[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14948]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               VA FUNDING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Williams) for 1 minute.
  Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. Speaker, last night House Republicans once again 
showed up and took action to stop the bleeding of Harry Reid's 
government shutdown. President Obama has already bullied the House by 
threatening to veto these important bills to protect our Nation's 
veterans, keep D.C. schools and services open, and preserve and reopen 
our national parks.
  By voting against these bills, House Democrats turned their backs on 
the Nation's veterans. It's reprehensible to sit back and watch our 
veterans suffer. The Honoring Our Promise to America's Veterans Act 
would ensure vital funding for disability compensation, pensions, the 
GI Bill, and other critical benefits that are threatened by Harry 
Reid's shutdown.
  Today we will give the Democrats another chance to vote in favor of 
veterans. This is not a partisan issue, it's an American issue, and we 
must pass this legislation today. House Republicans are here. We're 
ready to negotiate. Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that the President 
should cancel his trip to Asia and come negotiate with us.
  Simply put, in God we trust.

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