Dozens of veterans’ priorities rolled into one bill

http://kdhnews.com/news/politics/dozens-of-veterans-priorities-rolled-into-one-bill/article_ce915726-9ddb-11e3-bac8-0017a43b2370.html



Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 6, 2012. The veterans bill vote could put Senate Republicans in the uncomfortable position of saying no to a politically powerful constituency during an election year.

Dozens of veterans’ priorities rolled into one bill
Associated Press
Posted: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 4:30 am

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Majority Leader Harry Reid is counting on voters as well as lawmakers feeling that way in an election year as the Senate takes up legislation this week that addresses dozens of priorities veterans groups raised in recent years.

Two weeks after rolling back an effort to slow cost-of-living pension increases for working-age military retirees, the Senate is now being asked to give veterans new benefits that would cost $21 billion over the next decade.

The bill would make more veterans eligible for VA health care, require public colleges to offer in-state tuition rates to all veterans and help seriously wounded veterans get fertility treatments.

The vote could put Senate Republicans in the uncomfortable position of saying no to a politically powerful constituency in a midterm election year. Some Republicans gripe the new programs would further swell federal deficits.