Anger as Republicans block bill to help military veterans exposed to toxins

[Delldude]

Hey look! Another one that just believes whatever Republicans say. It’s an epidemic.

Aren't these the same dems who got caught lying to you for over four years on everything Trump?

Psst....they aren't lying this time.

 

[bodecea]

Aren't these the same dems who got caught lying to you for over four years on everything Trump?

Psst....they aren't lying this time.

My my....what a deep deep believer in the cult.

 

[easyt65]

'Republicans hate clean air and water....they club baby seals on their time off....they hate the military and try to screw them every chance they get....

Democrats are angels....they are sacrificing, giving 'til it hurts, pinches every dime until their fingernails bleed to prevent adding a dime to the deficit...they love the military, has never screwed them...they love America, never initiated / perpetrated coups, never defrauded the FISA Court, never illegally spied on Americans...

...and have nothing to do with the shape the country is inI..

...and they have NOTHING to do with adding so much pork in this bill it completely, selfishly uses the vets and fucks the US tax payer!

 

[basquebromance]

there will be a vote on the PACT act at 5 PM ET, 90 minutes from now

 

[Delldude]

My my....what a deep deep believer in the cult.

So they still got you under, 'eh?

 

[Winston]

But Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., one of 14 Republicans to vote "no" in that chamber, objected. His chief concern was that the CBO estimated nearly $400 billion of existing VA health spending would no longer be bound by discretionary spending caps under a new Treasury fund the bill would create.

The alternative would have been to jump through the traditional procedural hoops in the Senate this month to get the blue slip problem fixed. Either way, the House would have had to re-vote on the amended version after the Senate worked through its process.

Toomey’s concern about shifting veterans health care funds to the mandatory side of the budget, thereby exempting the money from discretionary spending caps, was widely shared among House Republicans, including some who voted for the bill Tuesday.

Rep. Earl L. "Buddy" Carter, R-Ga., said it was “despicable” that Democrats were “using our veterans” to free up billions of dollars that could be spent on other programs. And Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Texas, said he would push to move the VA health money back into discretionary accounts “when we take back the majority” in the November midterm elections.
Toomey’s concern about shifting veterans health care funds to the mandatory side of the budget, thereby exempting the money from discretionary spending caps, was widely shared among House Republicans, including some who voted for the bill Tuesday.

Compromise veterans bill passes House, heads back to Senate - Roll Call

Servicemembers who contracted any of 23 conditions after serving in combat zones would be eligible for health care and disability benefits.

rollcall.com

You are just repeating the same thing. Evidently, you support this spending being discretionary. That means several things. First, the funds have to be appropriated every single year. It could become a political football or a bargaining chip for either side really. Second, the funds could be redirected by a presidential emergency proclamation, redirected toward anything. Third, if insufficient funds are allocated in any given year some Vets could just be shit out of luck. Worse yet, Congress could rip the entire plan away simply by refusing to allocate any funds.

Look, I know you desperately want to believe that this change was secretly inserted. It wasn't. It was how the bill was initially structured. It was in the bill when it passed the Senate the first time. It is SOP for funding for entitlement programs, let Wiki explain it to you.

Direct spending, also known as mandatory spending, refers to spending enacted by law, but not dependent on an annual or periodic appropriation bill. Most mandatory spending consists of entitlement programs such as Social Security benefits, Medicare, and Medicaid. These programs are called "entitlements" because individuals satisfying given eligibility requirements set by past legislation are entitled to Federal government benefits or services.

Expenditures in the United States federal budget - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This bill is certainly an "entitlement program". If a vet qualifies, he is entitled to the benefit, period. Congressional salaries and pensions are "entitlement" programs and are financed with mandatory spending. Are Vets not more important to this country than them? Have they not served and sacrificed? Tell me, what sacrifices have senators and representatives offered to this country?

Look, these Republican senators didn't have a problem during the first vote. Mostly because they knew that it was right, that this spending should be classified as mandatory. They are claiming it was a trick, that it was snuck in, and that is easily demonstrated as a lie by reading the version of the bill that passed. The applicable portions have been copied, pasted, and sourced within this very thread. They are spouting that lie for two reasons. First, because they know they don't have a leg to stand on, and second, because they know most of the public won't check on it. It was Reagan that said, "Trust but Verify". Modern Republicans just want you to "Trust" and not think.

