Veterans Benefits Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014
Floor Speech
Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, there is not a Member of this House who does not respect and support the veterans of this country.
The gentleman who just spoke talked about preventing pain. What we want to do is prevent pain not only to veterans, but to children, to families, to teachers, to medical professionals, to farmers, to all those who every day rely on the Federal Government to be in operation--not piecemeal, not choosing between this and that, between the winners and the losers.
Why are we at this place? Why, as the gen tle lady, the ranking member of this committee said, are we at a place where we're presenting a bill that cuts $6 billion from the bill you talked about, that I voted for and you voted for? I speak, of course, of the chairman.
Mr. Speaker, we are here because of the pain that has been visited not by the Senate. The Senate passed the only CR that didn't have a poison pill, the CR--we talk in this jargon--keeping government operating for the American people, the only body that's passed a bill that will do that that didn't include a poison pill that you knew the other side could not take and would not take and the President said he would not sign. You continue to not come to grips with the loss of the election.
You need a compromise. You would not go to conference. You talked about going to conference at 5 minutes of 12 a.m. last night. You've had 6 months to go to conference. For 6 months, Mr. Speaker, the Republicans have had the opportunity of going to conference. Mr. Van Hollen, I'm sure, will talk about that.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.
Mr. HOYER. It's been 6 months and no action. That's why we have had this gridlock, because you have refused to go, as you talk about the regular order, to work out an agreement between the Senate and the House. So we find ourselves where we need more time.
We have tried to provide for 6 weeks, between now and November 15, to try to work together to get to compromise and pass appropriation bills--and not in piecemeal. I don't know that I've seen an appropriation bill on a suspension before.
Mr. Speaker, this is the wrong process, it's the wrong time, and we ought to pass a CR and keep government operating for the American people.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source