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WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Armed Services Committee, hosted Rio Grande Valley Veterans Alliance members on Tuesday to discuss their joint push for action on Sen. Cornyn’s legislation, S. 1838, to meet inpatient hospital needs of South Texas veterans. “We must continue working together to meet the inpatient health care needs of South Texas veterans,” Sen. Cornyn said. “It is encouraging that the Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding veterans’ care in the region, but we must do more to properly care for veterans who need inpatient care.” On Monday, Sen. Cornyn urged Veterans’ Affairs Committee leadership to act on his important legislation by the end of the year. Sen. Cornyn introduced the South Texas Veterans Access to Care Act of 2007 in July. It is a Senate companion bill to similar legislation introduced in the U.S. House in January by U.S. Reps. Ortiz, Hinojosa, Doggett and Cuellar. Sen. Cornyn has a strong record in the Senate of working to ensure veterans and active-duty military personnel have the care, benefits and treatment they need and deserve. “The Senate has taken steps this year to improve delivery of health care for all military personnel and veterans. But, the shortage of inpatient medical care for South Texas veterans has not been adequately addressed,” Sen. Cornyn said. “Passage of this bill would be a major step toward providing the essential inpatient health care that our South Texas veterans need.” Sen. Cornyn noted that South Texas has one of the highest per capita level of veterans in the nation. The estimated 100,000 veterans in South Texas are sometimes forced to drive up to 250 miles for inpatient medical care. “South Texas veterans answered their nation’s call to serve,” Sen. Cornyn said. “We have a solemn obligation to honor our commitment to them by providing the inpatient care they need and deserve. Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee.