WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), chairman of the United States Senate's Veterans’ Affairs Committee, announced that cloture has been filed on the motion to proceed to S. 1315, the proposed “Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007.”  S. 1315 is a comprehensive, budget-neutral bill that would provide much deserved benefits to veterans, their families, and their survivors.  Cloture was filed Thursday on this important bill because certain Senators have blocked requests to bring the bill up for debate since it was reported by the Committee last August.

A vote on invoking cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 1315 is scheduled to begin at noon on Tuesday, April 22, 2008. 

The cloture motion was filed by the following Senators: Reid, Akaka, Boxer, Murray, Dorgan, Kennedy, Dodd, Cardin, Leahy, Sanders, Brown, Klobuchar, Durbin, Salazar, Whitehouse, Baucus, and Inouye. 

Timeline:

2/14/08: Floor speech on S.1315

12/12/07: Chairman Akaka Demands Up-or-Down vote on Critical Veterans' Legislation

11/14/07: Akaka Urges Senate Action on Veterans Legislation

6/27/07: Chairman Akaka Holds Markup of Veterans' Legislation