[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 27 (Thursday, March 4, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    FIGHTING FOR AMERICA'S VETERANS

  (Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I cannot agree more 
with the gentleman from North Florida about all of the gains that 
veterans have made during the Republican administration. There have 
been so many legislative accomplishments on behalf of veterans that 
have been made since 2000.
  The issue of concurrent receipt stands out actually as the primary 
example of Republican achievement versus Democrat rhetoric. The 
injustice of concurrent receipt actually existed for well over 100 
years. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) introduced the bill 
every session of Congress, and it has been here for about 15 years.
  Veterans need to know that Democrats never led on this issue because 
under their control it never saw the light of day. It took a Republican 
President and a Republican Congress to end this unfair penalty on 
disabled veterans. The battle over concurrent receipt is well over 100 
years old. We finally began to respond to the need and address every 
disabled veteran so that they will now be able to receive benefits for 
50 percent or greater disability, that there will no longer be that 
offset. Veterans deserve no less than this, and, in fact, they actually 
deserve more.
  As history has demonstrated, America's veterans can count on the 
Republican majority to support them and to honor them when they return 
home.

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