Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support S. 1963 the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009. As a veteran, I am proud to lend my support to this landmark bill. With its provisions for women, homeless and rural veterans, S. 1963 addresses many critical sectors of the veteran's community. Mr. Speaker, Colorado is home to over 427,000 veterans, 70,000 of which live in my district. These veterans and their families face many of the same issues as their urban counterparts but must also deal with unique issues of accessibility and availability of resources. This historic bill contains provisions that will be of particular importance to America's rural veterans. I am encouraged that the bill specifically looks to improve health care for veterans living in rural areas and will provide financial assistance to help transport veterans to local VA hospitals and clinics. S. 1963 will create a demonstration project to examine the feasibility and advisability of alternatives for expanding care for veterans in rural areas in addition to establishing goals for the recruitment of personnel in rural areas. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation.”