Last-ditch effort to pass Blue Water Navy bill fails in Senate

[Edge-]

https://www.stripes.com/news/veteran...enate-1.560126

WASHINGTON — A final deal to provide Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to thousands of veterans who served off the coast during the Vietnam War failed in the Senate on Monday night with little time remaining in the 115th Congress to try again.

The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act would extend eligibility for disability compensation and health care to “Blue Water” Navy veterans – servicemembers who were aboard aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and other ships, some of whom have fought for years to prove they were exposed to Agent Orange. The dioxin-laden herbicide has been found to cause respiratory cancers, Parkinson’s disease and heart disease, as well as other conditions.

The House voted 382-0 in favor of the legislation in June. Since then, it’s been stuck in the Senate. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie voiced his opposition to the bill in September, citing cost concerns and insufficient scientific evidence. He urged lawmakers to hold off until a new study is released in 2019.

On Monday night, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., went to the Senate floor and asked for unanimous consent to pass the bill. Unanimous consent expedites approval but can be stopped if one senator objects.

Citing cost concerns, Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, objected.

“On this bill, many of us have been made aware of the potential cost growth and the budgetary and operational pressures that would happen at the VA,” he said. “They’re having a lot of problems, anyway.”

Enzi said he wanted more details about how many veterans would be made eligible for benefits under the legislation and how much it would cost.

According to initial estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, the bill would come at a price of $1.1 billion for the next 10 years. VA officials have argued the true total could be billions of dollars more. To offset costs, the bill includes a new fee for VA home loans – a proposal some lawmakers oppose.

“There’s clearly more work to do just on figuring out the spending and administration of this and the deficit impacts this bill will have,” Enzi said on the Senate floor.

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., later criticized Enzi’s objection, arguing the same senator voted in favor of the GOP tax cuts estimated to increase the national deficit.

“I must say that it is a bit disheartening to see a bill that was passed unanimously by the House blocked by just a handful of senators over supposed fiscal concerns when those same senators voted to add trillions of dollars to the deficit last year to score a political win on the back of American taxpayers,” Walz said in a statement.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars also issued a scathing criticism of Enzi on Monday night, describing his objection as “obstruction,” and adding, “the VFW nor its members will forget this.”

Enzi’s opposition came after Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., pressured senators to approve the bill. Isakson, chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has worked for months to address concerns from some of his fellow Republicans.

Enzi wasn’t the only senator with concerns. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, opposed the effort because he wanted to wait for the scientific study the VA promised in 2019, according to a Military Update report.

Isakson rebuked requests Monday to wait for the study and said: “This thing has been studied as long as it needs to be studied. We’ve got the best information we need to get.”

“I would just ask every member before they consider casting a ‘no’ vote, think about what you’re doing,” Isakson said. “I would ask each of you to search your heart… think about the veterans in your state and cast a vote for doing the right thing for the right people at the right time and not object to the motion.”

Gillibrand and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., the ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, held a news conference Tuesday with veterans groups and requested the Senate try again to pass the bill.

Senate leadership could still bring the issue up under regular order in its remaining days, though it appeared unlikely Tuesday. Tester said senators could also try again for unanimous consent, like they attempted Monday.

If the Senate fails to approve the bill before the end of the 115th Congress, advocates will have to start from the beginning next year.

“The truth is, we can’t wait another six months or nine months or a year for Secretary Wilkie,” Gillibrand said. “We don’t have that time. Our veterans are dying now. I think any delay by the secretary of the VA is morally wrong.”

John Wells, an attorney and director of the group Military-Veterans Advocacy, has been fighting on behalf of Blue Water Navy veterans since 2008. He was doubtful Tuesday about the Senate’s ability to approve the bill.

“I’d be very shocked,” Wells said. “It would be very nice if it did pass, but I’d say the odds are tremendously against it at this point.”

In addition to the legislative effort, Wells has been fighting for the benefits in court. He argued this year in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a case that could result in the same extension of benefits.

“I think it’s going to happen, whether through Congress or through the courts, I don’t know,” Wells said. “I think we have to continue to be optimistic. From where we sat two years ago, it looked like it was completely dead in the water. Then we made a whole heck of a lot of progress in this Congress.”

