Democratic Party Holding Veteran Affairs Appropriation Hostage

One should wonder why the Democratic Party Leadership squabble over Phony Soldiers and Fraud Veterans and withhold funding for Real Veterans and Real Soldiers.

I received this in my email from a Fellow member of the Vets For Freedom.



Signaleer
This Day in US Military History

Here we are again, the start of a new fiscal year and Congress still has not passed the Military Construction, Veterans' Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations for FY 2008 ( H.R. 2642).

It passed the House 409-2 on June 15, 2007 and the Senate 92-1 on September 6, 2007. The President has already said he would sign H.R. 2642. Although there are some differences in the bills passed in each chamber, the overall funding levels are very close. So what is the problem? Politics! The President and the congressional leadership are at odds over the funding levels of the other remaining 11 appropriations bills. Congress has passed a continuing resolution to fund the Federal government at FY 2007 funding levels until November 17, 2007 – just before Congress plans to adjourn the First Session of the 110th Congress.

The President believes Congress plans to send him an omnibus appropriations bill with 11 appropriations bills rolled into one for his signature. He has expressed his plans to veto the bill if it exceeds his budget recommendations for FY 2008. He wants to negotiate with Congress on each bill separately. Therefore, Congress plans to hold H.R. 2642 "hostage" since the President said he would not veto it.Congress has passed the best VA appropriations bill in history. H.R. 2642 meets or exceeds nearly every recommendation made by the veterans' service organizations. Unfortunately, none of the increased funding will be available until the bill is signed. Historically, such budgetary standoffs are usually resolved in late January or early February at best – that means nearly halfway into the new fiscal year.

Clearly, this is another excellent example of why VA medical care should be changed to mandatory appropriations rather than discretionary. All annual mandatory funding is not affected by continuing resolutions. It is paid automatically; therefore, this continuing resolution will not affect such funding as Social Security, Medicare, and VA Compensation and Pension.Contact your senators and congress members today and urge immediate passage of H.R. 2642. Enactment should not be delayed. Please use the toll free numbers that will get you in contact with a switchboard operator who will direct you to a specific member of congress.

The toll free numbers are 1-877-851-6437, 1-800-828-0498, or 1-800-614-2803.

So, what is ReidCo and PelosiCo using as a lame excuse for this delay?