[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
          THE AMERICAN LEGION PRESENTS PRIORITIES TO CONGRESS

                                 ______


                      HON. G.V. (SONNY) MONTGOMERY

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 7, 1994

  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, on September 20, William M. Detweiler, 
newly elected national commander of The American Legion, appeared 
before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs 
Committees to present the legislative priorities and membership 
concerns of this essential and extremely active veterans service 
organization. In particular, its views on the future of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, educational benefits 
provided by the Montgomery GI Bill, Veterans employment programs and 
the VA's claims and appeals process.
  I am pleased and proud to share with my colleagues Commander 
Detweiler's eloquent statement as follows:

    Presentation by Legislative Priorities of William M. Detweiler, 
 National Commander The American Legion Before a Joint Hearing of the 
  House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees United States Congress 
                           September 20, 1994

       Messrs. Chairmen and Members of the Veterans Affairs 
     Committees: Thank you for allowing the American Legion the 
     opportunity to present its legislative portfolio for 
     congressional action. Coming before you today is like 
     ``signing to the choir''. Your committees are genuinely 
     ``veteran-friendly''. Each member of these Committees has 
     independently demonstrated a sincere commitment to America's 
     veterans and their families.
       Under the capable leadership of both Chairmen, the voice of 
     the veterans community can be heard in the Halls of Congress. 
     Although we may not always agree on how to best accomplish 
     legislative goals that affect our veterans, the veterans 
     community is fortunate to know that these committees are at 
     least receptive to its comments.
       I would be remiss in not taking this opportunity to say a 
     special ``Thank You'' to those members of these committees 
     that will not be returning for the 104th Congress. Senators 
     Dennis DeConcini and George Mitchell and Representatives Doug 
     Applegate, Don Edwards, Tim Penny, Dr. Roy Rowland, George 
     Sangmeister, Tom Ridge and Jim Slattery have truly been 
     ``champions'' for veterans and their families. The American 
     Legion family salutes you for your service to this great 
     nation and for a job well done. You will be missed, but our 
     hope is that you will continue to advocate the need for 
     proper care of our veterans and their dependents.
       Today, I will outline some of The American Legion's 
     legislative goals for the 104th Congress. There are many 
     challenges ahead for these committees and the veterans 
     community. I specifically refer to the future of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, 
     educational benefits provided by the Montgomery GI 
     Bill, Veterans employment programs and VA's claims and 
     appeals process. There are no ``quick fixes'' or easy 
     solutions to these problems. The real answers are buried 
     in the conscience of a grateful nation and the need for 
     Congress and the administration to responsibly face and 
     work for solutions to these problems.
       Just how grateful are we as a nation? Throughout the decade 
     of the 80s, while VA received meager health care 
     appropriations, the private health care industry experienced 
     sky rocketing financial increases. While VA patients were 
     being placed in categories for services that denied many 
     veterans health care, social health care entitlement programs 
     were growing at an incredible pace. While educational costs 
     soared, the generous educational benefits enjoyed by World 
     War II, Korean and Vietnam veterans came to an end and new 
     veterans educational programs began that required cash 
     contributions for participation and rendered less financial 
     Assistance. While Social Security disability claims are 
     addressed in a matter of months, VA disability Claims take 
     years to resolve. While affirmative action hiring 
     requirements were strengthened, veterans preference hiring 
     and firing requirements were ignored.
       The problems facing the veterans community are not fixed by 
     reducing the number of health care professionals and closing 
     hospital wings based on budgetary constraints. These problems 
     are not fixed by telling veterans, even if they are willing 
     and able to pay, that they make too much money to receive 
     health care that they have earned through service to their 
     country, in the very system that their tax dollars help to 
     support. These problems are not fixed by creating new non-
     military programs for ``paid'' voluteerism with educational, 
     health and child care benefits for community service. We can 
     and must do better than that!
       This nation cheered that returning Desert Storm veterans 
     along the parade routes, gave out medals and mourned those 
     who paid the ultimate sacrifice, yet it took the urging of 
     the America Legion and action by these Committees to get the 
     VA and the Department of Defense to hear the pleas of those 
     veterans experiencing undiagnosed medical problems. Have we 
     not learned from the mistakes of the past? Atomic veterans, 
     mustard gas veterans and Agent Orange veterans can easily 
     identify with the obstacles faced by the newest generation of 
     combat veterans.
       As a nation, we gasped in horror as the body of a young 
     soldier was dragged down a dusty road in a village of 
     Somalia. Shiny new medals, a flag draped casket and a 
     military funeral do not meet the obligations this nation owes 
     to that hero and his family. Abraham Lincoln's statement on 
     the responsibility of this nation, ``To care for him who has 
     borne the battle, his widow and his orphan'' is an ethical, 
     moral and legal obligation.
       Throughout military history, there are accounts of 
     soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen risking their lives in 
     service of their country and their comrades. It is this bond 
     that every veteran experiences that justifies this testimony 
     today. The American Legion just celebrated its 75th 
