Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I am pleased that Joint Hearings with the Senate have been reinstated.  They provide a valuable opportunity to work with our colleagues in the Senate to improve the quality of life of our veterans.  These Joint Hearings give us an opportunity to discuss issues that desperately need to be addressed.  

I am appalled that President Bush's proposed budget would cut $38 million in medical and prosthetic research.  The VA research and development program is particularly important for new veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  As more and more veterans return with new combinations of severe injuries including head injuries, PTSD and spinal cord injuries, it is a shame the President did not propose an increase in funding for these crucial programs. 

Nationally, one in five veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from PTSD.  Twenty-three percent of members of the Armed Forces on active duty acknowledge a significant problem with alcohol use.  It is vital that our veterans receive the help they need to deal with these conditions.  

This is why I have introduced the Mental Health Improvements Act, H.R. 4053, which aims to improve the treatment and services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans with PTSD and substance use disorders by establishing national centers of excellence on PTSD and substance use disorders and expanding assistance of mental health services for families of veterans, among other initiatives.  I feel this bill takes a step in the right direction in providing our veterans with the care they have earned and I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation. 

I want to thank all of the VSOs for coming and presenting their legislative agendas.  Your input is invaluable and I look forward to hearing your testimony and how we can work together to improve VA services.