HomeElectionsSEN. HARRY REID BLOCKS REPUBLICAN VA SPENDING BILL TO FUND IRS Elections, Politics SEN. HARRY REID BLOCKED REPUBLICAN VA SPENDING BILL TO FUND IRS Aug 3, 2016 Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada blocked a Republican bill in the Senate to fund the$179 Billion VA in an effort to force Republicans to pass a different bill funding IRS agents. “We sit here in a partisan gridlock manufactured by the other side over issues that it’s pretty hard for the general public to understand,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Sen. Reid said “It wouldn’t be truly an emergency funding,” said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., “Go ahead, let’s whack Obamacare, Ebola money, veterans, Planned Parenthood … I can’t imagine how anyone would have the audacity to come to the floor and talk about what a great piece of legislation this is.” And this isn’t Sen. Reid’s first time playing politics with the $164 billion VA spending bill. Last year the Democrats also blocked the VA spending bill in protest over military spending. No word on Catherine Cortez Masto’s position on cutting off VA money to leverage no related spending programs. Catherine Cortez Masto is running for the US Senate as Reid’s hand picked replacement. Rob Lauer Political Contributor