Bob Filner: “I believe I have discovered the meaning of compassionate conservatism, at least as defined by the congressional…”

“I believe I have discovered the meaning of compassionate conservatism, at least as defined by the congressional Republicans. It is conservative to cut funding for the critical needs of our Nation's veterans, and it is compassionate to use that money for pork projects for congressional people in exchange for their votes. At least that is the definition implied by the VA-HUD-Independent Agencies appropriations bill which was crafted by the Republican majority in its subcommittee earlier this week. As the Washington Post reported yesterday, this pending bill is chock full of pork, 215 provisions funding a host of projects and activities that have little or nothing to do with veterans or housing, or the other concerns that this bill is supposed to address. Madam Speaker, the gentleman just before me spoke of returning the surplus to people. What we are doing here is returning that surplus in pork projects to the majority Congresspeople. As one who has joined our veterans throughout the Nation in advocating for the past many months for additional funding in the veterans budget, I am frustrated, appalled, shocked, and angry at this turn of events. Our veterans must wait for months to see a doctor, but we fund the pork project of a machine aimed at growing plants in space.”