It's Time to Stop Toying with the Needs of Troops and Veterans

WASHINGTON - Yesterday Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) made the following statement after the House Majority approved an expensive appropriations bill with millions of dollars of unrelated pork-barrel spending requests. In a highly unusual move, the House leadership combined a measure to support our nation's troops and veterans with a highly contentious - and pork laden - measure to fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

"This is another example of how this Congress has played politics with our nation's most critical needs," Congressman Cole said. "Instead of working together with the Republicans to pass a clean bill to support our troops and veterans, Nancy Pelosi has cynically attached this important legislation to a wholly unrelated bill that is jam packed with wasteful pork barrel spending."

"I am prepared, along with other fiscally responsible members of Congress, to send the President a clean bill that will fund our troops and veterans. After the President vetoes this bill, Speaker Pelosi needs to stop her shameful abuse of power and bring these two unrelated spending bills to the floor for two separate votes. The American people are rightfully tired of the political gamesmanship that is becoming a hallmark of this new congressional majority."

Yesterday evening the House passed the Milqual-VA/Labor-HHS conference report by a vote of 269-142.