House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy: we honor the sacrifice of our veterans but our government lets them down

 House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy submits this note to recognize Veteran's Day.

 "Every November 11th, our great nation thanks those who have served in our Armed Forces and reflects upon the sacrifice of that service. In times of great crisis and need, willing citizens have answered the call to shoulder the burdens of conflict and war for the preservation of peace.

Those we honor today have faced dangers most of us cannot comprehend. Separated from family and friends, they were sent to every corner of the earth to fight for America and its principles. And they have continually demonstrated a heroism that is both unique and has been a defining aspect of our Armed Forces since the birth of our Republic.

 "Communities throughout the country often reflect upon this time through experiences with family and friends. For us, we remember and celebrate the meaning of Veterans Day together honoring our brave veterans that call our community home. The blessings of living and working with the finest men and women our nation has to offer cannot be understated.

  "Unfortunately, this year our nation discovered just how far short our government has fallen in caring for our veterans. The scandal of secret waiting lists and an unprecedented amount of backlogged disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs was shameful and an indignity to our veterans. While this scandal broke onto the front pages of national papers and evening news-casts the past few months, the troubles, inadequacies, and failures of the VA have been a source of frustration to our veterans for many years now.

  "Since I came into Congress, I have focused my efforts on reviewing and auditing the VA and implementing real changes that help our veterans. Finally, just a few short months ago we were able to enact change that begins a fundamental reform of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Our duty is to make sure that scandals like this never happen again. The reforms that we passed in Congress and signed into law are a promising first step to making an efficient VA happen, and more must be done. I am committed to building on these reforms to guarantee our veterans see the highest quality of care that they were promised and deserve.

 "We are grateful and thankful to our veterans on this day, but we should thank them each and every day for the great blessings of liberty and human dignity we enjoy and that have been preserved by their efforts. May our veterans always enjoy the peace and freedom they fought to protect and preserve, and may our country never cease to honor them.