"And it wasn't like this anti-veteran Republican filibuster was some radical break from the past either. Time and time again during the Obama presidency Republicans have either blocked or opposed bills that would have helped out the veterans they're now claiming to care so much about.
"Back in 2012, for example, GOP senators blocked a $1 billion jobs bill would have helped millions of unemployed veterans find work. And in that same year, Republican opposition also blocked a bill -- the so-called Veterans' Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act -- that would have kept veterans' benefits on par with rising expenses.
"The list goes on. Before that, GOP lawmakers killed the Wounded Veteran Job Security Act, the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009, the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, the Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009, the Veterans Business Center Act of 2009, and the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act of 2009.
"Every single one of these bills would have helped veterans and every single one was killed exclusively by Republican opposition."
Here is an October, 2013 Daily Kos diary that lists several more instances of Republican obstruction of help for veterans, "GOP's actual track record on supporting veterans."
Killed With A Media Assist
If the public is told someone is obstructing the things they want, they can hold them accountable.
If the public is told things like "both sides do it" or "the Senate failed" they will decide not to bother to vote.
Republicans are certain they will not be held accountable for their obstruction, and they have good reason to be. Our news media and even many Democrats refuse to tell the public who did and who didn't obstruct these bills.
Does the public get information that enables them to make informed decisions about who to hold accountable from headlines and news reports like these?
The Washington Post reported that "Senate rejects far-reaching Veterans Affairs bill":
"A broad Department of Veterans Affairs bill that would have expanded benefits for former service members and repealed a military pension cut for future troops was rejected in the Senate on Thursday."
CBS: Veterans' benefits bill blocked in Senate
CNN: Vets bill fails in Senate, victim of election-year gridlock
AP: Senate blocks Dems' bill boosting vets' benefits,
"A divided Senate on Thursday derailed Democratic legislation that would have provided $21 billion for medical, education and job-training benefits for the nation's veterans."
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