Senate Proceeding on Nov 6th, 2009 :: 1:04:10 to 1:15:25
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1:04:06 to 1:04:26( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: i thank you, mr. president, for the mr. aka: mr. president? the presiding officer: the

1:04:10 to 1:15:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Don Cazayoux

1:04:27 to 1:04:47( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: senator from hawaii. mr. aka: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent toroceed as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. aka: mr. president, i've come to the floor today to discuss an important veterans

1:04:48 to 1:05:09( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: bill, but benefit do so -- but before i do so, i want to express my great sadness about the horrible tragedy yesterday at fort hood. my thoughts and prayers are with those wounded, the families of

1:05:10 to 1:05:32( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: those killed and to all the soldiers and civilians defending our great nation at fort hood. mr. president, as chairman of the senate committee on veterans' affairs, i take my responsibility to the nation's

1:05:33 to 1:05:54( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: veterans very seriously. we are an active committee and are working hard to make improvements in v.a. care and benefits. i'm delighted to note that the president signed the veterans health care pw-blg reform and

1:05:55 to 1:06:16( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: trance parpb -- budget reform and transparency act in 2009 last month. this measure will provide timely and predictable funding for the veterans health care system. i'm grateful to all who worked on this, including the committee's ranking member, and the veterans service organizations that made this one

1:06:17 to 1:06:38( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: of their priorities. despite this success, we as a committee have not been able to achieve action on s. 1963, the proposed careger and veterans health services act of 2009. this vitally important veterans

1:06:39 to 1:06:59( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: health bill a single senator. each day that this measure is delayed, this means that vital benefits for veterans are delayed. this is a bipartisan bill. the provisions of which were

1:07:00 to 1:07:23( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: reported by the committee as s. 801 and s. 352, with the full support of our ranking member, senator byrd. this bill is supported by many veterans' organizations as well, including the american legion, the veterans of foreign wars,

1:07:24 to 1:07:45( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: the disabled the paralyzed veterans of america, and the wounded warrior project. various other advocates support this bill as well including nursing organizations of veterans affairs, the brain association of america, the

1:07:46 to 1:08:07( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: american academy of ophthalmology, the american association of colleges of nursing, and many others. by blocking this s. 1963, this single senator is denying veterans many benefits and services.

1:08:08 to 1:08:31( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: one of the key benefits is caregiver assistance for our most seriously wounded veterans. the committee continues to hear about family members who quit their jobs, go through their savings and lose their health insurance as they stayed home to care for their wound family members. for those family members who

1:08:32 to 1:08:52( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: manage to keep their jobs, tir employers, including many small businesses already struggling in these economic times, lose money from absenteeism and declining productivity. the toll on the caregivers who try to do it all can be measured

1:08:53 to 1:09:14( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: in higher rates of depression and poor health as they struggle to care for these wounded warriors, an obligation that ultimately belongs to the government. this legislation fulfills v.a.'s obligations to care for the nation's wounded veterans by

1:09:15 to 1:09:37( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: providing their caregivers with counseling, support, and a living stipend. the measure also provides health care to the family caregivers of injured veterans. these caregivers deserve our support and our assistance. as a representative of the wounded warrior project said in

1:09:38 to 1:09:58( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: testimony before the committee -- quote -- "the time has surely come to create a robust nationwide wounded warrior family caregiver program to address the urgent needs of these family members." unquote.

1:09:59 to 1:10:20( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: s. 1963 creates such a program. we're blocking s. 1963, this senator is also blocking benefits specifically for women veterans. this bill -- and senator murray has been a leader on this --

1:10:21 to 1:10:43( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: would do a number of things such as increase funding for mental health care for women who suffer military sexual trauma and for medical services for newborn children. with the help of senator tester, this bill also would improve

1:10:44 to 1:11:04( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: access to care in rural areas. states, which have an especially high number of veterans living in rural areas, such as montana, nevada, wyoming, florida, arizona, arkansas, virginia, idaho, oklahoma, and new mexico, would benefit greatly from these

1:11:05 to 1:11:26( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: programs. mr. president, the bill also attacks another problem, that of homeless veterans. on any given night, we know that more than 130,000 veterans are homeless. we know that homelessness is

1:11:27 to 1:11:51( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: often a consequence of multiple factors, including unstable family support, job loss, and health problems. s. 1963 would also create programs to help ease the burden of veteran homelessness, including programs aimed at outpreach, so that veterans know

1:11:52 to 1:12:15( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: that they are eligible for benefits. this lone senator also is blocking provisions that would improve quality controls for v.a. health care from the facility level to the national level. two years ago the v.a. hospital in marion, illinois, had nine

1:12:16 to 1:12:38( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: veterans die following surgery. the v.a.'s inspector general found that the marion v.a.'s quality controls were not adequate to ensure that veterans received good-quality care. this month the i.g. published another report from the marion hospital finding that it still

1:12:39 to 1:12:59( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: did not have adequate quality controls. and it's time for this body to act so that no more veterans receive less than the best care v.a. can provide. senator durbin drafted provisions in this bill that will help improve overall quality and management so as to

1:13:00 to 1:13:21( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: help fix the problems at marion and oer facilities. s. 1963 would provide uniform allowances for v.a. police officers. many organizations have expressed support nor these provisions -- for these provisions, including the fraternal order of police.

1:13:22 to 1:13:42( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: v.a. police officers ensured the security of veterans and their families while they are visiting v.a. hospitals and clinics. to refuse to provide for these officers because it is too expensive is not only penny wise and pound foolish, it cheapens

1:13:43 to 1:14:05( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: the sacrifices of these uniformed officers and the nation's veterans who are protected by them. mr. president, while i understand that the senator who is refuse to go agree to allow this bill to go forward questions the costs of the underlying bill, i would say that we cannot now turn

1:14:06 to 1:14:27( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: on the obligation to care those who fought in those efforts. when we as a body vote to send american troops to war, we are promising to takeare of them when they return. i firmly believe the cost of veterans benefits and services

1:14:28 to 1:14:48( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: is a true cost of war and must be treated as such. we are preparing to observe veterans day. let us rember that we owe our veterans our gratitude and appreciation year round, and not merely on the day set aside for the commemoration of their

1:14:49 to 1:15:11( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: service and sacrifice. it would be truly disgraceful if veterans were made to feel forgotten except for this one y per year. indeed, our gratitude should be as steadfast as the great monuments that americans have built in commemoration of the very service and sacrifices our

1:15:12 to 1:15:25( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: veterans made. there should be no am biflance of those who served in the united states armed forces and this legislation should be immediately cleared by the