[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 23]
[Senate]
[Page 31817]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I commend our leader, Senator Frist, as well 
as Senator Grassley, Senator Baucus, and Senator Breaux, for the 
tremendous work in passing this very difficult bill. This is a 
tremendous milestone. It is great news for the seniors of our Nation.
  I also ask and plead with the leadership and the Members to realize 
that we have not yet finished work on the vitally important 
appropriations bills. It is extremely important we get these bills 
passed this year prior to the start of 2004, because there is so much 
in these bills that must be passed now.
  The Appropriations Committees, under the leadership of Chairman 
Stevens and Senator Byrd, have worked long and hard to produce these 
bills. Senator Mikulski and I fought to get an increase in veterans 
health of $2.9 billion. We did that because of the pressing need for 
our veterans.
  Our high-priority veterans are waiting sometimes 6 months just to get 
an appointment. We need that money in the VA system now, not sometime 
next year. We are also seeing more and more veterans coming back from 
the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq with serious injuries, long-term 
injuries, that are going to require veterans health care. We have to 
come to some agreement to get these bills passed this year, not 
sometime next year, not January or February or March. We cannot afford 
to miss a half a year.
  In addition to that, the distinguished Senator from Kentucky and the 
Senator from Connecticut put in the over $1 billion needed for the Help 
America Vote Act.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Will the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. BOND. I would be happy to yield.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask my friend from Missouri, is it not true that if 
we do not get this omnibus bill funded, the election reform money, 
which guarantees that next year it will be easier to vote and harder to 
cheat, as the Senator from Missouri has said on so many occasions, that 
that money simply will not be there in time to begin this lengthy 
process of getting the money out to States and getting the reforms made 
in time for the 2004 election?
  Mr. BOND. The distinguished Senator from Kentucky makes a very valid 
point. The time is now to get that money into the voting system in 
every State. We cannot delay any longer. Every week, every month we 
delay, means less likelihood that we will make the changes that were 
promised.
  This body overwhelmingly adopted the Help America Vote Act which, as 
Senator McConnell has said, will make it easier to vote and tougher to 
cheat. This is a commitment we made to the people of America that we 
would provide these reforms and we would fund them. If this money has 
to wait until the approval of these appropriations bills sometime in 
February and getting the money out in March or April, we are not going 
to get it done in time. They are not going to be able to implement 
these vitally important reforms in election.
  I know many people want to get their voting machines improved. 
Frankly, I want to see the end of dogs and dead people voting. They are 
still trying that in St. Louis. There was a nice 180-count indictment 
issued by the prosecuting attorney in the city of St. Louis, the 
circuit attorney. That problem needs to stop and the only way we can 
get it to stop is by funding the Help America Vote Act.
  There are many other good arguments, but I urge the leaders to come 
together to work on this matter. If we could do it by unanimous 
consent, that would be the best, but if we have to come back the second 
week in December, we have an obligation to the people of Missouri to do 
our job. I plead with the leadership to come to some agreement so we 
can finish these bills.
  I yield the floor.

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