(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray
(D-WA) released the following statement after she was announced as the new
Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Senator Murray, who has
been a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee since 1995, is a widely
recognized and outspoken advocate for America’s veterans. She has been honored for her work for veterans by the
Vietnam Veterans of America, American Ex-POWs, the VFW, the Paralyzed Veterans
of America and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Among other
things, Senator Murray has fought to give veterans access to quality care and
benefits, has pushed Republican and Democratic administrations to provide the
VA with responsible budgets, and has worked to ensure the VA is preparing for
the influx of new veterans. Senator Murray has also worked to expand access to
care for Washington state veterans by saving three state VA facilities from
closure and by pressuring the VA to open community based health care clinics.
“This is a great honor, but an even bigger
responsibility. As Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I have a
tremendous duty to the 22 million veterans across the country who have stepped
up to serve our nation and who deserve the highest quality care, benefits, and
treatment in return.
“I am humbled by this Chairmanship not only because of
the great veterans I’ll serve, but also because of the man whose shoes I’ll be
working to fill. Senator Akaka has been, and always will be, a champion for his
fellow veterans. I know that in the coming years he will continue to be a
leader on this Committee, someone who I will rely on heavily, and someone
who’ll never stop fighting for the veterans of his home state and our nation.
“I plan to work each day to ensure that the VA is
working for our veterans, not against them. Our service members should never
have to come home from fighting a war only to fight to get the benefits and
care that they deserve.
“I know the VA has some of the most dedicated employees
in the world and provides tremendous services to many of our veterans. But I
also know there are a great many challenges to be met. Today, too many veterans
are waiting far too long to get the benefits they’ve earned. Too many veterans
are struggling to get access to mental health care, worker training, and other
resources to help them transition from the battlefield to the civilian world.
And still, far too many veterans are sleeping on the streets after serving
their country. These are among the many issues I plan to take an active and
aggressive approach to helping find solutions for.
“It has been one of the great privileges of my Senate
career to fight for veterans like my father – a World War II veteran, or the
Vietnam veterans I met interning at the VA in college, or the countless Iraq
and Afghanistan veterans who I have spoken to about returning home with the
visible and invisible wounds of war.
“These men and women, and all American veterans, will
always be who I fight for, who I listen to first, and who I answer to. Their
needs, their struggles, and their stories will be the ones I bring to the VA to
help deliver change and meet the many challenges we face.”
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