[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 20, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2642, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND 
               VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008

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                               speech of

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 15, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2642) making 
     appropriations for military construction, the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes:

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Chairman, we have a solemn responsibility to honor 
the promises we've made to our veterans. Boldly heeding the call to 
duty, brave men and women from across America have served with 
distinction in defense of our Nation. They have dedicated their lives 
to safeguarding the promise and potential of our country, and we have 
an obligation to repay their commitment.
  The veterans of California's 6th District understand that our 
obligation to our service men and women does not end when they return 
home. The importance of providing our veterans with the benefits they 
need and deserve does not abate just because our troops are no longer 
serving in the field. Our support for troops is a lifelong commitment.
  The substandard care, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and deplorable 
conditions exposed at Walter Reed Military Hospital underscore broken 
promises to our Nation's veterans. We cannot allow the Bush 
administration's failure to become the hallmark of our country's 
commitment to our veterans. Our veterans deserve much better.
  The Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs Appropriations bill 
for Fiscal Year 2008 is a resolute step toward fulfilling the promises 
to our veterans that the Republican-controlled Congress neglected 
during the past 12 years. This bill increases the VA's budget by $6.7 
billion above fiscal year 2007 funding levels, providing the greatest 
single increase in funding for veterans health care in the 77-year 
history of the VA and, for the first time, exceeding the budget 
requests of independent veterans service groups. Additionally, this 
legislation confronts the 400,000 claims backlog from veterans awaiting 
decisions on the status of their disability benefits by adding more 
than 1,100 new claims processors. By allocating critical funding to 
help repair veteran's health care facilities, establish eight new 
centers to care for veterans suffering from Traumatic Brain Injuries, 
and facilitate the transition from the Defense Department to the VA, 
this appropriations bill will go a long way toward fixing the problems 
that the Bush administration has allowed to fester.
  The veterans' community needs our reinvestment in their health care 
and benefits system. Our service members have proved courage and 
patriotism, and it's our turn to prove that we can keep our promise to 
them. This Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs Appropriations 
bill shows that we can provide our veterans with medical care, benefits 
and social support in a timely manner. By passing this bill, we can 
start to repay them for the bravery they have shown.




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