But today should be about more than what veterans have done for us. It should also be a day to consider what we are doing for our veterans. Are we providing them with the support and benefits they deserve?

As your congressman and a combat veteran of the Vietnam war, I frequently ask myself that question. Whether at Walter Reed Army hospital speaking with a soldier wounded in Iraq or at a town hall meeting talking with World War II and Vietnam veterans, I question whether our government is providing each of our veterans with quality care and support.

Regardless of your opinion on the war in Iraq, there is no denying that our troops are doing a great job. There’s also no denying that our ongoing involvement in this war has placed an enormous strain on our veteran services system. Thousands of service members have returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious physical injuries and psychological trauma. More will follow them. Some of them need extensive treatment and care for their injuries, possibly for the rest of their lives. Others need significant help transitioning back into civilian life.

Unfortunately, too many of our veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan are not getting the quality health care and support they deserve. Some aren’t getting the appropriate treatment they need to recover from their injuries. Some are struggling to transition back into the workplace. Some are facing mountains of paperwork and red tape before they can get care. And many who cannot return to work are struggling to pay their bills.

This strain is not only impacting our new veterans and their families; it’s affecting our older veterans as well. I hear from many veterans of previous wars who wait months before they can get an appointment with a physician. Sometimes they have to travel long distances to find a veterans health care facility that can give them the treatment they need.

There is clearly much more Congress can do to fulfill our civic and moral obligation to our veterans. And this Veterans Day, we can say we are making progress. Over the past year, Congress has worked to significantly improve how our country provides all our veterans with services and benefits.

Most important, Congress is in the process of creating historic increases in resources available for our veterans. This year, Congress voted for the single largest increase in veterans’ funding in the 77-year history of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Veterans of Foreign Wars said “the record funding level acknowledges the deep debt this nation owes to its defenders.” The American Legion called these improvements “an impressive commitment to this nation’s service members, veterans and their families.” This funding will help improve health care benefits and facilities and add 1,100 more case workers to the VA’s staff.

But funding alone is not enough. We are making strides to address the inadequacies of the veterans health care system brought to light in part by the Walter Reed scandal. We’re also working to provide better health care programs for combat veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. And last week, the House passed a bill that would help thousands of California veterans achieve the goal of homeownership.

We are taking the necessary steps toward providing each of our veterans, including the more than 50,000 veterans in the 1st Congressional District, with the quality care and support they deserve. Veterans kept their promise to serve our nation and we must keep our promise to them. Today, help keep this promise by showing your appreciation to those who answered the call of duty.

Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) represents District 1, which includes Lake County, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

Comments

Add New Search

James - shame Registered | 11-11-2007 08:53:31 Well here is I'll do anything to get my name in the paper. Here is one vetersn he overlooked and his excuse was "Its a personal matter." I report the malfeasance of government officials and he can't help because its a personal matter. So much for my rights under the constitution but hay its a personal matter and we know that supersedes are rights as citizens. So now you feed off the love ones memorys. I remind you that the oath you took was not to be used for rhetoric, words spit out to satisfy those who do not know you as I do. As a reminder to you that will read this he knows who I am,I have never poked at him from the dark. "SHAME"

Donna Christopher - Missing Someone? Author | 11-11-2007 19:14:27 Not one mention of the homeless veterans. My jaded eye would tell me this is because no address/no ability to register to vote = your not relevent.You have my email Congressman, send me a message and tell me you have a plan for them also. Twenty five percent of the homeless are veterans, yet only one percent of our population volunteers to serve. Just saw an Air Force Pilot who was homeless, he was wondering how he ended up in shelters with drunks and druggies. They also interviewed a grunt. The problem is for these men a 'no address, no job - no job, not renting to you'. When my own son went from active to reserve the beginning of this year he had the same problem. Fortunately this is a small community full of good folks. And fortunately for the two men mentioned above, local veterans groups are rising to the occassion. Washington needs to give them a hand in this task. The Hagel/Webb legislation that would create the kind of deal that our parents had after WWII is a great solution for the vets, their families and this country in the long run.

sannan - how about a special tax on Manager | 11-12-2007 12:21:00 the U.S. corporations who are either profiting from the war or having their interests protected by it to provide some extra money for care of the returning vets?

Raphael - Sounds good Author | 11-12-2007 13:35:31 to me (special tax on corporations), and may be going further, that the entire war industry be non-profit...let's see then how many corporations would engage in war promoting (media) and war making!...The way to end all wars might well be to make war, at last, no longer profitable to anyone...Besides this, the way war vets are treated is an outrage (desert storm syndrome, homelessness, etc).

James - people,people Registered | 11-12-2007 14:52:04 The first charge for this government is national defense. I would rather see us as a people send bread and butter other than bombs and bullets.This evil done in our name can not exist without corrupt government officials giving the nod. I have been on this earth for some time now and as a vet if corporations are allowed to be corrupt it takes two to tango

Donna Christopher - A place to start taxing Author | 11-12-2007 16:05:13 would be with the mercenary forces. Eric Prince of Blackwater has many troubles including the one where he has not paid payroll tax on his employees - "they're contractors" to him. Yeah, tax the snot out of all these windfall profiteers that got the no bid contracts. Halliburton was selling our troups $150 six packs of cola and pumping water directly from the Tigris River into the showers, no water treatment at all (cuts into astronomical profits)many troops became ill enough they could no longer report or duty. Tax'em and try'em for treason, anyone who got a no bid and anyone who thought no bid was ok.

