MEMO: Ted Stevens Record On VeteransMEMORANDUM TO: Reporters; interested parties While Ted Stevens served honorably in World War II, since joining the Senate, he voted against funding for the VA system, including expanding health care, counseling, and mental health programs. Below is Stevens voting record on veterans.
Stevens Has Voted Against Increased Funding for Veterans 26 times. Since 1990, Stevens has voted against increasing Veterans funding 26 times including 3 separate amendments to make veterans’ health benefits a mandatory program. [Vote 114, 3/23/07; Vote 172, 5/17/07; Vote 67, 3/16/06; Vote 63, 3/16/06; Vote 41, 3/14/06; Vote 15, 2/13/06; Vote 7, 2/2/06; Vote 343, 11/17/05; Vote 251, 10/5/05; Vote 242, 9/22/05; Vote 89, 4/12/05; Vote 90,
Stevens Rejected Initial FY08 Budget Resolution, Which Included a Vets’ Funding Hike. Stevens voted against the initial version of the FY 2008 budget resolution, which provided for over $3.5 billion more in funding for Veterans than the Bush Administration’s proposal. Bush’s budget called for $39.6 billion in funding compared to the Democratic plan for $43.1 billion. The budget Stevens opposed included $6.7 billion more for veterans than 2007. [Vote 114, 3/23/07; Vote 172, 5/17/07; Senate Budget Committee, 3/20/07, 5/17/07]
Stevens Voted to Allow Veterans’ Health Care Fees to Triple. During debate on the FY 2007 budget resolution, Stevens voted to kill an amendment that 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]
Stevens Opposed Mandating Vets’ Health Care Funding. In March 2006, Stevens voted against an amendment to make veterans’ health benefits a mandatory program, spending $104 billion over five years. The funding would have been offset by closing corporate tax loopholes and rolling back the Bush tax cuts for millionaires. [Vote 63, 3/16/06; Reid Press Release, 3/16/06]
Stevens Rejected $1.5 Billion for Veterans’ Health Care. During debate on the FY 2007 budget resolution, Stevens 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]
Stevens Voted Against Prioritizing Veterans’ Health Care Over Millionaire Tax Cuts. In February 2006, Stevens voted against 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]
Stevens Voted Against $19 Billion Hike in Veterans’ Health Care Funding. In February 2006, Stevens 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]
Stevens Rejected $500 Million a Year for Vets’ Mental Health Care. In November 2005, Stevens killed a proposal to provide an additional $500 million a year over five years for veterans’ mental health services, to be offset by rolling back tax cuts for millionaires. [Vote 343, 11/17/05]
Stevens Voted Against Mandatory Veterans’ Health Care Funding. In October 2005, Stevens voted against establishing a funding formula for veterans’ health care that would keep pace with inflation and population growth. [Vote 251, 10/5/05; CQ Today, 10/5/05]
Stevens Voted Against $10 Million for Veterans’ Counseling. In September 2005, Stevens 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]
Stevens Twice Rejected $2 Billion in Veterans’ Health Care Funding. In April 2005, Stevens twice voted against increasing veterans’ health care funding by $1.98 billion. “There is a train wreck coming in veterans’ health care and I’m offering an amendment to deal with the emergency now - before it turns into a crisis,” Sen. Patty Murray said. The amendment included $610 million for health care services for the newest veterans, $525 million for mental health care for returning veterans and $40 million for each of the VA regional operations. Two months later, the VA announced a billion-dollar budget shortfall. [Vote 89, 4/12/05; Vote 90, 4/12/05; Scripps Howard News Service, 4/12/05; U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Press Release, 6/23/05]
Stevens Twice Supported the FY06 Budget Resolution That Cut Funding for Veterans. 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. [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]
Stevens Opposed Mandatory Full Funding of Veterans Health Care. In 2004, Stevens helped defeat an amendment that would ensure that all veterans have access to the health services and prescription drugs they need and deserve. The amendment would have established a new funding process intended to guarantee Veterans health programs are fully funded. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicted that this amendment would permit another 3 million veterans to receive pharmaceutical and health services from the VA. [Vote 145, 6/23/04]
Stevens Voted Against Reserve Fund to Cover Vets’ Programs. During debate on the FY 2005 budget resolution, Stevens voted to kill an amendment that would have created a reserve fund with up to $11.2 billion in additional spending for a number of programs, including veterans’ medical care. [Vote 48, 3/11/04]
Stevens Voted Against Increasing Veterans’ Medical Care by $1.8 Billion. In 2004, Stevens voted against an amendment to create a reserve fund to allow for an increase in veterans’ medical care by $1.8 billion. The spending would have been offset by revenue increases. [Vote 40, 3/10/04]
Stevens Voted Against Reducing Tax Breaks to Pay for Veterans’ Health Care. In 2004, Stevens voted against creating a reserve fund to allow for an increase in Veterans’ medical care by $2.7 billion and lower the national debt by reducing the President’s tax breaks for taxpayers with incomes in excess of $1 million a year. [Vote 34, 3/9/04]
Stevens Voted Against Moving $1.8 >From Iraq to Vets’ Health Care. During debate on the FY 2004 war funding bill, Stevens killed an amendment that would have redirected $1.8 billion for Iraqi reconstruction to veterans’ health benefits. [Vote 379, 10/14/03]
Stevens Opposed $13 Billion for Veterans. Stevens rejected the Democratic substitute to the FY 2004 budget resolution, which would have increased veterans’ funding by $13 billion, to be offset by rolling back tax cuts. [Vote 83, 3/25/03; Conrad Floor Speech, 3/25/03]
Stevens Opposed $1 Billion For Veterans. During debate on the FY 2004 budget resolution, Stevens 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]
Stevens Chose Tax Cuts For Rich Over Health Care For Veterans: In 2001, Stevens voted against an amendment to increase funding for veterans’ health care by $1.7 billion. [Vote 84, 4/6/01]
Stevens Voted Against $650 Million for Medical Spending For Veterans. In 2001, Stevens voted against an amendment to increase the amount provided to the Veterans Health Administration for medical care by $650 million, for a total of $22 billion. [Vote 263, 8/1/01]
Stevens Voted Against $1.3 million in Funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. In September 1999, Stevens voted against $1.3 million in funding for the Veterans Health Administration for the Department of Veterans Affairs. [Vote 285, 09/22/99]
Stevens Voted to Kill an Amendment to Increase Veterans Health Care by $400 Million. In July 1997, Stevens voted to kill an amendment to increase funding for veterans health care by $400 million. The amendment would have transferred $400 million from the Department of Defense to the Department of Veterans Affairs. [Vote 168, 07/10/97]
Stevens Voted to Kill an Amendment to Increase Veterans Health Care by $200 Million. In August 1990, Stevens voted to kill an amendment that would have transferred $400 million from the Department of Defense Strategic Defense Initiative to drug treatment, pregnant woman and veterans’ health programs with $200 million going directly to the medical account of the Department of Veterans Affairs. [Vote 226, 08/04/90] |
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