Republican Senators Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe voted this week against legislation that would have prioritized veterans' health care over tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. The Senators voted against $19 billion in military and veterans hospitals and voted for $19 billion in tax cuts earlier this month.

"The failure of the Republicans in Washington, including our Oklahoma Senators, to stand up for the brave men and women who have served our country is taking a severe toll on veterans' health care in Oklahoma," Oklahoma Sate Democratic Party Chair Lisa Pryor said.

Now, instead of voting to provide veterans with the health benefits they earned by defending our country, Senator Coburn and Inhofe voted to preserve tax breaks for the wealthy and the special interests.

Because Republicans in Washington have failed to fully fund veterans' health programs, 10,737 veterans in Oklahoma have been shut out of the VA health care system completely. [VHA Policy & Forecasting 2/24/03, Projected to FY2005] The failure of the Republican Congress to end the Disabled Veterans Tax has undermined a secure retirement for 7,157 veterans in Oklahoma. [Veterans Administration / Democratic Leader's Office, 6/05]

Pryor called on Senators Coburn and Inhofe to stand up for Oklahoma veterans, not vote against them.

"Senators Coburn and Inhofe showed their true colors by refusing to stand with the brave men and women from Oklahoma who have served our country in battle," Pryor said. "They have both consistently failed to provide veterans with the benefits they were promised and have certainly earned."

Pryor said Senators Coburn and Inhofe should join Democrats in fighting to keep our nation's promise to the heroes who have sacrificed so much in the defense of our nation by providing them the benefits they have earned.

"We can do better for America and can do better for Oklahoma," Pryor said.