from link:
Senate GOP Blocked Legislation Expanding Veterans Health Care
In February, Senate GOP Blocked Bill To Expand Veterans' Health Care, Open 27 New VA Health Facilities. Citing budget concerns, Senate Republicans blocked legislation in February introduced by Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that would have greatly expanded health care and education programs for veterans and allowed the VA to open 27 new health facilities:
Veterans groups expressed frustration with the bill's failure, saying it fell victim to Washington's partisan politics. The measure was four votes shy of a 60-vote threshold required for it to have advanced.
[...]
The legislation called for expanding several veterans benefits, including dental and medical care, educational assistance and the caretaker stipends that currently apply only to post-Sept. 11 veterans. It also required the repeal of a recent cut to the cost-of-living adjustments for future military retirees and would have allowed VA to open 27 new health facilities. [The Washington Post, 2/27/14]
Mainstream Media Outlets Largely Ignored Senate GOP's Blocking Veterans Bill
Broadcast Evening News Shows Completely Ignored GOP's Blocking Veterans Health Legislation. Based on a LexisNexis search television transcripts from February 26 to 28, the veterans health bill was not covered by ABC World News, NBC Nightly News, or CBS Evening News. [5/23/14, via LexisNexis]
New York Times And Wall Street Journal Did Not Cover Senate Republicans' Successful Attempt To Kill Veterans Bill. Based on a LexisNexis search of news articles from February 26 to 28, neither the New York Times nor the Wall Street Journal reported on Senate Republicans' obstruction of the legislation that would have allowed the VA to open 27 new health facilities. [5/23/14, via LexisNexis]
