Washington, Oct 15, 2007 -  Representative John Carter (TX-31), House Republican Conference Secretary, issued the following statement regarding Speaker Pelosi’s continued delay in appointing conferees to the FY 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 2642). The House passed the veterans and military construction funding bill on June 15, 2007, and the Senate passed its version and named their conferees on September 6. House Republican leaders have appointed conferees to the bill, including Rep. Carter, but Speaker Pelosi has yet to follow suit.

“If the Majority isn’t ready to appoint conferees to this critical bill, I challenge them to share their reasons why. I hope that what I have read about the Democrat leadership using this legislation as a vehicle to sneak their bloated spending bills past the President’s veto isn’t true. I would trust that the needs and concerns of our veterans and military families would have more priority than a sneaky political scheme to increase government spending by billions.

“Republicans and Democrats joined together to pass this important legislation. Republicans have named their conferees and I am hopeful, for the sake of our troops and veterans, that Speaker Pelosi will do the same. Adequate funding for health care and housing for our veterans and men and women in uniform is a top priority for Congress, and their needs should take center stage. Our soldiers have fought and are still fighting for our freedoms, and frankly, they and their families deserve better.”

Note: Republican Minority Leader John Boehner (OH-08) named the following House Republicans to serve as conferees on the FY 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 2642):