Marsha Blackburn admits she voted against veterans bill to shaft Democrats

01 August 2022

Last week, United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) joined her fellow Republicans in a filibuster of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT) which seeks to expand healthcare services for veterans who were exposed to poisonous substances while serving.

On Monday, Blackburn explained in a speech on the floor of the Senate why she voted against the legislation.

"It is not my job to make [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer's [D-New York] life easier, or those running for election, their life easier. It is my job to be certain that I represent these veterans in Tennessee who have given their commitment to defend this nation," Blackburn said.

"They have done it honorably," Blackburn said of servicemembers. "They have done it expecting from the V[eterans] A[dministration] for harms that have come their way and we should make certain that they have access to the care that they need."

According to disability lawyer Michael Hartup, "data from the HAC shows that 7.4 percent of veterans in Tennessee live in poverty. The overall unemployment rate for veterans in the state is 4.7 percent, and younger veterans have higher unemployment rates than those from older generations."

Hartup's website notes that "housing is an issue for some Tennesse veterans. Approximately 56,920 veterans live in homes that have serious problems relating to cost, crowding, and/or quality. The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that there are 570 homeless veterans in Tennessee."

Tennessee also ranks lowest among states with adequate access to healthcare.

The Rural Health Information Hub explains that "11.4% of Tennessee residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2020)." Overall, however, Tennessee is the 40th to 44th healthiest state out of 50, depending on the report being cited, The Tennessean wrote in an analysis last year.

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