So (R) Tom Coburn was able to completely stop a vote for veterans health care

[elleng]

1. 'Coburn objected to a motion to allow a vote on the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act,

which requires annual outside reviews of suicide prevention efforts run by the Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments.

Coburn says the bill, estimated to cost $22 million over five years, creates a duplicative program by giving the VA authority it already has to offer financial incentives to help hire mental health specialists.

“It throws money and it doesn’t solve the real problem,” Coburn said Monday night in an emotional speech annoucning his objection, during which recounted his experience as a doctor“failing” patients who later committed suicide.

“I object to this bill not because I don’t want to help save suicide, but because I don’t think it will do the first thing to change what has happened,” Coburn said.

He urged senators to instead devote attention to more aggressively overseeing the VA.

Coburn’s objection looks set to stop passage of the bill this year. That’s because overcoming it would take several days under procedural rules, and Senate is set to recess for the year as soon as Tuesday.'

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/coburn-blocks-bill-fight-veteran-suicides-blog-entry-1.2046441