Oh for shame the republicans, the cowardice of the anonymous Republican Senator who blocked this bill to help veterans, those men who served our country. republican payback:
Tuesday December 4 6:39 PM ET
GOP Holds Up Homeless Vets Bill
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Less than three weeks after Senate Republicans dropped an anonymous hold on Sen. Paul Wellstone's homeless veterans bill, an anonymous Republican has reinstated the hold.
``I can't believe it!'' a red-faced, finger-pointing Wellstone shouted on the Senate floor Tuesday.
Wellstone, D-Minn., said that he, in turn, would block all non-emergency GOP legislation - repeating last month's political theater.
On Nov. 15, the Republicans reached an agreement with Wellstone in which they dropped their hold, and he dropped his hold on GOP legislation extending a moratorium on Internet-related taxes. The Senate then approved Wellstone's bill on a voice vote.
A House-Senate conference committee reconciled slightly different versions of the homeless veterans legislation, which would add just under $1 billion in homeless services over the next six years.
But when Wellstone brought it up Tuesday under a procedure reserved for non-controversial legislation, Sen. Larry Craig (news - bio - voting record), R-Idaho, objected.
``I'm sorry that I have to do this,'' Craig said, volunteering that he was not the senator who had a hold on the legislation.
Wellstone said in an interview later that he had no idea why the bill was being blocked.
``But the one thing I do know is, I used to do some organizing with street people, and this time, it's going to be an even more fierce fight,'' said Wellstone, a former community activist. ``I know how to fight here, and I know what my leverage is.'' |
