[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 49 (Thursday, March 16, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E620-E621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL DISASTER 
            ASSISTANCE AND RESCISSIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995

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                               speech of

                         HON. Y. TIM HUTCHINSON

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 15, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1158) making 
     emergency supplemental appropriations for additional disaster 
     assistance and making rescissions for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 1995, and for other purposes:

  Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the 
amendment offered by our distinguished chairman of the Veterans' 
Affairs and Rules Committees to reinstate funding for six needed VA 
outpatient clinics, along with funds to help defray the VA's backlog of 
essential medical equipment purchases.
  For years, Chairman Stump has been working diligently to reform VA's 
current eligibility system. Part of that approach, which has the strong 
backing of the VA and veterans' service organizations, is to place a 
priority on outpatient care. Too many veterans are eligible for care 
only on an inpatient basis, when their ailment may only require 
outpatient care. This must change, and we have been taking positive 
steps to see that VA outpatient services become the wave of the future. 
Financially, it makes sense to shift to outpatient care, just as the 
private sector is now doing. It is clear that these funds must be 
restored.
  In order to offset the cost of these projects, money will be taken 
from AmeriCorps. Two years ago, when we debated the merits of the 
AmeriCorps Program, I stood in this well in strong support of another 
Stump amendment, this one to set the educational benefits of the 
[[Page E621]] program at 80 percent of what is offered under the 
Montgomery GI bill. I believed that if the national service plan 
offered benefits equal to or in excess of the GI bill, military 
recruitment would suffer.
  Well, the amendment failed and military recruitment has indeed been 
hurt. Last year, for example, the Marine Corps missed its recruitment 
goal for the first time since before 1980. I believe that can be 
directly tied to AmeriCorps.
  AmeriCorps targets the same population group as the armed services, 
yet it offers education benefits at no charge, a well-paid Government 
job, and no danger of being placed in a combat situation.
  I think many young Americans are choosing paid volunteer work over 
the military, and that is a shame.
  We have an opportunity to rectify this situation by taking funds from 
this unneeded program and redirecting them to those who truly need and 
deserve this money, our Nation's veterans.
  I urge all my colleagues to support the Stump-Solomon amendment and 
yield back the balance of my time.


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