Doris Matsui: “the rule before us will allow the House to consider the fiscal year 2007 Military Quality of Life and Veterans…”

“the rule before us will allow the House to consider the fiscal year 2007 Military Quality of Life and Veterans Administration Appropriations bill. All Members know that the support in this bill for military housing, for veterans' health care, and for retiree benefits is part of the promise we made to the men and women when they joined our Armed Forces. As we consider this bill, there should be little disagreement over the tremendous demands being placed on the Veterans Administration and on the military construction accounts. In 1995, the VA treated 2.6 million veterans and their families. By the end of this year, that number will have more than doubled to an estimated 5.4 million people. This places additional stress on the many hospitals and the VA network. These World War II-era buildings are badly in need of upgrades at the cost of billions over the next 5 to 10 years. It was for this reason, increased strain in time of war, that the Democrats have consistently criticized the administration's less-than- adequate funding for veterans and veterans' health care. Last year, the administration admitted to accounting errors which underestimated the demand for veterans' services by $3 billion in fiscal years 2005 and 2006. It turned out that the administration had failed to account for the new veterans, those returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.…”