[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26059]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           SUPPORT VETERANS: PASS THE VA APPROPRIATIONS BILL

  (Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening 
to highlight one of the most important pieces of legislation yet to 
pass this Congress: the Veterans Affairs-Military Construction 
appropriations bill. Each year from 1995 to 2006 the Republican-led 
Congress passed record increase after increase for our Nation's 
veterans. More importantly, the Republican-led Congress made it a 
priority to pass the VA appropriations bill so that our veterans could 
continue to receive the care that they deserve.
  That, Madam Speaker, cannot be said of this year's VA funding bill. 
Reports in today's Congressional Quarterly are that the majority is 
considering holding the vital VA bill hostage as a means of passing a 
giant omnibus bill to fund government operations. The health and 
welfare of our veterans is more important to my constituents than it is 
to score cheap political points here in Washington, DC.
  Madam Speaker, I hope that you can find it in your heart to appoint 
conferees to the VA-Military Construction appropriations bill and send 
the President a bill that he can sign. Our veterans deserve nothing 
less.

                          ____________________