Citizen
soldiers have defended America from the very
founding of our country and each soldier continues
the work of generations of Americans who have served
bravely before them. These soldiers are the living
manifestation of what is best about our country and
we thank them for keeping us safe around the world.
America must always repay them with her respect and
support during their times of need.
I would like
to express my profound gratitude to a group of 80
Maine Army National Guard soldiers who are currently
at Camp Atterbury in Indiana preparing to depart for
a year-long deployment in Afghanistan. The
Augusta-based 240th Engineer Group includes soldiers
from all walks of life and all professions-
including one of my very own staff members, Matt
Walker. As Matt said to me before leaving for
training, he was proud and prepared to represent his
country and that no doubt is the same for the rest
of the 240th Engineer Group. I know that
our mission in Afghanistan could not be in better
hands, Maine hands.
Another soldier that I am particularly
proud of is Sergeant Derik Cormier. I recently
received official confirmation from the U.S. Army
that Sergeant Cormier has received a Purple Heart
and the Combat Infantryman Badge for his bravery
while serving in Iraq. He was shot in the leg during
an insurgent attack in November of 2005 and he has
since returned to Iraq to finish his tour of duty.
Sergeant Cormier joins the ranks of other brave men
and women who have received this military
distinction for their outstanding valor. Derik is
indeed a true son of Maine we can all be proud of.
Recently, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General
Peter Pace, returned from a seven-nation overseas
tour where he met some 12,000 of our men and women
in uniform. While there, he had a simple message for
the enlisted men and women he was visiting in these
faraway countries: “Thank you.” But while we extend
our thanks to those who are currently serving our
country, we must not forget those who have finished
their tour of duty and are once again living as
civilians.
Specifically,
we must consider the impact of President Bush’s
Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 budget on veterans’ health
care. The President’s budget proposes offsetting
some of the increase in the Veterans Affairs’s (VA)
budget by instituting new enrollment fees and
increasing co-payments for some veterans. This would
force veterans to shoulder an even greater burden
for their healthcare. I
have long opposed such user fees and Congress has
defeated similar proposals in the past. The
budget also contains a 2.6 percent cost of living
adjustment effective January 1, 2007 to recipients
of disability compensation, dependency and indemnity
compensation, and clothing allowance.
When so many
of our brave servicemen and women are returning from
Iraq and Afghanistan, the VA’s most critical
priority is addressing the immediate and pressing
needs of our veterans. While I am pleased that the
President’s budget increased funding for the VA to
cope with a rising number of veterans in need of
medical care, I remain adamantly opposed to allowing
this additional fiscal strain to
be borne by those who
have served. We should never compromise our
commitment to those who have given so much to our
country, and I will work with my colleagues in the
Senate to provide a level of funding for Veterans
health care that reflects our gratitude and meets
veterans’ needs.
We
must always make certain to thank our soldiers for
their bravery in defending America and their
commitment to the finest ideals of our nation.
Soldiers now serving our country must know without a
doubt that America will always stand behind them and
recognize the tremendous sacrifices they have made
on our behalf. I pledge to fight to make sure that
this is the case, starting with ensuring that
funding for our veterans health care is not
threatened by budget shortfalls.
