Schakowsky Statement on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Funding Bill

Washington D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following statement after voting against the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) funding bill for FY 2017:

“Our veterans and military families deserve the best care and support when they return home and we must do all we can to ensure proper funding for military homes and base construction. This should never be a partisan issue, and drafting a funding bill for our veterans and military families should not be difficult or contentious. Yet, House Republicans have managed to do just that, by injecting discrimination into this funding bill that had no business being included. House Republicans worked to defeat an amendment offered by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) that would have protected LGBT workers. The amendment passed within the allotted time, but cowardly Republican Members switched their votes to the side of hate and disgraceful House Republican leaders held the vote open long after time ran out until enough votes switched to defeat the amendment. What I saw today on the House floor was ugly and shameful.

“This bill also contains language that would tie the administration’s hands in closing down Guantanamo Bay and transferring prisoners to U.S. soil. I believe it is vital that we close this waste of taxpayer money and blight to our reputation around the world. This bill should be solely focused on helping veterans and their families. We do a disservice to them when we undermine the freedom and values they fight for in the very same bill that funds critical veterans assistance and military housing. This is not the end of the road. I will push to get the strong, bipartisan funding bill that our veterans and our military deserve.”

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