CELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE VA'S CABINET DESIGNATION

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Monday, March 15th as the 10th anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a Cabinet-level position.

Because by 1988, VA had become the largest independent agency in government, thought was given to its recognition as a member of the President's Cabinet.

Serving a population of 27.5 million veterans with a budget of $28.3 billion, with 245,000 employees, it was second only to the Department of Defense in the number of staff providing service to our citizens.

At the urging of both Congress and many veterans' service organizations, the current President endorsed the idea that the time had come for the VA to become a part of the Cabinet. It was time to give our nation's veterans their seat at this highest table of government.

Elevating the Department of Veterans Affairs to Cabinet level status provided the Department the opportunity to have greater national impact for veterans in the fields of health care, education, housing, and insurance. It was a move that cost virtually nothing in that era of tight budgets, yet gave veterans a prominent voice in the issues that dominate the national agenda.

I congratulate the Department of Veterans Affairs on a decade of growth in service to our nation's veterans, the dedicated men and women who accepted the challenge to protect their country, many of which gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and liberty. I further encourage the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs and his staff to continue to take full advantage of the opportunity that Cabinet-level status provides to advocate on behalf of these brave men and women.

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Rep. Bob Filner's Floor Statements