Talent Voted 23 Times Against American Veterans While Representing Missouri in D.C . Since his first year in Washington, Talent has voted against veterans 23 times. [Vote 63, 3/16/06; Vote 67, 3/16/06; Vote 15, 2/13/06; Vote 7, 2/2/06; Vote 41, 3/14/06; Vote 81 3/17/05; Vote 89, 4/12/05; Vote 90, 4/12/05; Vote 55, 3/16/05; Vote 251, 10/5/05; Vote 343, 11/17/05; Vote 145, 6/23/04 ; Vote 48, 3/11/04; Vote 40, 3/10/04; Vote 34, 3/9/04; Vote 379, 10/14/03; Vote 74, 3/21/03; Vote 75, 3/25/99; Vote 192, 5/22/98; Vote 843, 12/7/95; Vote 829, 11/29/95; Vote 607, 7/31/95; Vote 604, 7/31/95]
7 Times to Protect Tax Breaks for Wealthy Instead of Health Care for Veterans
2006 & 2004: Talent Twice Rejected Mandatory Funding for Veterans' Health Care in Favor of Protecting Tax Breaks for the Rich. In March 2006, Talent rejected Senator Stabenow's amendment to make veterans health care funding mandatory to ensure that the growing health care needs of America's veterans were met. The amendment would have been fully offset by eliminating tax breaks for individuals with annual incomes of more than $1 million and certain corporate tax breaks. The amendment failed 46-54. Talent had previously rejected assured funding for veterans health care in June 2004. [Vote 63, 3/16/06; Vote 145, 6/23/04; Press Release, Office of Sen. Daschle, 6/23/04]
2006: Talent Voted TWICE Against Prioritizing Veterans Health Care Over Millionaires. In February 2006, Talent voted against a motion to prioritize health care for veterans in lieu of an extension of capital gains or dividends tax breaks for millionaires. The capital gains and dividends tax breaks for those earning more than $1 million only affected less than one percent of Missouri's population. Just two weeks earlier, Talent voted against increasing funding for military and veterans' hospitals by $19 billion, to be offset by repealing tax cuts for the wealthy. [Vote 15, 2/13/06; Citizens for Tax Justice; Vote 7, 2/2/06]
2005: Talent Voted for Tax Breaks for Millionaires Over Mental Health Care for Vets. Talent opposed an amendment providing an additional $500 million per year for the next five years for mental health services for veterans. The funding would be offset by deferring tax cuts for those making $1 million per year. [Vote 343, 11/17/05]
2004: Talent Voted to Favor Millionaire Tax Breaks Over Increasing Veterans Care by $2.7 Billion. In 2004, Talent opposed creating a reserve fund to allow for an increase in veterans' medical care by $2.7 billion and to lower the national debt by reducing the President's tax breaks for taxpayers with incomes in excess of $1 million a year. [Vote 34, 3/9/04]
2003: Talent Voted to Protect Tax Cuts for Wealthy Over Increased Funding For Veterans By $1 Billion. In March 2003, Talent voted against increasing funding for veterans programs by $1.019 billion, the level proposed by a coalition of veterans groups, and offsetting the new spending by decreasing proposed tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. [Vote 74, 3/21/03]
Voted Twice To Protect Corporate Loopholes, Not Veterans
2006: Talent Supported *Increasing* Fees for Veterans to Protect Corporate Loopholes. In March 2006, Talent rejected Senator Kerry's amendment to eliminate 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 FY2007 Budget proposal included fee hikes for the military's TRICARE health program for retirees under 65 and their families. According to critics, the Bush proposal "would double or triple health care premiums for about 3 million military retirees, break the nation's promise to provide affordable care to military families, and jeopardize recruitment for the volunteer force." The provisions would have been fully offset by eliminating certain corporate tax breaks. Amendment was rejected 46-53. [Vote 67, 3/16/06; Army Times, 2006; Washington Post, 3/16/06]
2006: Talent Favored Corporate Tax Breaks Over $1.5 Billion for Veterans' Health Care. In March 2006, Talent voted against increasing veterans' health care funding in the FY2007 budget resolution by $1.5 billion to $874.5 billion. It would have been offset by ending certain corporate tax breaks. [Vote 41, 3/14/06]
For A Decade, Talent Voted Against Veterans' Healthcare
1995: Talent Voted Four Times Against Increased Veterans' Health Care Funding. In 1995, Talent voted four times against funding for veterans' programs. Talent twice voted against sending the FY1996 VA-HUD Appropriations bill back to Conference Committee to insist that it include an additional $213 million for veterans' health care. Talent also supported the initial House Republican version of the appropriations bill, which provided $10.5 billion less funding than President Clinton had requested for the VA. He also voted against an additional $267 million in funding for the VA. [Vote 843, 12/7/95; Vote 829, 11/29/95; Vote 607, 7/31/95; Vote 604, 7/31/95]
1998: Talent Supported Highway Bill That Cut Billions from Veterans' Healthcare. On May 22, 1998, Talent voted to strip $15.5 billion from Veterans' Healthcare. [Vote 192, 5/22/98; Boston Globe, 5/23/98]
1999: Talent Voted Against $1.1 Billion for Veterans Health Care. In 1999, Talent voted against a substitute amendment on behalf of the Coalition, also known as the Blue Dogs, that called for a smaller ($100.8 billion less than the resolution) tax-cut over five years. The substitute amendment used debt reduction dividends to shore up Social Security and Medicare and allocated 25 percent of the on-budget surplus to fund defense, agriculture and veterans programs. Compared with the resolution, the amendment called for $12.2 billion more in defense spending, $3.4 billion more in discretionary agricultural spending and $1.1 billion for veterans' health care. [Vote 75, 3/25/99]
2003: Talent Voted Against $1.8 Billion for Veterans' Health Care in 2003. In 2003, Talent voted against increasing veterans' health care funding in the FY2004 Iraq and Afghanistan supplemental spending bill by $1.8 billion, to be offset by reducing funding for Iraqi reconstruction. [Vote 379, 10/14/03]
2004: Talent Voted Against Increasing Veterans' Health Care Funding Two Times in 2004. In 2004, Talent voted against increasing veterans' health care funding in the FY2005 budget resolution. He also voted against increasing veterans' health care funding by $1.8 billion. The spending would have been offset by revenue increases. [Vote 48, 3/11/04; Vote 40, 3/10/04]
2005: Talent Voted Against Veterans' Health Care FIVE TIMES in 2005, Despite Warnings of Budget Shortfall. Before the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a $1 billion budget shortfall in 2005, Talent voted twice against $1.98 billion for veterans' health care, while also opposing a proposal to increase veterans' health care funding by $2.8 billion. Talent also said "no" to keeping veterans' health care funding in line with inflation and population growth. These votes all came despite warnings from Sen. Patty Murray that the proposed federal funding for veterans' programs would not be enough to cover costs. Talent voted for the FY2006 Budget, which made numerous cuts in key federal programs, including a $14.5 billion cut in veterans' funding. [Vote 89, 4/12/05; Vote 90, 4/12/05; Vote 55, 3/16/05; Vote 251, 10/5/05; CQ Today, 10/5/05; U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Press Release, 6/23/05; Office of Sen. Patty Murray; Tacoma News Tribune, 6/29/05; Vote 81, 3/17/05; Office of Sen. Conrad, GOP Budget Conference Report is Wrong for America, 4/28/05; Minority Views of Ranking Democratic Member Senator Kent Conrad, 3/11/05]
