These conditions are not only unacceptable, but also indicative of the Bush Administration’s failure to plan for the Iraq war and its aftermath.  We owe our wounded servicemembers, who bravely served our country, so much more than what they have received.  Many promises are made to our servicemen and women before they deploy, and when these promises are not met, we have failed this distinguished group.  Not only does this affect current servicemembers, but it affects those that may look at a future career in the service.  What message are we sending them?

Madam Speaker, these past few years we have found ourselves in a fiscal bind. 

Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent on the war, and we are now faced with difficult budget decisions so that future generations do not have the burden of a deficit.  But we should all agree that what cannot be sacrificed is the well-being of our wounded servicemembers.  As Members of Congress, it is our duty to do everything in our power to make sure that these vulnerable men and women do not slip through the cracks without proper counseling, adequate care or a safe place to live. 

I am committed to ensuring that our men and women in uniform receive unfettered access to competent and coordinated care in safe, clean facilities. It is clear that administrative policies need to be revised, not only at Walter Reed, but across the system at locations both here and abroad.  That is why I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R.1268, the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007, which was introduced by my colleague from Arizona, Congressman Harry Mitchell.  This bill will establish oversight and accountability of the nation’s military medical centers and housing facilities and reduce the amount of paperwork and bureaucracy for recovering servicemembers and their families by establishing an electronic clearinghouse.  This measure will also establish support services and rights for recovering servicemembers and their families, as well as the Oversight Board for the Wounded.

While we must provide the best possible medical care to servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, we also must pay heed to those that served our country previously.  We cannot forget that the VA will play a larger role in the coming years as more servicemembers return from ongoing conflicts.  We must promise both servicemembers and veterans that we will seek accountability and work towards eliminating these problems completely.  They have given too much to our nation to expect anything less.

What we need now is accountability, honesty and oversight.  I fully support my colleagues on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the Armed Services Committee and the Veterans Affairs Committee that have held hearings on this matter.  I am also encouraged by the creation of a bipartisan presidential commission led by former Senator Bob Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, that is charged with looking into the care of wounded servicemembers.

I look forward to working with my colleagues and forging solutions to correct our military care structure and give our wounded servicemembers the care that they earned and deserve.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.