[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5607]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                THE DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS AT WALTER REED

  (Mr. HALL of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HALL of New York. Mr. Speaker, the situation at Walter Reed 
Medical Center is an embarrassment to our country. The deplorable 
conditions for outpatient care at Walter Reed are not fit for men and 
women who have sacrificed to serve our country. The delayed and 
mishandled care of these individuals has harmed their recovery and 
placed significant strain on their families.
  This is not the way our combat veterans deserve to be treated. These 
conditions demonstrate a catastrophic failure of planning on the part 
of the administration.
  Although the Army has stated its intention to remedy the situation 
quickly, we must act for those who are currently held at Walter Reed, 
for it is clear that the Army is not currently equipped to do so. It is 
unacceptable for those who served us abroad to languish in a no man's 
land at home.
  Mr. Speaker, in the coming days I will introduce a bill to allow 
Walter Reed outpatients the option of moving to a VA facility closer to 
their homes and families while still getting their military pay and 
benefits. We must show that our country supports our troops not only in 
word but also in action.

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