Senate Proceeding on Nov 6th, 2009 :: 0:11:35 to 0:19:10
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0:11:15 to 0:11:39( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: new mexico, himself and others, proposes amendment numbered 2737 to amendment number 2730. on page 52, after line 21, add the following: section the amount appropriated or otherwiseade available by this

0:11:35 to 0:19:10( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Tom Udall

0:11:40 to 0:12:00( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: title under the heading 'medical services', $150 million shall be available for the grant program under section 2011 of title 38 united states code and payment under such title. mr. udall: mr. president, thank you very much. and let me, first of all, just

0:12:01 to 0:12:21( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: thank senator johnson for all of his hard work on this appropriations bill. the military construction and veterans affairs appropriations bill is one of the most important bills we do in the congress because it, as he has said earlier, supports our

0:12:22 to 0:12:44( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: veterans, supports their health care, supports military construction, and supports what they do in the communities around the country and across the world, and in particular, supports the department of veterans affairs. so i, after reviewing this piece of legislation, i want to commend him on his excellent leadership. and i also want to thank him for

0:12:45 to 0:13:05( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: working with me on this particular amendment and thank his excellent staff. mr. president, i rise today to talk about america's forgotten heroes and to offer an amendment to improve upon the excellent legislation before us today. imagine dedicating your life to serving your country.

0:13:06 to 0:13:26( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: you give up time with your family. you put your life on the line. you sacrifice everything for the freedom and skraourt of your if -- and security of your fellow americans. then you come home, and you can't hold down a job or you can't adjust to everyday life because of the traumatic experience you've just been through.

0:13:27 to 0:13:48( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: soon you find yourself without four walls to call home. many of our veterans transition back into civilian life without problems. for many others, it simply takes more time. but for some veterans, that transition is painfully difficult, and sometimes it never happens at all.

0:13:49 to 0:14:10( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: right now mor than 130,000 of our nation's 24 million military veterans, brave americans who answered the call to homeless on any given day. they are in their greatest hour of need, living on the streets without support or any hope for a better tomorrow.

0:14:11 to 0:14:31( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: if every american living on the street is a tragedy, every veteran living on the street is a crime. our veterans deserve better than that from the nation they serve fplt at the bear -- they serve. at the bear minimum this country has the responsibility to provide veterans with a play to lay their heads.

0:14:32 to 0:14:52( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: sadly, when it comes to this basic duty, we have not lived up to our ideals. roughly 200,000 american veterans experience homelessness at some time during the year. veterans are twice as likely as other americans to be homeless. this is a statistic that should outrage all of us.

0:14:53 to 0:15:14( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: president obama has set a goal of eliminating veterans' homelessness in five years. i commend him for that and i commend the subcommittee for the legislation they have put together to provide funding for several v.a. homeless programs. and i commend senator johnson

0:15:15 to 0:15:35( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: for his leadership on this including $144 million for the homeless grant and per diem program. my grant is a modest $6 million, bringing it to the full authorization level. senators bond and binman are joing in this effort as

0:15:36 to 0:15:58( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: amendment co-sponsors and i thank them for their supports. this amendment will provide additional funds to construct, renovate, and acquire buildings to be used as service centers or transitional housing for homeless veterans much these grants are critical to organizations working to provide shelters for homeless veterans.

0:15:59 to 0:16:21( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: in my home state of new mexico, six organizations in albuquerque, gallos and -- have received these funds. they will tell you how critil this funding is to our veterans and to our country. while i know this funding isn't an end all, be-all solution to veteran homelessness, it's a good start.

0:16:22 to 0:16:43( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: i got a letter from a 15-year-old boy scout from albuquerque a bit ago. his father and grandfather are veterans and he's planning to follow in their footsteps and join the military himself when he's old enough. this young man wrote to say how angry he is that we're not doing enough to help our homeless veterans.

0:16:44 to 0:17:04( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: here's what he said in his letter that he wrote me: "these men and women are doing what they were called to do by our government. but they come back and are treated so poorly by everyone. we, as a nation, need to do more to help our veterans. as long as america faces threats

0:17:05 to 0:17:25( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: and valuesreedom, we will need men and women willing protect us. and as long as americans serve in uniform, we all have a sacred responsibility to support them. them" to the smart young man who wrote me this letter and to all veterans, this bill and this

0:17:26 to 0:17:47( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: amendment builds on efforts to meet our country's moral obligations to the men and women who so bravely served our country. i urge my colleagues passage of both and, thank you, mr. president, floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from south dakota. mr. johnson: this is an

0:17:48 to 0:18:08( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: excellent amendment and i thank the sponsor for offering it and i will accept this amendment at appropriate time. mr. udall: if the gentleman would just yield for a comment here. i -- i -- i want to once again thank senator johnson. i know that when you look at

0:18:09 to 0:18:30( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: these veterans' issues and you deal with them, you have the utmost respect. i believe you have a son who has served and -- and i think you bring a compassion to these veterans' issues that shows in this piece of legislation that -- that we have on the floor today.

0:18:31 to 0:18:52( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: so i hope all of my colleagues will review that and see that -- that you put a lot of hard work in. your staff has put a lot of hard work in and, i once again, appreciate you and my staff working on this amendment and look forward to to see that it's accepted. mr. johnson: i thank the gentleman from new mexico.

0:18:53 to 0:19:06( Edit History Discussion )

Tom Udall: i note the pr will call the roll.