On the recordApril 30, 2014
I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the 2015 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. I am very happy to be on the floor with this bill today, Mr. Chairman, because it kicks off the 2015 appropriations cycle at a very early date. In fact, we know that this is the earliest in the year that our committee has presented a bill to the floor, at least since 1974, the date of the present Budget Act, and perhaps even more so beyond that. We just don't have the records for it. Nevertheless, it is a very early date. It also does the important work of providing funding for our military, infrastructure and for the care of our veterans. This bill provides $71.5 billion in discretionary funding to meet those needs. Within that total, this bill provides $6.6 billion for military construction projects, family housing, medical units, education-training facilities. This will help make sure that the men and women of our Armed Forces have the quality of life that they deserve during their service and that they have the support that they need for our Nation's military missions. The bill also provides a total of $64.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. That goes a long way toward fulfilling our commitments to our veterans, making sure that, in exchange for their service and their sacrifice, we will take care of their health and well-being.…
