Political Quotes

“Recently, I met with two veterans and their families who traveled to Buffalo for medical treatment. Initially, I thought they were receiving care at our highly-regarded VA hospital, but in fact, they were brought to Buffalo by Operation Backbone, an organization that works with private doctors to provide specialty care that is not available within the VA system. The families expressed frustration that they could not obtain through the VA the highly specialized and efficient care they were receiving in Buffalo. It was not until Operation Backbone arranged their treatments and the Buffalo Sabres hockey team facilitated recovery that these men received the care they needed. I commend Operation Backbone and the Buffalo Sabres for their commitment to our veterans, but their work is necessary only because Congress is failing in its responsibility to these men and women. When we ask our servicemembers to put their bodies on the line, we incur a moral obligation to get them the best possible care when injury occurs. Last year, Congress provided funding for the VA to hire more physician specialists. It was a good first step, but making sure the VA has the resources to care for our veterans is a sacred responsibility that will require our attention this year and for many years to come. ____________________”