WASHINGTON - Wyoming Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Nick Carter slammed GOP Sen. John Barrasso for voting against a bill last week that would expand educational benefits for veterans.

But Barrasso said he supports a competing measure instead and objected to numerous other provisions in the spending measure to which the new GI Bill was attached. His Republican colleague, Sen. Mike Enzi, also voted against the bill.

The measure passed the Senate by a veto-proof vote of 75-22.

Carter has been campaigning on the issue. Last week he said his reaction was "anger and disbelief" that Barrasso voted against the measure.

"Playing politics with the GI Bill is a very bad idea, particularly right before Memorial Day," Carter said in an interview Tuesday. "It just seems to be a pattern of a lot of talk of supporting our veterans but not a lot of action to get that done."

But Barrasso said he's listening to veterans around Wyoming. "They're clear that bill they prefer is the one I co-sponsored," he said.

For veterans who have served at least three years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the bill the Senate passed would provide benefits to cover tuition, housing and living expenses at any public university. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., is supported by numerous veterans groups including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

The measure came up in the Senate as part of a bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But it was voted on as part of the domestic spending portion of the legislation, which included funding to extend unemployment benefits for 13 weeks past the usual 26 weeks, construct levees around New Orleans, provide heating subsidies for the poor and other provisions.

Barrasso, who is currently on a tour of Wyoming to meet with veterans, co-sponsored an alternative bill with presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. That less costly bill would increase education benefits on a sliding scale based on an individual's years of service.

That bill would also allow benefits to be transferred to the veterans' dependents, which the Webb bill does not. So if a veteran chooses not to use the benefits, his or her spouse or children could. Barrasso said veterans around the state have overwhelmingly told him they prefer that version.

He also said the bill that passed was "loaded with pork" and wasn't a clean vote.

"I don't support sinking billions of dollars more into unemployment benefits when unemployment in Wyoming is less than 3 percent," he said.

Barrasso noted that the McCain bill did get a vote this month, but the Senate blocked it 55-42. Its supporters unexpectedly brought it up, and Democrats complained they had not seen the measure and that it was a political maneuver to help McCain's presidential bid before they could bring up the Webb version.

Carter said Barrasso shouldn't use his support of the McCain bill as a reason to vote against the Webb version, which has the support to pass.

"I guess with his reasoning, if it's not his bill he won't vote for a GI Bill for veterans' benefits," he said. "I just don't see that as a logical argument."

As for the other spending provisions of the bill, Carter noted that three-quarters of the Senate, including 25 Republicans, voted for it.

Enzi spokesman Coy Knobel said the bill was designed as a "gotcha politics vote" by the Democratic leadership.

"Many of those who supported it did so because they were afraid of the political attacks that would come their way if they didn't," Knobel said. "Sen. Enzi wants to improve GI benefits, but he's going to do it the right way even if that's not the easy or popular way."

Knobel said the bill should have gone through committee. He also said the bill creates an incentive for the most experienced soldiers to leave the military early. Enzi favors a new GI Bill, he added, but one that rewards individuals proportionately to the time they've served.