Bob Filner: “this conference agreement on the Republican resolution is a slap in the face to our Nation's veterans, those who have…”

“this conference agreement on the Republican resolution is a slap in the face to our Nation's veterans, those who have given us our country's freedom. It slashes health care funding every year after the year 2000. We do have a 1-year increase of $1.6 billion, but that is it, only 50 percent of what the veterans' organizations in this country said was absolutely minimal, for what was necessary for the veterans' health care system. They recommended a $3 billion increase for every year. My colleagues gave them $1.6 billion for the first year and then started cutting them every year after that. Over 10 years, the conference agreement cuts veterans funding by $2.3 billion below a 1999 level. We will see hospitals in danger of closing. We will see veterans with hepatitis C not receive treatment. We will see long-term care decreased. Research will be severely underfunded. Buildings will deteriorate. The chairman of our committee, a Republican chairman, said that if we have a straight line budget, we will compromise access to quality of care. Vote ``no'' on the slap in the face of the Veterans Administration.”