Roland Gutierrez: “Today, Mr. Speaker, we reauthorize a number of vital programs that provide treatment and rehabilitation services for…”

“Today, Mr. Speaker, we reauthorize a number of vital programs that provide treatment and rehabilitation services for homeless and mentally ill veterans. I am sure many of you are aware of the numbers of homeless veterans in our Nation. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans [NCHV] estimates that nearly 40 percent of homeless men are veterans. The percentage of homeless women who are veterans has also increased during the past decade. Thousands of these men and women who served our Nation and risked their lives for our defense have not been offered the respect and care they earned and deserve. By reauthorizing the provision of vital health and rehabilitative care to this vulnerable but deserving population we pay off a small portion of the debt we owe these courageous Americans. The bill before us today would consolidate, clarify, and I believe improve the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] programs for homeless and mentally ill veterans by enabling the VA to deal more effectively and directly with many of the ailments afflicting these brave individuals.”