[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 78 (Thursday, June 7, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H2961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                      BUDGET AN INSULT TO VETERANS

  (Mr. FILNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, as we speak, the Republicans are celebrating 
over at the White House their big tax break plan. These same folks who 
are celebrating gave great speeches on Memorial Day last week saying 
how much they supported our veterans. Yet they voted for a tax break 
plan and they voted for a budget which is an insult to our Nation's 
veterans.
  This budget barely keeps pace with inflation from past years. We will 
have veterans waiting years to adjudicate their claims and 10,000 cases 
a week are being added to the backlog. Veterans will have to wait 
months and months for doctors' appointments. We are doing nothing to 
find a cure for Persian Gulf War illness. We are doing nothing to 
advance our treatment of mental illness. We are doing nothing for the 
homeless veterans that are on our streets.
  Yes, they are celebrating their tax breaks, they passed a budget, but 
they are dishonoring our veterans. They ought to be ashamed of 
themselves for such a celebration and we ought to change the 
appropriations to reflect our real commitment and our real appreciation 
of our Nation's veterans.

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