[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 33 (Monday, August 20, 2007)]
[Pages 1075-1076]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Visit to the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical 
Center

August 13, 2007

    Thanks for coming. It's an honor for me to be here with Senator Bob 
Dole and Secretary Donna Shalala, Secretary Jim Nicholson and Deputy 
Secretary Gordon England. I appreciate the opportunity to come to a 
building full of compassion, a place of expertise, where people are 
dedicating their time and efforts to help those on active duty and those 
who have served before.
    Any time there is any doubt in anybody's mind that our veterans are 
not getting excellent care, then we in Government have a duty to deal 
with those doubts. I have asked Secretary Gates and Secretary Nicholson 
to review their respective Departments and the interface of their 
Departments--the Defense Department and the Veterans Department--to make 
sure that any doubt as to whether or not a veteran or one on active duty 
gets the best care is--does so.
    I also asked Senator Dole and Secretary Shalala to lead a 
nonpartisan, independent Commission to identify areas where we can do 
better and, more importantly, come up with solutions as to how to deal 
with those problems. The Commissioners conducted a very serious and 
lengthy review of our military and veterans health care systems, and 
they submitted recommendations to me at the end of July. After Senator 
Dole and Secretary Shalala briefed me on their recommendations, I then 
directed Secretaries Gates and Nicholson to study and, more importantly, 
implement the recommendations, so we can ensure our severely wounded 
servicemembers and their families that they will receive the best 
possible care.
    We've got great health care for our wounded. We just want to make 
sure that the system is seamless and that the families are treated with 
the utmost of care during these difficult moments. Secretaries Gates and 
Nicholson and their Departments are working hard to make sure their 
Agencies talk to each other and collaborate. Equally importantly, 
they're looking at the recommendations that the Dole-Shalala Commission 
put forward, and they're implementing them. In other words, the 
Commission did really good work. The Commission's recommendations are 
solid, and therefore, to the extent that we can move without 
congressional law, we will do so. And not only will we do so; we will 
keep the commissioners abreast of the progress we are making.
    Secondly, we want to work with Congress. When they come back in 
September, we want to work with Congress to pass that which is necessary 
to make sure that the Dole-Shalala Commission's recommendations are 
fully implemented. In other words, there are some aspects of the 
Commission recommendations that require congressional approval. We 
believe it's important for Congress to listen to the Commission. We 
believe the recommendations make a lot of sense, and we would ask for 
the Congress to pass those recommendations as quickly as possible, so I 
can sign them into law.
    There's an amazing--there's a lot of amazing things taking place 
here in this facility. For example, we saw information technology, 
health care records that are being passed seamlessly from the Department 
of Defense to the VA to make sure that the care providers here have got 
up-to-date access for each patient. We saw volunteers helping the 
wounded learn to regain balance and confidence through kayaking 
programs. I saw physical therapists--I heard physical therapists talk 
about their patients with the kind of care and compassion that obviously 
requires a big heart and strong commitment.
    The commitment of this Government is this: Anybody who is sent into 
harm's way deserves the best possible care. We're dedicated to this 
goal. If we find problems, we'll solve the problems. For those who are 
providing the care, we thank you. For the soldiers who are receiving the 
care, we owe you the best. And for the families who stand by them, we 
thank you for your patience.
    God bless our troops. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:07 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
former Senator Bob Dole and former Secretary of Health and Human 
Services Donna E. Shalala, Cochairs, President's Commission on Care for 
America's Returning Wounded Warriors; and Secretary of Defense Robert M. 
Gates.

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