In ceremonies across my state, I have had the honor of presenting the Korean War Service Medal as a long-overdue expression of gratitude from the American public and the South Korean government. It may have taken 50 years for us to properly recognize these veterans for their sacrifices in Korea, but there is no time limit on their patriotism or our country's gratitude. Unfortunately, it has also taken too long for our government to fully honor the commitment made to our veterans for educational benefits and lifetime health care. I am pleased to report that Congress has finally begun to honor additional commitments made to veterans nationwide. Unfortunately, those promises have too often not been kept, not only to our veterans but also our military retirees, and that is threatening our national security.
Veterans are our nation's most effective recruiters.
However, inadequate education benefits and poor health care options make it difficult for these men and women to encourage the younger generation to serve in today's voluntary service. We are blessed to have unprecedented federal budget surpluses, and the only question is whether veterans health care and educational benefits should be a priority instead of an afterthought. The VFW and veterans from around the nation have been calling on Congress to provide the VA with adequate funding to meet the health care needs for all veterans. Without additional funding, VA facilities will be unable to deliver the necessary health care services to our veterans population. For a number of years, I have worked with the VFW to increase flat-line appropriations for veterans' health care.