Jackie Walorski: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5404. This legislation will continue…”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5404. This legislation will continue to protect millions of American veterans who swore to protect and defend this great Nation, including the 54,000 in my district who depend on the VA for care and support. Earlier this summer, I served as a member of the VA Conference Committee. My fellow conferees and I were able to work together and again prove that helping vets is not political or partisan; it is American. When that legislation was signed into law, I said it was the first step toward reforming the VA. Today's legislation is yet another step in the right direction. H.R. 5404 would extend the number of important veterans' service programs to vets in rural areas, homeless vets, vets with mental illness, all in an effort to improve their quality of life. Of the 8 million veterans enrolled in the VA health care system, roughly 3 million live in rural areas. These vets live 30 or more miles from their nearest VA and must travel long distances to receive care. This legislation would give more funding to VSOs to drive their vets to doctors' appointments, increasing their access to care. This bill also funds programs to help our homeless veterans get back on their feet and reduce the number of homeless veterans. It also helps to fund job training, counseling, and placement services for those vets so they can find a good-paying job.…”