[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 186 (Monday, November 20, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H13360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            BALANCING THE BUDGET IN A FAIR AND EQUITABLE WAY

  (Mrs. MEEK of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I think that, as we are on the 
brink of having a chance to balance the budget in a fair and equitable 
way, I am begging that we take into consideration the crisis which 
exists for the veterans in this country with the current budget put 
forth by Republicans. The budget is setting, as it is now, a double 
whammy on veterans. Do my colleagues realize that Medicaid has been 
cut, and the Medicaid cuts alone would force as many as 172,000 
veterans to lose Medicaid coverage in the year 2002.
  I come before my colleagues this morning to beg that they watch what 
is happening to the veterans of this country because these are the 
people who went to wars and to foreign wars to help each of us, so it 
is up to us now to be sure that in addition to the harsh Medicaid cuts, 
look at the cuts in the VA budget that are going to severely impact 
veterans.
  And I want to say to my Republican friends we are spending a lot of 
money on the military budget. Let us think of those who have already 
extended their lives into the military.

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