Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this legislative hearing.

 I am pleased to be here and eagerly anticipate consideration of the five bills before us that cover a variety of issues regarding our veterans.

I want to thank all of the Members who have sponsored these bills and taken the time to participate in our hearing today.

I am particularly interested in hearing about H.R. 4505, which was introduced by my friend and colleague from Texas, Mac Thornberry.

In order to receive VA per diem payments, a State Veterans Home must maintain an occupancy rate of 75% veterans. However, veteran spouses or parents who have lost all of their children due to military service are also eligible for admission, if allowed by state policy.  H.R. 4505 would permit a State Home to also provide services to a parent if one of their children died while serving in the Armed Forces.

When we honor the bravery and service of our military members and veterans, we must also honor the sacrifice and selflessness of their families.  And, I do not think the loss of a child – whether one or many – can be differentiated. I thank Mac for introducing this legislation.

As we continually attempt to improve services and increase the well-being our veterans, it is vital that we continue to work together and have candid discussions about the best ways to improve services and move forward with legislation to benefit our veterans.  And, I look forward to hearing more about all of the bills on our calendar this morning.

I want to thank our witnesses for being here and in the interest of moving forward with our discussion, I yield back the balance of my time.