Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the health and future of Pennsylvania's veterans has been a longstanding concern of mine. The first veteran I knew was my father, Harry Specter, a veteran of WWI. My father received terrific care from the VA following his service to our Nation. I want to make sure today's veterans, whatever their age, receive the benefits and services we owe them. I have had the privilege of serving for 6 of my nearly 30 years in the Senate as chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Under my chairmanship from 1998 to 2002, funding for the VA increased by 28 percent, and from 2004 to 2006, funding increased a further 16 percent. Such funding increases have allowed the VA to expand to meet increasing challenges. I want to note at this time that I recently cosponsored legislation to restore collective bargaining rights to VA medical personnel, as their well being is vital to ensuring that veterans get the best possible care. The ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, coupled with the recession, have put tremendous stress on the VA, and necessitate further improvements. Today I will outline proposals for making improvements in five related areas: reducing the claims backlog; increasing veterans' employment opportunities; combating homelessness among veterans; widening education opportunities through the Post-9/11 GI Bill; and expanding veterans courts.…”