Senate vote today, November 19th: Disabled vets care versus subsidies for the UN bureaucracy

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[Ooh-Ah]

Contact your Senators and let them know what you think!

Tomorrow morning the Senate will choose between funding care for disabled
U.S. veterans or subsidies for United Nations (U.N.) bureaucracy.

At issue is S. 1963, the Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act,
which would authorize caregiver assistance to veterans disabled since
September 11, 2001. The bill is not paid for, does not provide immediate
assistance, and denies benefits to veterans of conflicts prior to 9/11.

Senator Tom Coburn is offering an amendment (#2785, attached) that would:

1) Make all disabled veterans eligible for the benefit, regardless of
the war in which they were injured;

2) Pay for the new benefits by reducing U.S. contributions to the
U.N.;

and

3) Ensure that the promised benefits become available immediately.

If the Senate rejects the Coburn amendment:

 1) Tens of thousands of veterans who have required caregiver assistance
for decades will be denied the benefits offered to other veterans by this
bill;

2) The national debt, which just reached $12 trillion, would be
increased by more than $3.7 billion to pay for the bill because it contains
no offset for the costs of the new benefits;

and

3) The benefits promised will not be available for at least a year or
more, because the bill provides no immediate funding and the Senate has
already passed the appropriations bill that provides funding for the
Department of Veterans Affairs for the next year without including any
funding for this program.

Earlier this week, the Senate defeated a motion offered by Senator Coburn to
provide funding for veterans caregiver assistance by eliminating
congressional earmarks not requested by the Commander-in-Chief funded by the
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act.

(The vote tally is available HERE).

Senate Democrats held a press conference just last week where they stated
no price is too high <http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/1007620.html to
care for our veterans. While those same Senators a week later voted
against paying the price of care for our veterans with their earmarks, tomorrow
they will have another chance to pay that price with a reduction in payments to
the U.N.



The U.S. government sends over $4 billion a year in taxpayer dollars to
the U.N. with little or no accountability. The U.N. cannot account for tens
of millions spent in Afghanistan on the recent fraudulent election, with most
of the funding coming from the U.S. In one instance, the United Nations
Development Program paid $6.8 million for transportation costs in areas
where no U.N. officials were present. The U.N. procurement task force

found that 43 percent of all U.N. procurement is tainted by fraud, waste, and
abuse. In one year this amounts to over $630 million. The United Nations
headquarters renovation is already $800 million over its initial estimated
price, with U.S. paying the highest amount of any nation for each cost
overrun. The Oil for Food program run at the U.N. provided at least $7.4
billion in illicit revenues to Saddam Hussein's government.



Clearly, providing much needed care to all disabled veterans who
sacrificed to protect our nation and secure peace abroad should be
a higher priority than dumping more money into the bloated and
mismanaged U.N. bureaucracy.

[Freedom2specul8]

What’s the latest news?

[MestaMachine]

I am very disheartened.
No Go. These Rs voted Nay. Bond (R-MO)Cochran (R-MS)Collins (R-ME)Corker (R-TN)Gregg (R-NH)Lugar (R-IN))Snowe (R-ME) Voinovich (R-OH)It’s not so surprising, I guess, but very disappointing.
All the dems voted nay except Bayh (D-IN)

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 1st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Amendment (Coburn Amdt. No. 2785 )
Vote Number: 351 Vote Date: November 19, 2009, 03:02 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Amendment Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2785 to S. 1963 (Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009)
Statement of Purpose: To transfer funding for the United Nations contributions to offset costs of providing assistance to family caregivers of disabled veterans.
Vote Counts: YEAs 32
NAYs 66
Not Voting 2

Grouped By Vote Position YEAs -—32
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
LeMieux (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)

NAYs -—66
Akaka (D-HI)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Burris (D-IL)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corker (R-TN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kirk (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 2
Baucus (D-MT)
Byrd (D-WV)

[LucyT]

Vote Summary @ #102.

Thanks to everyone who made phone calls...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I’m pretty sure about how Angry Ben and The Dwarf will vote.

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

PING!

