Political Quotes

“Madam President I rise today to introduce the Veterans Road to Health Care Act 2001. This legislation would raise the travel reimbursement rate for veterans who must travel to Veterans Administration hospitals for treatment. The current reimbursement for veterans is 11 cents per mile. This bill would raise that figure to match the Federal employees travel reimbursement rate which is 34.5 cents per mile. The average price for gas in Wyoming right now is $1.63 per gallon. I know it varies across the Nation. The current rate of 11 cents per miles barely makes a dent in the expenses incurred by veterans who have no choice but travel by automobile for health care. I have received numerous letters from veterans in Wyoming describing how difficult it is to work into their budget the money necessary to travel between their hometown and the VA hospital. Being able to access health care is vital, it should not be a choice between driving to receive needed treatment or being able to afford other necessities.”