Political Quotes

“I would first like to take a moment and praise Chairman Obey and Chairman Edwards for their continued commitment to caring for American veterans. Three-and-a-half years ago, their committee made a commitment and renewed the promise to care for those who have served in our armed services. They have kept that promise and have dramatically increased funding for our veterans by 70 percent since 2007. As the only Member of Congress from Illinois who sits on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I really can speak to the critical need that these funds have addressed for Illinois veterans. My amendment is simple. It adds $10 million to the VA Major Construction Project and subtracts $10 million from the general operating expenses. Much of the VA medical infrastructure is aging, outdated and, in many cases, obsolete. According to the 2011 Independent Budget, a great number of current medical facilities were built after World War II and were constructed with structurally obsolete designs which typically do not meet the needs of modern health care delivery. The result of these outdated buildings has left the VA with a long list of major construction projects, which are just sitting there, waiting for congressional funding.”