Senate Debate Roundup: VETERANS

The debate between Jim Talent and Claire McCaskill on veterans issues, focused on healthcare benefits and the Senator's payday loan legislation currently pending in Congress.

"Sen. Talent will say the budget has increased for veterans affairs," McCaskill said. "The bottom line is that benefits have been cut, promises have been broken."

Talent replied that the VA health budget has increased $20 billion dollars over the last 4 years.

McCaskill went on to point out that 23 different times, Sen. Talent has cast votes, which have caused healthcare premium increases for veterans.

She is currently running an ad that features a veteran who says, "We joined up thinking we were promised these rights, these benefits, and they broke that promise." You can watch the ad by clicking here.

"I don't believe our promises are being kept to veterans," McCaskill said in the debate.

She said it is all about priorities. "Which is more important, tax breaks for multi-millionaires or taking care of our veterans,?" McCaskill asked. "In my estimation, it's taking care of veterans."

Sen. Talent used the opportunity to showcase his payday lending bill that is moving through Congress right now. Talent is moving legislation that would limit interest rates charged to soldiers and their spouses for a loan. Credit counselors have said they've seen some payday lenders charge rates between 500 and 800 percent. Talent wants to limit the rate to 36%.

"I think we're going to get that bill but no thanks to my Democratic opponent, who opposed it," Talent said. "I just couldn't believe it when that happened."

McCaskill said, "I was not opposed to the payday bill, I was not opposed to the military payday bill."

"I said if it's good enough for military, why isn't it good for all of us. Why don't we do it across the board? Why don't we limit interest rates on payday lending to everyone in America instead of just military? I think it is great that Sen. Talent did it for the military. I think we should do it for everyone in America," McCaskill said.

But in a KY3 News story I did back in July, the McCaskill campaign told me she was opposed to Sen. Talent plan to stop predatory lenders who prey on our servicemen and women with high interest payday loans.

In fact, I still have my notes from my conversation with McCaskill spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh from July 22nd, when she told me, "She (McCaskill) does not support this bill."

The script from my story on July 22nd reads, "Claire McCaskill says she opposes Talent's plan because the 36 percent rate is still too high."

In his closing statement, Talent predicted victory on the bill. "We're going to get the predatory lending bill done. I think we'll get it next week," he said.