Thread by @TiffanyBond

Why is a bill about vets with exposure to chemical weapons talking about home loans? Wait...did you all just vote to provide benefits to vets by taxing other vets on their benefits?

Does no one read these before they vote?

Sounds like I have a #Readthebill coming.

#mepolitics

https://twitter.com/RepPoliquin/status/1012015469073698816

This is #HR299

Nothing exciting on the first page.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

I'm not going super in depth on this bill because it's not an area I am very knowledgeable about off the top of my head. In Congress, I'd phone a friend.

P2 - bill name, code section it's updating and setting parameters for who is eligible (vietnam vets).

#Readthebill

P3 - there is an assumption that you were exposed to bad stuff if you were in service in Vietnam during that time, probably because you likely were.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

If I were voting on this, I would have staff pull the legislative history on this, which must be ugly since this war is before I was born...and I'm in my 40s. It basically says "we screwed up and denied a whole lot of valid claims" but nicely.

#mepolitics #Readthebill

Side note - my dad was in the navy during this time period, but did not deploy. This could have easily been my family in this situation...which sets up the next clause.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

If you are the person who has medical issues (or their survivor), you have to go back and reapply.

Seriously?

Haven't they been through enough?

Why are we such jerks to vets, disabled, and disabled vets? If we wrongfully denied benefits, fix it.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

There was a damn draft.

These service members went through hell.

Then they were treated like crap when they got home.

Then they were told they were wrong about chemical weapons.

They suffered for decades in many cases, or they died and survivors did.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

Up your game Congress.

Buy one fewer bomb this year, hire a gaggle of admins to go through the records and reach out to people. We should have a duty to right our wrongs, not invite people who are at least in their 60s and compromised to do more work.

#mepolitics #Readthebill

I'm not going through the geography. I'm sure if I were actually voting on this someone would volunteer to go hard-core map nerd and tell me if this is accurate.

Not the biggest fish to fry here.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

Let me inject this appears to have passed unanimously.

My guess is it went something like this "ohhh, made it out of committee, for vets, nice bill name, sure" and that there wasn't a whole lot of critical reading despite the bill being 22 pages.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

I'm skipping most of the definitions and cross-references in this bill.

We are moving into implementation (how it works).

Committees want quarterly updates, reasonable.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

This talks about if something is already pending they can stay (hold) it and wait for this bill to be live.

It feels like maybe a few words are missing to exempt those claims from the reapply requirement, but I haven't read it all or cross-referenced.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

Oh wait! I see outreach!!!

Dagnabbit, it's not meaningful. This could just be put up a notice on a website.

We should be tracking them down and processsing the claims with/for them.

Affirmatively.

They. Are. Disabled.

#Readthebill #mepolitics

I'm going to have to pause for tonight. Kiddos stopped wiggling and I have probably 50 more emails to send by tomorrow.

More later, check back.

VA loan fun doesn't even start until page 15.

#Readthebill