[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 179 (Monday, November 13, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S16973]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PAYMENT OF VETERANS' BENEFITS

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I was in Amarillo, TX, this weekend 
dedicating a veterans' hospital addition, and I met a couple from 
Friona, TX. He is a disabled veteran. They were concerned about news 
reports they had heard over the weekend that veterans' benefits would 
not be paid if the Government is shut down.
  I am taking to the floor because I want to make sure that the veteran 
from Friona, TX, and every other veteran in this country knows that 
veterans' benefits will be paid December 1 unless this administration 
decides that that is not the priority. I hope this administration will 
not do that.
  Veterans' benefits are a priority. Veterans' benefits are an 
entitlement. Never before have veterans' benefits not been paid when 
there has been a temporary shutdown of Government.
  So I came back to make sure. I talked to the budget committees. I 
talked to the veterans' committees. We consulted the Congressional 
Research Office to see if there was any merit in this alleged 
nonpayment of veterans' benefits, and in fact we were told that they 
had never heard of anything like that. And in fact unless the 
administration made the decision affirmatively to pay welfare 
recipients but not veterans, that in fact veterans would be paid.
  So I wish to take the floor to tell the veterans of this country that 
most certainly they will be paid. There is cash flow to do that 
regardless of whether there is a continuing resolution or if the 
President vetoes the continuing resolution there are funds to pay the 
veterans' benefits, the next ones of which go out December 1. So I 
think it would be highly appropriate if the Veterans Administration 
would reassure the veterans of that because they are getting mixed 
signals.
  In my home State of Texas, some veterans' offices are saying, of 
course, checks are going to go out, and some Veterans Administration 
offices are saying they do not know; that it is up in the air. And then 
there are reports that reporters calling the Veterans Administration 
here are getting the word that they will not go out. So there is 
confusion by the administration on this point. But there is no 
confusion on the part of Congress that veterans' pay is absolutely 
essential, that it is covered, and that the checks will go out December 
1.
  So I hope that the Veterans' Administration will, indeed, clarify 
this so that our veterans are not worried that their payments are of 
lesser stature than those of welfare recipients in this country.
  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.

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