I do not want something done quick and easy. All right? I want this to be done correctly.

It has been said throughout history that one way to judge and study a society is examine the way in which they honor those that have died in defense of that society.

I believe that sports therapy is among the most valuable rehabilitative tools that we can provide our wounded warriors.

As some of my colleagues in the Committee have highlighted in the past, it is important to understand the history of this new program so that we may avoid the same pitfalls that have been encountered by similar programs.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. General Douglas MacArthur, while he was Superintendent of West Point, stated: 'Upon the of friendly strife are sewn the seeds, that upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory.'

This increase is long overdue, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

While actual numbers are difficult to assess, it is estimated that each night, more than a hundred thousand of our Nation's veterans find themselves sleeping in doorways, beneath viaducts, in their cars, tents, or wherever they can find…

The issue of homelessness is sad from any perspective, but it is especially troubling when formerly proud members of the armed forces and defenders of liberty are living on the streets of the country they helped defend.

I came to the institution of Congress as a very young man--not as young as you were, John, perhaps--I was 32 years old. I was a fresh, young captain right out of the first gulf war, and I came to the institution of Congress because I…

So it is about quality and it is about how we take care of people.

The President pledged to sign an executive order to rescind VA's 2003 decision to suspend enrollment of Priority group 8 veterans.

Caring for our veterans should not be a partisan issue--we must all work together to ensure the resources are available for the VA to carry out its mission.

I know from my tenure on the Armed Services Committee that you are a man of principle and you are a man that reflects the Army's values.

It is my hope that you will help create a Department of transparency and trust that will make all veterans view the VA as a 'Veteran's Advocate.'

He is now proposing in the stimulus plan to say well, gee, let's go to the Federal Government. We don't want to change our program. Let's go to the Federal Government and ask for 200 billion-plus to bail out those judgments of the past. So…

I wanted the gentlelady to know when you brought up the issue about, Well, here's what occurred when you were in charge, we had great deference to the Speaker and the access to the floor.

the bill before us creates these epileptic centers to be associated with the five polytrauma centers. In order for veterans to gain access to them, they have to be able to travel to get there. The increased price of energy is very…

The gentlelady knows quite well, having been here a very long time, that the best way to utilize the floor time, which is extremely important on the important issues facing the country, is that we could have taken these eight veterans…

I voted for your Amtrak bill and I support the increase in our transportation, and I appreciate the deference of the chairman for not objecting to your words being outside of the nexus of the bill. I think they were inclusive of the nexus…

And we recognize you, Michael Bilirakis, because your presence here was significant. You heard a very personal admission on behalf of the chairman. And I think all of us on the committee could say the very same thing that the chairman had…

I rise in support of H.R. 4264, a bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs Spinal Cord Injury Center in Tampa, Florida, as the ``Michael Bilirakis Department of Veterans Affairs Spinal Cord Injury Center.'' Mr. Michael Bilirakis…

I rise in support of H.R. 2245, a bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Wenatchee, Washington, as the Elwood ``Bud'' Link Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic. I commend my colleague from…

I rise in support of H.R. 2818, as amended, the Veterans Epilepsy Treatment Act of 2008. It's a bill to amend title 38 of the United States Code to provide for the establishment of Epilepsy Centers of Excellence in the Veterans Health…

My point is that because this Congress has now chosen not to work on these very important issues facing the country, whether it's decreasing the energy prices, on immigration, solvency of Social Security, Medicare, all of these list of…

The increasing cost of energy is affecting every sector of American life, including the services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which we are not immune to the effects of high fuel prices. Yet, our colleagues, it appears…