Chairman Buyer lauds Lane Evans’ commitment to veterans  

Washington, DC – Today Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, made the following statement on the retirement of Congressman Lane Evans (D-Ill.), the committee’s ranking member:

“Lane Evans has announced that he will retire at the end of his current term.

Lane will complete 24 years of remarkable service to his nation as a member of the House of Representatives. His work here reflects the principles that have guided him throughout his career. Lane’s concern for our military men and women, the environment, and those less fortunate speaks to his character and commitment to make life better. But it is his unwavering support for the nation’s veterans that best describes his time in Congress. Agent Orange, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Spina Bifida, and expanded services for women veterans are just some of the causes for which Lane will be fondly remembered by his colleagues.

I have served on the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees with Lane over the years and always respected Lane’s counsel, especially in his role as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Even when we disagreed on policy matters, I never doubted that his policies on veterans’ matters are rooted in his service as a United States Marine during the Vietnam Era. Lane is a man of integrity, compassion, and honor and I will miss him when we convene the 110th Congress. I wish Lane Evans, “Fair winds and following seas.”

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