Thank you, Mr. Chairman for holding this hearing to discuss the fiscal year 2009 funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

I am committed to our responsibility to ensure that the budget we adopt will continue to meet both the complex needs of our new generation of younger veterans as well as maintain and improve the quality of services for our older veterans.

I would first like to Congratulate Secretary Peake for his recent confirmation as VA Secretary and thank him for his appearance before us today.  You have an important task before you, and the members of this Committee look forward to working with you in responding to the emergent challenges in taking care of our veterans. 

I also appreciate the Veterans Service Organization representatives for participating in our hearing today.  Your outlook on funding recommendations for veterans programs and input into the budget is of great value to me in this process.   

It is satisfying to see that after this Committee uncovered weaknesses in the process VA used to develop its health care budget in 2005, the budget request for subsequent fiscal years has become more transparent.  The Department proposes nearly $39 billion for VA health care - the largest amount ever requested by any Administration.  

However, I would be remiss in not expressing my concern about the inclusion of legislative proposals to establish enrollment fees and increases in pharmacy co-payments for certain veterans without service-connected conditions similar to requests that Congress has rejected year after year.   

Having Chaired the Subcommittee on Disabilities and Memorial Affairs in the past, I am encouraged that the budget includes planning to reduce compensation processing time and improve accuracy.  

In the State of Florida, the VA patient workload is among the highest in the Nation and the demand for VA health care continues to grow, especially in Okaloosa County, the center of my Congressional District.

When they released their report several years ago, the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission identified this Florida Panhandle region as underserved for inpatient care.  In fact, it is the only market area in the VISN, VISN 16, without a medical center. 

The absence of a VA inpatient facility continues to be one of the biggest concerns of veterans who live in this area.   Currently, many of these veterans have to drive to Mississippi to receive inpatient care.  

Bringing a full service VA hospital to the first district is something I have fought for since I first came to Washington and will continue to do. I look forward to working with the Department in support of VA’s overall capital construction program to address the issue of providing timely access to inpatient healthcare for veterans living in and around Northwest Florida.

Collectively, we share the same goal of providing exceptional service to those who have served in our Armed Forces and sacrificed so much for our freedom.  

I hope that this hearing will point the way toward close cooperation among all of us as advocates of our Nation’s veterans to respond to their constantly evolving needs and those of their families.