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Lone senator holds up veterans bill

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is trying to bring pressure on the Senate to ignore tradition and bring a veterans health care bill up for debate despite the anonymous hold on the bill placed by a senator.

The bill in question is S 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009, which includes three top priorities of the veterans group.

It contains a package of improvements for female veterans, including more training for mental health providers in treating sexual trauma, a pilot program to offer child care so that veterans who have children find it easier make appointments, and a trial counseling program in which newly separated female veterans would be treated in retreat-like settings.

It also would expand mental health programs for veterans in rural areas by contracting with local community mental health centers, and expand mental health services for the immediate families of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Improvement programs for homeless veterans also are included — a high priority for the Obama administration.

Although it is not one of the priority items for IAVA, another key part of the bill is a precedent-setting program that would pay stipends to family members who provide care to severely disabled veterans, rather than having the veteran institutionalized or receive regular at-home nursing care.

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman and chief sponsor of the bill, said the legislation would provide living stipends, health care, counseling and support for family caregivers.

The precedent of paying family members as caregivers is believed to be the issue that has held up work on the bill until a formal cost estimate is available from the Congressional Budget Office.

Patrick Campbell, chief legislative counsel of IAVA, said the delay is troubling. “Unless the Senate decides to act on this, we will miss our small window to see this legislation pass before Veterans Day,” he said, urging veterans to contact their senators to demand a vote on the measure.

“With so much good riding on one bill, it is hard to imagine that anyone could oppose this legislation. But there is one senator holding up consideration,” Campbell said.

Senate holds on bills are a controversial issue. By tradition, any senator can inform the Democratic or Republican cloakroom staff that they do not want a bill to be brought up for debate on the Senate floor. The senator is not identified unless he or she agrees to be named. A hold usually remains for five to seven days at a time, but there is no limit on the number of times a hold can be renewed.

This is an informal process; the Senate majority leader — currently Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. — can bring up a bill for consideration despite a hold.

However, the Senate needs consent of all senators to do all kinds of routine business, such as allowing committees to meet while the Senate is in session and to allow quick consideration of noncontroversial nominations and legislation.

Reid tried to bring up S 1963 for debate on Oct. 29 but was blocked by an unidentified objection.

The House of Representatives is engaged in its own pre-Veterans Day rush of legislation, with 11 uncontroversial veterans bills and resolutions on Monday’s schedule and more planned for the rest of the week.