[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 28187]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                              {time}  1015

          THE GOP TAKES A GUILLOTINE TO OUR VETERANS PROGRAMS

  (Ms. SANCHEZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, with the approach of Veterans' Day, we must 
remember the sacrifices made by those that have fought to preserve our 
freedom. Fortunately, our society has been blessed with many leaders 
who learned the values of responsibility and loyalty and leadership 
while wearing the uniform of this country. For without their dedication 
to duty, we would not enjoy the many freedoms this fortunate America 
has to offer.
  Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to honor the commitments that 
we have made our veterans. At a time when our economy is the strongest 
in decades and the Federal Government is experiencing budget surpluses, 
it is incomprehensible to me that Republicans would have, as its top 
priority, an across-the-board cut to our veterans' programs and 
benefits. This loss of funding would threaten the very survival of our 
veterans' health care system.
  The Republicans' decision to cut these programs is misguided and ill-
advised. Yes, we need to get to the Nation's work and we need to come 
to a budget agreement but let us not do it at the expense of our sick 
and disabled veterans.

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