[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 78 (Wednesday, June 5, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E799-E800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2014

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. RUSH HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2216) making 
     appropriations for military construction, the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2014, and for other purposes:

  Mr. HOLT. Madam Chair, I rise in support of this bill.
  I agree with my colleague and our ranking member on the full 
committee, Rep. Lowey of New York, that this bill will help us do all 
we can to help bring down the disability claims backlog, which 
unfortunately is at record levels. I am also very grateful to the 
committee for including an additional $20 million dollars for suicide 
prevention and outreach services for our veterans--the third such year 
I've made such a request. I also noted with satisfaction the 
committee's inclusion of language directing the VA to work far more 
closely with community-based organizations that have successful 
programs to prevent suicides. Indeed, the most successful of these 
programs in the nation is the Vets4Warriors program at the University 
of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey. My late friend, Senator 
Lautenberg, worked closely with me to support this program and bring it 
to the attention of senior VA

[[Page E800]]

and Pentagon officials. The VA should have a direct partnership with 
Vets4Warriors and I will certainly continue to press for that, and am 
very happy to have the committee's support for that effort.
  Madam Chair, while I will support this bill I do not support the 
process that brought it to the floor today. This bill came up under a 
rule that enshrines sequester, cutting another $90 billion in overall 
funding for the government at a time when it has become clear to all 
but the most obtuse among us that the sequester has caused real harm to 
real people. The self-executing rule under which this bill is being 
considered will cause still more harm--not directly to our veterans, 
but to millions of other Americans from the additional draconian cuts 
the majority is seeking to impose. That's why this bill and the 
Homeland Security bill are under a veto threat from the President, and 
rightly so. I urge my Republican colleagues to abandon the budget 
gamesmanship, drop Sequester 2.0, and work with us and the President to 
implement a budget that is fair to all Americans.

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