It's disappointing that some Republicans can completely ignore their issues with the deficit/debt when it comes to military spending directed towards the Pentagon, but that the second it comes to spending to directly benefit the troops/veterans outside the issue suddenly becomes a big deal.

[Xeones]

I still don't understand how republicans can think their party supports the troops.

[Fugus]

https://www.stripes.com/news/veteran...enate-1.560126



It's disappointing that some Republicans can completely ignore their issues with the deficit/debt when it comes to military spending directed towards the Pentagon, but that the second it comes to spending to directly benefit the troops/veterans outside the issue suddenly becomes a big deal.

Of course, the Republicans don't give a damn about the soldiers themselves, just about how they can be used to push their own personal agendas and to funnel money into private contractors.

While the soldiers are in, they are exploited to push those goals, after they are gone, they aren't a responsibility to be taken care of, they are an expense to minimize at all costs and nothing more. They WANT them to die because that saves them money that they think could be better spent funneled into private contractors who then turn around and funnel a portion of it back to them.

[Hilhen7]

Obviously they want disabled veterans to pull themselves up by the bootstraps, while the rich need bigger tax cuts.

[Toppy]

I still don't understand how republicans can think their party supports the troops.

Fox news says its really the democrats doing it and their viewers believe it.

[Adam Jensen]

Citing cost concerns, Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, objected.

But we should give Boeing, Ratheon and Northrup Grumman billions of dollars without any concern to cost, right?

[Cthulhu 2020]

It's simple, Republicans only care about "The military". They don't care about the soldiers or the people in it, or the victims of the war.

[Video Games]

Well thats a shame, but i dont expect rebups to pass better social programs.

[Stormspark]

Well thats a shame, but i dont expect rebups to pass better social programs.

Basically, they just want people to die once they are no longer useful to the rich.

[Video Games]

Basically, they just want people to die once they are no longer useful to the rich.

My uncle was in the military so i dont like when people disrespect them like that.

[Sunseeker]

*facepalm* goddamnit Enzi.

We've got plenty of money to spend on new missiles, tax breaks for the rich, but some healthcare for our vets, well shit man we're fuckin broke!

[Fugus]

My uncle was in the military so i dont like when people disrespect them like that.

I've been fighting the VA since over a spinal injury and nerve damage I got in 2012. Their own doctors are actually on my side and put in writing that my injuries will never heal and I will not be able to hold down long term gainful employment again and they are STILL fighting me and doing everything they can to try and ignore everything their doctors have said and trying to leave me for dead rather than actually put me at 100% where their doctors say I should be. They have been forcing me to try and survive off 50% which is only $850 per month.

And it is hard trying to get their doctors to put their words into writing half the time because they are afraid of retribution if they help too much. It literally took me showing the doctors on the VA's own paperwork where the paper pushers were literally trying to ignore everything they wrote to low ball me to the point I watched one of their own doctors studdering reading the paperwork before one of them started helping me.

8 months after I had my first MRI, I had had physical therapy and they were signing me up for my first surgery. The paper pushers were still trying to ignore all of that to deny me claiming the X-Ray didn't show anything when the damage wasn't visible on an X-Ray but showed up clear as day on an MRI. And this MRI was done at the local VA, I had mailed it to their local office twice, faxed it to them, AND even called someone at that office to confirm they received, and they STILL tried to ignore it till their doctors stood up for me. And even now, they are fighting their doctors as much as possible.

Make no mistake about it, the Department of Veteran Affairs tries harder at making excuses to avoid their jobs than they actually do to do their jobs. And I don't put this onto the doctors, they generally want to help but their hands are tied by the paper pushers and risk trouble if they try too much. I have had doctors give me bad news and when I asked if they could put it into writing so I could show the paper pushers, they looked at me like I just put them on the spot in front of their boss because I kinda did.

Even my primary physician, when I asked him for his medical opinion. The most he personally would put down was a noted that stated "As a VA employee, it is a conflict of interest to give my medical opinion". The VA specialist they sent me to gave me medical opinion, but my primary just put down that he couldn't.

[Milchshake]

It's simple, Republicans only care about "The military". They don't care about the soldiers or the people in it, or the victims of the war.

