Bob Filner: “Mr. Speaker, this bill before us is an important piece of legislation, establishing a bill of rights on the one hand for…”

“Mr. Speaker, this bill before us is an important piece of legislation, establishing a bill of rights on the one hand for women veterans, and on the other hand for injured and amputee veterans. This has been the subject of over a year of discussion in our committee and around the country with various groups and stakeholders to try and refine the legislation to one that everyone can support. Let me just speak on the first half, and that is women veterans. There are almost 2 million women veterans now, Mr. Speaker, and they are one of the fastest growing subgroups of veterans in our Nation. It is estimated that the number of female veterans who use the VA health care system will double, assuming that the current enrollment rates remain constant. The VA health care system, as we know it, was built to accommodate the war-related illnesses and injuries of male veterans. It's a male institution as it was created. In fact, many of the VA providers, many of the VA customers are veterans, have little or no exposure to women veterans. As women are serving in combat conditions alongside their male counterparts, it is important that the Department embrace and recognize the needs of all veterans, both men and women alike.”