Chet Edwards For Congress

June 14, 2007
Edwards delivers funding bill for veterans

By SUZANNE GAMBOA | AP via Houston Chronicle | Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — Almost two decades after pledging to take care of veterans, Democratic Rep. Chet Edwards finally has built enough seniority in Congress to fulfill his promise.

Edwards used his post as an appropriations subcommittee chairman to deliver a $64.7 billion bill funding veterans and military construction programs to the House that is scheduled for a vote this week.

The bill provides $43.2 billion for Veterans Affairs, $6.7 billion more than provided in 2007 and the largest single increase for Veterans Affairs in its 77-year history, he said.

Edwards, D-Waco, said his one-time boss and mentor, former Rep. Olin "Tiger" Teague, a World War II veteran, advised him when he was elected in 1990 to never forget veterans.

"I have been working for 16 years to write a bill like this for veterans," Edwards said.

But the bill also sets up a possible faceoff for Edwards with his most famous constituent, President Bush, who has threatened to veto all the appropriations bills because they exceed his spending requests.

It's a threat that Edwards called "ill advised" while he stood at an outdoor news conference flanked by about a dozen representatives of veterans groups, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

"By the time the White House hears from thousands of veterans throughout the country that are outraged by a veto of historic funding levels ... they will back off the veto threat," Edwards said.

The veterans groups, some that have opposed Democrats on their effort to withdraw troops from Iraq, said the funding would provide for sorely needed case workers to reduce the backlog of 400,000 veterans' benefits claims.

The bill also provides $600 million for new mental health and post traumatic stress syndrome programs, including money for five polytrauma centers, and to get three mental health and PTSD centers, including one in Waco, operating by next year. The centers treat Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for traumatic brain injury and help their families.

"This is a good bill. It is the right thing to do and it is the cost of war," said Kimo Hollingsworth, legislative director for AMVETS.

Politically, the bill helps Democrats deliver on a promise to make children and veterans their priorities.

"A lot of people say we are for veterans, but the test is where do you put your money?" Hoyer said.

The spending bill is about $4 billion more than what Bush, whose ranch is in Edwards' district, requested for Veterans Affairs and military construction.

The bill also would spend:

• $8.2 billion for Base Closing and Realignment projects.
• $2.9 billion for military housing
• $2.9 billion for substance abuse programs for veterans.
• $76.5 million that will help pay for 50 investigators to oversee spending.
• $2.8 billion to increase the size of the military.

The bill is HR2642.