     anniversary. The principles establishing on which this 
     organization was established have not changed in 75 years. 
     The legislative mandates that I am about to discuss with you 
     are not only for the benefit of veterans and their families, 
     but inure to the benefit of all Americans.
       I submit to you that the Department of Veterans Affairs can 
     meet the needs of veterans and their families with proper 
     funding and a few changes in delivery of those benefits. The 
     Veterans Health Administration desperately needs to change 
     its medical delivery system to meet the demands for service. 
     To accomplish these, several congressional mandates must 
     occur:
       (1) VA must have a guaranteed funding source to meet the 
     costs of delivering health care to those entitled to 
     treatment. The full continuum of health care services for 
     service-connected veterans and indigent veterans must not be 
     curtailed due to discretionary funding shortfalls.
       (2) All veterans should have access to VA health care, 
     regardless of their economic status. Those not entitled to 
     treatment should still be eligible for health care. Third 
     party reimbursement must be retained by the VA medical center 
     at which the veteran received treatment for reinvestment in 
     personnel and equipment. Medicare reimbursement for treatment 
     of eligible, nonservice-connected veterans must be 
     authorized.
       (3) The current specialized care programs, such as, 
     rehabilitation, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, 
     blindness, aging, mental health and long-term care must 
     continue to be provided by VA professionals.
       (4) The current medical and prosthetics resource, medical 
     educational affiliations and role as a back-up to the 
     Department of Defense medical system must be retained.
       (5) Funding must be made available to eliminate the medical 
     equipment backlog and completion of the nonrecurring 
     maintenance projects that directly limit delivery of health 
     care services.
       These bold changes would empower Secretary Jesse Brown to 
     fulfill the administration's promises made to the veterans 
     community concerning health care reform within the VA. 
     Veterans across America are waiting for these changes.
       In order to maintain current services within the VA, the 
     American Legion has clearly addressed in its written 
     statement the funding recommendations for fiscal year 1996. 
     The request for funding $19.6 billion in medical care would 
     allow the start of some of the health care reform initiatives 
     I have just addressed. The others will require changes in 
     public laws.
       The American Legion has recently published An American 
     Legion Proposal to Improve the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Claims and Appeals Process. This proposal contains a series 
     of recommendations that are critical to resolving the current 
     claims and appeals crisis. Your offices have been provided 
     with copies of this proposal and additional copies of this 
     proposal can be obtained through a call to our Washington 
     Headquarters.
       The American Legion commends your committees for your 
     efforts on behalf of Persian Gulf veterans with undiagnosed 
     medical problems. Hearings held by these committees and 
     legislation generated by you have helped these veterans 
     receive the medical attention they needed and deserved. Just 
     a footnote, the Legion is now being contacted by Persian Gulf 
     veterans from Canada and England that are experiencing 
     similar medical problems to those experienced by our 
     veterans.
       Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency released a 
     reassessment of dioxin report. The study reaffirms the 
     association of dioxin and cancer. The American Legion 
     believes that Secretary Jesse Brown and Congress should now 
     take the necessary steps to add immune system disorders, 
     diabetes, and disease affecting the reproductive health of 
     female Vietnam veterans to the list of service-connected 
     diseases. We believe that the cumulative body of scientific 
     evidence is sufficient to establish an association.
       I would also like to take this opportunity to thank those 
     Members of the Committees who have encouraged and supported 
     The American Legion in its efforts on behalf of the nation's 
     World War II veterans, during the recent controversy arising 
     out of the National Air and Space Museum's planned exhibit: 
     ``The Last Act: The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War 
     II''.
       The exhibit remains, in our opinion, seriously flawed and 
     contrary to the interest of the Nation, as well as the 
     interest of all veterans. Nevertheless, we have agreed to 
     delay our final judgment pending additional discussions and 
     script reviews to be held in conference with National Air and 
     Space Museum officials. I am to meet with them tomorrow at 9 
     am, and I sincerely hope that out of our discussion will come 
     an historically accurate exhibit that all Americans can be 
     proud of.
       In conclusion, the American people, especially those who 
     are serving on active duty, those who have served and those 
     who will choose to serve must be reassured that the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs will be available to assist 
     veterans and their families. Whether they need health care, 
     educational assistance, rehabilitation, prosthetic devices or 
     compensation, VA is their government agency. No veteran will 
     ever be denied benefits or services to which they are 
     entitled or eligible to receive.
       In short, the obligation of our Nation to provide benefits 
     to our veterans is based in contract. To improperly fund and 
     fail to provide the benefits that our veterans have earned by 
     virtue of their contractual service to this country amounts 
     to failure on the part of this Nation to meet its obligation 
     under that contract. The system is not perfect, but together 
     we can make it the best that it can be.
       Thank you again, Messrs. Chairmen and members of these 
     committees, for the chance to come before you today, and that 
     concludes my presentation. I will be happy to answer any 
     questions at this time. Thank you.

                          ____________________