everyone too, maybe the gubbermint doesn't have enough money to keep increasing benefits and only has enough money to give to bankers and weapons manufacturers?

41.66 could be food for a week for some. If its ONLY 41.66 a month how about you just giving ONLY 41.66 to me every month. It's only 41.66

 

[NoDrama]

41.66 could be food for a week for some. If its ONLY 41.66 a month how about you just giving ONLY 41.66 to me every month. It's only 41.66

Why would they need to increase the amount in the first place? Why do things we need to live always get more expensive? What is the cause of that? WHO/WHAT is doing this?

 

[NoDrama]

41.66 could be food for a week for some. If its ONLY 41.66 a month how about you just giving ONLY 41.66 to me every month. It's only 41.66

Do you need $41.66 a month or are you just going to run to the corner liquor store for a few bottles of Mad Dog 20/20?

If I give $50 or more per month to the disabled veterans on the interstate off ramps does that make me a saint?

 

[londonfog]

Do you need $41.66 a month or are you just going to run to the corner liquor store for a few bottles of Mad Dog 20/20?

If I give $50 or more per month to the disabled veterans on the interstate off ramps does that make me a saint?

Some Vets might need it...

Mad dog 20/20..??? Dude who the fuck still drink that shit.

 

[abandonconflict]

It is about $42 if you are collecting the full amount. In most cases it is less. This is a talking point. I agree with Nodrama. It isn't even really a cut, it is simply foregoing an increase in order to reduce spending, Vets will be ok as long as they sort it out so those payments come in on time. Increasing spending at this point only makes sense if it also will increase revenue, IE job creation. Killing that jobs bill for vets was BS though.

It is starting to seem like the GOP is intentionally losing support. I would LOL hard if Dr. No killed this COL increase for vets though.

Dems say raise taxes to pay for increased domestic spending, Reps say reduce taxes but they want to spend even more (military spending). Clearly the increased domestic spending has done what it was supposed to (stimulated growth) now time to start cutting spending, starting with the military. Only raise taxes on wealthiest and stop war imo, between those, deficit is covered. The debt can be reduced if a surplus can be fit into the budget. In fact, if some strategic cuts can be fit into domestic policy as well, there could be a huge surplus to start paying down the debt and it doesn't have to come out of the safety net. As long as no military campaigns are going on, that should be easy. I'm willing to give up 42 bucks a month for that. There is no need for a fiscal cliff.