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Caregiver bill for veterans put on hold
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Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery, Nov. 11, 2009. AP Photo/Paul Sakuma
The Senate would have liked to honor veterans on Veteran's Day by passing a bill to improve veterans' benefits and health programs. Thanks to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), the bill was put on hold.
The bill is known as the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 (S. 1963). Omnibus bills typically include several bills rolled into one legislative packet that can later be shaped through compromises in both chambers and passed relatively quickly, usually in a voice vote.
According to Military.com, the centerpiece of S. 1963 is unprecedented support for family caregivers of severely wounded veterans, partcularly those injured since 9/11. They would be paid a stipend based on hours and level of care. The VA would ensure caregivers are properly trained and have their own medical coverage to include stress counseling if needed. The VA also would pay for replacement caregivers when family members seek respite from their care obligations. The idea is to give severely wounded veterans options other than institutionalized care.
Sen. Coburn (R-OK) prevented the bill from coming to vote today by putting a hold on it, which is a legislative tactic to prevent passage of a bill. He sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), saying that the bill needs to be fully debated because it will cost taxpayers an estimated $3.7 billion over the next five years and it is unclear how it will be funded.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called Coburn's stance on the bill illogical, criticizing the Oklahoma Republican for supporting war funding while blocking health care funding for veterans. “Where was he when we were spending a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq?” Reid asked. “That wasn’t paid for. I didn’t hear him stopping the bill from going forward at that time. I think he should become more logical and understand we have people who are suffering.”
"To say that we should do nothing for these people is to make a mockery of this Veterans Day," said bill co-sponsor Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), noting that 6,800 veterans of the wars Iraq and Afghanistan currently need services provided by the bill.
To get around Coburn's hold, Reid has placed S. 1963 on the Senate calendar which could mean up to 60 hours of debate during which Coburn can make his points publicly to colleagues and C-Span cameras. It will be interesting to hear what he says then.
While Coburn is correct that the government is spending too much money, Durbin is also correct that there are veterans whose health care needs are not adequately met. When put in perspective, however, it only takes common sense to realize that before the government starts talking about troop increases and spending more money on the wars, our wounded veterans should be adequately cared for. Perhaps the relatively modest $3.7 billion cost over five years for the Caregivers bill could be funded by diverting some of the $190 billion in supplemental war funding that is planned for 2010, or some of the $512.7 billion for the defense appropriations bill for FY 2009.
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