[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 118 (Friday, July 31, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TEXAS H. CON. RES. 86

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. K. MICHAEL CONAWAY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 31, 2009

  Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, at the request of the Secretary of State 
of the State of Texas, I am officially entering House Concurrent 
Resolution 86, as passed by the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009 
of the State of Texas, into the Congressional Record.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 86

       Whereas, The men and women who have served in this nation's 
     armed forces are entitled to ready access to the best 
     possible medical care; and
       Whereas, For the more than 100,000 veterans living in the 
     Rio Grande Valley, the nearest U.S. Department of Veterans 
     Affairs hospital is in San Antonio, as much as 300 miles and 
     a five-hour trip away, and the lack of a VA hospital in the 
     Valley has long imposed great hardships on veterans in that 
     region and on their families; and
       Whereas, Veterans requesting appointments at the facility 
     in San Antonio typically wait months to be seen, even for 
     serious conditions; for those who cannot drive themselves, or 
     who cannot afford to drive, van transportation is provided by 
     veterans service groups; the lengthy trip, however, adds to 
     the patients' physical distress; no ambulances are available 
     to convey veterans to San Antonio, which makes the journey 
     especially difficult for those who are bedridden; and
       Whereas, Once veterans arrive in San Antonio, they often 
     wait hours for an appointment that may take only 15 minutes, 
     or they may find that their appointment has been canceled; 
     they may also discover that they need to stay overnight, 
     which adds to the time-consuming nature of their trip and to 
     its expense; and
       Whereas, For veterans who must go to San Antonio several 
     times a month, the time lost to travel can make it difficult 
     to hold a job; the demands of such a trip also place a great 
     burden on family members who have to take time off from 
     work, and possibly arrange for child care, to drive a 
     veteran to San Antonio, and who may need to make such 
     trips for many years; the cost of gas and meals, in 
     addition to the expense of lodging, if that is required, 
     substantially exceeds the prescribed travel allowance; and
       Whereas, The current facilities for veterans health care in 
     the Valley are manifestly inadequate; the VA presently 
     operates several outpatient clinics in the region, but these 
     do not offer the full range of services, including testing 
     and therapy, available in San Antonio; moreover, the VA has 
     failed to pay the bills of many veterans who have had to seek 
     emergency care at a local hospital; in addition, although 
     there are plans to contract with area hospitals to provide 
     some inpatient veterans care, the medical personnel in those 
     facilities are unlikely to have the necessary expertise in 
     treating the injuries and psychological trauma sustained by 
     combat veterans; and
       Whereas, In recent years, local veterans organizations have 
     formed the Veterans Alliance of the Rio Grande Valley to help 
     raise awareness of this issue; and
       Whereas, Veterans who live in the Valley, veterans from out 
     of state who make their home in the Valley during the winter 
     months, and U.S. veterans who reside in Mexico all sorely 
     need and clearly deserve a fully staffed, full-service 
     veterans hospital in far South Texas; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas 
     hereby affirm its support for the establishment of a veterans 
     hospital in the Rio Grande Valley; and, be it further
       Resolved,  That the Texas secretary of state forward 
     official copies of this resolution to the president of the 
     United States, to the secretary of the U.S. Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, to the speaker of the house of 
     representatives and the president of the senate of the United 
     States Congress, and to all the members of the Texas 
     delegation to the Congress with the request that this 
     resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record 
     as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of 
     America.

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