The passing of Senator Kennedy

The tributes and speeches for Senator Kennedy were very moving, but above that, they proved political divisions should not divide people. The emails have turned even more disgusting about Senator Kennedy totally ignoring what he accomplished, what he did for others and how when it came to being human, politics didn't matter at all. He could argue with another Senator one minute and then call them to find out how they were doing the next. He cared about "people" more than he cared about sides.

This is from last night when Senator Orrin Hatch spoke about his friend.



Senator Orrin Hatch on Senator Ted Kennedy's life



I really wish that people would return to being human all the time and stop allowing politics to take over everything. The passing of Senator Kennedy showed that even senators can rise above it. These are the political leaders. If they can do it, why can't the rest of us? Republican Senators showed how deeply they care about Senator Kennedy, but there are some in this country more willing to hate than even contemplate how remarkable he was. This even though so much about their own personal life has been changed because of him. They never bothered to look up all the parts of their own lives he made better.

Whenever I post about someone in politics I am not sure of, I look up their record. This is how we can get politics out of everything. There are some you may not agree with all the time but on the issues that matter to you the most, you should know what the truth is. There are some with great voting records for veterans and some poor ones. You cannot tell by the party they belong to because they are humans like the rest of us. What I really hope to do with posting on records is to stop the hatred one side has for the other.

I didn't know too much about Senator Hatch, so I looked him up on VoteSmart. This is something we all need to do no matter what party we belong to. My primary issue is veterans. Use the links for what you care about most. It is not a matter of getting someone out of office but it is holding them accountable for what they do once they get there. It's the responsibility of all of us to make sure they do what they say they will do once they get there.

VoteSmart Senator Orrin Hatch


Veterans Issues


Date Bill Title Vote Outcome
09/27/2008 Continuing Appropriations
HR 2638 Y Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
(78 - 12)
05/22/2008 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions
S Amdt 4803 N Amendment Adopted - Senate
(75 - 22)
01/22/2008 Defense Authorizations Bill
HR 4986 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(91 - 3)
10/01/2007 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
HR 1585 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(92 - 3)
05/11/2006 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005
HR 4297 Y Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(54 - 44)
05/04/2006 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006
HR 4939 NV Bill Passed - Senate
(77 - 21)
02/02/2006 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005
HR 4297 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(66 - 31)
02/02/2006 Tax Rate Extension Amendment
S AMDT 2735 N Motion Rejected - Senate
(44 - 53)
11/17/2005 Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment
S AMDT 2634 N Motion Rejected - Senate
(43 - 55)
10/05/2005 Health Care for Veterans Amendment
S AMDT 1937 N Motion Rejected - Senate
(48 - 51)
11/08/2001 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002
HR 2620 Y Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(87 - 7)
10/15/1999 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000
HR 2684 Y Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(93 - 5)
07/07/1998 Space Station Termination Amendment
S Amdt 3062 N Amendment Rejected - Senate
(33 - 66)
09/27/1994 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development
HR 4624 Y Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(90 - 9)
08/04/1994 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development
HR 4624 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(86 - 9)
09/22/1993 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994
HR 2491 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(91 - 9)

Veterans issues ranking


Veterans Issues



2007-2008 In 2007-2008 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator Hatch a grade of C.

2006 Senator Hatch supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 50 percent in 2006.

2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator Hatch a grade of D.

2006 Senator Hatch sponsored or co-sponsored 12 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.

2005 Senator Hatch supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 33 percent in 2005.

2004 Senator Hatch supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Hatch supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 0 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Senator Hatch supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 100 percent in 2003-2004.

2003 Senator Hatch supported the interests of the The American Legion 100 percent in 2003.

2001 Senator Hatch supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 76 percent in 2001.

1999 Senator Hatch supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 33 percent in 1999.

1997-1998 Senator Hatch supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 0 percent in 1997-1998.

1989-1990 On the votes that the Vietnam Veterans of America considered to be the most important in 1989-1990 , Senator Hatch voted their preferred position 50 percent of the time.

Here is Senator Kennedy's record

VoteSmart Senator Kennedy

Veterans Issues


Date Bill Title Vote Outcome
09/27/2008 Continuing Appropriations
HR 2638 NV Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
(78 - 12)
05/22/2008 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions
S Amdt 4803 NV Amendment Adopted - Senate
(75 - 22)
01/22/2008 Defense Authorizations Bill
HR 4986 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(91 - 3)
10/01/2007 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
HR 1585 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(92 - 3)
05/11/2006 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005
HR 4297 N Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(54 - 44)
05/04/2006 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006
HR 4939 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(77 - 21)
02/02/2006 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005
HR 4297 N Bill Passed - Senate
(66 - 31)
02/02/2006 Tax Rate Extension Amendment
S AMDT 2735 Y Motion Rejected - Senate
(44 - 53)
11/17/2005 Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment
S AMDT 2634 Y Motion Rejected - Senate
(43 - 55)
10/05/2005 Health Care for Veterans Amendment
S AMDT 1937 Y Motion Rejected - Senate
(48 - 51)
11/08/2001 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002
HR 2620 Y Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(87 - 7)
10/15/1999 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000
HR 2684 NV Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(93 - 5)
07/07/1998 Space Station Termination Amendment
S Amdt 3062 Y Amendment Rejected - Senate
(33 - 66)
09/27/1994 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development
HR 4624 Y Conference Report Adopted - Senate
(90 - 9)
08/04/1994 Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development
HR 4624 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(86 - 9)
09/22/1993 Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994
HR 2491 Y Bill Passed - Senate
(91 - 9)

