[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S2096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           VETERANS BENEFITS

  Mr. WEBB. Madam President, last night we had an issue involving the 
well-being of our veterans who I think got caught up in the give-and-
take of the debate on the health care bill, particularly the procedural 
aspects of it. An amendment was offered to the bill by Senator Burr, 
and a counteroffer was made to solve these two disparities, one 
regarding TRICARE and another regarding a certain section of title 38 
with respect to veterans health care through unanimous consent, since 
one of the bills had already been voted on unanimously in the House and 
the other one certainly there is no real objection to. The request to 
pass these bills immediately, which would have made them law today, was 
objected to. Senator Burr's amendment also went down.
  I wish to say first, I don't think there is any debate in this body 
about the dedication that Senator Burr has to our veterans. I think 
that goes for all Members of this body. There is no one in this body 
who isn't fully dedicated to the well-being of our veterans and our 
Active-Duty military people as well. I think it is a shame that the 
procedural aspects of what we were debating overcame something that 
should have been a simple process.
  In that spirit, I have been discussing this matter with Senator Burr, 
and we are going to take two amendments that were offered last night 
for unanimous consent to see if we can't clear them on both sides and 
to have these protections, these express protections for the medical 
care of those who are serving and those who have served take their 
rightful place as protected in the larger aspect of this health care 
reform. We are going to work to clear them on both sides, hopefully, to 
get this matter resolved. We can have our political debates and we will 
have our political debates, but all of us need to come together to make 
sure that those who serve fully understand the dedication of this body.
  So I hope the other side will help us move these two amendments 
forward. I appreciate Senator Burr's support in that effort. Also, as I 
said, I very much appreciate the dedication he has always shown to our 
veterans. He is the ranking Republican on the Veterans' Committee, and 
no one is in any way questioning that aspect of his service in the 
Senate.
  So I just wished to again point out that we are going to attempt to 
clear these today. We can resolve this matter within a day or two. It 
will become law. Our veterans and those serving will know they are 
fully protected.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, first, I wish to salute my colleague 
from Virginia. There has been no one in this body who has stood more 
firmly and more intelligently and more successfully for veterans than 
the junior Senator from Virginia, and I thank him. I hope the other 
side will heed what he has asked, which is not anything to do with 
politics but simply in the benefit of our veterans.

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