Political Quotes

“this amendment will help ensure that America's veterans get the health care and services they deserve as close to home as possible. My amendment does two things: It expresses the sense of the Senate that it should be the goal of the VA to serve all veterans at health care facilities within 250 miles of their homes, and minimize travel distances if specialized services are not available at a health care facility operated by the VA within 250 miles of a veteran's home. Second, it mandates that the VA submit a report to Congress on the estimated cost to and impact on the health care system administered by the VA of making specialty care available to all veterans within 250 miles of their homes. Mr. President, I represent a rural state, Maine, which is served by one Department of Veterans Affairs facility, the Togus VA Medical Center outside the state's capital, Augusta. Many of Maine's veterans already must travel hundreds of miles just to reach Togus--and often, if specialized services are required, they must travel even further to facilities in Boston. This means long drives, frequently in terrible weather, and separation from the vital support that family and friends can provide. This is not a problem limited to Maine--far from it. It is a problem that exists anywhere where there are vast distances between cities--out west, in the heartland, and down south.”