H.R. 2922, The Pay Veterans First Act

Floor Speech

H.R. 2922, THE PAY VETERANS FIRST ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 15, 2007)

* Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Pay Veterans First Act (H.R. 2922), introduced by my colleague from New York, Mr. Hall.

* When most people think of a ``bonus,'' they think of a financial incentive given to reward exceptional work done above and beyond the call of duty. It is typically recognition of the long and countless hours of hard work put in to get the job done. It is something you earn, not something you receive in return for lackluster performance.

* Yet, recently the Associated Press reported that top officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs received a total of $3.8 million in bonuses, with some individuals receiving as much as $33,000, or 20 percent of their annual salary. While these officials received these performance based rewards, the VA was facing a nearly $1 billion budgetary shortfall and the national backlog for veterans' claims is about 177 days on average. There are very few veterans in eastern Connecticut or across the country who would agree that this data demonstrates ``exceptional work'' on behalf of our Nation's veterans.

* It is appalling that the failing performance of top VA officials would be rewarded so handsomely while the quality of care for our Nation's veterans suffers. The veterans of eastern Connecticut and those throughout the Nation deserve an explanation for this apparent error in judgment and disgraceful lack of leadership within the Department of Veterans Affairs. I recently wrote to Secretary Jim Nicholson asking him to provide an explanation for this imbalance and look forward to his response.

* There are, without a doubt, many people in veterans' health care facilities across the country working tirelessly to care for our veterans without the resources they need, let alone discretionary bonuses. The VA is strained to care for the patients they have now, and face daunting challenges to care for those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Pay Veterans First Act is an important step to ensuring that the priorities and resources of the VA remain focused on where they rightfully belong: the needs of those who have served our country in uniform, and not the bureaucrats in Washington.

* I applaud Mr. Hall of New York for leading this important effort and urge my colleagues to support this bill on behalf of our Nation's veterans.

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