VETERANS DAY REPORT CARD: COLEMAN FAILS IN EVERY SUBJECT

11/10/2007

As Americans honor our servicemen and women on Veterans Day, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released a report card grading Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman’s support of our nation’s veterans. In every test on funding and expanding veterans’ health care, Coleman earned failing grades.

“We’re sending this report card home with Coleman so the people of Minnesota can see exactly how he has failed the country’s veterans,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “Minnesotans will decide the appropriate disciplinary action for Coleman’s poor grades, but there is no sign that allowing him to repeat would improve his performance.”

Norman doesn’t play well with others, voting 15 times against more than 410,000 veterans in the state. Additional Note: Norman’s answers are troublingly similar to his classmate, George Bush. Please talk with him about the importance of doing his own work and independent thinking.

November 2007: $65 Billion for VA. This week, Coleman put his loyalty to Bush ahead of his loyalty to veterans by voting to block veterans funding from going to the President’s desk. According to The Hill, “Republicans killed $65 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and for military construction operations.” [Vote #404, 11/7/07; The Hill, 11/8/07]

March 2006: Fee Hikes for TRICARE. During debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget resolution, Coleman voted to kill an amendment that would have eliminated a tripling of fees for veterans in the TRICARE health care program by raising the discretionary spending limit by approximately $10 billion. President Bush’s budget proposal included fee hikes for the military’s TRICARE health program for retirees under 65 and their families and, according to critics, “would double or triple health care premiums for about 3 million military retirees.” [Vote #67, 3/16/06; Washington Post, 3/16/06]

March 2006: Mandatory Vets’ Health Care Benefits. 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 at a cost of $104 billion over five years, to be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes and rolling back tax cuts for millionaires. The bill’s sponsor explained that the amendment “provides full funding for veterans medical care to ensure that the VA has the resources necessary to provide quality health care in a timely manner to our Nation's sick and disabled veterans.” [Vote #63, 3/16/06; Stabenow Floor Speech, 3/16/06]

March 2006: $1.5 Billion for Veterans’ Health Care. 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]

February 2006: Prioritize Vets’ Health Care. 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. 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]

February 2006: $19 Billion for Hospitals. In February 2006, Coleman voted against an amendment that would have provided at least $19 billion for military and veterans hospitals, to be offset by rolling back tax cuts for millionaires. According to an official from the American Legion, the proposed funding “acknowledges the need for adequate funding to ensure our nation's veterans receive the healthcare and other benefits to which they are entitled.” [Vote #7, 2/2/06; Dodd Floor Speech, 2/2/06]

October 2005: Adjust Vets’ Health Care for Inflation. In October 2005, Coleman voted to kill an amendment to the defense appropriations bill that would have established a formula by which veterans’ health care funding would be adjusted to account for changes in population and inflation. [Vote #251, 10/5/05; CQ Today, 10/5/05]

September 2005: $10 Million for Readjustment Counseling. In September 2005, Coleman voted against an amendment that would have added $10 million to the Readjustment Counseling Service and decreased the HealtheVet technology budget by the same amount. Supporters said the additional funds would ensure soldiers returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan could receive treatment. [Vote #242, 9/22/05; Tulsa World, 9/25/05]

April 2005: $1.98 Billion For VA. During debate on the 2005 war spending bill, Coleman twice voted to kill a proposal to increase VA funding by $1.98 billion, of which $840 million would be for veterans’ regional health networks, $610 million would be used to address the needs of active duty troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and $525 million would go to mental health care and treatment. [Vote #89, 4/12/05; Vote #90, 4/12/05; News Tribune, 4/13/05]

March 2005: 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. 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; Congressional Record, 4/28/05]

June 2004: 30% Hike for Veterans’ Health Care. In 2005, Coleman voted against an amendment that “would have provided a 30 percent increase in funding for fiscal year 2005 and in subsequent years assured adequate funding levels to meet the needs of a growing number of veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs.” [Vote #145, 6/23/04; Spokesman Review, 6/25/04]

March 2004: Reserve Fund for Vets’ Health Care. 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. [Vote #40, 3/10/04; Tulsa World, 3/14/04]

March 2003: $1 Billion for Veterans’ Programs. 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]