[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 171 (Tuesday, November 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2330-E2331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PROTECTING VETERANS FUNDING LETTERS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVAN PEARCE

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 6, 2007

  Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I submit the two letters I referred to in 
my 1 minute this morning.

                                Congress of the United States,

                                  Washington, DC, October 4, 2007.
     Office of the Senate Majority Leader,
     U.S. Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Majority Leader Reid: We write today to ask you to 
     keep the Senate in session the week of October 8, to help 
     pass this years' veterans appropriations. Now that we are 
     already into the new fiscal year, it is imperative that the 
     House and Senate reach a prompt agreement on the conference 
     report on the FY2008 Military Construction and Veterans 
     Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 2642).
       It is unfortunate the Senate has been unable to act upon 
     many of its Constitutionally mandated appropriations bills. 
     While the House continues to wait upon the Senate to complete 
     its work, we call upon you to quickly move veterans 
     appropriations through conference so a final version of the 
     bill may be passed and presented to the President. We believe 
     that veterans issues rise above the partisan divisions of 
     Washington which is evident by the passage of the FY08 
     MilCon-Veterans appropriations with overwhelming majorities 
     in both Houses, 501-3 combined.
       The Senate cannot allow this critically important funding 
     to continue to fall victim to the usual partisan wrangling 
     which occurs all too often in Washington. If tragedies such 
     as the recent revelations at Walter Reed Army Medical Center 
     are to be diverted in the future, we must pass veterans 
     funding now. From FY 2001 the total VA budget rose from $48 
     billion to approximately $70 billion in FY 2006, a 46 percent 
     increase. This year, the House voted to increase funding by 
     $6 billion dollars over FY07, one of the largest in the 77 
     year history of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Because 
     we have asked so much of or brave men and women in uniform

[[Page E2331]]

     during the War on Terror we must uphold our commitment to 
     veterans upon their return home.
       Earlier in the year, the new Majority agreed they would 
     continue the trend of significant increases in veterans 
     funding begun by the Republican Congress. We ask you to honor 
     that agreement and see the commitment we made to our veterans 
     is upheld.
       We must never forget the sacrifice of our veterans. As 
     members of Congress, we have a solemn obligation to fulfill 
     our promises to them. We ask you to look past the heightened 
     partisanship of our times and unite us on this issue by 
     making it a first priority to bring a stand-alone veterans 
     appropriations bill through conference so the Congress may 
     present the President with a bill no later than October 12, 
     2007.
           Sincerely,
         Steve Pearce, Tim Walberg, Jean Schmidt, Darrell Issa, 
           Jim Saxton, Don Young, Scott Garrett, Jeff Miller, 
           Trent Franks, Duncan Hunter, Jo Ann Davis, Pete 
           Sessions.
         Phil Gingrey, Phil English, Thelma Drake, Jeb Hensarling, 
           Ginny Brown-Waite, Peter Roskam, Vito Fossella, Lincoln 
           Diaz-Balart, John Carter, Dan Burton, K. Michael 
           Conaway, John Kuhl.
         Tom Feeney, Tom Price, James Sensenbrenner, Gus 
           Bilirakis, Wally Herger, Doug Lamborn, Greg Walden, 
           Gary Miller, Michele Bachmann, John Kline, Tom 
           Tancredo, Geoff Davis.
         Adrian Smith, Paul Ryan, John Doolittle, John Peterson, 
           Rick Renzi, Mark Souder, Louie Gohmert, Michael McCaul, 
           Randy Neugebauer, Wayne Gilchrest, Jim Gerlach.


                                Congress of the United States,

                               Washington, DC, September 17, 2007.
     Office of the Speaker,
     U.S. Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
       Madam Speaker: We write to urge you in the strongest 
     possible terms to reach a prompt agreement on the conference 
     report on the FY2008 Military Construction and Veterans 
     Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 2642). Few issues are more 
     important than adequate funding for our nation's veterans. 
     The leadership in the House cannot allow this critically 
     important funding to fall victim to the usual partisan 
     wrangling which occurs all too often in Washington.
       Veterans should not be used as tools for political 
     bargaining and gamesmanship. Both the House and Senate passed 
     the FY08 MilCon-Veterans appropriations with overwhelming 
     majorities because our commitment to veterans rises above 
     partisan squabbling. Tragedies such as the recent revelations 
     at Walter Reed Army Medical Center must never be repeated. 
     The findings of insufficient care at Walter Reed and other 
     facilities should be seen by Congress as a mandate to finish 
     the work and live up to the promises we have made to our 
     veterans.
       After decades of flat funding, total VA budget rose from 
     $48 billion in FY 2001 to approximately $70 billion in FY 
     2006, a 46 percent increase. This year, the House voted to 
     increase funding by $6 billion dollars over FY07, one of the 
     largest in the 77 year history of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs. Both the Senate and House versions received 
     overwhelming majority support passing by a vote of 409-2 in 
     the House and 92-1 in the Senate.
       Earlier in the year, the new Majority agreed they would 
     continue the trend of significant increases in veterans 
     funding begun by the Republican Congress. We ask you to honor 
     that agreement and see that the commitment we made to our 
     veterans is honored.
       We must never forget the sacrifice of our veterans. As 
     members of Congress, we have a solemn obligation to fulfill 
     our promises to them. We ask for you to look past the 
     heightened partisanship of our times and unite us on this 
     issue by making it a first priority to quickly bring a stand 
     alone Veterans appropriations bill through conference so the 
     Congress may present the President with a bill by October 1, 
     2007.
       We stand ready to assist you in reaching this goal.
           Sincerely,
         Steve Pearce, Gus Bilirakis, Thelma Drake, Pete Sessions, 
           Louie Gohmert, Jean Schmidt, Jim Saxton, Dana 
           Rohrabacher, Mario Diaz-Balart, Sue Myrick, Tom Feeney.
         Jon Porter, Rick Renzi, Marilyn Musgrave, Michael 
           Burgess, Michael Conaway, Mark Souder, Tim Walberg, 
           Steve King, Ron Lewis, Jeff Miller, Tom Tancredo.
         Steve Buyer, Peter Roskam, John Mica, John Kline, Paul 
           Ryan, Greg Walden, Tom Price, Mary Fallin, Randy 
           Forbes, Mary Bono, Spencer Bachus.
         Dean Heller, Barbara Cubin, John Shimkus, Jim Gerlach, 
           Jeb Hensarling, Geoff Davis, Scott Garrett, Adrian 
           Smith, Mike Ferguson, Don Young, Ginny Brown-Waite.

                          ____________________