Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to lend my support for the underlying bill we are debating today that addresses critical health care, housing, education, and unemployment needs for our soldiers who are deploying and our veterans who are returning from the battlefield. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations measure is one of the most important pieces of legislation Congress considers annually. It provides the necessary funding to house, train, and equip our brave men and women in uniform, support our military families, and maintain our military base infrastructure. Put simply, no one should stand ahead of our men and women in uniform or our Nation's veterans when it comes to making Federal funding decisions. Critical to this discussion is the priority placed on investments in medical care for our Active Duty servicemembers and veterans. I appreciate that the committee continues the precedence set in past years of providing advanced appropriations for the VA. {time} 1750 Allowing for advanced appropriations provides a platform for long- term planning and investment in critical programs that meet the emerging needs of our servicemembers and military families. I want to personally thank the committee for providing these resources that will allow our VA hospitals, including those in my district, to prepare adequately for the number of veterans returning home from deployment.…”