Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Obey- Evans amendment. I do so because some of us said several months ago when we were debating the budget that we knew we were going to get to the point when we started talking about appropriations, there would be the same hue and cry because we knew then that you cannot get blood out of a turnip. We knew that a big tax cut would take away the possibility of providing the resources that we needed to care of the needs of our people. And so here we are with one of the biggest debts that we have, and that is the debt that we owe our veterans, the debt that we owe the men and women who have given the last measure of everything that they had to give. Now we come and tell them that there is no water at the well, that there is not enough money to provide the needed services. People in my community right now are gearing up for public hearings next week to talk about which one of our veterans hospitals will get closed. Will it be the Lakeside? Will it be the West Side? Will it be Hines? Will it be beds eliminated? Will it be mental health services that they cannot get? And so I join with those who say if we have any responsibility, Mr. Chairman, it is the responsibility to fully fund medical services for the Veterans Administration. For those men and women who have given so much, at least we can give them a little.”