[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10651]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               VA MUST RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO ID THEFT

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, this body and the American public should be 
outraged by the continuing reports of the theft of personal 
identification of America's finest, our veterans and our brave men and 
women who are serving in uniform today here at home and abroad.
  As a result of the Department of Veterans Affairs incompetence, the 
well-being of millions of our military families has been compromised 
today.
  Congress must act now to provide appropriate oversight. I have worked 
with my colleagues to demand accountability and full disclosure of the 
VA. I support my friend Congressman Salazar's legislation to provide 
veterans credit monitoring services. I have joined with those who 
demand that not one penny of the funding to pay for the VA's debacle be 
diverted from veterans health care or other sorely needed services.
  The House must demand more of the Veterans Administration than its 
unacceptable response of hand-wringing and wrist-slapping. We owe our 
veterans and our active military personnel nothing less than to respond 
appropriately.

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