Bond Addresses 100th VFW National Convention in Kansas City

Senator Kit Bond joined President Bush at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Convention in Kansas City August 22nd. Bond welcomed the VFW to Missouri and focused on the War in Iraq, veteran's health care, unemployment and homelessness.

"While our enemies may change, one thing that will never change is America's reliance on her servicemen and women," said Bond. On this day and every day, I say a prayer of thanks that there are men and women like you who are willing to sacrifice all for your country."

During the address, Bond stressed that Iraq is the central front in the War on Terror. Bond was in Iraq in May and saw first-hand signs of progress. U.S. and Iraq forces are successfully fighting Al-Qaeda in Iraq, particularly in once-terrorist strongholds like Ramadi. Bond expressed disappointment that some in Congress are so vested politically in defeat they are unwilling to give General Petraeus' counterinsurgency plan a chance to succeed, despite positive reports from the ground.

While the new counterinsurgency strategy has shown progress, the surge has put a tremendous strain on U.S. troops and equipment, Bond pointed out. Life-saving equipment, like humvees and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPS) are needed to protect our troops from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Unfortunately, critical equipment is not getting to our troops in the field quickly enough. Bond joined Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) to urge Secretary of Defense Bob Gates to resolve these unconscionable bureaucratic delays.

Congress must also ensure those veteran troops returning home receive the best care and treatment.

The military mental health system is under-funded, understaffed, and difficult to navigate. Bond has joined several other Senators to help troops suffering from "invisible" but debilitating injuries, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Bond was an original cosponsor of the Senate-passed Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, which will improve the way we diagnose, treat and rehabilitate soldiers who return from combat with these injuries. The Senator told the VFW he is also working to end the Pentagon's abuse of Personality Disorder Discharges for troops who may be suffering from PTSD, which often results in the loss of benefits.

Bond also discussed efforts he supports to assist veterans in finding jobs and housing, such as the Hire a Hero Act and the Veterans Affairs Supported Housing program.


Bond Outlines Proposal to Improve Children's Vision Care

Senator Kit Bond recently visited the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI) in Kansas City, and the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club (HHBGC) in St. Louis to discuss the Vision Care for Kids Act of 2007. The bill combats undiagnosed and untreated vision problems in school-aged children.

"Good vision is fundamental to learning," said Bond. "We must improve vision care for children to equip them to succeed in school and in life."

In April, Senator Bond introduced the Vision Care for Kids Act of 2007 with Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT). The bill ensures that children in the U.S. get the vital vision care that they need to succeed in school. It also establishes a grant program to complement and encourage existing state efforts to improve children' s vision care and educate parents, teachers and health care professionals about healthy vision.

Undiagnosed and untreated vision problems for children are serious issues, stressed Bond. He explained that good vision is critical to learning and helping in kids succeed in school. Bond also cited that he has a personal connection to children suffering from vision problems because he still suffers from permanent vision loss in one eye as a result of undiagnosed amblyopia in his childhood.

According to a report, 80 percent of what children learn in their early school years is visual. This is critical to the fact that while vision disorders are considered the fourth most common disability in the United States, two-thirds of all children entering school have never received a vision test. For the one-third of children who do receive a vision test, approximately 40-67 percent who fail the test do not receive the recommended follow-up care.

During the news conferences, representatives from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Missouri Optometric Association, and the Vision Council of America also expressed their support and the importance of the Vision Care Bill.


Bond Votes to Kill Senate "Amnesty" Bill

Senator Helps Defeat Flawed Immigration Bill

U.S. Senator Kit Bond issued the following statement on his vote to kill the immigration bill during recent Senate debate:

"Today I voted to kill this fundamentally-flawed amnesty bill. We need to do more to secure our borders, but we cannot be held hostage by those who want amnesty for illegal aliens.

"I support cutting the flow of illegal immigration with more border barriers, detention facilities and enforcement agents, but I deeply oppose rewarding those who illegally entered or stayed in our country with a path to citizenship or new guaranteed federal entitlement benefits.

"This bill would legalize illegal immigrants who broke our laws and flaunted our rules. Unfortunately, my attempts to strike that legalization and cut their path to citizenship failed.

"Additionally, many people did not realize that the 12 million illegal immigrants legalized in this bill would eventually qualify for Medicare, Social Security and other entitlements.

"The amnesty provisions and the $20 billion in new unfunded mandatory entitlement spending for illegal immigrants doomed this bill, and I was proud to oppose it."

The Senate failed 46-53 to invoke cloture on the motion to end debate on the immigration bill June 28th. 60 votes were required to end debate and move the bill to a vote on final passage. This failure essentially forced the bill managers to withdraw the bill, ending any hopes for its passage this Congress. Senator Bond joined those who opposed ending debate and thereby supported killing the bill.


