House Proceeding 07-31-08 on Jul 31st, 2008 :: 2:50:15 to 2:55:44
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2:50:00 to 2:50:15( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: the floor tonight with a commonsense amendment. that is apropo when i speak about it tonight. ht my amendment seeks to increase the funds for state veteretans' homes and it does so in theit

2:50:15 to 2:50:25( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: amount of $18 million. where do we get the money from? by reducing the administrative expenexses by a mere lesser than 1%. and that 's a critical number, less than 1%. we believe that within the

2:50:15 to 2:55:44( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Bob Filner

2:50:25 to 2:50:39( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: over $1 billion line there is more than enough for going in and in findin g less than 1% additional funds that we could take it out d and put it to a worth cause such as our state veterans'

2:50:39 to 2:50:49( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: homes. today there is 126 state extended care facilitiesed and extended across all 50 states and puerto rico as well. and these veterans' homes care for nearly 30,000 of our 00 nation's heroes.

2:50:49 to 2:51:03( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: and there are a number of nu veterans requiring care will continue to increase as servicine members return from iraq and afghanistan. currently, there is a backlog, aa huge extensive backlog of projects

2:51:03 to 2:51:12( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: waiting for funds. many of these projects on this waiting list are crittical for providing veterans with a ve healtalhy and secure environmen st. in fact, of the almost 200 projects waiting for

2:51:12 to 2:51:24( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: federal funds, nearly half of th nem are classified as priority one. i believe it is ouber duty to see that these facilities are able to provide the highest quality of care to the lives of

2:51:24 to 2:51:38( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: those o who have made the sacrifices forri our nation. after all, you can't call theseca institutions, but reallyut are the homes where our veterans will spend out the days of their ys lives. the

2:51:38 to 2:51:52( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: staff of these homes wf ork hard t o honor our veteransve and ensure they are comfortable. and i work at a veterans' home me in my district and have visit wd them and relatives and local

2:51:52 to 2:52:04( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: veterans o rganizations around the area come in and they work with them.wi these service organizations have worked hard to raise matching funds for th ese types of f essential projects at these

2:52:04 to 2:52:14( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: facilities and likewise they do across the nation and in each of your districts as well. i would like to mai ke one other point and that is in the senthate bill, the senate milcon v.a. m appropriations

2:52:14 to 2:52:25( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: bill, they designate $1.779 billion for general operational expenses while the house version has $ 1.80 billion. so that 1% cut from the appropriation line for the li general operating expense would

2:52:25 to 2:52:38( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: still leave more money in the n final version of the bill than il the senate version currently has. and we know we have different e numbers here so when it gets to conference, those numbers havume

2:52:38 to 2:52:48( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: to come aquifflesi. this wil l bring us closer to that. in addition, our colleagues over in the senate have approvedd $250 million for the state veterans home whi le the house budget puts

2:52:48 to 2:53:02( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: in $165 million. my amendment would reduce this discrepancy by increasing the sfunding by $18 m billion. the senate is at $250 million and we are trying to bring the number up closer to where

2:53:02 to 2:53:14( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: the o senate is and will haptepen when the conference gets together. i'm saying a tiny less than 1% cut in the administrative ra operations will allow us to provide our country's heroes un with a better

2:53:14 to 2:53:28( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: quality of life and we owe tha t to all of them. i hope we can find a way to work together across the aisle to honor our vets and make sure re they receive the excellent care in all the facilities.

2:53:28 to 2:53:40( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: with that, i reserve the time. the chairman: the gentleman yields? the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. edwards: mr. chairman, i rise i n opposition to this amendment and let

2:53:40 to 2:54:20( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: me begin by saying -- the chairman: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. edwards: let me say to my colleague from new jersey, mr. garrett, i salute hist, importance i on extending

2:54:30 to 2:54:56( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: long-term care for america's veterans aernd that is exactly why as chairman of the subcommittee, i worked on a bipartisan basis with the other o subcommittee members and mr. wamp, the rank ing

2:54:56 to 2:55:16( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: member, to to increase by 94% above president bush's request funding for this pr ogram, 94% above the president's request. so i have no problem with the intent of what he's trying to accomplish,

2:55:16 to 2:55:30( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: because we have been work oing this very issue for fo months this year. and the bill product is proof ofof the success of that effort. the reason i strongly oppose the gentleman' s amendment is that

2:55:30 to 2:55:44( Edit History Discussion )

Bob Filner: it would take funding out of the very account tha t is needeto address one of our vetonerans and veterans service organizations highest priority in the entire e v.a. budget and that bis to

2:55:44 to 2:55:58( Edit History Discussion )

Chet Edwards: reduce the unconscionableun backlog of veterans waitg ing to have their claims processed, including a backlog foudr combat-wounded veterans to have t their benefits cases considered. there are nearly