John Bel Edwards: “if I have to choose with standing with The Washington Post or the Disabled American Veterans, the American Legion, the…”

“if I have to choose with standing with The Washington Post or the Disabled American Veterans, the American Legion, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars in protecting veterans health care services, I think I will stick with the veterans groups. Let us look at the bipartisan statement that was made, a letter signed by the Republican chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the House in the last several weeks, saying that we need a $2.5 billion increase in veterans health care just to keep from cutting veterans health care services during time of war. The bottom line is they may not like it or not, but the Republican leadership who have to pay for their failed economic policies that have led to the highest deficits in American history want to ask veterans to balance this budget now on the backs of people who have already sacrificed for our country and people who are sacrificing in Iraq today. The truth and the facts are stubborn things to fight, and the fact is they can throw out all the quotes from The Washington Post they want, but this budget will cut veterans health care services by over $1 billion during a time of war. That is wrong and it is unfair, and it is why veterans groups are asking for the defeat of this unfair budget resolution.”