St. Paul is one step closer to getting convention aid
WASHINGTON - St. Paul moved a step closer to securing $50 million in federal grant money for security at next year’s Republican National Convention, officials said Monday.The money is part of a homeland security bill the Senate passed 89 to 4 on Thursday. It also provides $50 million to Denver for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
But obstacles remain because no provision for convention “first responders” money was included in a House bill. The two bills are now headed for a conference committee. Minnesota Sens. Norm Coleman, a Republican, and Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, vowed Monday to keep it in the final bill.
VETERANS CARE
The House required the Veterans Affairs Department to provide outreach and mental health services to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. It also waived co-payment for veterans receiving hospice care, and passed a bill allowing disabled veterans living temporarily with a relative to become eligible for adaptive housing assistance.
MEDICARE
House Democrats want changes to Medicare, plan to scale back federal subsidies to HMOs and add funds for the poor. Republicans say the measure would destroy the private Medicare plans that insure 8 million seniors.
JAPAN SEX SLAVES
The House approved a resolution urging Japan to apologize for coercing thousands of women to work as sex slaves for its World War II military.
KEVIN DIAZ, AP
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