Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement after Republicans decided to take an extended recess instead of passing critical legislation to address suicide rates among America's veterans:
"Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for knocking off work a week early to campaign for Donald Trump, who thinks veterans with PTSD are not "strong' and "can't handle it,' instead of passing a critical bill to address the epidemic of suicide among America's veterans. If the Republican-led Senate was at work today as it was supposed to be, this bill would have passed by now.
"On its way to working the fewest days since 1955, the Republican-led Senate left town a week early for another six-week-long recess, leaving the Senate version of the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act stuck in committee. The Republican chairman of the veterans committee failed to move this critical legislation out of committee before the Senate adjourned, and the Republican leader failed to bring it to the floor for a vote. Instead of staying at work and passing the bill, the Republican leader adjourned the Senate a week earlier than scheduled so that Republicans could campaign for Donald Trump, a draft-dodger who said he "always wanted to get the Purple Heart,' but getting it as a gift was "easier' than earning it.
"Aside from Republicans' laziness and support for a man who routinely disrespects America's veterans, there is nothing stopping the Republican leader from bringing either the Senate or House version of this bill to the floor for a vote. I believe the Senate bill should come to the floor through regular order, but if the Republican leader decided to take a shortcut and bring the House-passed version to the floor immediately, I certainly would not object.
"Instead of doing their jobs and giving veterans the support they've earned, the Republican Senate knocked off work a week early to campaign for a man who has said he does not respect Senator John McCain because he prefers "people who weren't captured.' Leaving a week early for a six-week recess with this bill undone and then trying to blame Democrats for Republicans' own laziness is the height of cynicism and a finger in the eye of veterans who deserve a Senate that will actually show up for work."
Background
S.3304, the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act has not been reported out of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. [The most recent action on the legislation was on 09/08/2016, when it was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs]
H.R.5392, the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act, was passed by the House on September 26th, but Leader McConnell -- who controls the Senate floor -- never brought it up for a vote.
The Republican-led Senate was scheduled to be in working session through October 7th, but adjourned for recess last Thursday, September 29th.
On September 29th, after the Republican-led Senate had notified members that there would be no votes in the Senate until November, after most senators had left town and after the last votes of the week were concluded, Senate Republicans made a last-minute attempt to bypass the Veterans' Affairs Committee and pass the House version by unanimous consent less than three hours before adjourning. If the Senate had allowed proper time to process the request, the House bill would have passed. But instead, the Republican-led Senate skipped town less than three hours later. If the Senate was in session this week as it was scheduled to be -- or even in session last Friday -- the bill would pass and go straight to the president.
The Republican-led Senate took a 7-week summer recess, the longest since the 1950s.
The Republican-led Senate is on pace to work just 113 days in 2016, the fewest working days in any year since 1955.