No funding for ailing vets
 

On a day set aside to honor all military veterans, let's take a moment
to remember Tom Coburn (R-OK) -- no, not for his military service,
because he really lucked out on the draft lottery in 1969 -- but for
his one-man roadblock against:

.... assistance to caregivers of veterans, to improve the provision of
health care to veterans, and for other purposes.

.... otherwise known as the Caregiver and Veterans Services Act of
2009, that can't get to the Senate floor because of the hold placed on
the bill by Coburn.

Because while Coburn may wave a flag and have a properly pinned lapel
when it suits him, he's not interested in the pleas from:

The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American
Veterans, AmVets, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Blinded Veterans
Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of
America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Jewish War
Veterans, plus the Military Officers Association of America, National
Military Family Association and Wounded Warrior Project.

.... to get this bill passed, even though:

Thousands of disabled veterans with serious medical conditions and the
family members who care for them are counting on this additional
support.

Steve Robertson, legislative director for The American Legion, said
delaying the bill hurts families caring for severely wounded combat
veterans who would benefit from the stipends, health care, counseling
and respite care that would be provided to caregivers in the bill.

“For a lot of family caregivers, delay is costing them their jobs and
their savings. It’s having a big impact,” he said.

So, what is Coburn's objection to the bill? He hates "the idea of
creating new benefits without paying for them" and wants the funding
to come out of the economic stimulus money.

Yesterday, Harry Reid (D-NV) called Coburn's stance "illogical" given
that he never raised any objections "when we were spending a trillion
dollars on the war in Iraq."

Which is a good point. One that Reid should make while making a motion
to proceed to consideration of the bill, forcing Coburn to publicly
filibuster against benefits for veterans, rather than continuing to
allow him to hide like a coward behind his anonymous hold.