[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H2443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       WALTER REED AND NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS

  (Mr. RODRIGUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, since The Washington Post broke the story 
on Building 18 at Walter Reed, we have heard similar stories of 
unacceptably bad conditions at other facilities around the country. 
While The Post should be commended for bringing the information to this 
Nation, it should never have gotten to this point. Last week, we also 
learned that some Republican colleagues knew of these conditions and 
basically did nothing. This response of doing nothing is not 
acceptable.
  Rather than inquiring about such bad conditions and deciding to do 
something, they choose to brush it off and basically bring it under the 
table. And rather than finding out who was responsible for the housing 
of our troops that had mold, that had mice and cockroaches, the 
administration chose to look the other way.
  Doing nothing is not acceptable. Last week, the House Veterans' 
Affairs Committee, which I sit on, held hearings, and will continue to 
hold hearings, on the treatment of our wounded soldiers throughout this 
country. We want to see the widespread problems that exist corrected, 
and we recognize the seriousness. It is time for us to do the right 
thing for our soldiers.




                          ____________________