The best way to honor our nation's veterans is to keep the promises we made to them. Our country is deeply indebted to its veterans, who have fought with courage and valor to protect the world from tyranny and to defend the freedoms that Americans hold so dearly.
Since being elected to Congress in 1992, I have fought to provide veterans with the health benefits they were promised. The men and women who put their lives on the line for our country did so with the understanding that we would take care of them in their time of need, and Congress has a moral obligation to improve the military health system.
Military retirees should have lifetime access to the Defense Department's TRICARE health care system. I have also supported efforts to provide America's veterans with the same access to health care that other federal employees receive and have pushed for legislation that would guarantee adequate veterans' health care funding, rather than subjecting the health care of our nation's veterans to partisan Congressional politics.

Over the last year, the 110th Congress (2007-2008) has made great strides to improve veterans’ benefits by providing an extra $6.7 billion over 2006 funding for the largest single funding increase in the 77-year history of the Department of Veterans Affairs. This increase will:

• Strengthen quality health care for 5.8 million patients, including about 263,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, in the 5th year of the war in Iraq;
• Invest in much-needed maintenance for VA health care facilities and treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury for returning veterans;
• Reduce the backlog of veterans (400,000 claims) waiting for their earned benefits by adding 1,800 claims processors.
• Build on the first steps by this Congress at the beginning of 2007 -- increasing veterans’ health care and benefits by $5.2 billion for improved care and shorter waiting lines for veterans waiting 177 days to receive their earned benefits.

Most veterans receiving VA health care are struggling to get into the middle class, with a median annual income of $23,000. This increase won widespread support and praise from America’s leading veterans’ organizations including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Officers Association of America, Paralyzed Veterans of America, AmVets, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, National Association for Uniformed Services and Disabled American Veterans. Providing quality care and services to our veterans is one of my top priorities. On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. And with this national investment, we will begin to fulfill our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind.

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