Bush Urges Congress to OK Veterans Bill (weekly radio address) - AP

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Bush Urges Congress to OK Veterans Bill

Saturday November 10, 2007 4:31 PM

By DEB RIECHMANN

Associated Press Writer

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - President Bush said Saturday
that Congress' Democratic leaders should celebrate
Veterans Day by finally passing a spending bill covering
programs for veterans.

“Congressional leaders let the fiscal year end without
passing this bill they know our veterans need,'' Bush said
in his weekly radio address. ``The time to act is running
out. ... The best way members of Congress can give
thanks to our veterans is to send me a clean bill that
I can sign into law.”

Bush's dig at Democrats didn't tell the whole story.

Congress has never delivered to Bush a veterans affairs
spending bill by Veterans Day, even when Capitol Hill was
run by Republicans. And even veterans' groups have been
reluctant to criticize this year's Congress for the delay,
because they are thankful for large budget increases
already engineered by Democrats since they assumed the
majority in January. They added $3.4 billion to the
veterans' budget in February and $1.8 billion in May.

Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania touted the
party's commitment to veterans.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7067079,00.html