1Expressing displeasure with care and treatment our veterans have
2been receiving and continue to receive at the United States
3Department of Veteran Affairs facilities.

4WHEREAS, The provision of benefits for veterans traces its
5roots back to 1636, when the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony were at
6war with the Pequot Indians; and

7WHEREAS, The Pilgrims passed a law requiring support for the
8disabled soldiers from the colony; and

9WHEREAS, In 1776, the Continental Congress encouraged
10enlistment in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War
11by providing pensions for soldiers who were disabled; and

12WHEREAS, The earliest domiciliary and medical facility for
13veterans was authorized by the Federal Government in 1811 and
14the nation's assistance program was expanded to include benefits
15and pensions for dependents of veterans; and

1WHEREAS, Domiciliary care was also provided in many state
2veterans homes, especially after the Civil War; and

3WHEREAS, In 1930, Congress authorized the consolidation and
4coordination of government activities affecting war veterans;
5and

6WHEREAS, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care
7system has now grown from 54 hospitals in 1930 to 152 hospitals,
8800 community-based outpatient clinics, 126 nursing home care
9centers and 35 domiciliary care centers; and

10WHEREAS, The United States citizens, our veterans and their
11families expect to receive the greatest quality of care promised
12to them over the decades; and

13WHEREAS, The VA has had its challenges over the years in
14administering the benefits earned by veterans; and

15WHEREAS, The VA initiated a blueprint for the 21st century by
16implementing a plan containing 16 major initiatives, such as
17designing a veteran-centric health care model to help veterans
18navigate the health care delivery system, receive coordinated
19care and develop capabilities and systems to drive performance
20and outcomes; and

21WHEREAS, Promises have been made over the years to fix the
22problems associated with the VA so that veterans and their
23families can be better served; and

24WHEREAS, In a 2007 speech, then Senator Obama said, "Keeping
25faith with those who serve must always be a core American value
26and a cornerstone of American patriotism. Because America's
27commitment to its servicemen and women begins at enlistment, and
28it must never end."; and

29WHEREAS, Unfortunately, recent investigations have found this
30core American value and commitment to be lacking; and

1WHEREAS, Recent reports have indicated that over the past
2several years, veterans have had their care compromised by being
3subjected to delayed medical care, manipulated records to hide
4delays and inappropriate scheduling; and

5WHEREAS, As many as 1,700 veterans at the Phoenix VA hospital
6waiting to see doctors have been found to not be on any waiting
7list for appointments, and approximately 1,138 at the facility
8have waited longer than six months to get an appointment with a
9primary doctor; and

10WHEREAS, Reports have also indicated that as many as 40
11veterans may have died as a result of waiting to receive medical
12care; and therefore be it

13RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
14Commonwealth of Pennsylvania express its collective displeasure
15with care and treatment our veterans have been receiving and
16continue to receive at the United States Department of Veterans
17Affairs facilities; and be it further

18RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives strongly urge the
19President of the United States to take every necessary step to
20honor our country's veterans by keeping faith with those who
21serve because it is a core American value and a cornerstone of
22American patriotism; and be it further

23RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
24the President of the United States.