Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I speak today regarding the introduction of a bill, cosponsored by Senators Boxer and Cardin, to provide the Department of Veterans Affairs with the authority to obligate and expend appropriated funds in order to begin construction on critical projects in California, Kentucky, Maryland, and Washington. This is time-sensitive legislation, and I am working with my colleague and friend Chairman Isakson to move the bill by unanimous consent as soon as a final fiscal year 2016 funding measure is enacted. Last month, the Senate passed the fiscal year 2016 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which provided $822,800,000 for major construction projects at these Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. This bill passed without a single vote cast against it. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs cannot spend the money appropriated for fiscal year 2016 and begin construction on these projects because it lacks a separate authorization, which is required by law. The legislation I am introducing today simply provides the authorization, as required by law, to allow the Department to move forward its fiscal year 2016 projects. The fiscal year 2016 projects include critical, time-sensitive seismic safety corrections to structures in San Francisco, West Los Angeles, Long Beach, and American Lake.…”