We know that we can never fully repay the debt we owe them. As Americans we try to think of them often, to remember the sacrifices they have made, and to honor their service.

In Congress, we have doing our best to say “thank you” to our veterans, not just with words, but with a VA health care budget that meets their needs. For years the VA budgets passed by the Congress barely kept pace with the rate of inflation. That changed last year.

In 2007, the 110th Congress increased health care and benefits funding for the VA by $11.8 billion, which was $5.5 billion more than requested by the President. That increase marked the largest increase in the 77-year history of the VA and a larger increase than the combined total of the six previous years. Our veterans deserve every dollar of this funding, and I am proud to support it.

For every veteran, this new funding will be directly felt through higher quality care, more doctors, and shorter waits for appointments.

At the Charles George VA Medical Center it means $3.4 million to renovate the 4W Patient Ward.

Veterans across America who were facing delays in claims processing, will see 3,000 new claims processors to reduce the backlog and ensure they receive the benefits they have earned in a timely manner.

All veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who are entering the VA system will be screened for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other non-visible traumatic brain injuries due to the increased funding. Additionally, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffering from the most severe injuries will be able to utilize modernized polytrauma centers.

For veterans from every war suffering from mental illness will see the benefit of a minimum increase of $2.9 billion on mental health care services, an increase of $700 million from last year.

Finally, VA travel reimbursement will be increased from 11 cents to 28.5 cents per mile, the first travel reimbursement increase since 1979. This will particularly benefit veterans in rural areas like ours.

Charles George VA Medical Center

I was proud to introduce legislation to rename the Asheville VA Medical Center in honor of Private First Class Charles George in the House of Representatives in May 2007.

Pfc. George was a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and was raised in the Birdtown community of the Qualla Boundary. He attended Cherokee Schools before enlisting in the U.S. Army and being sent to fight in the Korean War. On November 30th, 1952, while fighting in Korea, Pfc. George was killed in action. He died saving the lives of those around him.

According to the citation that accompanied his Congressional Medal of Honor, “Pfc. George shouted a warning to one comrade, pushed (another) soldier out of danger, and, with full knowledge of the consequences, unhesitatingly threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the explosion.”

The President signed the legislation into law just after Veteran’s Day 2007, officially changing the name and ensuring that Pfc. George’s selfless heroism will be remembered for generations to come.

Franklin VA Outpatient Clinic

I am working closely with the VA to ensure an outpatient facility in Franklin, NC is opened as quickly as possible. This clinic will provide more accessible health care for thousands of veterans across Western North Carolina. The clinic is expected to open in the fall of 2008.

Need to contact the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville? Click Here: http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=8

Have general VA questions? Click here: www.va.gov

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Congressman Shuler chairs a hearing in the Small Business Subcommittee on Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship

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