[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 162 (Wednesday, October 24, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H11937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS BILL

  (Mr. AKIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, last week on ABC's news program, Charlie 
Gibson announced the news in Iraq. He said, ``The news is, there isn't 
any news.'' That's right. Across all of Iraq, there were no fatalities, 
shootings and bombs going off. As the media has started to recognize 
that we have turned the corner and are winning the war in Iraq, this 
pressing question, once again, comes before the House, and that is, 
what are the Democrats going to do with the bill that we have already 
passed and that the Senate has already passed to provide money for our 
veterans?
  Eighteen million dollars every day is being wasted for the last 130 
days because we won't bring this veterans funding bill back for final 
approval. It has the votes. What are we waiting for, post-traumatic 
stress syndrome? Veterans hospitals? Veterans clinics? We have to ask 
the Democrat leadership why a 130-day wait.
  It's time for us to fund our veterans.

                          ____________________