[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13664]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HOW EXACTLY IS PRESIDENT SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS WHEN HE THREATENS A VETO 
                          OF DOD PAY INCREASE?

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, this House on a bipartisan basis 
overwhelmingly supported our troops last week by giving them a 3.5 
percent pay raise over the next year. What is our President's response? 
A threatened veto. In a statement opposing the higher pay raise, the 
administration noted that the President's proposal, in their opinion, 
provided a good quality of life for servicemembers and families.
  Mr. President, apparently you have not read the 2004 Kaiser Family 
Foundation report that indicates that over one in five military 
families rely on food stamps or WIC for Federal aid. This is simply 
unacceptable.
  The best way we can send a message to our troops that we support the 
grueling work that they do on a daily basis is by showing it, by 
putting more money in their pockets so they can better provide for 
their families.
  The bottom line is that men and women fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan 
should not have to supplement their income through living on food 
stamps or WIC. We encourage the President to reconsider the veto threat 
and to support the entire pay raise.

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