By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Farmers from the area met this morning with U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., of St. Joseph to discuss possible crop damage.
While the House was out of session this week, Upton also took time to visit schools, factories and to speak to the media.
Along with concerns for his district's fruit growers, Upton spoke to the Niles Daily Star about the bills in both Congress and the House, appropriating money for the troops in Iraq.
"It is wrong to add $20 billion of 'pork.' Let's come back and do it right," he said.
"We need a line item veto," he added, saying the President will veto these bills.
The "pork," as Upton called the items added to the bill, are things which could be taken care of at another time, such as money for security for the political conventions coming in 2008, or for shrimpers in Mississippi.
These don't belong in an urgent supplemental bill, he added.
One soldier from the district serving in Balad, Iraq, sent a message to Upton's Blackberry agreeing.
"These budget proposals that are filled with pork … do not show support for the troops," he texted. He accused members of the legislator of having their own agenda, which showed "a blatant disregard for the needs of the troops."
Upton added the money needed in Iraq is also used to train the Iraqis, so the troops can come home.
On Tuesday, Upton will be testifying with U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., of South Bend, Ind. on a bill they co-sponsored to speed up disability payments for troops who have returned home.
An example Upton will highlight is a veteran with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), who has two children, 2 and 4 and his wife works two jobs.
"He can't get his papers processed and his case is not atypical," Upton said. "There is a backlog of 400,000 cases and a 177 day average," for processing.