Robin Carnahan: “I stand to honor our Nation's veterans and one special veteran. Today, we mourn the passing of Jeff Smart, a Vietnam…”

“I stand to honor our Nation's veterans and one special veteran. Today, we mourn the passing of Jeff Smart, a Vietnam veteran, constituent and friend. Not only was Jeff a tireless advocate for veterans rights, he was a valuable member of my Veterans Advisory Committee in Missouri. I know that Jeff would be proud to know that last week the House came together in a bipartisan way to pass the 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill that contained a historic increase in the VA budget. This bill included the largest single funding increase in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration. This funding increase ensures that our veterans are given the support, benefits and resources they need and deserve. I applaud this Congress's commitment to countless veterans like Jeff Smart who will always inspire us in the years to come.”