No, Republicans Do Not Oppose Helping Veterans

Welcome back to Forgotten Fact-Checks, a weekly column produced by National Review’s News Desk. This week, we explain Republican opposition to a veterans’ health bill, look at Politico’s White House PR, and hit more media misses.

Republicans Smeared as Cold-Hearted Veteran-Haters

Senate Republicans last week voted down a bill that would provide funding for health care and benefits for veterans injured by exposure to toxins. The measure failed in a 55–42 vote in the Senate after previously passing the upper chamber in an 84–14 vote.

The mainstream media has had a field day peddling a misleading narrative that Republicans are playing politics with sick veterans.

Here’s the framing from an NPR headline: “The Senate passed a bill to help sick veterans. Then 25 Republicans reversed course.” 

Jon Stewart, the comedian and former host of the Daily Showwhose decline we have documented in this column, called Republican senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania a “f***ing coward” for leading the opposition against the PACT Act.

“Mitch McConnell yesterday flipped. I’m used to the lies. I’m used to the hypocrisy. Senator Pat Toomey won’t take a meeting with the veterans groups, sends out his chief of staff. I’m used to the cowardice. I’ve been here a long time. The Senate is where accountability goes to die,” Stewart said. 

Democrats seized on a clip of GOP senators fist-bumping on the floor after blocking the bill. Many have claimed that the Republicans changed course after Senator Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) reached a deal with Democratic leadership for a nearly half-trillion-dollar spending package targeting energy and climate, health care, and increased taxes on the wealthy.

Without the surrounding context, that looks pretty bad.