Denver, CO - So far, more than 26,500 of America's brave men and women in uniform, including 440 from here in Colorado, have been wounded on the battlefields of Iraq. Today, Democrats like Sen. Ken Salazar took a strong step toward improving the care they receive by passing legislation to cut red tape, provide $50 million to improve diagnosis of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, boost severance pay for wounded soldiers, and close the gap between military and veteran's health care benefits.

The vote comes on the same day President Bush received recommendations from the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors on how to correct the problems on President Bush's watch that produced dreadful conditions at the facilities treating wounded soldiers returning from Iraq. Today's vote in the Senate follows the vote earlier this year in the Democratic-controlled Congress to pass the largest increase in veterans' health care funding in our nation's history. By contrast, Republicans like Wayne Allard have rubberstamped President Bush's failed leadership and misplaced priorities, even as the Bush Republicans have consistently underfunded the Veterans Administration and included a two percent cut in his 2008 budget proposal.

"As the wife and sister of Vietnam veterans and the aunt of an Iraqi war veteran, I have been horrified, along with the rest of America, at the poor quality of care and the abysmal conditions confronting America's wounded heroes and our veterans and military families," said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak. "After the dreadful conditions at too many of our nation's military and veterans medical centers was revealed, Democrats took real steps to fix the problem and passed the largest increase in veterans' health care funding in history. The time has come for Republicans to join us in standing up for our brave men and women in uniform and their families."

The following is a summary of the issues confronted by the Wounded Warriors bill passed by the Senate today:

* The substandard facilities at Walter Reed and other military hospitals;

* The lack of seamless transition when medical care for troops is transferred from the Department of Defense to the Veterans Administration, which often leads to diminished care;

* The inadequacy of severance pay to help those who have sacrificed so much already support their families while they recover;

* The need to improve sharing of medical records between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs;

* The inadequate care and treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by authorizing $50 million for improved diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation; and

* The challenges facing wounded troops whose health insurance programs, like the Tricare program for retired veterans, have allowed gaps in coverage and medical treatment.