Go figure that the GOP has won a plurality of the active duty and veteran vote since Nixon.

There's a bit of research out how how LEO and Military work has a strong attraction to authoritarian personality types. Combine that with how being an authoritarian is the clearest indicator of a person being a GOP voter.... not surprised.


Oh here's an article out today even...

Why police cheered Trump’s dark speech
Rank-and-file officers have long been drawn to demagogues.


Here's what I'm waiting for: the pushback from law enforcement. I'm waiting for cops from around the country who are generally conservative in their politics to speak up and say we don't want criminals in the White House any more than we do on the streets of our towns and cities.

Or those veteran pushing against draft dodger to deinerate their service.


Oh wait... im drunk!

I'm calling yahtzee for the incoming navy seal copypasta!

[Azadina]

It's simple, Republicans only care about "The military". They don't care about the soldiers or the people in it, or the victims of the war.

Last part is somewhat incorrect. They care very much about victims of war. Just in the way that they are of correct shade, and that there's enough of them.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Last part is somewhat incorrect. They care very much about victims of war. Just in the way that they are of correct shade, and that there's enough of them.

They like appealing to their votes. They don't actually like them. The GOP delivered on medicare, which affects ALL old people, not just veterans. The DA is an absolute mess.

[Omega10]

I've been fighting the VA since over a spinal injury and nerve damage I got in 2012. Their own doctors are actually on my side and put in writing that my injuries will never heal and I will not be able to hold down long term gainful employment again and they are STILL fighting me and doing everything they can to try and ignore everything their doctors have said and trying to leave me for dead rather than actually put me at 100% where their doctors say I should be. They have been forcing me to try and survive off 50% which is only $850 per month.

And it is hard trying to get their doctors to put their words into writing half the time because they are afraid of retribution if they help too much. It literally took me showing the doctors on the VA's own paperwork where the paper pushers were literally trying to ignore everything they wrote to low ball me to the point I watched one of their own doctors studdering reading the paperwork before one of them started helping me.

8 months after I had my first MRI, I had had physical therapy and they were signing me up for my first surgery. The paper pushers were still trying to ignore all of that to deny me claiming the X-Ray didn't show anything when the damage wasn't visible on an X-Ray but showed up clear as day on an MRI. And this MRI was done at the local VA, I had mailed it to their local office twice, faxed it to them, AND even called someone at that office to confirm they received, and they STILL tried to ignore it till their doctors stood up for me. And even now, they are fighting their doctors as much as possible.

Make no mistake about it, the Department of Veteran Affairs tries harder at making excuses to avoid their jobs than they actually do to do their jobs. And I don't put this onto the doctors, they generally want to help but their hands are tied by the paper pushers and risk trouble if they try too much. I have had doctors give me bad news and when I asked if they could put it into writing so I could show the paper pushers, they looked at me like I just put them on the spot in front of their boss because I kinda did.

Even my primary physician, when I asked him for his medical opinion. The most he personally would put down was a noted that stated "As a VA employee, it is a conflict of interest to give my medical opinion". The VA specialist they sent me to gave me medical opinion, but my primary just put down that he couldn't.

You need to post this every month somewhere. This is very powerful, and it is an intense reminder of why we are fighting and what we are fighting for. Having to fight to make the VA give appropriate benefits to returning vets is disgusting beyond belief, and is a HUGE blight on America. And it needs to be done.

[Azadina]

They like appealing to their votes. They don't actually like them. The GOP delivered on medicare, which affects ALL old people, not just veterans. The DA is an absolute mess.

I guess it was still a little subtle. Let me rephrase: they care very much that there's enough dead "brownies" as result of the wars.

[Kaleredar]

I still don't understand how republicans can think their party supports the troops.

More than support; hell they'll carry them into a meatgrinder on the shiniest hardware money can afford!

But after that? Not so much.

[Redwyrm]

Disrespect and mistreat veterans..... nothing

Not wear a flag lapel pin.... OMG you monster

[Cthulhu 2020]

I guess it was still a little subtle. Let me rephrase: they care very much that there's enough dead "brownies" as result of the wars.

Oh I gotcha. Yeah my reference was to allied victims of war, but yeah, they love some good old dead brown people don't they?