The Treatment of Our Veterans

THE TREATMENT OF OUR VETERANS

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, the failures of this administration are once again on display today. From the failure to plan for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to plan for the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and now we face the unconscionable failure to plan for the care of our veterans at Walter Reed and other facilities across the country.

This administration's inability to plan, their total disregard of expert advice, and the President's stubborn refusal to even acknowledge the consequences of marching our country off to war all have led to our servicemembers living in substandard conditions after coming back and fighting for this country.

Some of my colleagues deflect this criticism by saying yes, that's true, but what is your plan? Our plan is to actually plan ahead. Most members of the military like myself and the VSOs that support them anticipated the need for added resources to support our veterans at a time of war. But the President continued year after year after year to cut funding resources to the VA. The cost of war must include the cost of caring for our warriors.

Now another avoidable crisis is upon us and I say and the country says, Enough is enough. The era of putting politics before the needs of our citizens comes to an end. The American public will not stand for one more day of this incompetence. Now is the time to act. This Congress must exhibit the leadership that will restore the American people's confidence in their government and provide the services to our wounded veterans.

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