Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of the men and women who have served this Nation and defended our freedoms. They now face unnecessary obstacles in accessing the care and support that they have earned. New Mexico is home to a strong and proud veteran community with a deep military tradition, spanning from Holloman Air Force Base to White Sands Missile Range and from Kirtland Air Force Base to Cannon Air Force Base. We owe it to those who have served to ensure that they can access healthcare, reliable transportation, and opportunities to succeed in civilian life. That is why I am introducing a package of bills focused on real solutions: expanding healthcare access, improving transportation, and easing financial burdens for veterans pursuing an education. No one understands these challenges better than my guest for the joint address, Master Sergeant Roland L. Cooper. Roland, known to many back home as ``Coopdawg,'' has spent years fighting for veterans in New Mexico. As chairman of the Lincoln/Otero County Veterans Leadership Council, he has seen firsthand the barriers that rural veterans face: long travel times for medical care, unreliable transportation, and a system that too often overlooks them. His advocacy directly shaped my New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act, which will redraw the Veterans Integrated Service Network lines.…”