HomeOpinionThe Massive Spending Smokescreen: They're Using Our Veterans To Further Their Agenda

The Massive Spending Smokescreen: They’re Using Our Veterans To Further Their Agenda

Published on

Earlier this week, Comedian/Activist, Jon Stewart and Congressional Democrats lambasted Senate Republicans for voting down the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021, (the PACT Act).  The language of this Act sounded great.

“This bill addresses health care, presumption of service-connection, research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service.”

This legislation sounds like a slam-dunk for all parties.  As written, it should’ve passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support.  However, on July 27, 2022, the Senate failed to advance this piece of legislation.  Forty-one Republican Senators and one Democrat Senator voted against this Act.  This vote blocked the bill from reaching the threshold to bypass the filibuster rule.

The mainstream shredded Republican Senators for blocking the advancement of this piece of legislation meant to protect veterans exposed to toxic materials during their service.  As stated earlier, Comedian/Military Veteran Activist, Jon Stewart, had a lot to say about the failed vote.

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democrats and comedian and activist Jon Stewart railed against Senate Republicans who voted against legislation to help veterans suffering from ailments related to toxic burn pits, calling it a ‘gut punch’ to the veterans who had come to Capitol Hill to celebrate the legislation.”

The video of his Capitol press conference can be found here.

I do not doubt Jon Stewart’s passion and zeal for standing up for our Veterans.  His sincerity is not even a question in my mind.  However, with that being said, he might have wanted to ask the fundamental question of “Why wasn’t it passed?”, before spewing vitriol. 

Even I wasn’t immune to being more than a little irritated at the forty-two Senators who blocked the PACT Act.  However, I’d like to believe that most of us know that we need to find all the answers to a question before going off half-cocked.  I like the question, “Why?”.  It puts some clarity to the issue, and halts the knee-jerk reaction to find blame without knowing all of the answers.  As taken from https://www.toomey.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/toomey-congress-must-protect-veterans-care-bill-from-being-used-as-vehicle-for-massive-unrelated-spending-binge:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) today spoke on the Senate floor about his effort to fix a flaw in the PACT Act. As currently written, the bill would enable $400 billion over the next 10 years in spending completely unrelated to veterans. Senator Toomey’s technical fix does not reduce spending on veterans by even $1 or affect the expansion of care and benefits in the underlying bill.

Watch the Senator’s remarks here.

The PACT Act as written includes a budget gimmick that would allow $400 billion of current law spending to be moved from the discretionary to the mandatory spending category. This provision is completely unnecessary to achieve the PACT Act’s stated goal of expanding health care and other benefits for veterans. However, it would enable an additional $400 billion in future discretionary spending completely unrelated to veterans. By failing to remove this gimmick, Congress would effectively be using an important veterans care bill to hide a massive, unrelated spending binge.”

So, in essence, Senator Toomey is not an “evil Republican”, looking to screw over our American Veterans, rather he is asking for a fix to prevent the PACT Act from being used to increase Congressional spending completely unrelated to Veteran care.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas has also spoken out about why the PACT Act was stalled.

” ‘Republicans insist the PACT act is far from dead…. ‘This bill will ultimately pass, but it will be more fiscally responsible,’ said Senator John Cornyn.”

The media’s favorite punching bag, Senator Ted Cruz, has attempted to explain his vote on July 27, 2022.

“Via video Senator Cruz (R-Texas) on TMZ’s website remarks that he and most Senators support the PACT ACT but gives mention that he believes there is budgetary trickery at play that would provide for the dollars meant for veterans to be afforded to other, unrelated spending.”

It was our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln who said, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan”. 

Thus, the desire to care for our Veterans became a national priority.  All American Combat Veterans deserve our respect, our gratitude, and in their times of need, our help.  Instead of painting Republican Senators as “evil” or “selfish” for wanting to re-tool the PACT Act, as most of the mainstream media is reporting, the more pertinent question I have is this:  Why are Democrats so Hell bent using our Veterans as a gateway to mandatory spending that doesn’t benefit Veteran health care?

On a personal note, I want to thank one of my oldest friends, John M., for helping me research this article.  I couldn’t have done this without you, Brother. 

Latest articles

Get The Daily Email!

More like this

THE RACE IS ON: Here’s Who’s Running For Speaker As GOP Seeks Third Nominee

The field of those gunning for the House GOP’s third nominee for Speaker is...

WATCH: Full Tucker Carlson Interview With Obama’s Alleged Gay Crack Lover.

Full Tucker Carlson Interview With Obama’s Alleged Gay Crack Lover.

Trump Dealt Huge Blow In E. Jean Carroll Defamation Lawsuit, Timing Not Good

E. Jean Carroll won a partial victory in her defamation lawsuit against former President Trump on Wednesday.