Senators call on Coburn to lift his hold on veterans benefits bill.
Senators call on Coburn to lift his hold on veterans benefits bill.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has placed a hold on a major veterans benefits bill because he wants to use unspent stimulus dollars to fund it. Today, Democratic senators who are advocates of the bill will hold a press conference to highlight Coburn’s obstructionism and call on him to lift his hold:
Democratic Senators are calling on Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to lift his hold on a veterans’ health bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hopes to clear before the chamber adjourns this week for a three-day recess.
Sens. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska) will hold a press conference Monday to rally support for the measure. [...]
In a floor statement Friday, Begich called on Coburn to lift his hold. Other Democratic Senators made similar appeals, but Begich took the rare step of naming Coburn on the Senate floor.
“I am disappointed that my Senate colleague does not feel this same sense of duty and responsibility to our nation’s heroes, who have sacrificed so much for our very right to stand in this body and debate this matter,” Begich said. “There is no good reason or rationale for a hold to be placed on this legislation and I call on my colleague to remove his hold.”
Unfortunately, using holds to obstruct progress is nothing new for “Dr. No.” He has previously used holds on legislation such as an HIV/AIDS prevention bill and a public lands bill. VoteVets.org, a leading veterans advocacy group, has put together an online petition to call on Coburn to lift his hold.
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“We support the troops.”
November 9th, 2009 at 2:03 pmNow there’s a petition I’d sign, did already as a matter fact.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pmWhy does Coburn hate the military?
November 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pmJust another example of how Repubukes ’support our troops’! I’ll bet he’s got a dozen foreign made vinyl stickers on his foreign made luxury car too!
November 9th, 2009 at 2:05 pmCoburn is very Lieberman-like in his need for attention.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:06 pmRepublicans “Country First”
Not so much….scum bags.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:06 pmBut, but, but …..Coburn really supports the troops, really he does… he SAYS so.
I am very glad to see this calling him out in the open, people in his state – no, in the entire country – need to see who he really is.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:09 pmCan anyone explain why senators have such an undemocratic option?
November 9th, 2009 at 2:09 pmUSNclerk, thanks for the reminder, I signed it too. Here’s the link if anyone missed it in the article. Donate if you can!
November 9th, 2009 at 2:10 pmHas this disgusting fartsack given a reason why he’s holding it up? I mean, I’ve been to VA facilities before, that money would be a tremendous help to those guys.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pmTom Coburn: the most vindictive, obstructionist Senator to grace the halls since Strom Thurmond.
The problem with Coburn (unlike with Vitter and the rest of the GOP obstructionists) is that he’s essentially uncorrupted on matters of finance. We all know his role in the Ensign scandal, but he’s an incredible cheapskate and steadfastly refuses to fund….anything.
Of course, it being Oklahoma, Coburn will win re-election by a comfortable margin next year.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:12 pmI can’t believe that anyone with any sense at all would try to put a hold to funding veteran’s healthcare.
It is political suicide. And how does he continue to survive doing this (in a staunchly conservative state, none the less) ?
November 9th, 2009 at 2:17 pmYou’d think that coming from a state with so many war vets Cockburn would care about the Vets of Oklahoma but giving a care has never been the neo-con way.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:18 pmI guess Oklahoma doesn’t have unemployment problems because he wants to take the money intended to help with that.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:21 pmHe’ll block bills that benefit millions of people as a matter of principal but introduced the guns in parks statute as an amendment to the credit card bill. You can’t make this stuff up.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:22 pmRe: “Can anyone explain why senators have such an undemocratic option?”
Because the Senate is one of the more undemocratic governing institutions invented by man. The Senate exists to thwart democracy, not enable it.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:26 pmWhy does anyone vote for this man? The Veterans need the help. You were sent to serve the people, Coburn. The military is filled with people, so why don’t you just let them have the benefits they deserve? You work for, “We, the People,” try remembering that.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:27 pmWhen you call Coburn Dr No I think of Ron Paul because they have been calling him Dr No for some time – just sayin
November 9th, 2009 at 2:27 pmHow about we get the Senate Leadership to stop taking ‘holds’ into account at all? How about if we do away with the practice of allowing any one (or more) Senator to derail any Senate business because that Senator placed a hold on that item.
I remember last year when Senator Dodd placed holds on the Patriot Act update, and Reid refused to recognize them.
So I’m proposing doing away with holds completely. No holds recognized. You don’t like something…vote against it. Don’t allow someone to stop everyone else from voting at all!
