The pet projects — 96 unrequested military construction projects costing about $633 million — won over veterans funding on a 69-24 vote. But it probably isn’t the last effort to prevent the Senate from passing veterans benefits legislation that isn’t fully funded.


http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/military_coburn_veterans_111709w/



Coburn’s hold on the Veterans Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act of 2009 came to a head before Veterans Day, when Senate Democratic leaders were trying to get the bill passed. Coburn wouldn’t allow the bill to proceed if he wasn’t allowed to offer an amendment, a position that drew sharp criticism from major veterans groups.

The agreement announced Tuesday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., allots 3½ hours for Senate debate on the veterans’ bill, a half hour for general debate and the rest of the time to debate Coburn’s amendment.

Senate passes benefits for vets' caregivers
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed legislation that would provide monthly stipends and medical benefits to family members who stay home to care for severely injured veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill also includes travel expenses and training for the caregivers, improved health services for women veterans and rural areas, and nearly $1 billion for veterans medical facilities.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the measure would cost nearly $4 billion over the first five years, most of it to pay for the new caregiver benefits.

Although the bill had bipartisan support, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., held it up for weeks trying to persuade senators to pay for the new spending by making cuts in other programs. He tried without success Thursday to amend the bill to cut funding for the United Nations.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/U...-11-19-16-59-11

Amen bros.....