Everyone in Washington proclaims to be a friend of our veterans, but over the last few years we have seen that many of the folks in the Republican leadership are content with cutting corners on our veterans and short-changing veterans' services. The actions of these folks speak much louder than their words. We have been in a battle in the Capitol over funding for veterans for years, but the last two years have been particularly harsh.

I was joined by a bipartisan group of Representatives last year in my efforts to increase funding for the Veterans Administration (VA), especially funding for veterans health services at VA hospitals. Instead of supporting the bipartisan push for more VA funding, the Republican leadership fired their Veterans Committee Chairman and four other Republican committee members who supported the increase in funding. These Representatives and I were asking for what was right, but that did not persuade the Republican leadership.

After the Republican leadership turned away our efforts to increase funding, the VA found itself in a huge budget shortfall this year. If the Republican leadership would have just listened to their committee chairman and all the Democrats and Republicans who supported the efforts to increase funding then we wouldn't have faced the budget fiasco which we are still trying to alleviate.

Immediately after the budget shortfall was realized and announced, my fellow Democrats and I introduced legislation to increase funding for the VA. The $1.3 billion increase for 2005 was shot down by a partisan vote on the Rules Committee and was not approved by the full House of Representatives. Thankfully, the White House has turned the corner and decided to support our calls for a funding increase. President Bush has proposed increasing additional VA funding for 2005 to our original figure of $1.3 billion and he also proposed adding $1.7 billion in funding to the 2006 budget, for which my colleagues and I have asked.

I will continue to work for the increase in this funding and many other veterans' initiatives. Our veterans are the heart and soul of this Nation, they have fought to protect our Nation in times of war and times of peace and our Nation must always help protect our veterans in their lives after military service.

This is why my Democrat colleagues and I have introduced the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century. The New GI Bill would improve benefits for our men and women in uniform today and provide long overdue benefits for the veterans and military retirees who have already served. It would bolster support for our troops, as well as their families here at home, through improved health care and benefits. Further, there are special provisions for the National Guard and Reserve, as their service in Iraq and Afghanistan has been above the call of duty. It would provide better education, health care and job training benefits for those who have answered the call of our Nation.

With the support of the American Legion and West Virginia veteran, John Peters, I have also reintroduced legislation in the House of Representatives that will expand the eligibility for veterans' pensions to soldiers who have received the Expeditionary Medal and/or have served in Korea, Lebanon, Grenada, or Panama. The two bills I have introduced will allow American veterans who faced imminent danger from a foreign hostile enemy in a period of undeclared war to collect pensions that many of their comrades in arms already receive. These two pieces of legislation will finally honor the sacrifices our military men and women have made in times of undeclared wars.

I continue to stand with our Nation's veterans one hundred percent and will work diligently to help ensure that all veterans receive the services they deserve. I have repeatedly urged the Republican leadership to bring these bills to the floor for a full House vote. I hope they heed my urges and I will continue to work to make these changes until they are made law.