[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 29777]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                         FUNDS FOR OUR VETERANS

  (Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission 
to address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, 4 years ago I 
served in Baghdad, Iraq, with the 82nd Airborne Division, and I am 
proud of my service.
  In 2006, the election was about change: change in Iraq, change here 
at home, change how we treat our veterans. Well, these are the problems 
that we addressed in this Congress:
  One, the Walter Reed tragedy. Our answer? We passed the Wounded 
Warrior Act.
  Two, underfunding of veterans in past Congresses. Our answer? We 
passed the largest increase in Veterans Administration history.
  Three, the two signature injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan are PTSD, 
posttraumatic stress disorder and TBI, traumatic brain injury. Our 
solution in Congress, $600 million more than the President asked for to 
address these two injuries.
  Later today, this House will take up our bill with Congressman Walter 
Jones to give our troops a 3.5 percent pay increase. Don't listen to 
the rhetoric. The President says that increase is unnecessary. I think 
it is exactly what this Congress should be addressing.

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