Thomas Daschle: “the Senate has just spoken on one of the most important national security issues facing this Nation today--the quality…”

“the Senate has just spoken on one of the most important national security issues facing this Nation today--the quality of health care services we provide for those who have so selflessly served this Nation. As pointed out during this debate, we promised millions of Americans lifetime, quality healthcare as partial compensation for their service to this country. Sadly, for far too many of America's veterans, this promise remains unfulfilled. The amendments just voted on by the Senate represent efforts by their supporters to keep that commitment. These measures adopted a fundamentally different approach toward solving this problem. And although I had some reservations about each, I supported both. I would like to briefly discuss my reasons for doing so. However, before getting into the specifics of these very different amendments, I would like to commend the efforts of Senators Johnson and Warner. As a result of their hard work, we are much closer than ever before to keeping our health care commitment to this Nation's veterans.”