November 9th, 2009 at 2:30 pmWe really don’t need to ask why Coburn hates the military and veterans in particular.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:31 pmLook at the letter after his name.
He’s an authentic chickensh!t chickenhawk Republiklan who has no trouble sending other people’s kids to die for the benefit of his corporate sponsor/masters.
And Coburn is an obstetrician? More like Dr Obstructition
November 9th, 2009 at 2:32 pmHey! Senator Coburn! Support our troops, you unAmerican, unpatriotic, worthless piece of garbage!
November 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pmThere should be as much pressure on Reid to ignore the hold as there is on Coburn to drop it.
Reid’s already done just such a stunt, when Sen. Dodd put a hold on legislation giving legal immunity to telecom carriers which spied on their customers without a warrant.
Why Reid is allowing ANY Republican holds on any legislation, when he ignored the a Hold from Sen. Dodd, I have no idea.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pmI watched a good program about the state of our current healthcare on PBS yesterday. They interviewed two families in Oklahoma struggling to keep their children insured. Pretty upsetting to say the least. Tom Coburn was interviewed in this piece. Had the usual Teabagging answer. When asked why the republicans hadn’t done anything in the last 12 years to better healthcare, he couldn’t muster an answer. Just sickening.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:34 pmWe the people have been replace by some ‘code of comity’
I dont agree with either secret holds or this code of comity which is recpriocal yet self serving butt scratching
November 9th, 2009 at 2:34 pmI remember when I was in elementary school, another little girl didn’t like the rules the rest of us had set for a game of hopscotch. Realizing she was outnumbered, she proceeded to sit down right in the middle of the hopscotch grid so nobody could play.
When this behavior appears in six-year olds, it’s generally corrected — either by parents, teachers, or some other authority figure, or by peer pressure alone.
What’s baffling is why this behavior is tolerated in U.S. Senators.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:34 pmSo basically they had to shame Coburn into doing something for our Vets??? What a immoral creep. The Repugs are always the ones who scream about how they support our troops, but you always hear about sh*t like this. Remember when Sen. Stevens was going to hold up the Bill for the Vets until he got his Bridge to NoWhere? He acted like a child throwing a Temper Tantrum on the Senate floor.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:40 pmColburn is one of the Republicans For Rape AND is up for re election ‘10.
Time to really kick butt.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:42 pmSometimes, the respect that is shown between members of the House of Lords… sorry, the US Senate, is disgusting. You earn the respect of your peers, and nothing that Coburn has down has earned the respect of anyone except the corporations that hold his leash and pay him….
November 9th, 2009 at 2:44 pmWhat’s baffling is why this behavior is tolerated in U.S. Senators.
Thats the code of comity
November 9th, 2009 at 2:46 pmXisithrus says:
Thats the code of comity
More like the code of comedy.
Except this isn’t funny.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:50 pminhofe is a major holy roller a-hole.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:50 pmInhofe and Coburn: two peas in a pod, both dumber’n dirt.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:52 pmOh, yeah, both are from Oklahoma. Gee! Who’da thunk!
It is obvious the good chickensh*t, chickenhawk, warmongering, republican senator from OK hates the military and could care less about the people who protect his worthless ass.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:56 pmAs a Vietnam Vet I will say that this scum bag is nothing more then a traitor. He should be taken out and shot. Our service men and women have paid in blood to support this country and someone who sits in the Senate will shit on our Vets and their family’s for political gain. This traitor should be marched out into a field and shot, like we do to all traitors during time of war.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:01 pmThis twit thinks he can have a pissing contest with Obama over stimulus funds. I hope Coburn’s office gets bombarded with letters, calls and emails. It would be very nice for vet organizations to demand meetings with Coburn. The organizations should also go with public ads and bring prominent military people to pressure Coburn.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:11 pmHow many ways can the GOP prove they hate our troops?
November 9th, 2009 at 3:16 pmUnfortunately the GOPpers usually get a pass and/or love from the military of all ages. Be sure to let your buddies know about his stuff!
November 9th, 2009 at 3:23 pmAlso, I bet he will feel the pressure; artfully change his position; spin the whole thing and then declare himself a hero. Watch it happen!
ljm says:
Unfortunately the GOPpers usually get a pass and/or love from the military
A smart candidate in and outside of Oklahoma would emphasize Coburn’s hold and the failure of the Republican party leaders to force the release of the hold. Guilt by association might work in a campaign.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:33 pmAdd the war hero John McCain to the list of militry loving republicans who love the vets and troops so much that they obstruct legislation that would benefit said vet and troops.
