McKeon blasts packaging of Veterans and Military Funding Bill

[view:node_ad=5]In response to Democratic leaders’ attempt to combine the controversial Labor-Health and Human Services bill with the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, Buck McKeon issued the following statement:

“In a flagrant political move by House Democrats, a scheme was created to tie the critical Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill to boost passage of the inflated Labor-HHS bill, which is fated for a Presidential veto,” stated McKeon.

“With Veterans Day being celebrated this coming Monday; Democrats should be ashamed to play political games at the expense of our veterans and soldiers.  I therefore urge the Democratic leadership to bring this important military funding bill, intended to provide health coverage and housing funds, to the floor as a stand-alone piece of legislation.

“This Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act will help improve the quality of life of the men and women in our military and veterans and should be passed out of the House alone to be signed into law as early as this week.  I cannot sit back while Democrats engage in political maneuvering and gamesmanship where our service members are concerned.  Our veterans are losing $18.5 million a day because of the delay we have seen in passing the veterans appropriations, and it is our responsibility to get this bill to the President.”

Tonight, the House is scheduled to take up the $215.4 billion combined Labor-HHS and Military Construction-VA funding bill for fiscal year 2008.   The President has publicly stated he will veto the Labor-HHS bill for costing $9.8 billion more than he requested.