Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act - Motion to Proceed - Continued
Floor Speech
VETERANS' BENEFITS ENHANCEMENT ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED -- (Senate - April 22, 2008)
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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act passed out of the committee 9 months ago, and 6 months ago I came to the floor and asked that we consider it. I could not imagine there would be any delay in wanting to bring critical help to our veterans.
This legislation expands eligibility for traumatic injury insurance under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Program. It extends housing benefits to individuals--veterans--with severe burns. It increases benefits for veterans in apprenticeship or on-job training programs. And it restores veteran status to Filipino veterans.
The bill had a positive vote coming out of committee, and the Republican minority objected, 6 months ago, to bringing it up. Then, last week, when we tried to bring up this bill to help the veterans again, the Republicans initiated a filibuster trying to stop us from bringing this bill forward.
This morning, the Republican leader explained it was because the Republicans need to sit down at noon and talk about the bill so they understand it. The bill has been out of committee for 9 months. It is very clear what is in this bill. There was no need for a filibuster--except for the fact that is the strategy of the Republican minority.
So far, the Republicans have filed, during this legislative session, 66 filibusters--and continue to file them--66 filibusters, including a filibuster against this veterans' benefits enhancement bill. They continue to file these filibusters in an effort to slow down or stop the Senate from considering legislation.
Last week, they wanted to stop a technical corrections bill that made corrections in spelling and grammar and a few references in a bill passed years ago. It took us a full week to pass a bill, which should have taken no time at all, because the Republicans slowed us down.
This week is even worse--that they would force a filibuster on a bill to help veterans. Why? Why in the world would they do that? From the beginning, we said if they had an objection to any provision in this bill, they could offer an amendment. I know the Senator from North Carolina objects to giving Filipino war veterans--who served next to American soldiers, risked their lives and died on behalf of Americans--they object to the idea of giving $300 a month to the 18,000 surviving Filipino World War II veterans who would be eligible. They object to it but will not come to the floor and just offer a motion to strike. No. They will filibuster to drag this out for days at a time. This is not fair. It is not fair to the veterans who wait on this important legislation. It certainly is not fair to the Filipino veterans.
You have to understand that during World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued a military order calling to service the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines to stand next to American soldiers to fight and die. This entitled--many believe--those who served beside U.S. troops to some recognition from the United States of America. My goodness, how many more years will we wait? Those 470,000 Filipino veterans risked their lives to save American lives and their homeland and to fight for the same values we treasure, and we have put them off that long. A cloture motion was filed, forcing a vote today at noon.
I can tell you that the continued efforts by the Republican minority to stop and stall any efforts for change and progress is being noted by the American people. We only have 51 Democrats. It takes 60 votes to overcome a Republican filibuster, which means we need nine of them to join us. Maybe they will at noon. But the obvious question is, Why did we have to go through this? Why did we have to wait when there was an objection last November? Why did we have to face a filibuster? It is critical to pass the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act and do what is right for our veterans and the Filipinos who stood beside our troops and fought in World War II.
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Mr. DURBIN. We had to burn off 4 or 5 days of doing nothing because of another Republican filibuster. So far in this Congress the Republicans have initiated now 67 filibusters. The record in the Congress before this Republican minority was 57 filibusters over a 2-year period of time. They have now broken that record by 10, and we still have 8 months to go this year.
We are wasting more time. When I ask the Republicans why did you filibuster a bill for veterans' benefits, they said because when we have lunch today, we want to talk it over.
This bill was reported by the veterans committee 9 months ago. How many veterans have been created in 9 months? How many more have needed job training, health care benefits, and housing, and now our Republican minority wants to talk it over?
If we are going to do the people's business in this Chamber, this filibuster mentality on the Republican side has to come to an end. There are critically important issues. Wouldn't it be great if we had finished the veterans health bill last Thursday and could have started debating today the cost of gasoline across America; the impact of high diesel fuel prices on truckers; what the jet fuel costs are doing to the airline industry? But no, another Republican filibuster, the 67th filibuster in this session.
I hope the people of the United States understand what the problem is. To break a filibuster, it takes 60 votes. There are only 51 Democrats. The voters of America will have their chance to vote in November.
Mr. DORGAN. Will the Senator yield for a question?
Mr. DURBIN. I yield for a question.
Mr. DORGAN. Isn't it the case the vote we had is on the motion to proceed? This is not on the issue, this is on the motion to proceed to an issue? So we have a filibuster on the question of shall we proceed. Time after time after time, isn't it the case that even on motions to proceed, we discover the other side demands 60 votes, then demands to have the full 30 hours elapse after the vote has taken place? This one was, I think, 94 to zero. There was a requirement that we go to a motion to proceed--94 to zero--so it was not controversial, it was a matter of bleeding time. It makes no sense, with all that we have to do.
Mr. DURBIN. Through the Chair I say in response to the Senator: That is exactly the case. I would like to make a unanimous consent request that we go to the bill immediately and entertain germane amendments to the bill. Let's start this bill right now. Let's get this done for the veterans. I ask unanimous consent.
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