U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health And Iraq Accountability Act, 2007

Floor Speech

U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' HEALTH AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 01, 2007)

* Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference report to H.R. 1591, the ``U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act.''

* For far too long this administration, with no oversight from the previous Republican-led Congresses, has committed our precious resources to this war without a sufficient plan to win the peace. It sent our soldiers to war without adequate armor and equipment. It wasted billions of taxpayers' dollars in sole-source contracts and lost suitcases of cash.

* This war also has severely hampered our readiness should a military operation become necessary somewhere else in the world. Top Army officials have acknowledged that the demands placed on the military mostly because of the war in Iraq have caused critical shortages in the number of available ground troops and equipment. With the President's surge of troops in Iraq, we are at a crisis point.

* The mismanagement of this war must not continue. The false promises must end. The administration's free pass must be revoked.

* H.R. 1591 provides critical funding for American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan while establishing a necessary timeline for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq. It also directs the president to certify that the Iraqi government is making progress in meeting certain benchmarks. While the timeline is not as strong as the one previously passed by this body, I believe that we are moving in the right direction.

* The bill includes $2.1 billion more in funding than the president requested for military health care and $1.8 billion more than the President's request for veterans' health care. The Walter Reed scandal showed the potential for far more widespread problems across the military health care system if we do not act now to take better care of our war veterans. More troops are returning home injured than our government predicted or was prepared for, and the system runs the risk of being stretched thin. Taking care of the men and women who have battled with the stars and stripes on their shoulders is more than a feel-good issue, it is a moral issue.

* When Americans enlist in the Armed Forces, they are assuming the responsibility of defending our country. They do so with the belief that their country will assume the responsibility of taking care of their injuries as attentively and humanely as possible. Today, we are taking steps to ensure that what happened at Walter Reed will not happen anywhere else.

* I also want to commend the conferees for including $50 million for Ground Zero workers and responders who risked their lives and are now suffering devastating health effects because of their brave service following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

* I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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