Political Quotes

“Senator Levin, along with Senator McCain, have forged a comprehensive, bipartisan legislative package to ensure that wounded and injured members of the Armed Forces receive the finest care and benefits, which they richly deserve. I thank Senators on both sides who participated in this legislation, on the basis of their own legislative initiatives and their amendments--10 of which were agreed to when the bill was considered by the full Senate on July 12, 2007. I want to underscore that this bill is--in no way--a reflection of concern about the quality of acute medical care that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines receive when they sustain wounds or illness in the field of battle. Our men and women in uniform receive the best treatment anywhere in the world, and that fact has been sustained by every outside panel studying the problems arising from the disclosures at Walter Reed last February. In fact, just today, the President's Commission on Care for America's Wounded Warriors, the Dole-Shalala Commission, found that the survival rate of those seriously injured has markedly increased compared to the rate in Vietnam and previous wars. The report of a commission appointed by Secretary Gates, and led by two distinguished former Secretaries of the Army, Togo West and John Marsh confirms this by stating: Through advances in battlefield medicine, evacuation care, the Department has achieved the lowest mortality rates of wounded in history.…”