Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) brought the bill to the floor Sept 21. The bill was cleared by Democrats but held up by an unidentified Republican senator, according to her office. The Senate subsequently recessed without passing the bill.
After Murray issued a statement Thursday morning calling the development "stunning", the office of Sen Richard Burr (N.C.), the ranking Republican on the veterans committee, said the issue had been resolved.
"It has cleared our side, meaning there is no hold", David Ward, spokesman for Sen Burr, said Thursday afternoon.
Under Senate rules requiring unanimous consent, a single senator can block legislation by privately placing a hold on a bill.
With the Senate out of session until Nov 13, the legislation will have to be passed immediately to provide the increase in time for January disability checks, according to Murray's office.
The Department of VA Affairs said Thursday afternoon that for the VA to pay the December adjustment as scheduled on Jan 1, Congress would have to pass the COLA by Nov 13.
-Wash Post, 09/27/12
To-date, no Repub senator has stepped forward to accept congratulations for attempting to block the COLA for our veterans.
Last week Senate Republicans blocked a bill to create a Veterans Jobs Corps after raising procedural objections over the program's cost.
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