James - OK FOLKS Registered | 11-12-2007 20:17:25 There is wrong and if you know about it so do our reprobates and that wrong exist with their approval.This accusing one over the other is a ploy. I as the low life politician take their favors, and we need them to keep those evil dirty rotten scoundrels in place and then take more with their hands out. Both use each other to steal our money and thats just the way it is.

landshark - Here we go again IP:76.227.15.xxx | 11-16-2007 00:48:40 Mr.(I support the troops but won't fund them)Thompson is all of a sudden worried about our Veterans. The Man who constantly says our troops are failing is now supporting them....oh yeah election cycle. He wasn't to concerned about the Vets when he secured over $3million for housing for illegal aliens. Heck wouldn't want him to have to supply housing for his and his friends "illegal employees", the tax payers should do it. Hey "Donna" how about putting a reference or two up with your "facts" I think we would all be quite enlightened. $150.00six packs, water from the Tigris, to our troops? Who was your source for that, Michael Moore? But then again from the other remarks this group thinks CNN and the Press Democrat are balanced news organizations, or are covering up for the Bush Administration, Rolling Stone is a responsible journalistic publication.

lcsage - Problem Is Registered | 11-16-2007 14:24:09 Folks like Donna and Michael have never really been there or done that. They have lots of opinions not based on fact or truth. I still say Michael and the rest of his Hollywood ilk that beat up our country are nothing more than left over sixties mentality kammie peenko fahgs.

Raphael - Hey landshark and Author | 11-18-2007 04:49:44 icsage, and other conservatives out there, would you please explain to us how no-bid contracts actually fit into the free market economy, especially where it concerns taxpayers money? If anyone else but your douche bags republican pals did this, wouldn't you be screaming socialism? Come on, be honest just once!

Donna Christopher - It was a Michael Author | 11-18-2007 11:49:13 alright, Michael Ware. BBC dude, crawls around all over Iraq, his face shows he must have been a guest interrogatee at some point in his career. Your right lcsage - just because I am a veteran and both sons are still in (one reserve now and the other still active)so I guess I've 'never been there or done that' When ya want to get together and compare DD 214's lcsage? My confirmation source on the cost of a coke, just some poor grunts that were actually there so obviously they must be lying. Same on the sickened by untreated water. Must be MikeyMoore syndrome cause Halliburton KRB would never profit on a war at the expense of Americans.

Donna Christopher - Correction Author | 11-18-2007 11:59:23 KBR,not krb. Addendum - wasn't this blogersation about a different Mikey - as in Thompson. My original remark was about the homeless vets forgotton on veterans day. Let me guess lscage, they are fictional creations of M. Moore also?? I hope that man sheds some pounds, if he croaks who you gonna have to blame. The Troops/veterans themselves?

lcsage - REMF Registered | 11-18-2007 18:15:01 I don't argue with Remington Raiders, Donna.

Donna Christopher - Smart move lcsage Author | 11-18-2007 19:21:11 being shut in a windowless bunker copying morse code all day can make a person bark at the moon wanna kick your arse crazy But that was 33 years ago, I'm much better now Ok, now its your turn to fiddle while Rome burns, what did you do in the service?

Donna Christopher - Hey Landshark Author | 11-18-2007 19:50:26 no need to put quotation marks around my first name, I really am who I post as. I am not afraid of voicing my opinion and have no need to hide behind an internet alias. Not afraid of making mistakes as the only people who don't make mistakes are the ones who never do anything. Did your Momma really name you landshark? We're your parents lawyers?

lcsage - Infantry 40 yr ago Registered | 11-19-2007 10:21:32 Shooting, killing, staying alive. More shooting and killing. Several medals and commendations. I still sleep with my M14.

Donna Christopher - Good Idea lcsage Author | 11-19-2007 10:59:59 I fear you may be needing it in the near future.

landshark - Liberal thinking IP:76.227.15.xxx | 11-26-2007 00:25:26 Wow I thought that the term Loving, Caring Liberal was your folks marching call. Man, you people insult, threaten, lie, accuse, blame, fly off subject so much…. Lake must be the breading ground..here let me try to fit in by fluttering off.. ...no bid contract? let's define it in this instance, when the job / bid is to rebuild an entire country and there is only one company on the planet large enough to handle the job, then there is no point in putting it out to bid. Unlike California that uses the minority bidding process that alows any company to bid on a job weather they have the infrastructure or not...thus you have bridges taking 10, 20, years that could be done in 2 or 3, but gotta have 100 studies done first, and turn a million dollar projects into a billion dollar ones. Here let me go more off subject, man I remember when this state was pretty much Conservative Republican, and so was the Lake County area. Clearlake was the vacation gem of Northern and Central California, the State's Schools were tops, fast forward to Liberal Democrat rule and this is what we have, an area where people move to the SF Bay area to escape the crime. The schools are the worst, yes there are some good teachers but the bad ones are so prevalent that in nullifies any good. And the ones responsible are the ones blaming everyone else for what they ruined, IE; the Konocti School Board. Donna, I use an alias because I live in Lake County and fear for my families safety from the liberals, “I fear you may be needing it in the near future.” Familiar? Sounds like a threat to me, and you ask why I use an alias….If you served, I'll take your word for it, I would more like to hear from your fellow soldiers as to what kind of soldier you were. Your obviously a woman so you weren't drafted.....and so such anger towards your country must be, you were "wronged" somehow by the vicious military, it’s OK to serve as long as I don’t have to be around all that violence????? AND FOR ALL YOU LET'S TAX EVERY ONE...JUST SHUT UP AND GO AWAY I CAN'T AFFORD YOUR GIVING ANY MY HARD EARNED DOLLARS TO SOME PROSTITUTE IN LAKE COUNTY, SACRAMENTO, or D.C. ANYMORE. WHY BOTHER……you folks will just come back with some more off subject, fact less, blither that is of no help to this country. You’ll elect another Pelosi, or a Clinton and we WILL have to sleep with our M16’s.

Only registered users can write comments!