“We must never forget the sacrifices our veterans made to this nation, and we must never forget the promises we made to them.”

A former member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs (VA), Senator Ensign has been a strong and consistent voice on behalf of veterans. Although he is a fiscal conservative, his record of voting in favor of veteran funding increases for health care and benefits is a testament to his commitment to our nation’s heroes.

Senator Ensign worked closely with former VA Secretary Principi to establish a long-needed VA hospital in Las Vegas, home to the fastest growing veterans population. On October 20, 2006, current VA Secretary Jim Nicholson, Senator Ensign, and the other members of the Nevada congressional delegation broke ground on this state-of-the-art, full-service medical facility. The complex will include an outpatient clinic, 90-bed hospital, and 120-bed long-term-care facility. A top priority for the Bush administration, site preparation is well underway and Senator Ensign is closely monitoring the progress. Construction is expected to be completed in 2011.

Another focus for Senator Ensign has been to bring more funds for veterans to Nevada. An amendment he authored will improve services to Nevada’s veterans by requiring the VA to take rapid population growth into consideration when deciding where hospitals and medical facilities will be built and improved. Senator Ensign argued that, if the needs of our veterans are going to be adequately met, the federal government must account for the population boom in Nevada’s veterans’ community.