Political Quotes

“Madam President, I am pleased to present the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019. This is a bipartisan bill that funds the critical infrastructure for our Nation's servicemembers and their families and takes care of America's 20 million veterans. As in years past, this subcommittee crafted the bill in a truly open and bipartisan and collegial way. The subcommittee took into account the requests and preferences of all Members on both sides of the aisle and balanced it with the administration's budget submission. Within this framework, we have created a thoughtful and responsible path forward for both Departments and our related agencies. A lot of time and energy have gone into putting this legislation together, and I thank Senator Schatz and his staff for working so hard to address the needs of our servicemembers and veterans. This bill provides $97.1 billion in discretionary spending, which is $5.1 billion over last year's level. Within that, the Department of Veterans Affairs is provided a new record level of resources at $86.4 billion in discretionary funding, which is $5 billion over last year's level and $1.1 billion over the President's request. These resources will provide healthcare and other important benefits earned by U.S. servicemembers.…”