|
Each November 11th, our country comes together to honor the millions of brave men and women who have served our country in uniform. Veterans Day gives us the opportunity to express our collective gratitude to the 24 million veterans in America for their noble service to our country and reaffirm our commitment to them. We also must remember that our troops currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world will become the veterans of tomorrow. Our support for these men and women does not end once they return home. Our nation has a proud legacy of appreciation to the men and women who have worn the uniform in defense of this country. We must be united in seeing that every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine is welcomed back with all the care and compassion our grateful country can bestow.
In Washington, I am working hard to keep the promises we have made to our veterans. This year, Congress passed legislation to increase the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) budget by $6.6 billion above the 2007 level, the largest increase in our nation’s history. Included in the House-passed fiscally responsible budget, the proposed increase will provide the VA with a total of $37.2 billion for medical care and veterans’ health programs. The bill also provides additional claims processing personnel and facility improvements so that veterans will receive better healthcare, more mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder services, and shorter waiting times for doctors’ appointments.
At home, I also am working to make sure that the critical needs of our veterans are addressed. Earlier this year, I announced that a new community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC) will be coming to Jackson County. This new clinic is an extraordinary victory for our veterans in North Florida. Currently, veterans in Jackson County and surrounding areas must travel to Panama City, Tallahassee, Lake City, Pensacola, or Biloxi, Mississippi, for their healthcare needs, resulting in long travel times and overcrowding at these facilities. The VA anticipates that 3,574 existing patients and 310 new patients will be treated at the new CBOC in Jackson County. Veterans in Jackson County and surrounding areas have traveled too far, for too long, to get the healthcare they need and deserve, and the new clinic will ensure that North Florida’s veterans have more convenient access to proper medical care.
We are making great strides to provide our veterans with first-rate and uncompromised benefits. As a combat veteran myself, I am proud of the work we are doing in Congress to fulfill our moral obligation to those who have defended our great country. However, our work is far from over. In 2008, the number of veterans receiving treatment is expected to include over 300,000 men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. We must prepare to care for the veterans of current conflicts by seriously addressing the long term healthcare needs of our combat veterans.
As thousands more soldiers come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, it is our duty to provide sufficient resources so that our veterans can receive the quality care they were promised and deserve. Through the responsible budget passed by Congress this year and adequate federal funding that Congress is poised to provide in the upcoming year, we can enhance our veterans’ programs and honor the commitment that we have made to our veterans. This Veterans Day, as we show our respect and gratitude for the men and women who bravely answered the call to duty, including the 75,000 veterans living in North Florida, let us also recognize their service by providing our veterans with the respect, benefits, and services they have earned and deserve now and in the future.
-30-
|
|
Back to top