Our greatest privilege and responsibility as leaders of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs is to provide our veterans with a system that cares for their wounds and ensures that they have an opportunity to succeed.

America's veterans embody the ideals upon which America was founded more than 229 years ago.

More than 48 million men and women have served America well and faithfully in military uniform.

Because all of us believe and understand in the fabric of the common bond of why we call ourselves American is to care for the men and women who wear the uniform; and when they take off the uniform, we care for them when they are veterans.

The nation's obligation to her defenders is as old as that defense itself.

Since the Revolution, eight generations of America's veterans have established an unbroken commitment to freedom.

The men and women of today's VA are dedicated to caring for today's veterans and stand ready to provide for our servicemembers who now defend our freedoms and our way of life.