Today, Rep. Mark Green released the following statement regarding the Honoring Our PACT Act vote:

“Last night, I voted in opposition to the Honoring Our PACT Act. As a veteran of both Afghanistan and Iraq myself, caring for veterans affected by burn pits remains a top priority. However, the PACT Act was not the appropriate avenue to ensure our veterans receive the care they so desperately need. The most significant issue is the mechanism by which $396 billion is moved from discretionary spending to mandatory spending. By using this mechanism, funds are put on “auto-pilot” to be spent without any congressional oversight. This budget gimmick is unwise and will ultimately strap taxpayers with the bill for billions in wasteful spending that could have nothing to do with caring for our veterans. This is not putting our veterans first. I’m disappointed this legislation was not what our veterans affected by burn pits truly need from Congress. They deserve far better than a bill with budget gimmicks and dollars allocated for unrelated programs. In fact, Ranking Member Mike Bost offered a commonsense amendment to nix the budget games included in this bill, which I supported. Had that amendment been included, I would have proudly voted for the PACT Act. Rest assured; I will continue to work with my colleagues in Washington to fight for our veterans who are affected by burn pit exposure.”

Original source can be found here.