[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16220]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TAKING CARE OF OUR VETERANS

  (Mr. CARNAHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I stand to honor our Nation's veterans and 
one special veteran. Today, we mourn the passing of Jeff Smart, a 
Vietnam veteran, constituent and friend. Not only was Jeff a tireless 
advocate for veterans rights, he was a valuable member of my Veterans 
Advisory Committee in Missouri.
  I know that Jeff would be proud to know that last week the House came 
together in a bipartisan way to pass the 2008 Military Construction and 
Veterans Affairs appropriations bill that contained a historic increase 
in the VA budget. This bill included the largest single funding 
increase in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration.
  This funding increase ensures that our veterans are given the 
support, benefits and resources they need and deserve. I applaud this 
Congress's commitment to countless veterans like Jeff Smart who will 
always inspire us in the years to come.

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