[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H9905-H9906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 3950, THE G.I. BILL OF HEALTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maine [Mr. Longley] is recognized for 5 minutes.

[[Page H9906]]

  Mr. LONGLEY. Mr. Speaker, today is a very significant date. August 2, 
1991, was the day Mr. Hussein and the Iraqi Army invaded the city of 
Kuwait. That was just 6 years ago. At the same time in 1965, August 2 
was the date of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution.
  I mention that because as a Persian Gulf veteran I certainly can 
appreciate the significance of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, and as a 
veteran, I can appreciate the sacrifice that resulted from that 
resolution back in the 1960's. I also can respect the sacrifice that 
many other veterans have made, not just in Vietnam or Desert Storm, but 
also Korea, World War II, and many of the other various and sundry 
conflicts in which American troops have been engaged.
  One message that is very clear to those who have served in the 
military is that you come to understand that there is a form of a 
compact between the veteran and your country: That you serve your 
country, and then in exchange, your country is going to take care of 
you and provide for your family in the event that you need that care, 
particularly as a result of your service. When you are on active duty 
in the U.S. Armed Forces, Uncle Sam provides health care for you and 
for your family. If you are no longer a member of the Armed Services 
since the 1930's, the Government has met its health care obligation to 
disabled and poor veterans through the Veterans Administration health 
care system.
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the VA health care system is not 
functioning in quite the manner it should. There are questions today as 
to whether it is receiving adequate funding. There are other questions 
that relate to whether in fact it is adequately structured to meet the 
needs of today's veterans as we move into the 21st century. It is 
interesting to note that eligibility rules are so strict that most of 
our Nation's 26 million veterans do not have access to the VA system. 
In fact, a suggestion has been made that in many cases the rules are so 
strict and complicated that much more time, energy, and resources are 
devoted to the complex question of sorting out whether or not a veteran 
is qualified for care, perhaps more funds than would have been 
necessary to provide the care itself. That is a significant issue for 
today's veterans.

  If you are a military retiree and the nearby base hospital closes, 
too bad. If you are just returning from Bosnia and you and your family 
need health care while you search for a job, again, you are not able to 
use the VA system. If you are a veteran who thinks the VA hospital 
should be open to you, guess again: Exclusions, restrictions, barriers, 
limitations; confusion, complexity. It has become absurd.
  The system in many cases is failing to serve the veterans it was 
designed to care for and those who sacrificed for their country. Today 
I introduced a bold new idea, a new way of thinking about VA health 
care delivery. I think it is the potential solution to the VA health 
care crisis. It is called the GI Bill of Health, H.R. 3950, and it 
presents a vision for change in how health care should be provided to 
veterans.
  The measure seeks to authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
receive third-party health insurance reimbursements, as well as to 
incorporate innovative managed care principles to provide for increased 
medical care options for veterans and their dependents. It attempts to 
build on what I think are significant increases in funding for the VA.
  I might note for the record that in 1995 total funding for VA medical 
care was in the vicinity of $16.1 billion. In the 1996 budget we 
provided an increase of over $400 million for VA medical care, and just 
in the most recent budget we approved for the Veterans Administration, 
another $500 million increase in the provisions for VA medical care, or 
well over $1 billion, excuse me, almost $1 billion in increased annual 
medical care funding. Yet, as I look at the veterans hospital in my 
district, the Togus Veterans Hospital, located in Togus, ME, just 
outside of Augusta, and when I sit in Washington I see two different 
perspectives. When I look at what we are doing for VA medical care here 
in Washington, and I see an increase of almost $1 billion in annualized 
funding for VA medical care, it does not jive with the cuts and threats 
of cuts and cutbacks and loss of essential services that are being 
discussed and potential layoffs of key personnel that are being 
discussed back at the hospital in my own district.
  Clearly, something is amiss. I have a feeling that the something that 
is amiss is that the system is not being as responsive to the needs of 
veterans on the receiving end of medical care as it needs to be. But I 
think, building on what we have attempted to do for funding for VA 
medical care, as well as two recent pieces of legislation, one that 
passed, both that passed within the last 2 weeks, first H.R. 3118, the 
Veterans Health Care Eligibility Reform Act and the Health Care 
Coverage Availability and Affordability Act which we passed just 
yesterday, each provides an opportunity to increase the access to 
veterans by creating a seamless medical care system that will serve all 
of our veterans in the context of what we are doing in our health care 
system.

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