Early Access to Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Benefits Act

Floor Speech

EARLY ACCESS TO VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ACT -- (House of Representatives - May 23, 2007)

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2239, to expand eligibility for vocational rehabilitation benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. I would like to take some of my time to express my deepest appreciation for our Nation's veterans. It is with this that I strongly ask you to expand eligibility for vocational rehabilitation benefits for all of our veterans. Every day, we find more and more of our veterans returning home with severe physical and mental disabilities. This legislation is a step in the right direction and will act as a cornerstone necessity for providing the medical care, services and treatment that all of our country's finest deserve.

This Congress to must ensure that our injured soldiers, sailors, airmen and any other veterans who have returned home with a disability not only receive the basics in terms of medical attention, but also receive proper rehabilitation so that suitable employment in the future can become a viable option. The act of a person once again living independently is the highest goal that this legislation can achieve. Services that provide counseling, education, financial aid, and job assistance are the best tools for our veterans to use in order to get back on their feet and live a life of independence and dignity. Let us not revisit the fatal mistakes made after Vietnam. To quote my good friend and colleague, DICK DURBIN, ``We owe our disabled veterans more than speeches, parades and monuments.'' Let's do our best to convey our appreciation for their sacrifices.

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