Bob Filner: “Mr. Speaker, when I became chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 3 years ago, the VA was strained to the…”

“Mr. Speaker, when I became chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 3 years ago, the VA was strained to the breaking point by years of chronic underfunding. We were a country at war; yet, the Department of Veterans Affairs remained unprepared to care for the hundreds of thousands of new veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. It is simply our duty as a Nation, no matter where we stand on the war, to put our men and women in harm's way under the care of our Nation when they return. Under the Democratic leadership, Congress has provided almost a 60 percent increase for VA medical care funding over the last 3 years, adding over $20 billion to the VA budget baseline. S. 1963 demonstrates America's commitment to the dedicated servicemembers who have served in uniform and puts front and center the health care needs of veterans and their families. It is our pledge to them that we have not forgotten the sacrifices they have made in defense of this country. So in this bill, we help caregivers of injured veterans, women veterans, rural veterans, homeless veterans, and veterans with mental health issues. S. 1963 provides immediate support to the mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives caring for warriors from the current conflicts as well as from previous conflicts.”