GOP Senator holding back veteran benefits identified.

[SirNitram]

Marine Corps Times

Thirteen major military and veterans groups have joined forces to try to force one senator — Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma — to release a hold that he has placed on a major veterans benefits bill.

Coburn has been identified by Senate aides as the lawmaker preventing consideration of S 1963, the Veterans’ Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act of 2009, by using an informal but legal practice of putting a hold on a bill.

Coburn’s staff did not respond to questions, but Senate aides said the first-term senator has expressed concern about creating new and unfunded benefits and wants the opportunity to amend the measure.

One of Coburn’s suggestions is to divert money from unspent economic and job stimulus programs to cover costs of new benefits for veterans and their families, according to sources who have discussed the issue with Coburn’s staff.

So far, at least, Senate leaders don’t want to let Coburn offer any amendments because of the precedent that would set to delay other legislation. Actual funding for benefits traditionally is handled separately from the bills that authorize the benefits, Senate aides said.

Earlier this fall, Coburn placed holds on S 252, the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009, and S 728, the Veterans’ Insurance and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009, which led to the introduction of S 1963, which combines key provisions of the two earlier bills in an effort to get around Coburn’s opposition.

In a letter sent Monday night to the Senate majority leader, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the 13 military and veterans groups ask the Senate to get on with it.

“It is essential that Congress act on this comprehensive measure without further delay,” the letter reads. “Thousands of disabled veterans with serious medical conditions and the family members who care for them are counting on this additional support.”

The letter says passing the bill by Veterans Day would be a “fitting way” to honor veterans.

Those signing the letter include the nation’s major veterans groups — 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.

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.

Robertson said he has spoken to Coburn’s staff about the earlier holds on S 252 and S. 728, but the conversation was fairly one-sided, with Coburn’s aides trying to get Robertson to dissuade veterans from flooding the senator’s office with calls.

“They made it clear that Sen. Coburn sees this as using his rights as a senator to place a hold on a bill, and that he was not doing anything illegal or wrong,” Robertson said. “I agree with that, but that doesn’t mean it makes sense to hold up a bill that would do a lot of good things for veterans that has cleared a committee and is ready for a vote.”

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the Senate assistant majority leader, mentioned Coburn’s hold in a Tuesday floor speech without citing Coburn by name, saying that the bill was being held up by one senator over cost.

“How much is a veteran’s life worth?” Durbin asked, adding that he hopes the hold is lifted.

My contempt for Senate parlimentary rules and the GOP grows.

[Patrick Degan]

It figures that it has to be one of the biggest assholes in the GOP caucus.

As for the letter to Reid, the Veterans' groups may just as well have flushed it down a toilet for all the good it will do to goad that tower of jello to take action.

[The Yosemite Bear]

See their definition of "Supporting the Troops"

[CmdrWilkens]

I'm now humorously reminded of the "Coburn" Omnibus when Reid brought all 28 or so bills that he, Coburn, had put a hold on, to the floor at once. By placing everything out at once he got sufficient support for cloture and over-riding Coburn's objection. So Reid has manuevered aroudn the guy before, the problem is that its a pain in the ass since Coburn is a fucking prick and excellent at obstructionism.

[Simon_Jester]

Nice trick. Let's hear it for S. 3297, the "Fuck you, Tom Coburn" Act!

I think Coburn's problem is that he thinks of himself as a Roman-style tribune (with corresponding veto power), who can almost always get his way if he's a big enough pain about it. As opposed to being a Senator who, as one of many, will only sometimes get his way.

And some of the Roman tribunes were about as annoying as Tom Coburn, though the only one I can think of off the top of my head was a man I'd be slandering to mention in the same sentence as Coburn.

[AdmiralKanos]

What do Oklahomans think of this?

[CmdrWilkens]

What do Oklahomans think of this?

The last poll I've seen of his favorability numbers were 59% positive, 29% negative but that was back in May

[KroLazuxy_87]

I didn't find any numbers more recent, but I suspect no one who votes for this guy will ever hear about this.

This is the same guy who got the amendment into the Credit CARD act of 2009 allowing the concealed carrying of firearms in national parks...

Throw in his rabid opposition of abortion and the ability to cry on cue for effect, and ya got a candidate the conservative-right will blindly follow.

[Pablo Sanchez]

The last poll I've seen of his favorability numbers were 59% positive, 29% negative but that was back in May

Coburn is solid with the right wing of the party, so he won't face a primary challenge from the right. Oklahomans tend to elect Republicans for national office by margins of around 30 points (65-35 in the 2008 presidential race, which is likely the nadir of GOP fortunes) so in practical terms it is impossible for Coburn to lose his seat. Inhofe keeps his seat in spite of being more-or-less the dumbest man in the Senate, after all.

Coburn makes a habit of cuntishness about anything he gets a hardon over. Previously he held up some pork for Alaska, which got Ted Stevens angry at him. If the Republicans were in the majority he would be sacrificing something for his strong stance against functional government, because they could punish his dickishness by withholding committee chairs. But since the GOP is shaping up to be a permanent minority Coburn will probably continue pretending that he matters. His equivalent in a Westminster system would be an inbred sub-retard Tory from some Scotch hinterland who nobody gave a fuck about, but the US government is designed to give people like him (read: morons) a more decisive say, so he can put "holds" on legislation. As an Okie GOP senator, this is something the Senate will have to deal with until he decidesto retire.

[Glocksman]

I didn't find any numbers more recent, but I suspect no one who votes for this guy will ever hear about this.

This is the same guy who got the amendment into the Credit CARD act of 2009 allowing the concealed carrying of firearms in national parks...

My only quibble with his amendment to allow people who are licensed to carry concealed weapons in their state into US national parks is the means used to push it through.

IOW, I'd much prefer it if he'd offered it as a stand alone law.
I'm a 'liberal' (I've even been called a Communist by the more stupid), but gun rights is one issue where I side with the 'conservatives'.

Throw in his rabid opposition of abortion and the ability to cry on cue for effect, and ya got a candidate the conservative-right will blindly follow.

Coburn is the intelligent Senator from Oklahoma.
Inhofe is the not so intelligent Senator from Oklahoma.

Though that's not saying much.