[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 3, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E7]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NEW YORK CITY VETERANS ARE ANGRY

                                 ______


                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 3, 1996

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, having just returned from the Christmas 
recess, I can report that the veterans of New York City are angry. They 
are angry because the VA budget has been slashed. They are angry 
because the Government shutdown is affecting services. They are angry 
because they believe that after all the sacrifices they and their 
families have made for our country, our Nation is turning its back on 
them.
  I would like to submit for the record a statement put out on December 
26, 1995 by Col. Bernard Wray and the United War Veterans Council of 
New York County. It is indeed sobering reading for those of us who 
support our Nation's veterans.

    New York Veterans' Community Outraged by Unneeded Reduction in 
         Veterans' Administration Services to Veterans in Need!

       The United War Veterans' Council of New York County which 
     was first incorporated by Union Veterans of the Grand Army of 
     the Republic in New York County, in 1895, to help aging Civil 
     War Veterans, and which now consists of fifty-five separate 
     Veterans and Patriotic organizations, issues this distress 
     call to all concerned members of the Veterans' Community, and 
     to their families and friends:
       Never, during the past 100 years have war veterans, men and 
     women, been treated with the disdain and disrespect that we 
     see in this run-away session of Congress. Now is the time for 
     our 16 million War Veterans and their families to demand full 
     restoration of all VA services, and full restoration to their 
     jobs of all VA service providers!
       It should be noted by all veterans, that the House of 
     Representatives cut the VA allocation requested by the 
     President by one billion dollars. This is one twentieth of 
     the 20 billion dollars appropriated by this session of 
     Congress for twenty B-2 bombers, which the Air Force does not 
     even want or need in its aircraft stock.
       Now is the Time for all Veterans to step forward in all 435 
     Congressional Districts, and to spell out in the clearest 
     terms, to all Representatives, regardless of party 
     affiliation, that they will be held to strict accountability 
     at the 1996 elections, should they break faith with the 
     Veterans' community. Full restoration of Veterans' Benefits 
     and Veterans' Health Care is non-negotiable. It was a 
     Contract bought and paid for with the blood, sweat and tears 
     of millions of American Veterans.
       Meanwhile, we call for all members of Congress, and their 
     staffs to agree to receive no further pay, while the Veterans 
     and their service providers are being asked to make 
     sacrifices. We also call upon Corporate America to share in 
     the sacrifices of the War Veterans of America on this the 
     50th Anniversary of Victory in World War II.
           Semper Fi'

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