Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) “accused Democrats of using veterans as pawns Monday to push a costly benefits bill, and they accused him of making false claims about their bill and placing budget concerns over vital care for veterans,” the Tulsa World reports.

Confirming that he is blocking a floor vote on the bill, the Oklahoma Republican continued to insist that the cost of the bill should be offset and claimed that he has provided backers of the measure with a list of programs that could be cut to pay for it.

“If senators would pay for this program and make a few common-sense changes, this bill could pass the Senate today,” he said.

“Unfortunately, bill sponsors are more (interested) in holding press conferences and playing political games than doing the hard work of legislating.”

Attempting to speak for veterans, Coburn said they would want the bill paid for.

The two sides “held dueling press conferences on the bill, and in an unusual move Coburn showed up and sat on the front row of the press conference by Democratic Sens. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Jon Tester of Montana and Mark Begich of Alaska.”

Democrats “repeatedly cited Veterans Day, which is Wednesday.”

About the legislation:

Key provisions of the bill would provide a stipend and other support for caregivers of severely wounded veterans, improve health care offered by the government, expand service for those in rural areas, ensure equal access to female veterans and address homelessness among veterans.

More than a dozen veterans groups support the bill.

Coburn said the costs of the bill have been put at $3.7 billion for five years, but Akaka, without addressing that figure directly, suggested that provisions that helped keep disabled veterans at home and out of institutions could save money.

The bill is called the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act (S. 1963).

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Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) “said in a statement on Monday that he will unveil his long-awaited draft bill on financial regulation reform on Tuesday at a noon press conference,” Reuters reports.

Analysts said they expect little immediate bipartisan support for it, and months of Senate debate ahead, likely forcing changes in its provisions before a final Senate vote.

POLITICO notes that this bill “is expected to differ in several key ways from legislation moving through the House, though Dodd and his House counterpart, Barney Frank (D-Mass.) talk regularly.”

The biggest – and most controversial difference: Dodd’s bill is expected to create a single national banking regulator and put all supervisory powers in that agency – taking those powers away from the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Dodd is “expected to start committee consideration of the bill next week but limit it to opening statements.”

The nitty gritty bill writing and amendment making is expected to be postponed until after Thanksgiving.

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Senators have unanimously confirmed David Gompert to be Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence.

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Former President Bill Clinton will speak to Senate members tomorrow at the Democratic Caucus lunch.  His topic, not surprisingly, will be health reform legislation.

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The Senate could “still use budget rules to pass healthcare without 60 votes, the White House indicated Monday,” according to The Hill.

President Barack Obama is hopeful that the Senate will pass a healthcare bill with 60 votes, but White House press secretary Robert Gibbs held out the possibility that budget reconciliation rules could still be used.

He said Senate leaders and the White House would turn to those rules, which would prevent the Senate from needing to secure 60 votes for procedural steps, only if they are not making progress.

As long as “we continue to make progress, then we don’t see any need to change the process,” Gibbs said.

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