Duckworth Statement On MilCon-VA Appropriations Vote
Statement
Iraq War Veteran, Congresswoman and former Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth (IL-08) issued the following statement regarding today's House vote on the FY2017 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill:
"This bill is an important investment in our Veterans and their care, including supporting prosthetic research programs and electronic health records. It will help the VA improve mental health services and suicide prevention efforts, as well as support the suicide crisis hotline, the importance of which I impressed upon Secretary McDonald during a meeting yesterday."
"But this bill is also an example of taking two steps forward and one step back. Despite increasing VA funding from the previous year's levels, the new funding levels are still $1.5 billion below where they need to be to provide Veterans the services they need and that they have earned. Congress owes our Veterans more, and as this bill moves through the process I am doing everything to ensure that we keep our promises and don't let them down."
The Congresswoman also expressed frustration and disappointment after an amendment that would have protected American LGBT workers from discrimination was blocked, despite multiple outlets reporting enough votes to pass, after House Republican Leadership abandoned their promise of regular order in order to reverse several Members' votes.
"The America that I fought to defend is an inclusive country that treats all of its citizens with respect and affords them equal protection under the law regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation or gender identity," responded Congresswoman Duckworth. "And that's the America I saw represented on the floor of the House today, right up until Republican leadership threw the rules out the window and forced their own Members to flip their votes--all to ensure that taxpayer money can be used to discriminate against LGBT individuals. It's shameful and wrong."
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