Henry Waxman: “we are getting close, I think, to the end of this debate, and I just want to summarize where we are. We argued that we…”

“we are getting close, I think, to the end of this debate, and I just want to summarize where we are. We argued that we should not preclude the transfer of funds so that the litigation could go forward. The chairman of the subcommittee said he wants the litigation to go forward; he just does not want the funds out of this account. We took that to heart and drafted our amendment so it would not come out of the part of the account that goes to health care services. We tried to get an agreement that it comes out of other parts of the Department of Veterans Affairs, but the ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations has told us why that will not work. So where we are is with this amendment, and this amendment would take the funds out of the litigation and administrative expense part of the Veterans Affairs health program, and allow the use of it to pay for litigation expenses for the tobacco companies. We think that will produce a great deal of money for the Veterans Administration's health care program. Not only do we think that, but the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Disabled American Veterans, and AMVETS agree with us. That is why they are supporting our amendment. I urge Members to support our amendment. If it is defeated, the rider will stand in this appropriations bill and the litigation may well be stopped in its tracks.”