English Lauds Bipartisan Compromise to Support American Troops, Veterans & Workers

Statement

English Lauds Bipartisan Compromise to Support American Troops, Veterans & Workers

Today, U.S. Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.) lauded House passage of H.R. 2642, a bipartisan compromise to provide critical funding for American troops, bolster education benefits for veterans and strengthen the safety net for workers facing layoffs.

"Today, the House put sound policy ahead of partisan politics and advanced a responsible funding mechanism that will provide support for our troops in the field, boost benefits for veterans, help jobless workers suffering from unemployment and accomplish this without raising taxes," said English, a senior member on the House Ways and Means Committee. "A direct result of compromise from both sides of the aisle, this spending package sends a strong message that this Congress is committed to ensuring our men and women in uniform and their families have access to the resources and assistance they need and deserve."

H.R. 2642 provides $165 billion to assist troops in Iraq and Afghanistan through June 2009 and expands GI bill education benefits to adequately support members of the Reserve and National Guard. This legislation also provides an additional 13 weeks of unemployment assistance for those employed at least 20 weeks in the workforce prior to separation and have exhausted state and federal benefits.

The extended unemployment benefit provision included in the supplemental package mirrors the McDermott-English initiative, H.R. 5749, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act, which overwhelmingly passed the House last week.

"Although this provision is not as strong as the legislation that we passed last week, it will certainly go a long way in giving jobless workers in the struggling economy peace of mind that they have access to the resources they need to help them get back on their feet," English said.

Last month, the House passed a similar spending bill that also included a tax increase, forcing the bill to stall in the Senate. English, who has publicly endorsed the Senate companion bill which did not include a tax increase, advocated for the House to bring a fair and balanced war supplemental back to the chamber for a vote. Consensus building between Congressional Republicans, Democrats and the Administration led to floor action on the revised spending bill today.

"It simply does not make sense to increase taxes on Americans during a time of economic slowdown," English said. "This is win-win legislation that will protect the interests of American troops, veterans and workers. It is my hope that the Senate will act swiftly so this bill can be signed into law without further delay."

Source