Daniel Akaka: “Our amendment would add $1.5 billion, real money, by closing tax loopholes. We said last year that more attention should…”

“Our amendment would add $1.5 billion, real money, by closing tax loopholes. We said last year that more attention should be given to mental health and prosthetics. The opposition prevailed. It took months and two budgets to get to the right number. We must reject the administration's new fees, and we must shore up the system for returning veterans who will need all kinds of health care. VA's estimates for returning service members who will come for care are already off by 35,000 at least. I urge support for the Akaka-Murray amendment. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Who yields time? The Senator from Idaho.”