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WASHINGTON, MR. SMITH.
THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE
GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED FOR TWO
MINUTES.
MR. SMITH: I -- THANK YOU, MR.
SPEAKER, I ASK UNANIMOUS
CONSENT TO REVISE AND EXTEND.
THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:
WITHOUT OBJECTION.
MR. SMITH: I THANK CHAIRMAN
EDWARDS AND RANKING MEMBER WAMP
FOR THEIR WORK IN CRAFTING THIS
LEGISLATION.
AS SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTS TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF MILITARY
VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILY, I
BELIEVE WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION
TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE
BENEFITS AND TREATMENT THEY
DESERVE FOR THEIR YEARS IN
SERVICE.
THIS LEGISLATION ACCOMPLISH
THIS IS A BY PROVIDING $109
BILLION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS' AFFAIRS, A $14.9
BILLION INCREASE OVER 2009.
IT'S ESTIMATED THE V.A. WILL
TREAT MORE THAN 61.-- 6.1
MILLION PATIENTS, INCLUDING 1.9
MILLION VETERANS OF IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN.
IT WILL IMPROVE ACCESS FOR
VETERANS IN RURAL AREAS.
IT PROVIDES VITAL FUNDING TO
HIRE ADDITIONAL CLAIMS
PROCESSERS TO REDUCE THE
BACKLOG OF BENEFITS CLAIMS.
THESE ARE TWO OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT ISSUES WE DEAL WITH,
MAKING SURE WE DEAL WITH THE
PTSD ISSUES WHICH CONTINUE TO
BE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM AND
ALSO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE
SERVICES AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE
THE LARGE NUMBER OF WOUNDED
VETERANS COMING BACK FROM OUR
WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THE
COMMITTEE INCLUDED A PROVISION
TO PROVIDE ADVANCE BUDGET
AUTHORITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011
FOR RELATED ACCOUNTS.
THIS IS A GOOD STEP TO ENSURE
THAT THEY RECEIVE A TIMELY
STREAM OF FUNDING WITHOUT
SUBJECTING IT TO THE DELAY THIS
IS A CAN ARISE DUE TO THE
LARGER BUDGET DEBATES.