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Caring for our veterans is the duty of a grateful nation. Unfortunately, the Bush administration and congressional Republicans have not lived up to this duty.

During their service, men and women in our Armed Forces live by a common creed, promising never to leave a soldier behind. We should live by the same principle. When our veterans are asked to travel hundreds of miles for care that's offered right next door, we simply aren't living up to that standard, and something has to change.

When I'm president of the United States, we're going to have a VA that cares more about our veterans than about the bureaucrats who work at the VA.

Caring for veterans shouldn't be a partisan issue. It should an American one.

Many of the patients in military and veterans hospitals require long stays, which can place a large financial hardship on families who don't live near the hospital, which is very common.

If our goal is to provide health care to our veterans, why does it need to be in the bricks and mortar of bureaucracy of the VA? Why can't you give them an insurance card and let them go to a health care provider of their choice?

The Veterans Administration is a scandal. It's corrupt, and what's going on is a disgrace. And, believe me, if I win, if I become president, that will end. The veterans will be treated properly.

It shouldn't take an emergency for this Administration to deal with the health care needs of our nation's heroes. Funding the VA and our bringing our troops home safely should never be treated as an afterthought.

One of the key issues all veterans face is making the transition to a civilian career, and for veterans who need extra medical attention, this can be even more difficult.

The most basic obligation we have to our veterans is that we keep the promises that were made to them. That is what makes the recent failures of the Veterans Administration so shameful.