I was in a very deep state of shock after that. I had raised my horse since he was six months old and he was more like a child to me, so I took it very hard. They never caught who did it and the stable did a great job of covering facts up so it couldn't be proved that it was the direct result of the article, but the coincidence was striking.

As a strong supporter of our 2nd Amendment rights, I believe tougher enforcement of our nation's existing gun laws must be done before any more laws are enacted and put on the books.

I have always been a firm believer in the longstanding American principle of having the right to bear arms and I will remain committed to see that this freedom is not infringed upon, revoked, or limited in any way

I think the choice option is critical to give the veteran an opportunity, if they choose to do so, to opt out. We have done that in this particular piece of legislation for those that have been waiting in line, and particularly for those that live 40 miles or more from a VA facility.

I think one of the first steps - and I'm glad we were able to reach, again, a bipartisan agreement - is an accountability side. People are still shocked to find out that many of the same people that have been involved in really lying about the numbers in regards to wait time are still on the job. What we have done is we have come up with a crafted piece of bipartisanship that will, in fact, give the secretary the ability to fire those that have lied to him with an appeal process built in. I think that that will send a clear message to those who want to fudge the numbers.

With a nation at war against terrorism and our men and women on the front line defending our homeland from abroad, resources need to be prioritized and allocated properly.

The willingness of America's veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.