Bart Stupak: “I rise tonight in support of rural veterans and in support of H.R. 2379, the Rural Veterans Access to Care Act of 2003.…”

“I rise tonight in support of rural veterans and in support of H.R. 2379, the Rural Veterans Access to Care Act of 2003. No veteran should ever have reason to doubt America's gratitude for his or her service to the Nation and to the cause of freedom. America's veterans deserve nothing less than our highest gratitude, our deepest respect, and our strongest support. Veterans from rural areas, like my district, deserve nothing less than their comrades living in more populated areas. Michigan's First Congressional District has the highest population in any congressional district in Michigan. There are 65,000 veterans in my district, one-fifth of all the veterans in the State of Michigan. They live over a huge area. The Upper Peninsula alone spans 450 miles from east to west. While the VA provides wonderful care in northern Michigan, it is far too hard for veterans to access health care. Recently, a Vietnam veteran from the Upper Peninsula had to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the treatment that he needed.”