Senate blocks McCain-backed GI bill

[babylonsister]

Senate blocks McCain-backed GI bill
By Manu Raju
Posted: 05/14/08 03:58 PM


The Senate on Wednesday rejected an amendment supported by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to help veterans returning from Iraq get access to higher education.

By a 55-42 vote, the Senate blocked the amendment, authored by McCain ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), from being added to an unrelated bill giving public safety workers the right to unionize.

McCain and Graham are opposed to a broader Democratic GI bill of rights, authored by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), which Democrats plan to insert into a massive emergency war spending bill that will hit the Senate floor next week. Democrats accused Republicans of hijacking the Senate floor and forcing a vote on the Graham amendment to shield McCain from attacks for opposing the broader Democratic plan.

“Sen. McCain is looking for political cover here in a very difficult situation, and so what he’s done is try to hijack another bill,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the Democratic front-runner. “He’s trying to bring his version of the GI bill to a vote on the Senate floor, so he can say he at least tried.”

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/senate-blocks-mccain-backed-gi-bill-2008-05-14.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. Good.

[Happyhippychick]

2. Good news.