Thomas Daschle: “the full attention of the Senate is focused today on legislation to fund our ongoing military campaign in Iraq. The…”

“the full attention of the Senate is focused today on legislation to fund our ongoing military campaign in Iraq. The newspapers this morning were focused on our latest military feats, including the apparent destruction of two important Republican Guard divisions and advances that leave us very near the outskirts of Baghdad. Senator Bob Graham, the ranking member of our Veterans' Affairs Committee, has asked us to look ahead and begin planning for the future to ensure that our veterans receive the counseling, health care, and other services we know they will need after the last battles are fought. The Graham amendment, of which I am a proud cosponsor, would provide $375 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs so the VA can provide adequate care for returning troops. I cannot stress enough how vital this amendment is. During my career, I have been involved in dealing with the aftermath of two major wars, Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. In both cases, there was enormous confusion, frustration, and pain--much of it unnecessary, in my view--because our government assumed that veterans would come back and pick up their lives where they left off before the war. It didn't work that way, and it probably never will. I learned this the hard way, from talking to hundreds of veterans about post-traumatic stress disorder, Agent Orange, readjustment counseling, and Gulf War illnesses.”