Sheila Jackson Lee: “Reclaiming my time, let me thank Mr. Dent and Mr. Bishop for their leadership, and certainly the appropriators, the full…”

“Reclaiming my time, let me thank Mr. Dent and Mr. Bishop for their leadership, and certainly the appropriators, the full committee chairman and ranking member, on the tasks that they have before them. We are not going to end homelessness for veterans if we do not invest in programs that will help them. My amendment is to ensure that we are reminded that these veterans can be rehabilitated and can be provided a new pathway in life. It is simply a continuing way to say thank you. Whenever I speak before veterans, whenever I speak before the United States military, I remind them--though they do not need to be reminded--that they unselfishly put on the uniform without question. They put on the uniform without question, and they followed orders. They followed the orders of the Commander in Chief. So now I hope that we, as Members of Congress, will follow orders and increase investment in the HUD-VASH program allocated to communities with the highest numbers of homeless veterans, support all council agencies to promote and give incentives to local coordination or plans and have our local communities own these plans so that they will bring down the cost of homelessness or the size of homelessness to prevent or to provide, if you will, for the homeownership that is so very important that our veterans desire. {time} 1015 But the most important point is, why don't we stand and salute and stand at attention and say to our veterans: we hear you.…”