(Hopefully, there is still time...)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Snowe and Collins throw our pre-911 disabled vets under the bus, along with Crybaby Voinovich and the Globalist from Indiana. Why do we even call these people Republicans?

[MestaMachine]

Thank you, anybody who made the calls. At least we tried.

This vote should have been a no brainer. Had you seen Coburn’s presentation, what he was asking for was a mere drop in the UN bucket. The UN wastes more than he asked for every 5 minutes.
I am furious at this vote.
The bill which passed without the Coburn amendment, S 1963, will restrict access by our Vets from past wars like the Gulf War, and it is UNFUNDED.
Coburn called it a “political press release bill,” meaning it LOOKS like we are doing something for Vets, but the reality is we are actually doing nothing.
It’s a sad, sad day when we throw our Beloved Vets under the bus like this. I am just so disgusted I don’t even know what to say anymore.

[MestaMachine]

You beautiful people who stayed up with me most of the night to keep this thread bumped, I appreciate you more than I can say.

I feel very bad right now, but there are more fights to come. Maybe we will get it sooner and start earlier next time. I don't know where the person who started this thread disappeared to, but if he/she has checked back, PLEASE ping me if you post anything like this again so we can move on it.
Thanks

[mojitojoe]

I live for the say those Maine bit&hes get what’s coming to them. I want to see them voted out!!! or thrown out.

[thouworm]

These Rs voted Nay.

Bond (R-MO)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Gregg (R-NH)
Lugar (R-IN))
Snowe (R-ME)
Voinovich (R-OH)

What did these senators get in return for throwing our vets under the bus?

Names marked!!! and they won't be forgotten.

[azishot]

Oh, MestaMachine. Excuse me while I wipe the tears away.

I’d been out all afternoon and had this *sinking feeling* things would turn out this way.

At least I can go to my father’s grave site (a WWII Vet) with my head held high and tell him that there are a lot of us fighting the good fight.

Never thought I’d EVER see the u.n. take precedence over our VETERANS.

You did good last night, MM...THANK YOU and keep fighting.

[Canadian Outrage]

Why are you disappointed? Did you not KNOW this would happen. THIS crapola is what keeps their snouts in the public trough!! Pigs ALL!! CO

[Canadian Outrage]

High Lucy - thanks for all the research that you do. I know we haven’t freepmailed for awhile. But how are all those sugar Gliders doing? Love CO

[Canadian Outrage]

All the usual suspects huh? except Graham. Guess he knows he’s not well liked at this time. Me thinks he will play his “conservative” self for the time being. CO

[Canadian Outrage]

Snowe and Collins especially and a few others need to be Democraps period. They are ALWAYS the ones spoiling the soup. They are LIEBERALS!! CO

[MestaMachine]

Yes. The usual suspects. I guess I am disappointed because a vote like this wouldn’t have been ANY skin off ANYONE’S nose. None of them had anything to lose and nothing to gain except some respect and it would have delivered a REAL benefit to our Disabled Vets.
Now I see that respect means nothing to them and their malevolence towards our Vets will not go unnoticed OR unpaid.
Like bam said, we are keeping score.

[LucyT]

Good to hear from you, CO.You're very welcome.
Awww, Sugar Gliders:

[Canadian Outrage]

MM - get used to it. These RINO’s or those on the “take” are never going to ever be able to be “counted” on. They have shown it over and over and over again. THIS BILL is the ruination of America. I know, My American cousins are ready to go to war in America. If it isn’t done soon, it never will be and the tools to do they won’t be there. I am afraid for America. It looks like I’m more afraid for America than Americans. Everyone to me seems to think they are going to take care of this in the voting booth. Not so. CO

[Canadian Outrage]

Yeah they are so sweet as you say. I, as an ex SPCA PRESIDENT AND CRUELTY INSPECTOR have never seen one. Imagine that. YOU introduced me to them. CO

[Canadian Outrage]

I’m glad your keeping score. I pray tho, that it will be of some use. Things are happening, not nice things, behind the scenes that are absolutely terrible. The things we all see are bad enough, but behind the scenes these wicked people are doing much much more. The time for talk is OVER. CO