John Bel Edwards: “what a difference a week makes. A week ago and one day from today this House passed unanimously a resolution saying that…”

“what a difference a week makes. A week ago and one day from today this House passed unanimously a resolution saying that we should express our gratitude for the ``valiant service of our troops in Iraq.'' And yet today the House Republican leadership in order to continue its failed status quo policies that led to the highest deficit in American history, the worst job growth since the Hoover administration, has once again gone so far as to honor our troops, our future veterans with their words but cut the budget for veterans health care with their deeds. That is not the viewpoint of a Democrat or a Republican. That is the view point of the American Legion. Steve Robertson, director of the American Legion, said in a letter, in the last 2 days, the American Legion has activated its grassroots lobbying efforts to defeat H. Con. Res. 393, the budget resolution for FY 05 through fiscal year 09. Well, let us look at what the Disabled American Veterans said. Their national commander, Alan Bowers, said, ``To the veterans of this Nation, it is incomprehensible that our government cannot afford to fund their medical care and benefit programs at a time it can afford generous tax cuts costing hundreds of billions more.'' AMVETS, Paralyzed Veterans of America, all of them are saying what the American people believe. It is wrong and it is unfair to cut veterans health care services by $1.3 billion, as this budget does, to pay for a failed economic policy.”