VoteSmart Senator Kennedy
Veterans Issues



2006 Senator Kennedy supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 80 percent in 2006.

2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator Kennedy a grade of B+.

2006 Senator Kennedy sponsored or co-sponsored 35 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.

2005 Senator Kennedy supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 92 percent in 2005.

2004 Senator Kennedy supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 100 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Kennedy supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 0 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Senator Kennedy supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 0 percent in 2003-2004.

2003 Senator Kennedy supported the interests of the The American Legion 50 percent in 2003.

2001 Senator Kennedy supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 84 percent in 2001.

1999 Senator Kennedy supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 100 percent in 1999.

1997-1998 Senator Kennedy supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 60 percent in 1997-1998.

1989-1990 On the votes that the Vietnam Veterans of America considered to be the most important in 1989-1990 , Senator Kennedy voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

Enhancing Mental Health Care
For decades, Senator Kennedy was a national leader in the cause of mental health care. He understands the unique challenges faced by the 54 million Americans with mental disorders.
Also in 1996, Senator Kennedy joined Senators Domenici and Wellstone to enact Mental
Health Parity legislation to help eliminate unjust annual and lifetime limits on mental health coverage which differ from those imposed on other covered illnesses.
In 2000, Kennedy and his same Senate colleagues, Senators Domenici and Wellstone,
introduced the comprehensive Mental Health Early Intervention, Treatment and Prevention Act of 2000. The bipartisan legislation addressed a wide range of mental health issues, including an antistigma campaign, training for teachers and emergency services personnel to identify and respond to individuals with mental illness, continuing education on mental health care for primary care physicians, suicide prevention, centers for post-traumatic stress disorders, funding to develop integrated treatment of serious mental illness and co-occurring addiction, funding for community based services for adults and children at high risk of adverse outcomes, and jail diversion initiatives.
In 2001, Senators Domenici, Wellstone and Kennedy introduced the Mental Health
Equitable Treatment Act to strengthen and make permanent the mental health insurance parity protections passed five years earlier. Congress enacted a one-year extension of the existing law, but Senator Kennedy continued to fight for lasting legislation with the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act Amendment of 2006, which would eliminate the discriminatory treatment of mental illness by requiring insurers provide parity between mental health benefits and medical and surgical benefits.
In 2008, after more than 10 years of effort, Senator Kennedy championed historic legislation to reform the inequities in the way mental health and substance use disorders are treated by the insurance industry. This legislation co-sponsored by Senator Domenici, assured individuals living with mental health and substance abuse issues that their mental health benefit would be treated equally with the medical-surgical benefit regarding treatment limitations and financial requirements.
This means that co-pays, out of pocket expenses, and deductibles cannot be treated differently than they way medical and surgical coverage is provided. This legislation assured equity for 113 million Americans.
Better treatments and potential cures for mental illnesses are also of great interest to Senator Kennedy, who has championed increased mental health research funding. This funding increased from 2004 – 2009, from $35 million dollars to over $70 million.
Response to Mental Health Needs Following 9/11: Senator Kennedy’s commitment to the citizens of Massachusetts affected by September 11th, particularly the families of victims of the terrorist attacks, has been critical to the success of the Commonwealth’s mental health response to the tragedy.
Soon after September 11th, the Senator called together disaster relief and mental health organizations to plan a coordinated response to September 11th for the families of victims of the tragedy. His leadership provided immediate avenues for collaboration between disaster response agencies and ensured a timely and comprehensive response.
Senator Kennedy made his Massachusetts staff completely available to assist with the
Department Of Mental Health’s (DMH) FEMA funded crisis counseling program. His staff were in almost daily contact with DMH, as well as the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), in order to facilitate referrals of families to counselors, assist with entitlement and relief fund issues and help to coordinate with other state and federal agencies. His office prepared services and
referral guides for families of victims, developed a comprehensive Web site, and assisted DMH and MOVA in providing training to counselors.
In 2005, Senator Kennedy sought to extend the period for COBRA coverage for spouses
and children of victims of the terrorist attacks for an additional four months.
Supporting Massachusetts Hospitals and Health Providers
Senator Kennedy worked closely and diligently with Massachusetts hospitals and health
providers to sustain their unparalleled achievements in quality health care. No state has a greater commitment and as impressive a record of success in training quality health care professionals as Massachusetts.
Senator Kennedy fought hard for the Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999, which
restored many of the excessive cuts made by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. As a result of the 1999 law and Senator Kennedy’s efforts, Massachusetts hospitals received over $250 million over five years in payment increases under Medicare. Home health agencies in the Commonwealth received approximately $15 million over five years.
Senator Kennedy also pushed for passage of the Benefits Improvement Protection Act of
2000, under which $212 million over five years was intended for Massachusetts hospitals, $33 million for Massachusetts home health agencies and $54 million for nursing homes in the Commonwealth.


