[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H589-H590]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     MONEY FOR VETERANS HEALTH CARE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 4, 2005, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, yesterday President Bush submitted his $82 
billion budget for the Iraq supplemental proposal, yet he did not 
request in that proposal a single dollar to pay for veterans services.
  Tens of thousands of our troops will be returning home this year, and 
yet the VA system is already greatly unfunded, with long waiting lists 
for services for soldiers and their families. President Bush's 
supplemental proposal and his budget have failed our Nation's veterans.
  Now, it is the responsibility of this body, of this Congress, to make 
sure that our returning soldiers and their families get the health care 
services they deserve.
  Today, I have been joined by over 50 colleagues in sending a letter 
to the President and to members of the Committee on Appropriations 
requesting that the $82 billion supplemental bill include an additional 
$1.3 billion to provide for our returning soldiers and their families.
  This proposal has been endorsed by the Military Officers Association 
of America, the National Military Families Association, and the 
Paralyzed Veterans of America.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the right 
thing. If we can find $80 billion to send to Iraq,

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then for goodness sake we can find $1.3 billion to take care of our 
soldiers and their families.
  If we do not do this, what kind of message are we sending to the 
brave men and women who have served this country? I hope Members on 
both sides of the aisle will join me in this effort and that the 
President himself will see fit to support it as well.

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