There's been nobody who stays in more communication and listens to veterans more than I do.

The need for this clinic is clear to me to the veterans who are currently forced to travel hours to receive care and even to the Veterans Administration that itself identified creation of a clinic in this part of our state as a priority to be completed by 2006.

We can't equate spending on veterans with spending on defense. Our strength is not just in the size of our defense budget but in the size of our hearts in the size of our gratitude for their sacrifice. And that's not just measured in words or gestures.

I'm pretty upfront about my love and admiration for the military. One of the perks of making movies is that you get to sort of follow your own passions and I believe quite passionately that we don't pay enough attention and respect to our veterans. Not just our wounded veterans but all veterans.

We are telling veterans they must sacrifice to pay for the pet projects and contracts to campaign donors of powerful members of Congress.

The sacrifices made by veterans and their willingness to fight in defense of our nation merit our deep respect and praise - and to the best in benefits and medical care.

America's veterans deserve the very best health care because they've earned it.

In mid-May the House of Representatives approved the full amount of money that the Veterans Administration said was needed for next year - plus an additional $1 billion increase for veterans' health care.

When the Veterans Affairs Department implemented a program to provide home-based health care to veterans with multiple chronic conditions - many of the system's most expensive patients to treat - they received astounding results.

America's Veterans have served their country with the belief that democracy and freedom are ideals to be upheld around the world.

Our nation has kept faith with its veterans. Funding for veterans healthcare and benefits is strong and has increased more than 75 percent in the last decade.

Oklahomans value our children and our seniors. Oklahomans value traditions of faith. Oklahomans value our heroes our veterans. Oklahomans value innovation and the creative arts.

As efforts to fix this failure at the Veterans Administration continue I also intend to persist in demanding answers and action on the establishment of a new clinic to serve the veterans in North Central Washington.

By cutting critical domestic programs such as education health environmental protection and veterans' services this budget reveals misplaced priorities.