Conference Report on H.R. 3043, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008

CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3043, DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (House of Representatives - November 06, 2007)

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Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague yielding me this time and rise simply to say that one of the most important things for all of us to recognize on both sides of the aisle is that the American public is absolutely sick and tired of seeing us doing purely partisan battle in the name of serving the public.

Over the years, if there's an arena where we have come together in a totally nonpartisan way, it has been in support of our veterans. To hear my friend, my colleague from Texas, this evening painting veterans affairs programs in partisan terms, as though this is a partisan political game, would cause our colleague Sonny Montgomery to turn over in his grave. Absolutely he would find this style unacceptable.

Our veteran service organizations know an awful lot better than we do how important it is that we strike a nonpartisan tone. In this arena we have the opportunity to come together, Democrats and Republicans, on behalf of the American people. I urge us to get back to that pattern that says this is not a partisan game. We all, Democrats and Republicans, support our veterans. The record has already been laid out that will make that very, very clear to anybody who would but take the time to read it.

Above and beyond that, Madam Speaker, it is very likely that this package will be vetoed by the President, largely because the President is trying to strike a tone which says you don't solve every problem that faces the American public by way of simply throwing money at those problems. There are those who think that government is the only solution and the only way to get to an end is by throwing mud at the wall and hoping some will stick.

In the arena that involves fundamental and basic research leading to better health care for all Americans, when we played a nonpartisan role, we have gotten very, very positive results. I think the public recognizes that the sooner we can get this House to come together and bring our people together, the more progress we are going to make. It's long past due that we recognize that we do our best work by going to the subcommittee level and setting aside partisan politics, knowing full well that our Appropriation Committee works extremely well with the give-and-take and compromise that happens at the subcommittee level. Some way this year in this House we have gotten away from this. If we continue on this pattern, I predict that we are going to destroy the Appropriations Committee as we know it.

Now, one more thing. The President will veto this bill. I predict his veto will be sustained. Then this House will come back and hopefully in a nonpartisan way, I say to my friend from Texas, in a nonpartisan way pass a bill that reflects all of our support for America's veterans.

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