Senate Republicans Block Benefits to Homeless Women Veterans

[ensho]

http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2010/07/02/newsflash-senate-republicans-block-benefits-to-homeless-women-veterans/


Senate conservatives blocked the Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act on Tuesday, following an objection from Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK, left), who spoke out in opposition to the bill. The $3.4 billion bill, introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), would have provided special benefits to homeless women veterans (as well as to homeless male veterans with dependent children).

The defeat comes at a time when homelessness among women veterans has dramatically increased. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the number of homeless women veterans has nearly doubled over the past ten years. The trend is even more apparent among homeless veterans under 45; one in ten is a woman. What’s more, the increase in the number of homeless women veterans has coincided with a drop in homelessness among their male counterparts, according to Peter Dougherty, director of homeless veterans programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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So as hundreds of thousands of veterans return from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Department of Veterans Affairs struggles to accommodate their most basic needs. And as the number of women serving in combat continues to grow, so will the need for specialized assistance for women veterans. Passage of the Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act would have been a start.
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Rep. Sen. - nasty, cruel men - may they rot from the inside out

[FBaggins]

1. Wow. A republican position I can actually agree with.

I can't believe that some bozo (I guess that's you Sen Murray) would create such a ridiculous program as one that helps homeless female vets but not homeless male vets (unless they have children of course).

How hard would it be to design a "homeless vets" bill?

OTOH... that's probably not why they oppose it. So it isn't so much the position that I agree with as the vote.

[BR_Parkway]

4. There are several new homeless vet bills that have been enacted recently

I think the purpose of this was to create special women's shelters for safety reasons

[fredamae]

2. Mr Coburn has been showing some compassion and

rebellion toward the "new republican party" ideals of late.
Is this current action? The article is dated from one year ago....

[EFerrari]

3. Kick