What Does Susan Collins Have Against American Veterans?

I don't think Susan Collins hates veterans; she just votes as though she does. Between March 21, 2003 and March 22, 2007 Maine's junior Senator participated in 12 role call votes impacting the well-being of U.S. military veterans. She voted against veterans 10 of the 12 times. But like I said, it isn't because she hates veterans; she just likes staying in lockstep with George Bush more than she cares about the well-being of our veterans. How else can you explain this kind of voting record?

Last week the Maine Democratic Party analyzed all of the votes that "Sweet Susan" (as Bush condescendingly calls her) took regarding health care for vets. They found that of 17 votes, she voted against vets 17 times! Their research goes all the way back to May 27, 1996 when she put out a press release entitled "Susan Collins Salutes Veterans on Memorial Day," in which she vowed that "preserving health care and other benefits for veterans" would be a top priority for her in the Senate. "Our effort to balance the budget," she told fellow Mainers, "is not an attack on the mission of the Veterans Administration or America's commitment to veterans. On the contrary, the greatest threat to that commitment comes from the deficit itself that we will literally run out of money to pay for benefits. Balancing the budget will preserve that commitment far into the future. While the process of balancing the budget will undoubtedly require difficult choices, I will never support a budget proposal that unfairly affects veterans."

Now, let's take a look at how she actually voted since she made those lofty promises.

Collins Voted Against an Amendment to Eliminate Tripling in TRICARE Fees for Vets.  During debate on the FY 2007 budget resolution, Collins helped kill an amendment that would have 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]
 
Collins Voted Against Making Vets' Health Care a Mandatory Program.  During debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget resolution, Collins helped kill an amendment that would have made veterans' health benefits a mandatory program at a cost of $104 billion over five years, to be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes and rolling back tax cuts for millionaires. The bill's sponsor explained that the amendment "provides full funding for veterans medical care to ensure that the VA has the resources necessary to provide quality health care in a timely manner to our Nation's sick and disabled veterans."  [Vote #63, 3/16/06; Stabenow Floor Speech, 3/16/06]
 
Collins Voted for Corporate Tax Breaks over Vets' Health Care.  During debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget resolution, Collins helped 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]
 
Collins Voted to Preserve Tax Cuts for the Richest Americans Over Funding for Veterans' Health Care.  In February 2006, Collins voted to kill a motion that would 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]
 
Collins Voted Against $19 Billion in Vets' Health Care Funding.  In February 2006, Collins 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]
 
Collins Voted Against $500 million in Funding for Mental Health Services for Veterans.  In November 2005, Collins voted to defeat 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]
 
Collins Twice Voted Against a $1.98 Billion Increase in Funding for the VA.  During debate on the 2005 war spending bill, Collins twice voted to defeat a proposal to increase VA funding by $1.98 billion, of which $840 million would be for veterans' regional health networks; $610 million would be used to address the needs of active duty troops in Iraq and Afghanistan; and $525 million would go to mental health care and treatment. [Vote #89, 4/12/05; Vote #90, 4/12/05; News Tribune, 4/13/05]
 
Collins Voted for Budget that Slashed Funding for Veterans' Funding.  In March 2005 Collins voted for the initial Fiscal Year 2006 budget resolution that 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]
 
Collins Voted Against $2.8 Billion in Vets' Funding.  During debate on the Fiscal Year 2006 budget resolution, Collins voted to kill an amendment that would have increased veterans' health care funding by $2.8 billion. [Vote #55, 3/16/05; CQ Today, 3/16/05]
 
Collins Voted Against Up to $11.2 Billion in Additional Vets' Funding.  During debate on the Fiscal Year 2005 budget resolution, Collins 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]
 
Collins Voted Against up to $1.8 Billion for Veterans' Health Care.  During debate on the Fiscal Year 2005 budget resolution, Collins voted to kill an amendment that would have created a reserve fund of up to $1.8 billion for veterans' health programs. [Vote #40, 3/10/04; Tulsa World, 3/14/04]
 
Collins Voted Against Up to $2.7 Billion in Vets' Funding.  During debate on the Fiscal Year 2005 budget resolution, Collins voted to defeat an amendment that would have created a reserve fund of up to $2.7 billion for veterans' health programs, to be offset by rolling back tax cuts for millionaires. [Vote #34, 3/9/04; Salt Lake Tribune, 3/11/04]

I guess she needs to revise that old press release a little. But, like I said, it isn't that she doesn't like veterans; she just likes George Bush and her crazy extremist political party and their reactionary ideology more. This is an election year and you will suddenly find Collins noisily "breaking" with Bush to try to claim that she is moderate and independent. You can't allow yourself to be an utter rubber stamp for 11 years and then expect voters to give you a pass because of what you do under pressure in the lead up to an election.

If you'd like to see an example of an actual independent voting record of a legislator who votes with the well being of veterans foremost in his mind, take a look at the voting record amassed by Congressman Tom Allen. When it comes to vets, Susan Collins has voted no, no, no-- and Tom Allen has fought relentlessly to give the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country a fair break. If you'd like to help Tom get his message out while Collins keeps distorting her record with the help of millions of dollars of special interests money, Tom has been endorsed by Blue America and you can donate to his campaign here. (Don't forget to add one cent to your donations this week so he can also win the Air America check.)