It's an outrage and there has to be accountability. GasBuddy: Decline in retail gasoline prices gaining momentum. Advertisement. WASHINGTON - Eleven Republicans voted Tuesday against a billthat fundsresearch and benefits for as much as 3.5 million veterans who were impacted by toxic substances while they served. The bill The Hill has reached out to all 11. Oops. Nevertheless, senators voted for the measure overwhelmingly. It now goes to President Joe Bidens desk to be signed into law. WebRT @sfpelosi: Extreme MAGA Republicans say they love our vets til its time to honor their service by funding their earned benefits. ", In an eleventh-hour act of cowardice, Republicans chose today to rob generations of toxic-exposed veterans across this country of the health care and benefits they've earned and so desperately need.Make no mistakethe American people are sick and tired of these games. You just gave tax cuts in 2017 to the richest people in America. Support our mission and help keep Vox free for all by making a financial contribution to Vox today. May 1 (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the censuring of transgender state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who has been barred from attending remaining sessions of the state House in person. The act would allow these U.S. veterans to have more access to health care, but Paul said this could have dangerous economic implications. WebRT @sfpelosi: Extreme MAGA Republicans say they love our vets til its time to honor their service by funding their earned benefits. I don't think my runtime has ever recovered. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. As written, the legislation would not just help Americas veterans as designed. May 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. government said Monday that new flights in the East Coast should save commuters time, though recent data show nearly a quarter of passenger flights have been delayed this year. U.S. soldiers have been exposed to a large number of toxins in various conflicts, including Iraq (pictured), where burning oil wells released toxic fumes. All present Democrats and 8 Republicans voted to advance the legislation but 41 Republican Senators voted against the bill, including Sen. Marsha Blackburn R-TN., Unfortunately, Democrats wrote in a $400 billion hole in the discretionary budget they can fill with spending totally unrelated to veterans, the spokesperson said. Itwas a result of months of bipartisan negotiation, and it had already passed the Senate in June with strong Republican support. The bill now heads to President Biden's desk, and the White House says he looks forward to signing it. Tax cuts for the rich, cancer for our veterans. "The American people are sick and tired of the games that go on in this body. Cancers and other issues alleged to be related to burn pits can come years later, as happened to Sgt. The legislation also covers health benefits for other veterans exposed to chemicals, such as Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, during their military service. The measure was sent to the White House after Republicans had blocked the legislation last week, objecting to the inclusion of $400 billion in mandatory spending that would not be subject to annual appropriations review unlike the usual discretionary spending for federal agencies and programs that Congress reviews and approves annually. The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 86-11. Many took to the podium at Thursday's press conference to demand accountability and further action, calling on lawmakers not to leave for August recess until they can pass the bill. WebRT @RedTRaccoon: 217 Republicans just voted to cut the budget of Veterans Affairs. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. The vote was a surprise, as the bill was originally passed by the Senate 84-14 on June 16 and received overwhelming Republican support. Instead, in a surprise move, 25 Republican senators blocked the measure on Wednesday even though they had voted in favor of it just one month earlier. We CANNOT trust the same extreme MAGA Republicans who voted against PACT ACT vets cancer care to fund it - they wont! WebRepublicans voted against the Pact Act because it would enable $400 billion over the next 10 years in spending completely unrelated to veterans. The legislation was ready to be passed to the House, but the bill was delayed as one section of it was debated by Veterans' Affairs Committee leaders. Here are the 11 senators who opposed the bill: PACT ACT passes: Senate passes PACT Act, latest effort in yearslong fight to help veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, Toomey, who led the opposition to the measure, said in a tweet,"Tonight, the Senate voted to give us the chance to fix a completely unnecessary budget gimmick in the underlying text of the PACT Act. / CBS News. Thats a bit different from the 363-70 vote on theNational Defense Authorization Acta couple of months ago, where only 19 Republicans were worried about budgets when they added $25 billion on top of the already increased defense budget bill proposed by President Biden. The secret delegate battle that will decide the 2024 Republican nominee, The Dark Brandonmeme and why the Biden campaign has embraced it explained. Veterans groups and activists are slamming Senate Republicans for blocking the measure, and have pledged to keep lobbying for it. These are all the Republican Senators who voted The PACT Act would reclassify nearly $400 billion in VA funding, allowing Dems to instead spend that on their liberal wish list, he wrote. Update, August 2, 12:30 pm: This story has been updated to include new information about a Senate vote on this legislation. Biden, Marcos to discuss U.S.