[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 21]
[House]
[Pages 29775-29776]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   DEMOCRATS HAVE PRIORITIZED THE NEEDS OF OUR VETERANS SINCE DAY ONE

  (Mr. PERLMUTTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, this weekend and next Monday we will 
honor those who have served this Nation on the front line of freedom 
and democracy.
  This Veterans Day, the Democratic-led Congress is working to honor 
our troops, military families, and veterans with quality-health care.
  Today, the House will give final approval to a veterans funding bill 
that provides the largest increase for veterans in the 77-year history 
of the VA, and I hear our friends on the other side of the aisle 
complaining that that's 8 weeks overdue. Well, they had 12 years to do 
this and they chose not to.
  Over the last decade, while the number of veterans has doubled, our 
Nation's investment in their health care needs has simply not been 
enough. Unlike the President, this new Democratic Congress vowed to 
fulfill our promise to our veterans; and, today, we will pass a final 
veterans funding bill that has been endorsed by all major veterans 
groups.
  This new Democratic Congress has also made major strides in 
addressing the military health care crisis and the inadequacies of the 
disability system

[[Page 29776]]

brought to light by the Walter Reed scandal.
  Madam Speaker, as Veterans Day approaches, our Nation's veterans and 
military families should know that the promises that have been made to 
them will be fulfilled.

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