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United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Veterans Day National Committee
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Rep. Michaud Condemns Use of Veterans as Political Pawns
Friday, October 4th, 2013 |
Posted by Veterans Today
WASHINGTON,
DC – Today, Representative Mike Michaud (ME-02), Ranking Member of the
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, spoke on the House floor today during
debate on H.J.Res. 72, a bill that partially funds VA operations and
furthers the standoff over the government shutdown. Michaud has
previously spoken out against piecemeal approaches pursued by Republican leaders.
“This
House bill, like the others before them, will not be considered by the
Senate and the President has said he will veto it. Instead of waging a
PR war and wasting time on bills that will go nowhere, House Republicans
should pursue a solution to the shutdown that could actually pass both
chambers and be signed by the President,” said Michaud.
In
a letter sent to Congress today,
the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, and
Paralyzed Veterans of America called on Congress to provide the full
year’s funding for all veterans programs, adding that “funding the
operations of the VA through short-term continuing resolutions (CRs) or
other stop-gap measures are not acceptable solutions.”
“Congress must stop using veterans in this partisan game and end this shutdown now,” said Michaud.
Michaud’s remarks on the House floor today, as prepared for delivery, can be found below:
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164 Democrats Vote Against Funding Veterans’ Benefits
HJ Res. 72
Vote summary: 264-164. Failed (required 2/3 majority).
H J RES 72 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY
1-Oct-2013 7:44 PM
QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
BILL TITLE: Making continuing appropriations for veterans benefits for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes
| | Yeas | Nays | PRES | NV |
| Republican | 231 | | | 1 |
| Democratic | 33 | 164 | | 3 |
| Independent | | | | |
| TOTALS | 264 | 164 | | 4 |
This
bill would have restored funding for American veterans’ benefits. The
164 Democrats listed on this page don’t think veterans’ benefits are
important enough to pay for. These 164 Democrats (
no Republican voted against the bill) voted to block funding for veterans’ benefits.
Click the tweet [links] to ask them why.
See More Here
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Harry Reid blocks funding for veterans programs, national parks
By
JOEL GEHRKE | OCTOBER 3, 2013 AT 1:38 PM
Senate
Democrats blocked four resolutions to fund government programs,
including paying the National Guard and opening national parks, as
Republicans offered the limited measures in an attempt to win the
government shutdown fight by financing popular programs and leaving
those they oppose untouched.
“Unbelievably, today Senate Democrats
went on record to oppose funding for National Guard and Reserve
salaries, veterans’ services, lifesaving medicine and cures, and
national parks and museums," Senate Republican Conference chairman John
Thune, R-S.D., said in a release following the procedural battle.
"Congress
unanimously passed a bill to ensure active-duty military personnel are
paid during this lapse in government funding, and it’s unclear why
Senate Democrats wouldn’t pass similar measures to fund these important
services,” Thune said.
Read More Here
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Military keeps Camp David open, cuts NFL, baseball coverage to troops overseas
By
PAUL BEDARD | OCTOBER 4, 2013 AT 2:12 PM
President
Obama has visited the Navy-run presidential retreat Camp David in
central Maryland only 32 times, but it is being kept open during the
government shutdown for his entertainment and security at the same time
the Pentagon is cutting sports coverage to hundreds of thousands of
troops around the world.
A phone call to the retreat found it open, confirming a TMZ report.
Camp
David is one of the most highly secure areas in the nation and provides
the president with a safe haven. The president has been known to shoot
skeet at Camp David, which he most recently used for his 52nd birthday,
according to CBS White House Correspondent Mark Knoller.
Read More Here
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Pelosi, Pingree and Michaud vote against funding for veterans benefits
Reps. Michael Michaud (left) and Chellie Pingree (right) voted Tuesday against continuing funding for veterans benefits
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Amid the shutdown turmoil in the nation’s capital city, 33 House
Democrats crossed party lines Tuesday night to support a GOP measure to
restore funding for veterans benefits for fiscal year 2014.
The resolution failed (
264 – 164)
to get the two-thirds vote threshold required for passage in the House
under a suspension of the rules. Reps. Michael Michaud and Chellie
Pingree joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to help
defeat the resolution.
The failure of the measure offers little
assurance to veterans, whose benefits have been jeopardized by the
uncertainty of partisan chaos in grid-locked D.C. Although October’s
benefit checks have already gone out, a prolonged shutdown could place
November’s payments in doubt. Moreover, the backlog of veterans benefits
claims, which only recently has begun to shrink, will certainly grow
since many VA staffers have been furloughed.
The vote is
especially problematic for Michaud, who has abdicated his congressional
seat to run for governor, and who has made veterans affairs the
signature issue of his decade in Congress. Michaud’s vote also runs
contrary to statements he made on Tuesday regarding appropriations for
veterans benefits in light of the partial federal shutdown.
Read More Here
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