Advanced Appropriations For Veterans

Floor Speech

(Mr. KLEIN of Florida asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we in Congress will be able to make a real difference for the military veterans who have served our country so honorably this week.

From my first day in office, our local veterans groups in south Florida made it clear that one of their top priorities was securing advanced appropriations for the Veterans Administration. These dedicated service members thought it was wrong that the VA, which provides health care and so many other critical services to our heroes, was subjected to the whims of an annual congressional budgeting process.

Mr. Speaker, I couldn't agree more. The needs of our veterans are too important to be bogged down and held up in this process. Putting advanced appropriations in place allows the VA to plan ahead, improve service delivery, and make smart, fiscally responsible budget decisions.

At long last this House will vote today on the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. This bill puts advanced appropriations in place, responding to the top priority of our veterans' organizations.

I strongly urge my colleagues to speak out with one voice as Democrats and Republicans alike to support our veterans and pass this legislation.

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