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Veterans

While as a nation we can only honor, but never satisfy, the debt we owe to America’s fallen heroes and to their families, Congress must continue its critical work to put our country’s troops and veterans first.  At a time when our service members are returning home from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, I strongly believe that Congress must provide the Veterans Administration every resource it needs to serve our veterans.        

Significant progress has been made to improve healthcare, to provide job opportunities, to offer family support and benefits, and to fund advanced education for our veterans.  With the original GI Bill after World War II, America made a commitment to its veterans to pay for their college education.  As a result, millions of brave and loyal Americans have been able to share in and contribute to this country’s prosperity.  Last year, the Democratic-led Congress renewed this promise with the new, Post 9-11 GI Bill, which helps returning veterans pay for a full, four-year college education.  On May 1st, 2009, veterans started applying for these benefits and up to 2 million of them will be able to receive the college education that they have so bravely earned. 

The Democratic majority in Congress has faced head-on the challenge of providing enough funding for veterans’ healthcare.  In the last two years, Congress has provided the largest increase in history for veterans’ healthcare; more than $17 billion.  Of course, just throwing money at a problem doesn’t solve it.  That’s why Congress has also: strengthened mental-health services to help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder; significantly invested in research and treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq War; and addressed the scandalous inadequacy of some of the military health facilities across the country, such as the deplorable conditions we witnessed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

House Democrats have also led the fight for better care for service members and veterans in other areas as well.  For example, the House of Representatives passed legislation that enhanced VA efforts to reduce the number of suicides among our veterans by providing mandatory mental-health training for VA personnel, better mental-health screening of veterans, and making available a suicide prevention counselor at every VA medical facility.  Congress also included veterans in the economic recovery bill by: providing $1 billion for non-recurring maintenance to avoid serious maintenance problems at the 153 VA hospitals across the country; providing $150 million for an increase in VA claims processing staff; providing $50 million to improve the automation of the processing of veterans’ benefits; and providing $150 million for state grants for the construction of additional extended care facilities for veterans. 

These measures only begin to honor our nation’s debt to our servicemen and women by extending to them the benefits they have earned and deserve.  I will continue to vigorously support increased funding levels for our veterans’ programs to repay the debt we owe to those who so selflessly defend our country.