412 Russell Senate Bldg.Washington D.C. 20510 Democratic StaffPhone Number:(202) 224-9126 825A Hart Senate Bldg.Washington D.C. 20510 Republican StaffPhone Number:(202) 224-2074 |
![]() Chairman Daniel K. AkakaApril,3,2008
OPENING STATEMENT - April 3, 2008
Aloha. I welcome all of you to our fourth joint hearing of the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees this Session. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am unwavering in my belief that veterans and survivors should receive the highest quality benefits and services. This is not negotiable. We must - in this time of war - equip VA with the resources necessary to carry out its mission, now and into the future. Veterans' benefits and services are a cost of war and must be understood - and funded - as such. Caring for our troops when they return home is our moral responsibility. Providing a seamless transition from military to civilian life for the newest generation of veterans is vital. It is also part of our responsibility to provide veterans with the best health care and rehabilitation available. We must also ensure the timely and accurate compensation of veterans for their injuries, including the invisible wounds of war. I am proud of the wounded warrior provisions we enacted last year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. In particular, we know that invisible wounds may take time to manifest - a provision I authored expands VA health care eligibility for returning veterans from two to five years. As someone who knows firsthand the value of the GI bill benefit, we must make sure that the value of educational assistance benefits for veterans keeps pace with the rising costs of higher education. Adjudication of disability claims remains an issue. Veterans deserve to have their claims addressed fairly and without needless delay. We will continue to review veterans' disability compensation and the claims adjudication process this Session. Finally, there are some major bills that have yet to be considered by the full Senate. I am working to reach an agreement to debate these bills and I hope that there will be action to complete these bills in the near future. In closing, I again thank each of the veterans' and survivors' organizations for being here today. I thank you for your dedication to this Nation's veterans and those who survive them.
Joint Hearing: Legislative presentations from AMVETS, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Gold Star Wives of America, Fleet Reserve Association, The Retired Enlisted Association, Military Officers Association of America, and National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs1 - Committee Leadership Panel I
April, 2008 |
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