mr. minney and mr. kebbel, we encourage you to make sure that members are aware we have a bill that would provide part of the solution to some of these problems. you offered some good advice, mr. fugate, when asked what you would ask other veterans to do who might be in your situation. you said that working within the va you found to be helpful versus working within the private sector, and i really appreciate your even handed description of care. you talked about providers on the physical and mental side, the great call the care you got once you got insuring despite the unfortunate decision that was made initially. so i really appreciate that. what else -- because besides influencing this committee and the va, i think there's a wider public that is listening to your remarks today. the veteran who is returning from afghanistan today who has sight impairment, what is your advice to that veteran in what would you like them to keep in mind? >> i would hope that they would understand that the va is there for

mr. glenn minney on the hr 1284. the bill introduced by my colleague and ms.brownlee and member of the committee on better into tears and ranking member of the subcommittee on health. this bill will expand the beneficiary travel coverage program for some veterans who are not currently eligible for the beneficiary travel, but who are in need of treatment at one of the blind rehabilitation centers or spinal cord injury locations. we look forward to hearing your testimony, and as a result of being a cosponsor of 1284. we would greatly benefit and become capable of living independently in their own hom homes. however, some of these government are not able to receive these treatments because of high travel costs and an eligibility of the beneficiary travel under the va programs and this is a special problem in my district which is a very large district in arizona and the veterans have to go through three different veterans, hospitals depending on where they live and travel for hundreds of miles. this bill will expand eligibility for the travel so that more veterans