Dearborn, MI - Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) took an extensive tour of the facilities at the John D. Dingell Veterans' Medical Center in Detroit on Friday, March 16 and the Ann Arbor Veterans' Hospital this afternoon, Saturday, March 17. The Congressman made these remarks following the two fact-finding tours:

"I spent Friday and Saturday touring the Detroit and Ann Arbor VA hospitals and meeting with patients and families, staff, representatives of veterans' organizations and hospital administrators as a part of an ongoing concern about veterans' hospitals and the care given to our veterans. Complaints about treatment of service personal at Walter Reed is a matter of special concern and I want to make sure that the situation at Walter Reed is not being replicated in the two fine hospitals in Southeast Michigan.

"I invited representatives of national veterans' organizations to go with me on the inspection of the two hospitals and they were very positive in commending the staffs of the hospitals for good care to our veterans. In my presence at both hospitals, I received very few complaints from patients, their families or veterans present, including the representatives from the veterans groups who were there with me. The complaints I did receive were largely a consequence of the VA budget shortfall. The staffs at both hospitals are committed to patient care and are working very hard and I intend to see to it that they have the resources to carry out their responsibilities in full to our veterans.

"My office and I will continue to monitor the treatment of these and other veterans' facilities and solicit the view of local veterans on the care they receive. I encourage local veterans to contact my office if there are concerns over patient care at the local facilities. I want to ensure the best possible care for our veterans to ensure that military personal who have served their country are given adequate and proper care in their time of need. I will continue my efforts to see that there is adequate funding for these essential programs."

On the issue of funding to the VA, Congressman Dingell remarked:

"The Congress compelled the Administration to spend a one and a half billion dollars more on veterans care last year to eliminate a serious shortfall in budget for veterans care. This year, the President's budget includes slight increases for appropriated veterans programs in FY 2008, but then it cuts veterans funding in the next five years after that. That is unacceptable and would lead to more problems like those at Walter Reed and longer wait times for our veterans seeking care. I will fight in Congress to increase VA funding so that our nation's heroes receive the first-rate care that they have earned and deserve."

Congressman Dingell urges local veterans who receive care at the Detroit and Ann Arbor VA facilities to contact his office if they have problems with patient care. The Congressman has three metro Detroit offices where constituents can contact his office for more information or for help on a VA issue. All constituents seeking assistance from Congressman Dingell must fill out a privacy release form which can be obtained by calling an office or on the web at www.house.gov/dingell.

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