Jerry Moran: “the homeless assistance bill before the House today is a bipartisan product. The Committee has combined the best…”

“the homeless assistance bill before the House today is a bipartisan product. The Committee has combined the best elements of the Chairman's bill, H.R. 2716, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2001, with those of Mr. Evans' bill, H.R. 936, and I believe our efforts will make a major impact in stemming homelessness in the veteran population. This legislation incorporates accountability, innovation, prevention, and funding programs that work to reduce homelessness. I believe these are the right tools, and this is the right moment, for us to make a concerted effort to help our homeless veterans. I want to thank Mr. Filner and Mr. Evans for their excellent work to bring this consensus bill to the House floor today. I congratulate the Chairman of our full Committee, Ranking Member Evans and other Members who have worked on this bill for their substantial contribution to an effort to finally solve this vexing problem. The latest count of homeless veterans totals over 225,000. Those of us who are comfortable in our lives have no idea how horrible these veterans lives are. Access to VA benefits, specialized services and effective outreach are vital components to any hope these individuals have in changing their lives. This bill can help our country's veterans return to a state of self-sufficiency, accountable for their own actions, with life skills to cope. Our goal is to eliminate chronic homelessness among veterans within ten years.”