John Conyers: “I tonight rise in ardent support of our troops fighting in Iraq. As a veteran of the Korean War, I fully understand the…”

“I tonight rise in ardent support of our troops fighting in Iraq. As a veteran of the Korean War, I fully understand the sober task which our soldiers have undertaken. We must remember that these troops are on the front line doing their duty, saluting and following orders. They are great Americans. I want them to know, along with their families, that they have my unwavering support. It is well known that I strongly disagree with the policies that have led us to war in Iraq. It is my opinion on many, many levels that the U.S. should not be at war in Iraq. However, my support of U.S. troops is resolute. I think it is important that support be more than just lip service. Last week I voted against the Bush Administration's budget which would have drastically reduced veteran's health care and benefit programs. Even though the President is waging this preventive doctrine war, he presented a budget to Congress that would have cut Mandatory Veterans Programs benefits by billions of dollars. Mandatory veteran's programs include disability compensation, pensions, vocational rehabilitation, and survivors' benefits. The Bush administration's budget slashes compensation for service connected disabilities and education benefits by $15 billion and cuts veteran's health care funding by another $15 billion over the next ten years.”