Now to the one claim Republicans are making that is true. By classifying the spending as mandatory that spending falls outside the regulations of the pay-as-you-go legislation and the debt ceiling. But again, it was structured that way from the getgo. So yes, technically, that frees up 400 billion dollars under both pay-as-you-go and the debt ceiling that could be spent on anything. The one problem, that spending would still have to be approved by Congress. Are Republicans so weak, so inefficient, that they have to hide behind those two pieces of legislation like a toddler hiding behind his Mom's skirt? I mean here is a thought, they should do their job. And that brings me to the conclusion.

Republicans are now opposed to this legislation because they don't want any legislation passed during the Biden administration. Jim Jordan said as much a couple of days ago, Republicans should not be working with Democrats on bipartisan bills. It would be like me saying I wasn't going to do any work because I didn't like the CEO of the company. And I have kind of been there. My current CEO was the CEO of Circuit City when it made the disastrous decision to lay off their senior salespeople. But he has been nothing but good to me and I am starting to come around, although capital expenditures are still a real fight.

The reality is Republicans are refusing to do their job. Democrats should move to recess until after the midterms, dock pay accordingly, and reduce the seven figure MRA every Congressional representative gets by at least a quarter of a million dollars. Let the lay off their staff, stop their mailings, and eliminate the federal budget coverage of their personal travel expenses. Send them home for three months. Back of the envelope calculation, that would save over 150 million dollars.

 

[easyt65]

You are just repeating the same thing. Evidently, you support this spending being discretionary. That means several things. First, the funds have to be appropriated every single year. It could become a political football or a bargaining chip for either side really. Second, the funds could be redirected by a presidential emergency proclamation, redirected toward anything. Third, if insufficient funds are allocated in any given year some Vets could just be shit out of luck. Worse yet, Congress could rip the entire plan away simply by refusing to allocate any funds.

Look, I know you desperately want to believe that this change was secretly inserted. It wasn't. It was how the bill was initially structured. It was in the bill when it passed the Senate the first time. It is SOP for funding for entitlement programs, let Wiki explain it to you.

Direct spending, also known as mandatory spending, refers to spending enacted by law, but not dependent on an annual or periodic appropriation bill. Most mandatory spending consists of entitlement programs such as Social Security benefits, Medicare, and Medicaid. These programs are called "entitlements" because individuals satisfying given eligibility requirements set by past legislation are entitled to Federal government benefits or services.

Expenditures in the United States federal budget - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This bill is certainly an "entitlement program". If a vet qualifies, he is entitled to the benefit, period. Congressional salaries and pensions are "entitlement" programs and are financed with mandatory spending. Are Vets not more important to this country than them? Have they not served and sacrificed? Tell me, what sacrifices have senators and representatives offered to this country?

Look, these Republican senators didn't have a problem during the first vote. Mostly because they knew that it was right, that this spending should be classified as mandatory. They are claiming it was a trick, that it was snuck in, and that is easily demonstrated as a lie by reading the version of the bill that passed. The applicable portions have been copied, pasted, and sourced within this very thread. They are spouting that lie for two reasons. First, because they know they don't have a leg to stand on, and second, because they know most of the public won't check on it. It was Reagan that said, "Trust but Verify". Modern Republicans just want you to "Trust" and not think.

Now to the one claim Republicans are making that is true. By classifying the spending as mandatory that spending falls outside the regulations of the pay-as-you-go legislation and the debt ceiling. But again, it was structured that way from the getgo. So yes, technically, that frees up 400 billion dollars under both pay-as-you-go and the debt ceiling that could be spent on anything. The one problem, that spending would still have to be approved by Congress. Are Republicans so weak, so inefficient, that they have to hide behind those two pieces of legislation like a toddler hiding behind his Mom's skirt? I mean here is a thought, they should do their job. And that brings me to the conclusion.

Republicans are now opposed to this legislation because they don't want any legislation passed during the Biden administration. Jim Jordan said as much a couple of days ago, Republicans should not be working with Democrats on bipartisan bills. It would be like me saying I wasn't going to do any work because I didn't like the CEO of the company. And I have kind of been there. My current CEO was the CEO of Circuit City when it made the disastrous decision to lay off their senior salespeople. But he has been nothing but good to me and I am starting to come around, although capital expenditures are still a real fight.

The reality is Republicans are refusing to do their job. Democrats should move to recess until after the midterms, dock pay accordingly, and reduce the seven figure MRA every Congressional representative gets by at least a quarter of a million dollars. Let the lay off their staff, stop their mailings, and eliminate the federal budget coverage of their personal travel expenses. Send them home for three months. Back of the envelope calculation, that would save over 150 million dollars.

