John Drake: “This is day 73. That is 73 days since the start of the new fiscal year. Our veterans still do not have access to the…”

“This is day 73. That is 73 days since the start of the new fiscal year. Our veterans still do not have access to the increased funding provided in a bill that passed the House and Senate months ago and the President is waiting to sign. This bill includes increased funding to improve access to medical services for all veterans, new initiatives for mental health and PTSD, increased funds for improved medical facilities, and increased funding to assist homeless veterans, to name a few. The Democrats have refused to move the bill forward while our veterans have been operating on an extended shoestring budget since October 1, and 2 days from now the current budget will expire. If the Democrats are acting in good faith and in the best interest of our Nation's veterans, why have they continued to delay this bill, and why do they now intend to use our veterans to pass an end-of-the-year omnibus spending package? The veterans bill could be passed and sent to the President and signed today. I am calling on the Speaker to move the bill forward, and I call on all Americans to contact their Representatives to tell the Democratic leadership to send a clean veterans appropriations bill to the President now.”