Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee again for the work, and I raise again a picture of three…”

“I thank the chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee again for the work, and I raise again a picture of three ladies who look attractive in this picture. Mr. Chairman, and colleagues, these are homeless vets. These are vets who bonded with each other in a homeless shelter. The good news is that we have made progress on providing services for homeless vets. But I want to emphasize, through this amendment, that we will continue to raise and focus on the needs of homeless vets. I offer the Jackson Lee amendment because I believe reducing and eliminating homelessness among veterans, those who risked their lives to protect our freedom, should also be one of the Nation's highest priorities. I would like this bill to have it as its highest priority. {time} 1845 Homelessness among the American veteran population is on the rise in the United States. We must be proactive in giving back to those who have given us so much. Even though the administration has done an enormous job, has made great strides in bringing down the numbers of homeless vets, for those that they bring down, then, for some reason--whether it is the loss of a job or medical issues--vets are becoming homeless every day. My amendment will help remind us of our obligation to provide our veterans the assistance needed to avoid homelessness, which includes adequately funding the program for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing and, as well, to be able to ensure those centers are there for our veterans.…”