Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2016 -- Continued

Floor Speech

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, this amendment builds on the reserve
fund in section 307 to provide for better medical research into the
issues affecting women in our military, most particularly women who
become veterans, which is a neglected aspect of health care in our
Veterans Affairs health care system.

It focuses on military sexual trauma, which is continuing to be a
scourge in the military, and its effects. But it also deals more
generally with the need for research into post-traumatic stress and
traumatic brain injury, which is unfortunately lagging in our Veterans
Affairs system, as determined as our VA is to do more of it.

It would also build on existing programs for job training and
vocational rehabilitation so our veterans entering the job market and
seeking to become productive in well-paying jobs will be able to
fulfill that ambition. It essentially fills in some of the gaps left by
the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act which this body
passed not long ago, to meet the emergency as well as the sustained
needs of our veterans that are unfulfilled by our present VA.

It is our obligation to do better for our Nation's heroes, keep faith
with them and leave no veteran behind when it comes to jobs and health
care.

I yield the floor.

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