Baron P. Hill

The time to act is NOW.

Congress should consider a proposal to provide an extension of unemployment benefits that would last an additional 13 weeks for those who have exhausted their regular six month benefits while looking for a new job.

And I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3621 so William Clark will receive the rank he was promised and so richly deserves.

I encourage all Americans wishing to retrace the steps of the explorers to visit the Falls of the Ohio.

This issue is of more than passing interest to the people of southern Indiana.

Granting William Clark the grade of captain is well-deserved and long overdue.

In the future, I hope we will listen to the veterans and work together to better address our veterans' most pressing needs.

I voted for this bill, but I know we can do better.

I voted against the House version on this VA/HUD Appropriations bill because defeating it would have given House members another opportunity to find the money needed to properly fund veterans' health care.

I agree with many of my colleagues who believe the original Clinton Administration request for VA health care funding was way too low.

The VA needed a $3 billion boost in health care funding to provide adequate care.

I am still very concerned about how this year's budget will affect veterans.

I grudgingly voted for the Conference Report for Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations, H.R. 2684, but I still think Congress could have done better by our veterans.