Joliet, IL – On Thursday, Congressional candidate and Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson joined with local veterans to call for a Veterans Administration Hospital to take the place of the soon to be vacated Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet. Also joining Halvorson was U.S House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who spoke about the critical importance of providing our veterans’ health care.

"As a mother whose stepson is currently in harms way as a Special Forces soldier in Afghanistan, and as a legislator with a strong record of making veterans issues a top priority, I strongly support the idea of using Silver Cross's facility here in Joliet to create a new VA hospital for veterans in the region," said Debbie Halvorson.

Currently, veterans in the Joliet region and surrounding counties must drive to the Veterans Administration hospital in Hines, Illinois, or even further to Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago. This is one-way trip of 40 miles from Joliet and 65 miles from Kankakee.

"With over 66,000 veterans in Will, Kankakee, Grundy, LaSalle and Bureau counties, there is certainly enough demand to warrant a VA Hospital," said Debbie Halvorson. "Veterans deserve the best care we can give them, and they shouldn't have to spend hours upon hours traveling to get it. This is an opportunity to keep an important anchor to our community and create a new service for our veterans here in Joliet."

Jim Canup, Commander of the Braidwood American Legion, has been leading a group of veterans and veterans organizations to gain support from local communities to build a VA hospital at the Silver Cross site. Other members of the veterans group calling for the VA hospital include Don Boyer, the 18th District Commander Veterans of Foreign Wars and Eldon Laffoon, the American Legion Will County Commander.

"As veterans, we are proud to have served our nation. But we believe we need better services for our veterans in this region. I think providing better health care to veterans here is the least we can do to ease the pain of many people who spent their lives fighting for our freedom," said Canup. He added, "We need better services closer here to home. To establish a VA hospital in Joliet to replace Silver Cross just makes good sense."

U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) joined with Debbie Halvorson to reinforce the high priority given to veterans by the Democratic Congress.

"The Democratic Congress is committed to seeing our soldiers and veterans get the care they need," said Majority Leader Hoyer. "Last year we included $3.3 billion more than President Bush’s request to bolster veterans' health care. With Debbie Halvorson in the Congress, veterans will have another strong voice that will fight to get them the care they have earned," Hoyer added.