Mike Levin: “I thank Senator Reid. He has been a champion of this cause. He has fought harder than anybody I know to end this…”

“I thank Senator Reid. He has been a champion of this cause. He has fought harder than anybody I know to end this inequity. The House leadership simply would not go along with this. We had a choice: We would either have a bill or no bill. That is what this finally came down to. I believe Senator Reid got something like 75 cosponsors for his provision. The Senate overwhelmingly supported this provision. I hope we have better luck next year in the House. In the meantime, what we have done is we have authorized this, and perhaps our Appropriations Committee will be able to find the means to fund this. But until next year, I am afraid the number of veterans you have pointed out--perhaps 1,000 a day--will not get the benefits they deserve.”