Veterans Address War in Iraq, Veterans’ Healthcare

As President Bush Spoke on Iraq Thursday,

Veterans and Lawmakers Said Norm Coleman’s Record Shows Misplaced Priorities

St. Paul, MN (April 10, 2008) As President Bush announced today that he will pause the drawdown of troops in Iraq, State Senators Steve Murphy and Sharon Erickson Ropes, respectively Marine Corps and Navy veterans, joined DFL Veterans Caucus Associate Chair Nancy Gertner, herself a Navy veteran, to shed light on Senator Norm Coleman’s record of putting corporate special interests ahead of healthcare for America’s veterans.

“Despite supporting the war in Iraq, Norm Coleman voted consistently to protect tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest among us at the expense of increased funding for veterans,” said Senator Murphy. “When he had a choice between the special interests and Minnesotans, he chose special interests far too many times.”

“Minnesotans want and deserve leadership — whether it’s on ending the war in Iraq or supporting our service men and women when they come home,” said Senator Erickson Ropes. “But unfortunately, Senator Coleman has chosen to side with special interests time and time again, and our veterans deserve more.”

“I’m disappointed in Senator Coleman saying one thing and not backing it up with his actions or votes,” said DFL Veterans Caucus Associate Chair Nancy Gertner. “We must do all we can to ensure that those returning home have all the care that they so rightly deserve.”

Norm Coleman’s Misplaced Priorities on Veterans’ Health Care:

2008: Coleman Voted Against Budget That Included Increased Veterans Funding. In March 2008, Coleman voted against the Senate’s version of the FY 2009 budget, which included $3.2 billion for discretionary veterans’ programs, including veterans’ health care, beyond what President Bush allocated in his budget. Paralyzed Veterans of America National President Randy L. Pleva Sr. urged members of Congress to close the shortfall in the Bush budget, saying, “President Bush’s 2009 budget is short by $3 billion for our veterans and this means our seriously injured veterans will not get all the services they have earned and deserve.” [Vote #85, 3/14/08; Chairman’s Mark of FY 2009 Budget Resolution, 3/6/08; Paralyzed Veterans of America Press Release, 3/6/08]

2007: Voted Twice Against Budget That Included Increase in Veterans’ Benefits Funding. In March and May 2007, Coleman voted against both the initial and final versions of the Fiscal Year 2008 budget resolution, which according to Congressional Quarterly “would mark the first year that appropriators met the request of the veterans’ groups.” The bill included “a $3.6 billion increase in discretionary funding for the VA over the president’s fiscal 2008 request. The budget resolution also expressed a ‘sense of Congress’ that additional benefits-claims processors are needed, as is increased funding to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and brain and spinal-cord injuries.” [Vote #114, 3/23/07; Vote# 172, 5/17/07; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/07]

2006: Coleman Voted Against Making Veterans’ Healthcare Benefits Mandatory by Closing Loopholes, Rolling Back Millionaires’ Tax Cuts. During debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget resolution, Coleman voted to kill an amendment that would have made veterans’ health benefits a mandatory program, to be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes and rolling back tax cuts for millionaires. [Vote #63, 3/16/06]

2006: Coleman Voted Against $1.5 Billion for Veterans’ Health Care, Protecting Corporate Tax Loopholes. During debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget resolution, Coleman voted to kill an amendment that would have closed corporate tax loopholes in order to increase veterans’ health care funding by $1.5 billion. [Vote #41, 3/14/06; Spokesman-Review, 3/15/06]

2006: Coleman Voted Against Prioritizing Vets’ Health Care over Tax Cuts for Millionaires. In February 2006, Coleman voted to kill a motion to instruct conferees on the 2006 tax-cut package to insist that the conference report include funding to support health needs of veterans and military personnel in lieu of an extension of tax breaks for millionaires. Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd, the motion’s sponsor, explained that the money saved by rolling back tax cuts for just 0.2% of all taxpayers could be used to pay for veterans’ health care and disability payments for veterans. [Vote #15, 2/13/06; Dodd Floor Speech, 2/13/06]

2005: Coleman Voted for Tax Breaks and VA Budget Cuts. The Senate Republicans’ initial FY06 budget resolution slashed domestic discretionary programs by $204 billion over five years, including significant cuts to veterans’ benefits. Arguing against the budget, the leader of the American Legion said, “No veteran should be shortchanged by those in Congress with higher national priorities than the ongoing cost of war.” The final version of the budget included $212 billion in cuts to domestic discretionary programs, including veterans’ health care, and included tax cuts totaling $106 billion over five years … “These tax cuts are widely expected to include extension of the capital gains and dividend tax cuts, which primarily benefit people at high income levels.” Coleman supported both versions. [Vote #81, 3/17/05; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/1/05; American Legion Press Release, 3/18/05; Vote #114, 4/28/05; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 5/6/05]

2004: Coleman Protected Loopholes, Voted Against Reserve Fund for Vets’ Healthcare. During debate on the Fiscal Year 2005 budget resolution, Coleman voted to kill an amendment that would have created a reserve fund of up to $1.8 billion for veterans’ health programs by eliminating abusive tax loopholes. [Vote #40, 3/10/04; Tulsa World, 3/14/04]

2003: Coleman Voted Against Increasing Veterans’ Funding by Rolling Back Tax Cuts. During debate on the Fiscal Year 2004 budget resolution, Coleman opposed an amendment that would have increased veterans’ funding by $1 billion, to be offset by rolling back tax cuts. [Vote #74, 3/21/03]

Is a “c” list celebrity the best you could come up with to challenge the hardest working senator in Washington?

The (un)Democratic Party is the only organization in a worse situation than the lending industry.

Link here:

http://capwiz.com/dav/bio/sponsortrack/?id=130476

He is a politician of the worst kind, a politician who cares little for standing up for beliefs but rather standing up for what will win. Disgusting.

Honestly, how can you guys support him and his bullshit? If I read that as a Republican, I would immediatly think, he sold me out to save his own hide and will no longer be representing my conservative views in the upcoming election but will instead represent what will win.

This almost makes me want to donate to Franken and I still am not even sure I will vote for him. Coleman is a weasle and I can’t believe you Republicans are willing to be sold out like this.

I guess that makes me proAmerican and them, along with yourself, antiAmerican since they and you all favor this huge ripoff of American taxpayers.

Angry Al will have the same fate Angry Mike Hatch had.