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




                 HONORING OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR TROOPS

  (Ms. SHEA-PORTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Mr. Speaker, honoring our soldiers means honoring 
our commitment to these soldiers.
  Supporting the troops means several things: It meant, first of all, 
making sure that the mission was essential to the United States before 
putting them in harm's way. Secondly, it meant making sure, if they 
were in harm's way, they had the equipment that they needed. And, 
third, after they had borne the battle, we had an obligation, if we 
were going to support the troops, by providing medical care for them. 
This administration has failed on all three levels.
  How did this VA medical care disaster happen? This is absolutely 
shameful. In a House hearing on Monday, the top military brass said 
there was enough money in the budget to provide care. So what was the 
problem here? Was it a lack of real support for the troops?
  This administration owes these soldiers and their families an apology 
and a pledge to start really supporting the troops.

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