[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 9 (Monday, March 5, 2007)]
[Pages 243-244]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

March 2, 2007

    Good morning. One of my most solemn experiences as President is 
visiting men and women recovering from wounds they suffered in defense 
of our country. Spending time with these wounded warriors is also 
inspiring, because so many of them bring the same courage they showed on 
the battlefield to their battle for recovery.
    These service men and women deserve the thanks of our country, and 
they deserve the best care our Nation can provide. That is why I was 
deeply troubled by recent reports of substandard conditions at Walter 
Reed Army Medical Center. Most of the people working at Walter Reed are 
dedicated professionals. These fine doctors, nurses, and therapists care 
deeply about our wounded troops, and they work day and night to help 
them. Yet some of our troops at Walter Reed have experienced 
bureaucratic delays and living conditions that are less than they 
deserve. This is unacceptable to me; it is unacceptable to our country; 
and it's not going to continue.
    On hearing the reports about Walter Reed, I asked Secretary of 
Defense Bob Gates to assess the situation firsthand and report back to 
me. He confirmed that there are real problems at Walter Reed, and he's 
taken action to hold people accountable, including relieving the general 
in charge of the facility. Secretary Gates has also formed an 
independent review group that will investigate how this

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situation was allowed to happen, how it can be fixed, and how we can 
prevent it from happening again. Walter Reed has a long tradition of 
outstanding medical service, and my administration will ensure that the 
soldiers recovering there are treated with the dignity and respect they 
have earned.
    As we work to improve conditions at Walter Reed, we're also taking 
steps to find out whether similar problems have occurred at other 
military and veterans hospitals. So I'm announcing that my 
administration is creating a bipartisan Presidential commission to 
conduct a comprehensive review of the care America is providing our 
wounded service men and women. This review will examine their treatment 
from the time they leave the battlefield through their return to 
civilian life as veterans, so we can ensure that we are meeting their 
physical and mental health needs. In the coming days, I will announce 
the members of this commission and set a firm deadline for them to 
report back to me with their recommendations.
    We will use the commission's recommendations as part of our ongoing 
effort to improve our service to our Nation's veterans. Since 2001, 
we've helped over one million more veterans take advantage of the VA 
health care system, and with my 2008 budget proposal, we will have 
increased the VA's health care budget by 83 percent over the past 6 
years, from about $20 billion to more than $36 billion. Overall, I'm 
asking Congress for more than $86 billion for veterans' services this 
year. If Congress approves my request, this would amount to a 77-percent 
increase since I took office and the highest level of support for 
veterans in American history.
    The men and women recovering at Walter Reed and our other military 
hospitals are remarkable individuals. Many have suffered wounds that 
even time will never fully heal. Yet they're facing the future with 
optimism and a determination to move forward with their lives.
    One of these brave warriors is Army Specialist Eduardo Leal-
Cardenas. He was injured when an improvised explosive device blew up his 
vehicle in Iraq. The blast shattered bones in both legs, broke his ribs, 
and broke his back and neck. Some questioned whether he would ever 
regain the ability to walk. There was no doubt in Eduardo's mind, and he 
began his rehab while still bedridden. Today, he's left Walter Reed, 
he's walking again, and he has something else he is proud of--during his 
recovery, Eduardo became a U.S. citizen. I was proud to be with him at 
Walter Reed when he took his citizenship oath. If you ask Eduardo what 
American citizenship means to him, he answers with just one word: 
``Freedom.''
    Our Nation is blessed to have so many fine Americans who are willing 
to serve. We're blessed to have so many compassionate volunteers who 
give their time to care for our injured soldiers, sailors, airmen, and 
marines. We're blessed to have so many fine medical professionals who 
dedicate their lives to healing our troops. This country has a moral 
obligation to provide our service men and women with the best possible 
care and treatment. They deserve it, and they will get it.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 9:25 a.m. on March 2 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on March 3. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
March 2.