John Joseph Moakley: “Mr. Speaker, this veterans health care bill is bipartisan, and it deserves all of our complete support. Many parts of…”

“Mr. Speaker, this veterans health care bill is bipartisan, and it deserves all of our complete support. Many parts of our country have far fewer veterans hospitals than they actually need; and veterans who live in those areas, particularly older veterans, have a very difficult time obtaining any kind of health care. This bill, bottom line, will enable veterans who live more than 2 hours away from a veterans facility to see a non-VA doctor and have the costs absorbed by the Veterans' Administration. This will make it much easier for the elderly veterans to get their health care, and it will help make sure that our country keeps its promise to provide health care to our fighting men and women. Mr. Speaker, this also will help fix some of the problems with pay for nurses, dentists, and pharmacists; and it will stem what could be a disastrous departure from the government work for these health care professionals. Mr. Speaker, the bill would also help build new veterans hospitals in California, Virginia, Florida, and Tennessee, because we find as the veterans get older, they go to warmer climates; and, therefore, there is an inordinate amount of veterans settling in some of our southern States.”