[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 129 (Monday, September 14, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE 111TH CONGRESS ON BEHALF OF VETERANS

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                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 14, 2009

  Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity to 
acknowledge the significant bipartisan accomplishments made by the 
111th Congress for our veterans and their families. Our Armed Forces 
sacrifice a tremendous amount for this country. In light of such 
commitment and dedication to our nation, the House has worked 
feverishly to provide the resources and support America's warriors need 
before, during, and after their service.
  In this Congress, one of the House Armed Services Committee's finest 
achievements was unanimously passing H.R. 2647, the 2010 National 
Defense Authorization Act. Designed to restore our military's readiness 
and improve the quality of life of our service members and their 
families, the bill would provide a 3.4 percent pay raise for service 
members, strengthen efforts to expand mental health care for troops, 
and improve military housing. On June 25, 2009, H.R. 2647 passed the 
full House by an overwhelming margin.
  Additionally, the House has worked to ensure the health of our 
veterans and their families. Among other initiatives, we have approved 
legislation to expand and improve VA health care services for the 1.8 
million women who have bravely served our country, voted to increase 
veterans' disability payments to reflect cost-of-living increases, and 
approved a bill I introduced that would expand military retirement and 
VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees with less than 20 
years of service. In June, the House approved the Veterans Health Care 
Budget Reform and Transparency Act, authorizing Congress to approve 
veterans' medical care funding one year in advance to better anticipate 
and meet the demand for veterans' health care services. And, in 
February, the House approved my resolution designating 2009 as the 
``Year of the Military Family'' to recognize the sacrifices and 
contributions of over two million military families.
  The dedication of our men and women in uniform makes our nation 
strong and keeps us free; we cannot forget the debt we owe to those who 
serve so nobly. While there certainly remains work to be done, I am 
proud of the achievements this Congress has made on behalf of our 
nation's warriors and their families.

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