John McCain has consistently voted against “the troops”. McCain voted against an amendment providing $20 billion to the VA’s medical facilities, voted against providing $430 million to the VA for outpatient care/treatment for veterans, voted against increasing VA funding by $1.5 billion by closing corporate loopholes, voted against increasing VA funding by $1.8 billion by ending “abusive tax loopholes.”
VoteVets.org has a full list of votes, statements, and positions of Senator McCain, which shows that McCain has consistently bailed on troops and veterans.
It’s a very long, but comprehensive list that should be booked marked for future reference.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:45 pmColburn and his fellow Republicans with the support of those Americans who proudly have bumper sticker and give lip service ” WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS” are stopping the funds that would have helped stop the murders in Fort Hood and saved the lives of returning service men/woman who need medical help. What an example the US is for others to follow. Even Commanders have reported they have a lack of Medical Staff to handle so many soldiers with problems. But Law Makers are to busy lineing their pockets and Americans really aren’t interested right now because they have their own problems to deal with. But as we approach Vet’s Day you can bet Americans will bring out the US Flags and give the lip service as condinue to see nothing done for the real US Patriots. I love to google the Law Makers who stop the Bills that would help the soldiers.
Senator Coburn dodged the Military service during the Vietnam War.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:50 pmWhat is it with this shullbit “hold” procedure? Any two-bit senator can stop any bill dead in its tracks just because he feels like it?
– stepping away from the keyboard now …………..
November 9th, 2009 at 4:02 pmThe original idea behind the Senate hold was to give Senators who legitimately wanted some extra time to study an issue a chance to do so. (They were thinking, like, two-three weeks, tops.) It was never intended to be used consistently as a childish tantrum-throwing exercise just because a Senator didn’t get his or her way on a completely unrelated issue.
It’s one thing to hold up a bill because you legitimately need time to look at the bill and maybe even do some personal research. It’s entirely a different matter when you abuse the privilege because you have issues with something else entirely.
This is disgusting, Sen Coburn. The Senate should remove every one of your holds, even the legitimate ones (though I suspect there are none), as punishment for you misuse of the rules.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:06 pmI think that Dr. Coburn owes America’s veterans an apology, as well as needing to clear his blockage of VA and veterans legislation.
I know that he’s supposed to be an OG-GYN, but he should have some general experience, as well. If he really supports veterans, he ought to be volunteering a few hours every week at Walter Reed or Bethesda or a VA hospital or clinic.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:13 pmVirtual Pebble,
November 9th, 2009 at 5:30 pmThere are female Vets as well as male. An OB-GYN can be of help there in their specialty as well.
WAS,
November 9th, 2009 at 5:49 pmThe original concept of the Senate was that of a gentlemen’s club with civility and federalism forming its core. It is now being driven by pure greed from the minority side of the aisle supported by a ravenous pack of blue dogs in sheep’s clothing and the Lieberal personification of Jaba The Hut.
“Senators call on Coburn to lift his hold on veterans benefits bill.”
Glad the Dems are calling out and going after Coburn. And it is amazing that the good old doc Coburn is obstructing the vets bill when Coburn is a draft dodger.[From wikipedia: In 1968, he married Carolyn Denton, the 1967 Miss Oklahoma; their three daughters are Callie, Katie, and Sarah. After recovering from a case of malignant melanoma Coburn pursued a medical degree and graduated from the University of Oklahoma Medical School in 1983.]
November 9th, 2009 at 6:05 pmp.s. Homeland Security chairman Joe Lipstick is draft dodger too. Why are these clowns who are draft dodgers allowed or sitting on committees to give their opinions and analysis on the two wars? From Wikipedia:
A spokesperson told The Hartford Courant in 1994 that Lieberman received an educational deferment from the Vietnam War draft when he was an undergraduate and law student from 1960 to 1967.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:10 pmIt’s not entirely clear whether Coburn’s obstruction is just carrying out orders from some C-street game plan, or a personal agenda.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:23 pmThis bill provides money for home care and caretakers of disabled veterans. Muskogee, Coburn’s home seat has a V.A. hospital, and the waiting list for the nursing home in Claremore is long.
Certainly his motives are not what he claims; some belief that he is the Senate’s best qualified watchdog of taxpayer dollars.
