Press Releases
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
06/13/2007
Pelosi: House Veterans Appropriations Bill Honors the Service of America’s Veterans
Washington,
D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chet
Edwards, and Congresswoman Nancy Boyda and leaders of national Veterans Service
Organizations held a news conference this morning to highlight a record increase
in veterans funding in the 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
Appropriations bill. Below are Pelosi’s opening
remarks:
“Our American veterans are our
heroes. They deserve a hero in Congress and they have one in the person of
Chairman Chet Edwards. Veterans, service members, and their families have no
greater champion in the Congress of the
“When we came into office as the
majority, we promised a new direction, and that new direction was reflected in
our budget that we passed just a few weeks ago. It put forth the blueprint for
that new direction by putting children and veterans first –
“Let me say that this is a proud
day. Chet said it was about respect and it’s about keeping our promises; indeed
it is. Any day that you can keep a promise around here is a proud day. I’m
pleased to be joined by Steny Hoyer, our majority leader and also Congresswoman
Nancy Boyda of
“Yesterday, I had the honor of
joining Mr. Murtha in going to Walter Reed, and you were there the other day,
Steny, when we had some veterans visit the Speaker’s Balcony and at the floor of
the House last Friday. They, as do so many other of our men and women in
uniform, whether we visit them in Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq, or wherever they
serve, are quite interested in what is going to happen to them when they come
home. They know that on the battlefield the military is committed to leaving no
soldier behind. Democrats have committed to them that when the veterans come
home, we will leave no veteran behind. We were able to convey to them what was
going to be happening this week, they were pretty happy about it.
“The first priority of the House
Democrats, and indeed the Republicans as well, is to defend our nation. That is
why the Democratic budget has placed this historic investment in
“And when we pass the bill, we
hope that the President will sign it. It’s very important and I think that the
size of our margin on the floor is not only a testament to the priority we place
on our veterans, not only a testament to the tremendous leadership of Chet
Edwards, but a real statement of values of our country and a reflection of what
the American people sent us here to do. To honor the service of our veterans
and to demonstrate in a very tangible way.
“Now I'm pleased to
yield to the distinguished House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer from