Democratic Party Chair calls on Coburn to do right by our veterans and release hold on bill

This bill would improve health care and services for our veterans, particularly expanding access to those in rural areas.  It would also ensure equal access for female veterans, address homelessness among veterans and give support to caregivers of wounded veterans.

"It is the day before Veterans’ Day, but yet one man in the Senate is standing alone in this fight against our veterans," said Goodman.  "I know I speak for most Oklahomans when I say that Tom Coburn can go play politics elsewhere.

"We call on Sen. Coburn to release his hold and stop blocking this important bill.  He can save the political games for some other issue; this is too important," he added.

Earlier this fall, Sen. Coburn had placed holds on two other pieces of legislation that would fund veterans' benefits, and S 1963 would effectively replace those two blockaded bills.  Coburn has claimed that the bill is too costly.

Goodman, however, calls this "political grandstanding" and says that Coburn ought to join in the process of governing, rather than holding up needed funds for our courageous veterans.

Good morning.  I’m Todd Goodman, and I’m the chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party.

We’re here today for a very simple purpose:  we are calling on Sen. Tom Coburn to release the hold he has placed on a critical piece of legislation that would fund health benefits for our nation’s veterans.

Tom Coburn yesterday admitted that he placed an anonymous hold on S 1963, the Veterans Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act of 2009.  This bill would improve health care and services for our veterans, particularly expanding access to those in rural areas.  It would also ensure equal access for female veterans, address homelessness among veterans and give support to caregivers of wounded veterans.

It is the day before Veterans’ Day, but yet one man in the Senate is standing alone in this fight against our veterans.  And he is truly on his own in choosing to say no to these brave men and women.  VoteVets, a national veterans’ advocacy organization, has already collected nearly 13,000 signatures on a petition asking Tom Coburn to stop standing in the way of honoring our veterans’ sacrifice.  Thirteen national veterans’ organizations sent a letter to Sen. Coburn yesterday, pleading with him to release the hold on this bill.  These groups include:

The American Legion
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Disabled American Veterans
AmVets
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Blinded Veterans Association
Military Order of the Purple Heart
Vietnam Veterans of America
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Jewish War Veterans
Military Officers Association of America
National Military Family Association, and
Wounded Warrior Project

In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Tom Coburn blasted the very nature of the U.S. Senate, saying he would prefer to fire every Senator and implying that the body was dishonorable.  Well, I’d like to say something to Sen. Coburn in response to that.  By blocking this bill, you are putting yourself before our country’s greatest servants, and that is what's dishonorable.

Sen. Coburn, if you’d rather not be a Senator, if you’d rather just be a doctor, then go back to Muskogee and practice medicine.  Oklahoma would be much better off with a Senator who will govern, who will stand up for our veterans, and who will do the right thing.  Dr. Coburn, after this show of political gamesmanship, I am confident that Oklahoma would be better off without you in the Senate.

I know I speak for everyone standing here today, as well as for most Oklahomans, when I say that Tom Coburn can go play politics elsewhere.  We once again call on him to stop blocking this important bill and to save the political games for some other issue.  This is too important.