Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the fiscal year 2014 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

Let me first of all thank Chairman Culberson and your staff. You've done a spectacular job. This has been among the most inclusive processes that I've ever been involved with. So thank you.

Madam Chairwoman, this bill includes almost $10 billion for critical military construction projects, as well as imperative funding for the NATO Security Investment Fund.

Our bill fully funds the fiscal year 2014 National Guard and Reserve construction programs as requested, by the way, as well as fully funding the family housing construction program.

The bill also includes $55.6 billion in fiscal year 2015 advanced appropriations for VA medical care, the level approved in the House budget resolution and the same, by the way, as was actually requested.

This bill provides targeted funding for various information technology programs to ensure that the VA can tackle the enormous backlog of compensation claims, something that this chair and Chairman Rogers have already talked about.

These funds will provide the resources that the VA indicates it requires to meet its goals of ending the disability compensation claims backlog by 2015.

Additionally, it includes stringent reporting requirements for the VA so the Members of Congress and the American people can have direct oversight on the progress of the claims backlog.

The committee also included report language to address the issue of prescription painkiller abuse.

This important bill also funds critical programs like the American Battle Monuments Commission, the United States Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims, as well as cemeterial expenses, including Arlington National Cemetery.

So I thank the chairman and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this very important piece of legislation that has been done in a very bipartisan way.

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