Bond Visits Cardinal Glennon Poison Control Center

Center Vital to Protecting Children, Families and Seniors

U.S. Senator Kit Bond joined local health advocates in St. Louis at Cardinal Glennon's Poison Control Center to highlight the importance of national poison centers. Bond has led the fight in the Senate to restore federal funding for these life-saving centers.

"Cardinal Glennon is one of our top-notch facilities here in Missouri, and I am proud to be associated with all of you," said Bond. "Now we are joining forces to fight another problem - poisoning."

Bond praised Cardinal Glennon for their commitment to improving the health and safety of Missourians, including their work with the Poison Control Center. Cardinal Glennon provides the entire state with a poison control service - the Missouri Regional Poison Center - that is free to the public, available 24-hours a day, and staffed by nurses, doctors, and pharmacists who know what to do. Last year the Center handled more than 143,000 calls.

Poisoning is a common form of unintentional death in the United States. Each year, between 2 and 4 million people are exposed to poison and 13,000 of those die. Most of these are children under the age of six. Also, there is an increasing numbers of poisoning cases among senior citizens. These cases demonstrate the importance of establishing poison control centers across the country where anyone can call for information and rapid response.

Department of Health and Human Services' studies show that every $1 spent on poison control centers saves $7 in public health care costs. According the American Association of Poison Control Centers, more than 2.5 million people nationwide called a poison center for help during 2006. Seventy percent of these cases were managed safely at home, once people had the information they needed, which is much less expensive than a trip to the emergency room.

In 2003 Congress passed and the President signed a law designed to provide a stable source of funding for poison control centers nationwide. Every state in the country receives an allocation of these federal funds for the poison center that serves it. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Bond is working for full funding for the nation's poison control centers.

The Senator told the local health advocates that for full funding of poison control centers across the nation, $30 million is needed. Since the President's budget only provides $10 million, Congress is making up the difference. Bond, who led the funding fight in the Senate, announced that his colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee are providing $23 million to fund these centers through the next year. These funds have passed the full Senate Appropriations Committee, but now must pass the full Senate and be reconciled with the House of Representatives before being signed into law.

Families can contact the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 24-hours a day to talk to a health care professional.


Senators Bond and Levin Tout New Ford Hybrid

Senators Kit Bond (R-MO) and Carl Levin (D-MI) joined Ford Motor Company to tout the importance of American home-grown alternatives to gasoline and the Ford Escape E85, the world's first full-electric hybrid vehicle capable of operating on an 85 percent ethanol blend.

"Every gallon of biofuels grown in the Midwest means a gallon of oil we do not need to import from the dangerous Middle East," said Bond. "We can and should do more to reduce pollution from vehicles. Ford is showing its leadership in clean and efficient vehicles with a first-ever hybrid SUV that will also run on biofuels."

Bond and Levin have a long history of working together on vehicle fuel efficiency standards. Both Senators recognize the importance saving fuel and reducing pollution from vehicles. They also recognize the vital role that hundreds of thousands of hard-working auto manufacturing workers play in supporting their families and their State's economies. Missouri is a leader in producing both ethanol and biodiesel biofuels and Michigan is home to many of America's automobile makers.


Bond Joins Launch of "Double-Duty Dad" Program

Senator Kit Bond joined Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), President Roland Warren of the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI), Alma Powell of America's Promise, Ted Leonisis of AOL LLC and other NFI affiliates to launch the Double Duty Dad Initiative, a new national mentoring program designed by NFI.

"Not all children have the luxury of strong parental involvement," said Bond. "Bringing dads together increases our sense of community and bolsters our confidence in our role as engaged fathers. That is why I encourage all dads to reach out and help a child in need."

During the program launch and press conference, Bond touted the Double Duty Dad initiative, the new program which will motivate and equip fathers to look within their own local communities and help children in need of a father's care. The program aims to work with established mentoring organizations such as America's Promise to help children across America.

24 million American children, nearly 34 percent of all American children, now live in a home without their biological father. While many of them have contact with their fathers, or live with a step-father, many others have no one to act as a father in their lives. According to the Family Strengthening Policy Center, one in 3 children of all incomes had no contact with their non-residential father last year.

Bond first became aware of the importance of good parenting while serving as Governor of Missouri. His son, Sam Bond, was born during his governorship. During that time, Bond took advantage of the then brand new home-visitation program known as Parents as Teachers. The Senator often proudly states that his son Sam - now 26 - was one of the first babies to benefit from the Parents as Teachers program in Missouri.

Bond has continued his commitment to parental involvement and home visitation in Congress through a collaborative effort with Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY). The two reintroduced the bi-partisan Education Begins at Home Act this year. The bill makes a federal investment in parents by establishing the first, dedicated federal funding stream to support the expansion of Parents As Teachers at the state and local level.