Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise to offer my amendment to H.R. 3055. This amendment would increase by about $5 million the medical facilities account. I did want to talk about a specific problem. I think that most rural States and communities understand that when it comes to trying to take care of our veterans, specifically, those who are struggling with mental health issues, and perhaps substance use disorder issues as well, it is an issue of care closer to home and access to care. When we have a veteran in a State like Maine who is in need of acute mental healthcare services and needs long-term inpatient mental healthcare, it has become known in the veterans community in Maine that that care is only available to veterans, at closest, in Bedford, Massachusetts, or perhaps as far away as New York or even further in order to get access to those beds. It is the same when they are in need of long-term substance use treatment programs. I have seen time and time again, working with veterans who are in need of those services, that this is a significant problem. It is a barrier to care. It keeps people from coming in the door at the VA to ask for help. It is not just an issue in rural areas among veterans. The problem is mirrored in the greater community. This is not an instance where veterans can go to the community to get long-term inpatient care because, to begin with, the beds aren't there in rural America.…”