Helping Military Families
Senator Kennedy was always a champion of military families and children. In 1985,
Kennedy introduced legislation to improve the lives of military families. The bill included provisions that would make it easier for military wives to get government jobs, required the military to pay attention to the children who moved with their parents, and reduced the costs that servicemen had to pay when they were transferred from one base to another. In addition, Kennedy was a successful voice for bumping up the date of a three-percent military pay raise, arguing that military pay lagged more than 10 percent behind civilian pay for comparable jobs.
In 1989, Kennedy won passage of the National Military Child Care Act. This important
legislation established the DOD child-care system that is still viewed as one of the best in the country today. Military families make difficult decisions and numerous sacrifices to defend our freedom, and the Military Child Care Act is just one way we can begin to compensate them for this.
Since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has fought tirelessly to ensure that families who have loved ones deployed overseas get access to the best care and services possible.
In April of 2008, Kennedy introduced the National Month of the Military Child, which honors and recognizes the achievements of children of service members. Senator Kennedy deeply understands and cares about the effects that the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan have on military children.
Protecting our Troops and Modernizing our Armed Forces
Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, Kennedy worked to guarantee effective vehicle armor and body armor for our troops to protect them from improvised explosive devices in Iraq. Again and again, Pentagon procurement has fallen short, and troops have suffered needless casualties and deaths.
In 2003, Senator Kennedy met Brian and Alma Hart at the burial of their son John at
Arlington National Cemetery. On October, 18, 2003, the Bedford, Massachusetts resident was killed in Taza, Iraq when enemy forces attacked his patrol using small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. Before his death, John asked his parents to do something to improve the availability of armored humvees to American troops in combat. After hearing this story and John’s plea, Senator Kennedy invited the Harts to testify before Congress and later secured over $1 billion in funding for armored vehicles for our troops.
Said Mr. Hart in 2008, “Senator Kennedy taught me that government can function for the common man.”
In 2005, the Senate Armed Services Committee continued to provide additional protective gear to our troops. The committee, with Senator Kennedy’s support added nearly $835 million for Army and Marine Corps armored vehicles.
In 2007, Senator Kennedy offered an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act, calling for additional funding to the Joint IED Defeat Organization’s (JIEDDO) budget to explore ways to mitigate the effects of Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs).
Again and again, Pentagon procurement has fallen short, and troops have suffered needless casualties and deaths. He has been a consistent champion of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle or MRAP. The services were slow to recognize that these heavily armored vehicles could protect our troops better than up-armored humvees. Senator Kennedy has pressed for a full and fair investigation into why the Marine Corps disregarded a universal, urgent needs statement calling for MRAPs in 2002 because he feels that quicker and more complete fielding of MRAPs could have saved soldier’s lives. He continues to press for streamlining for the urgent needs process to insure that our soldiers receive the best equipment possible as rapidly as possible.
Senator Kennedy led the fight to preserve the Air Force’s newest, most capable airlift platform, the C-17, a unique aircraft that facilitates the delivery of necessary materials to our troops all over the world. Senator Kennedy was a strong proponent of a reasonable and affordable mix of strategic airlift. He authored language requiring the testing of C-5A and C-5B aircraft undergoing the Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) and Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining
Program (RERP) before any aircraft can be retired. Only after understanding the outcome of these two programs to modernize our C-5 fleet can the Congress and the Air Force make responsible decisions on the proper mix of the two platforms.
Protecting Equal Opportunity for Women in Combat In 1991, Kennedy strongly supported legislation to repeal the ban on women serving as combat aviators. The bill made it possible for women to play a full and complete role in our national defense by discontinuing an archaic law preventing women from combat aviation. By repealing these outdated statutes, Sen. Kennedy helped to achieve equal opportunity for women in the military.
Caring for our Wounded Warriors
In 2008, Senator Kennedy was a champion of Wounded Warrior legislation contained in the FY08 Defense Authorization bill. In response to alarming statistics of increased suicides in the Army and the lack of adequate mental health care, he introduced National Guard and Reserve Mental Health Access Act of 2008 to improve access to mental health care for our returning Guard and Reserve men and women by requiring the prompt implementation of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration program, a pilot program for tele-mental health, create mental health Directors in each state and territory, and provide for an anti-stigma campaign.

You can read more about what Senator Kennedy did in his life here
http://kennedy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Kennedy%20Accomplishments.pdf

With all of this, people who claim to care about veterans and our military push the hate and forget about truth.