Cruz responded to the comedian with a 1.59 minute video posted on Twitter, in which he said he would support the bill if a Democrat "accounting gimmick", which he argued could lead to an additional $400 billion in spending, is removed.
There had been overwhelming bipartisan support for an expansion of the benefits that veterans can claim because of their burn pit exposure, but political wrangling continues as veterans’ health declines. There is little medical mystery here, but denials of the cause of their conditions, denials of benefits and the continued use of burn pits prolong their pain.
Obviously, voting to deny health care to sick vets (and fist-bumping afterward) is obviously far more disrespectful to vets than kneeling during the anthem. But just for fun, let’s take a look at what GOP senators who blocked the burn pit bill in protest had to say about Kaepernick.
Shortly after the PACT Act was blocked, several citizens and prominent activists called out GOP members for voting against the bill. Moreover, footage showing Republicans celebrating the decision inside the Senate left some people enraged.
“Standing for those who stood for us has been one of my priorities in Congress, and I am disappointed in the Senate for not supporting Veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Cline said. “We cannot send our servicemembers to fight our wars and neglect them when they come home.”