Remember how BILLIONS of tax dollars for COVID went missing, discovered much was spent by Democrats on CRT, Transgender bullshit, etc...

That wasn't Republicans.

You know how many times, over and over Democrats have done / do this?

Stop acting like it hasn't and isn't still being done. The COVID money rip off was just recently exposed.

Stop painting Democrats selfishly wanting to help vets.

Republicans are no angels, either, but your attempted depiction of Democrats is makibg me nautious.

 

[gipper]

Sick vets are now "a minor issue", eh? Why would helping sick vets "divide Americans"?

Maybe in your world vets get no HC unless this bill passes, but that’s not reality.

 

[gipper]

It does...and your insanity about your lack of trust in government is no reason to throw Vets under the bus

no there wasn't. It was a MINOR change regarding taxation of doctors who sell their businesses. It was removed.

The "allocation issue was ALWAYS in the Bill and it simply MANDATES that this money be allocated to this program every year for ten years without having to beg Congress AGAIN each year.

That was ALWAYS in the Bill

Are vets dying in the street because of a lack of HC?

 

[gipper]

Well (by your account) we are and we do have MILLIONS of sick Vets and it is our DUTY to take care of them

Fuck you

Emotional. Think better.

 

[Winston]

Remember how BILLIONS of tax dollars for COVID went missing, discovered much was spent by Democrats on CRT, Transgender bullshit, etc...

That wasn't Republicans.

You know how many times, over and over Democrats have done / do this?

Stop acting like it hasn't and isn't still being done. The COVID money rip off was just recently exposed.

Stop painting Democrats selfishly wanting to help vets.

Republicans are no angels, either, but your attempted depiction of Democrats is makibg me nautious.

LMAO. You are so uninformed. The new Beavis and Butthead movie is on Paramount Plus. Make better use of your time.

https://coronavirus.house.gov/sites/democrats.coronavirus.house.gov/files/2022.06.14%20SSCC%20Staff%20Report%20Idle%20on%20EIDL%20Fraud.pdf

 

[bodecea]

'Republicans hate clean air and water....they club baby seals on their time off....they hate the military and try to screw them every chance they get....

Democrats are angels....they are sacrificing, giving 'til it hurts, pinches every dime until their fingernails bleed to prevent adding a dime to the deficit...they love the military, has never screwed them...they love America, never initiated / perpetrated coups, never defrauded the FISA Court, never illegally spied on Americans...

...and have nothing to do with the shape the country is inI..

...and they have NOTHING to do with adding so much pork in this bill it completely, selfishly uses the vets and fucks the US tax payer!

And not.one.word supporting our ill vets.

 

[bodecea]

So they still got you under, 'eh?

When Righties accuse, they are guaranteed to be con-fessing.

 

[bodecea]

Remember how BILLIONS of tax dollars for COVID went missing, discovered much was spent by Democrats on CRT, Transgender bullshit, etc...

That wasn't Republicans.

You know how many times, over and over Democrats have done / do this?

Stop acting like it hasn't and isn't still being done. The COVID money rip off was just recently exposed.

Stop painting Democrats selfishly wanting to help vets.

Republicans are no angels, either, but your attempted depiction of Democrats is makibg me nautious.

Yeah...we had Republicans here in Nevada getting caught misusing those Covid funds.

 

[pknopp]

Are vets dying in the street because of a lack of HC?

It would seem many do not get the help they need. Maybe one can argue we broke them beyond repair.

Veteran dies by suicide in North Carolina VA hospital’s parking lot

 

[Delldude]

When Righties accuse, they are guaranteed to be con-fessing.

I suppose you have a picture of Adam Schiff on your wall.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

This thread has become redundant, kill it already

 

[bodecea]

It would seem many do not get the help they need. Maybe one can argue we broke them beyond repair.

Veteran dies by suicide in North Carolina VA hospital’s parking lot

Republicans don't care.

 

[bodecea]

I suppose you have a picture of Adam Schiff on your wall.

I have no doubt you believe that con-sidering how easily you believe what the orange cult feeds you.

 

[easyt65]

It would seem many do not get the help they need. Maybe one can argue we broke them beyond repair.

Veteran dies by suicide in North Carolina VA hospital’s parking lot

Interesting...after not worrying about vets waiting years for health care and dying waiting, NOW Dems are suddenly worried about vet HC....

...with a lot of tax payers dollars piled up in the center of the table, all of which will never make it to the vets.