VETERANS DELAY - Democrats Hold Up Veterans Funding To Pass Billions Of Dollars Of Excess Spending

From Arizona GOP National Committeeman

BRUCE ASH:

VETERANS DELAY

Democrats Hold Up Veterans Funding To Pass
Billions Of Dollars Of Excess Spending
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As America Prepares To Celebrate Veterans Day, Democrats Are In No Hurry To Pass A Bill Funding Veterans' Needs:

"The Fate Of The Military Construction-VA Bill Is Unclear. Democrats Do Not Appear To Be In A Hurry To Complete It Before Leaving For The Two-Week Thanksgiving Recess Set To Begin Nov. 16..." (David Clarke, "Senate Refuses To Accept Combined Measures, Dealing Blow To Democrats," CQ Today, 11/7/07)

Democrats Admit That They Are Playing Politics With Veterans Funding. "The senior Senate Democratic aide said the veterans measure 'could be held back if there's some help to get us to an end game' with the president. But the aide cautioned that 'the process for that bill is still up in the air.'" (John Stanton and Emily Pierce, "Approps Message Takes Shape," Roll Call, 11/8/07)

"[A]nother Senate Democratic Source Said The Option Of Holding The Veterans Bill Back A Little Longer Is Viable Politically..." (John Stanton and Emily Pierce, "Approps Message Takes Shape," Roll Call, 11/8/07)
Democrats Tried To Piggy Back $9.8 Billion In Excess Spending Onto The Veterans Funding Bill To Avoid A Presidential Veto:

"Democrats Sought To Package The Labor-HHS-Education Measure With The Military Construction-VA Bill...To Try To Thwart A Veto Threat." (David Clarke, "Senate Refuses To Accept Combined Measures, Dealing Blow To Democrats," CQ Today, 11/7/07)

Democrats Are Delaying The Veterans Bill To Gain An Extra $9.8 Billion For Their Domestic Projects. "Bush is expected to veto the measure because he opposes the Labor-HHS-Education portion of the bill, which includes $9.8 billion more in spending than he requested..." (David Clarke, "Labor-HHS, Veterans Bills Joined," CQ Weekly, 11/5/07)

Democrats Are Using The Veterans Bill To Try To Raise Spending By 2.5 Percent In 2008. "Democrats said they packaged the veterans' funding measure...with the Labor-HHS-Education bill because Bush has refused to negotiate on the overall spending difference of $23 billion, or 2.5 percent, between his budget and Democrats' discretionary spending total in the fiscal 2008 bills." (David Clarke, "Spending Bill Stalemate Has Democrats Recalibrating Procedural Gambit," CQ Today, 11/6/07)

Democrat Presidential Candidates In Congress Have A Slew Of Earmarks In The Labor-HHS Spending Bill. "Obama successfully requested eight projects worth $2.9 million in the Labor-Health and Human Services spending bill. Clinton, who ranks immediately ahead of Obama on that panel, won 54 projects worth more than $22.6 million. Dodd, the second-ranking Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, helped slot 12 projects worth $4.3 million in the labor and health spending bill, the largest non-defense spending bill Congress passes annually. Biden collected six projects worth about $1.7 million." (Alexander Bolton, "Clinton Tops 2008 Rivals, Gets $530M In Earmarks," The Hill, 11/9/07)


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