Like all of you I was shocked to learn about the situation at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. Needless to say, it is unacceptable and it will not continue. A special commission headed by Former Senator Bob Dole and Former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala is reviewing all of the information and will report back to the Administration and Congress.

I have visited Walter Reed on a number of occasions to visit with service personnel from our district who have been wounded in battle. Those young men and women put their lives on the line daily for our safety. We have made a promise to them and it’s a promise that I intend to keep.

Since I have been in Congress we have boosted the funding for veterans’ medical care by over 50 percent. I believe that we owe it to our veterans from all conflicts to make sure that they have access to quality healthcare.

It’s more than just money though. I’ve supported changes to allow more outpatient clinics that are closer to where veterans actually live. We also need to do a better job monitoring our facilities so that we do not have another situation like Walter Reed.

We need to fix our system and Congress has a role to play. We need to demand accountability from those in charge. We need to work in a bi-partisan manner and take the politics out of doing the right thing for our fighting men and women. We can do better and we will.

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