-Philippines partnership in White House meeting. We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of trying to block Toomey's amendment. #ProtectVeteransHealthCare. I have a strong record of supporting veterans to ensure they have access to high-quality health care, opportunities to thrive following their transition from the military and protecting their Second Amendment rights, Crapo said. The vote came after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday afternoon that he and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had come to an agreement. The Hill has requested comment from Lees office. Speaking for The American Legion during a Thursday press event on Capitol Hill, American Legion Legislative Director Lawrence Montreuil called On Thursday, March 3, 2022, the United States House of Representativespassed HR 3967,the Honoring our PACT Act of 2021. Don't ever thank us for our service again. Schumer has said he would schedule another procedural vote for Monday. After I got home, I had bronchitis for a year. Shortly before the Senate voted Tuesday, Paul railed against the bill and said it would put the economy at risk. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Senate passes PACT Act giving help to vets exposed to toxic burn pits. The change effectively lifts a barrier for veterans seeking benefits for toxic exposure. 27 Apr 2023 16:47:42 This gimmick allows $400B in spending completely unrelated to veterans care. During the defense's cross-examination of E. Jean Carroll, Trump's attorney asked the writer why she "did not scream" when she was "supposedly raped.". As most of us know, the GOPespecially under Minority Leader Mitch McConnellhas never done the right thing, so hopefully the pressure of midterm elections will force a few conservative senators to support the outcome of the wars they so love having kids fight for them and their donors. I want to know that the VA can implement this comprehensive bill in a fair and effective way, and right now, I am not confident that that is the case, the senator wrote. Veterans and their loved ones gathered in Washington, D.C., on Thursday for what was supposed to be a long-awaited celebration. On July 13, the House overwhelmingly approved the bipartisan expanding health care and benefits for toxin-exposed veterans and sent the package back to the Senate with only a minor change. Forty Republicans voted against expanding access to healthcare to toxin-exposed veterans. April 26 (UPI) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Wednesday that more than 500,000 claims have been filed since President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law in August. I just can't take a deep breath anymore.". During hearings, veteran and director of health policy at the American LegionKatie Purswelltold Congress that her exposure to burn pits during her time stationed overseas has left her weakened. But these 11 GOP senators still voted against the package on final passage. Tillis told the Raleigh News Observer he had doubts about the ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to deal with backlogs and wait times for veterans seeking care. 01 May 2023 00:46:03 Democrats announced that a deal on the social and climate spending had stalled, perhaps indefinitely, and the CHIPS bill was allowed to move forward. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made this point in her remarks before the bill was passed, reminding the House GOP that The budget costs of it are a cost of war. "Kos" and "Daily Kos" are registered trademarks of Kos Media, LLC. The PACT Act would expand eligibility In remarks on the Senate floor, he decried it as a "budgetary gimmick" that would create $400 billion in unrelated spending by moving it from the discretionary to mandatory category. However, last week 41Republicans blockedthe final passage of the legislation, arguing about how the legislation will be financed. Some Democratic lawmakers have offered alternative explanations for their colleagues' sudden switch, noting that it comes just after they reached an agreement of their own on a separate reconciliation bill. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C. First published on August 2, 2022 / 4:28 PM. I started waking up with bloody noses. "The embarrassment is just going to keep growing over this," Laura Harth, the campaign director at Safeguard Defenders, told Newsweek. The new legislation would expand care to 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to burn pits, adding 23 toxic and burn pit exposure-related illnesses to the VA database. Don't ever thank us for our service again. If it were to fail, the GOP would again find itself at the center of protests and accusations the party would like to avoid ahead of the midterms. These are the Republican Senators who voted against the bill: John A. Barrasso, WY We CANNOT trust the same extreme MAGA Republicans who voted against PACT ACT vets cancer care to fund it - they wont! The PACT Act will secure benefits and care for Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan-era veterans exposed to toxic substances while serving overseas. Susan Zeier, mother-in-law of the late Sgt. NOW WATCH: Meet the Republicans who are Trump's likely successors.