Jerry Lewis: “Mr. Speaker, the wheels have finally come off the appropriations process. One need only to look at the sorry state of…”

“Mr. Speaker, the wheels have finally come off the appropriations process. One need only to look at the sorry state of affairs in which we find ourselves as we address these appropriations bills. Earlier today, the House passed a Transportation-HUD appropriations conference report that is $3 billion over the budget request. The President has said he will veto this legislation. Tomorrow the House will vote to sustain the President's veto on a bloated Labor-HHS bill that is $10 billion over the budget request. That will essentially send the bill back to the drawing board. And if that is not enough, consider this. It is now 3 days after Veterans Day and there is still no sign of the majority moving to considered the MilCon-VA bill, a freestanding bill identical to the MilCon-VA conference report that was removed from the Labor-HHS conference report by a point of order in the Senate, by the way, in the other body. That bill was introduced by Congressman Wicker this week. This legislation, which the President said he would sign, could be brought to the House floor today. It now appears that a Democrat majority has no intent of bringing this legislation to the floor before Thanksgiving.”