Veterans benefits, Health Care, And Information Technology Act of 2006
VETERANS BENEFITS, HEALTH CARE, AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - December 08, 2006)
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Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for her leadership on this extremely important issue and many others.
I rise in strong support of this bill. We need to support our veterans when they are in harm's way; and when they return home, we have to give them the support for their health care and for their lives that they deserve.
I am very pleased that the Veterans Administration is continuing to support the 23rd Street Veterans Hospital in Manhattan in my district, which is rated as one of the best veterans hospitals in this country, a center of excellence in six different categories.
Under this bill, that hospital and other veterans hospitals and outreach centers will have additional support for mental health. Regrettably, many of our veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, and our veterans even from the Vietnam and the Gulf wars, are suffering from post-traumatic stress. Many of them have this challenge, and this bill addresses it and puts support there for our returning men and women.
I am extremely pleased that one of the first bills that I ever introduced in this Congress, H.R. 4537, the Veterans Housing Fairness Act, is part of this bill. A home is a home whether you live in a condominium or in a traditional house or a mobile home or a townhouse. Yet, currently, VA loans cannot be used to purchase cooperative residential units.
This bill corrects this and allows veterans, whether they live vertically in co-ops or horizontally in homes or in mobile homes, it allows them to use this loan to purchase their home. A home is a home for a veteran, no matter where they are. This will help many returning veterans and veterans that currently live in New York City. And I thank my colleagues for their support, particularly Senator Schumer in the Senate and of course Chairman Buyer and Ranking Member Filner for their hard work on this. Let me tell you that it is so important, what we are doing today. This includes many important provisions, and I thank them.
As the cochair of the Parkinson's caucus, I am very pleased that the bill includes six Parkinson's Disease research education centers. Regrettably, many of our returning veterans are suffering from Parkinson's similar symptoms, and this will help us to research this, help our veterans and others suffering from Parkinson's.
It is a thoughtful bill, it is inclusive, and I am particularly pleased that it is one of the first bills that I introduced; a home is a home whether it is a co-op or a mobile home, and our veterans will be able to use their VA loans to purchase the appropriate housing for them in the areas that they live.
I thank all of my colleagues for their hard work on this. My colleague, Corrine Brown, we came to Congress together. I thank you very much. I thank as well Shelley Berkley.
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