Didn’t see it mentioned, did you see the excuse on Coburn’s website on how HE IS NOT HOLDING THE VET BILL UP? It says he only wants to debate and amend it. So he is holding it up but at the same time isn’t? Which is it? I am sure Faux news will doublespeak me into the altered realty where this will make sense.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:33 pm“I think that Dr. Coburn owes America’s veterans an apology”
And I concur especially giving the fact that Coburn is a doctor. And Coburn shouldn’t have any say in vets’ needs and concerns in the bill since he is draft dodger.
Draft dodging =Pre-existing condition.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:35 pmTom Coburn is a lying no good, low down, covering up dog. He apparently forgot that he is involved in covering up the mess for that sleaze bag senator from Nevada. Yes, that’s the same Tom Coburn who claims to be holyer than thou, but helped a Senator cover up an affair, and suggested paying off the women, family to avoid responsiblity. Tom you are a sinner, who lies, cheats, and back slides, so don’t play that “I’M a christian” role with me. You make me sick, you little a s s hole.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:46 pmTom Coburn is a “CREEP”
November 9th, 2009 at 9:46 pm@ 45. WaltTheMan says: Virtual Pebble, There are female Vets as well as male. An OB-GYN can be of help there in their specialty as well. November 9th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Yeah, I know there are female vets. They never had any female sailors when I was in; they were all WAVES or Medical Corps and restricted to shore installations. Of course there’s always the blah blah blah about women not serving on combatant vessels, but women on aircraft carriers, both as pilots or air crew and as ship’s company puts them on combatants. And women may next be aboard submarines. Then there is the fact that there is no front line in Iraq or Afghanistan, so all the bs about not being combatants is just that, bs. But I digress.
I would not be in favor of immediately allowing Dr. Coburn to have female vets as his patients, if he were to volunteer his services. I think he ought to just do general rounds and perhaps help the permanent staff by seeing outpatients; something other than being allowed to exercise his speciality. OTOH, given his recent track record in playing politics with vets and VA legislation and budgets, it might be that he would not survive the experience; some of the people he’s wounding by proxy might take his presence seriously and not let him leave in one piece. One could hope, anyway.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:14 amI wouldn’t want to inflict Dr. Coburn on our armed services, Virtual Pebble.
Nobody wants to be kept waiting for a doctor, that long.
Especially if they’ve got their feet in the stirrups.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:26 amReid doesn’t have to honor this dishonorabe “hold”, or any others, if he doesn’t want to. I recall a Dem Senator’s attempt at a hold was completely ignored.
Reid and the Dem Senators are complicit. Pigs.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:55 amHope someone’s providing lots of airtime and ink in his district to his antics… and maybe the veterans can manage to picket him or otherwise demonstrate their attitude toward his. The man is a creep and anyhone who would consider him as a provider of medical care would have to be ignorant at the very least…
November 10th, 2009 at 12:29 pm@ 55. okie dokie says: I wouldn’t want to inflict Dr. Coburn on our armed services, Virtual Pebble. Nobody wants to be kept waiting for a doctor, that long. Especially if they’ve got their feet in the stirrups. November 10th, 2009 at 2:26 am
That’s another excellent reason for not thinking he’d do as a volunteer OB-GYN.
OTOH, I think that all the congresscritters, except those who are vets, but definitely those who’ve been kicking the Iraq and Afghan war can along, and particularly the chickenhawk set, could put their fracking butts where their mouths are; they could go do bedpans for a couple of hours a week at a VA hospital or Walter Reed, etc. I’m perfectly well aware that it won’t happen, not in my lifetime or in a million years, but it’s a perfectly legitimate question to ask them at every opportunity. Why haven’t they …?
November 10th, 2009 at 12:35 pm@ 57. susancarrie says: Hope someone’s providing lots of airtime and ink in his district to his antics… and maybe the veterans can manage to picket him or otherwise demonstrate their attitude toward his. The man is a creep and anyhone who would consider him as a provider of medical care would have to be ignorant at the very least… November 10th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Creep is charitable for the slimeball. I’d like to be able to say that perhaps he’s a better doctor and human being than he is a politician, but the fact that he IS a politician rules that out. In fact, if he’s a good doctor, why is he a politician? His career as a pol would indicate that he isn’t interested in improving what we have and helping correct what is wrong in our society; he seems to be an obstructionist from the get-go.
The people, the women, who are his patients probably go to him because they’re in that bunch that want a moralizing sermonette along with a pelvic exam; his wiki page says he has kept his practice open and sees patients on weekends, etc. Keep in mind that he is a Talibabtist and is from OK.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:43 pm