Rand Paul says veteran toxic exposure bill ‘puts our economy at risk’

The Hill ^ | 08/02/22 6:13 PM ET | BY ZACH SCHONFELD

[RandFan]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) railed against the economic impact of a veteran toxic exposure bill on the Senate floor on Tuesday, shortly before the chamber voted down his amendment to help offset the cost by reducing foreign aid.

“This bill puts our economy, though, at risk by creating presumptions of service connection for the most common ailments,” Paul said of the $278 billion bill, which would expand benefits for veterans who are suffering illnesses due to toxic exposures.

He noted the substantial number of Americans who have conditions such as hypertension and asthma, which are both included in the bill, arguing the expanded coverage would lead to taxpayer dollars being used to treat veterans whose diagnoses were unrelated to their service.

"This bill would cost hundreds of billions of dollars at a time when the national debt is climbing over $30 trillion and inflation is at a 40-year high,” he said.

“But the federal debt was created by Congress and not our vets, and those who served the armed services should not be the ones to pay the cost for government mismanagement,” Paul added.

Paul said his amendment, which failed 90-7, would create a 10-year moratorium on foreign assistance administered through the United States Agency for International Development, except for funds designated for Israel.

Paul’s amendment was the first of three GOP amendments to be voted on with a 60-vote threshold before a final vote on the full bill. The other two amendments are from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).

The amendment votes are part of a deal reached on Tuesday for the bill’s passage, which comes after a multiday standoff that began when Republicans blocked the bill last week in a 55-42 vote.

[Flaming Conservative]

What??? And take out the one thing in the bill that democrats will use to make themselves look like that give a hoot about veterans???

[rfp1234]

The Rats always pull these tricks. They know this bill has no chance of passing but they know the scumbag media will spin its defeat against the “evil, granny-killing, veteran-abusing GOP”.

[Nextrush]

It’s an election year and I think this issue has Democrats and election year written all over it to confuse the voters and give the Democrats the ability to say they are for veterans.

[montanajoe]

I’m a Vet.

The GOP used this to get back at the Dims for the Schumer Manchin deal but it came around and bit them in the ass.

The Dims will support the Vets in an election year, if the GOP had their choice they would never support Veterans, but some will get dragged into it kicking and screaming every election year....

[Wuli]

No matter what the bill is, the Dims will always wriggle in language that will take a commitment being made for an inch and easily expand it to a foot - grow the government is an existential part of every Dim OK’d legislation.