A proud salute to Georgia's veterans
By SAXBY CHAMBLISS

This past week as we celebrated Veterans Day, we paid tribute to the generations of brave men and women who have put themselves in harm's way to secure freedom and liberty for all Americans. I am very proud to represent such a strong military state, with Georgia being home to 13 military installations and more than 700,000 veterans.

Our state has a strong history of bravery and valor in the armed services. While military conflicts and threats change over time, the professionalism and determination of our soldiers remains constant. The military landscape has been redefined by a necessity to defend our homeland from terrorism, and the valiant efforts of our American troops have ensured that we do not have to fight the terrorists here at home. Our prayers are constantly with them.

We must not neglect the needs of the men and women who put their lives on the line to preserve our freedom and way of life. Since President Bush took office, funding for veterans has increased by 75 percent. Congress has increased funding for veterans benefits and services by $450 million above the nearly $71 billion proposed in the President's budget for fiscal year 2007.

This increased funding has given almost a million more veterans access to the VA medical care system, has helped to modernize and expand VA facilities so that more veterans can get care closer to home, and has helped to accelerate the time in which disability claims are processed.

Additionally, President Bush is the first president in more than 100 years to sign legislation allowing disabled veterans to receive both their military retired pay and their VA disability compensation. Previous federal law prohibited this concurrent receipt. I voted in support of repealing that law because I heard consistently from Georgia's veterans about their great need to receive both of these payments.

Congress passed the Veterans Benefits Act. This legislation signed by the President will authorize $1 billion in new and expanded benefits for disabled veterans, surviving spouses and their children, and I have sponsored several bills and amendments to provide jobs, health care, housing as well as recreational opportunities for our disabled veterans.

I supported the VA's efforts to establish the Georgia National Cemetery in Cherokee County, the nation's newest veterans' cemetery, which had its first burial in April of this year and will help meet the memorial needs of Georgia veterans and their families. According to the VA, nearly 400,000 veterans and their families live within the service area of the national cemetery.

As a strong supporter of our military and America's veterans, I am proud to join all Georgians in recognizing those men and women who have served and are currently serving in the armed services and will continue working to ensure that the United States keeps its promises to our nation's veterans who have given their all to keep our nation free and secure. Their bravery and dedication to this country set an honorable example for today's soldiers as well as for the next generation of soldiers to come.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
The Office Cat	2
Neighborhood vandalism is out of control	1
The Office Cat	1
Drug problem growing; little is being done	1
The Office Cat	1
Family escapes death in semi hit-and-run	1
Feed a family of four for $10 a week	1