Veterans Benefits Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014
Floor Speech
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Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that, today, the only question before the House today is a ``yes'' or ``no'' vote whether or not you support funding our veterans.
This is not complicated. The Veterans Administration has said they will run out of money unless we pass this legislation today to make certain that our veterans who have earned these important benefits receive them.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Southerland).
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Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I will remind all Members that the Veterans Administration has said that funds for these benefits will expire at the end of this month. Anytime you have a disagreement, you try to find those areas where you can agree and that are especially important, and set those aside. That's what we're doing today.
The House majority has brought this bill to the floor to ensure that our veterans and their survivors will receive their disability compensation. A ``yes'' vote will ensure that low-income veterans and their families get their pensions. A ``yes'' vote will ensure three- quarters of a million students will receive their post-9/11 GI education benefits, that unemployed veterans will receive their benefits, and that 67,000 veterans with service-connected disabilities will get their vocational rehabilitation and employment subsistence benefits that they have earned by their service to the country.
Again, I stress the VA has said these benefits will run out at the end of this month. So we've chosen what is our highest priority, looking at our men and women in uniform--an area we are in complete agreement on--and brought it to the floor in good faith. We hope our colleagues will join us in voting ``yes'' or ``no'' in support of our veterans.
At this time I yield 1 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).
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Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would simply point out very quickly there are no cuts in this bill. We're simply funding essential veterans services through December 15 at a level equal to the amount that we have already passed out of the House the first week of June. There are no cuts.
We want to make sure these essential services continue for our veterans and they don't see any interruption in services.
I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to point out very quickly, we are funding the most essential parts of the Veterans Administration, where we have been told they will run out of money within the next 30 days. We want to ensure that our veterans don't have a thing to worry about. We don't want their families, their children, their survivors to worry for one moment whether or not their benefits are going to be there.
We bring this bill to the floor today to ensure that they are taken care of, their peace of mind is secured. And also, this is clearly one of those areas--in support of our veterans--where we can agree.
Again, I stress, common courtesy and common sense tell us when you have a disagreement, you find those areas where you can come together and agree and put that behind you. That's all this is. It's not complicated.
Let's vote together today to make sure that our veterans programs are fully funded.
I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
It's important to remember that as we have done in the House and the Senate has done by unanimous consent, we have paid our Active Duty military. Their salaries are paid. So they don't have to worry about it as they stand on the walls of Rome in defense of our freedom.
Today, we bring this legislation to the floor to be sure that past generations of our military men and women who have served this country and defended our freedom and made it possible for us to be here today, that their benefits are fully funded.
We've been told straight up by the VA that the items that are before the House today will run out of money before the end of this month. This is not complicated. It truly is common sense and common courtesy to find those areas of agreement, set those aside, do those in priority order.
We've made sure the current generation of military men and women are paid. We're now, today, making sure that our veterans of previous generations are fully compensated for survivor benefits, for low-income veterans, for student 9/11 GI benefits, for unemployed veterans. We're going to make sure that veterans with service-connected disabilities are taken care of.
What we attempted to do--and as my colleague from Georgia knows, we've always worked arm-in-arm in support of those veterans--is to find those areas where the help is needed most urgently and to set that aside and get 'er done now before these benefits run out.
And the vote today is very simple: yes or no, will you vote to support America's veterans and honor them for their sacrifice and make sure they don't miss a minute, that there's no bubble in the pipeline of the benefits that they have earned by their sacrifices for this great Nation.
This is a simple yes-or-no vote in support of our veterans.
I urge passage of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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