[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 56 (Friday, March 30, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 WOUNDED WARRIOR ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. HEATHER WILSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2007

  Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong 
support of the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, H.R. 1538.
  This legislation will enhance the way the Department of Defense 
provides medical care for wounded warriors. Furthermore, the 
legislation will improve the transition of soldiers from the Department 
of Defense health care system to the Department of Veterans Affairs. An 
evaluation of care that our wounded men and women are receiving is 
requested in the legislation. I strongly support these provisions.
  The Wounded Warriors Assistance Act will help address and eliminate 
the red tape that veterans and soldiers get tangled in.
  My home district in Albuquerque is home to one of the premier VA 
hospitals in the country. They provide excellent care and support to 
our veterans. This legislation will improve the transition that New 
Mexico Service Members may face when leaving the Department of Defense 
medical system and returning to New Mexico to receive care at 
Albuquerque VA hospital. Specifically, the improvements will include a 
written transition plan specifying the schedule of milestones for 
transition of the member from the military service before the date of 
separation or retirement and set up a formal process for transmittal of 
records and other information to the Department of Veterans Affairs on 
or before the date of separation or retirement during a formal meeting. 
Furthermore, the legislation would require the Department of Defense 
and the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a single medical 
information system, which will be a significant improvement for our 
service members.
  I look forward to the findings of the many reports requested in the 
legislation. It will allow us as a body to evaluate these findings and 
implement improvements and initiatives that will continue to support 
our brave men and women. I am grateful to all who serve their nation 
and we as a Congress have a responsibility to ensure they receive the 
best possible care. In this war on terrorism, the greatest burdens have 
fallen on the shoulders of a relatively small number of Americans who 
have volunteered to take great risks on our behalf. Events over the 
last few years have made a new generation of Americans realize just how 
precious our freedoms really are. We owe our freedom fighters--past, 
present, and future--a debt of gratitude for their selflessness and 
sacrifice. I will continue to fight to ensure that our veterans get the 
benefits they were promised, the health care they deserve, and the 
recognition that our nation owes them.

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