[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 102 (Thursday, July 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7710-S7711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL (for himself, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Domenici, and Mr. 
        Hatch):

  S. 1027. A bill to extend the native American veteran direct housing 
loan pilot program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs.


     NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS HOUSING LOAN IMPROVEMENTS LEGISLATION

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I am pleased today to introduce 
legislation to extend and improve the native American veteran direct 
loan pilot program. I am pleased to add Senators Johnson, Domenici, and 
Hatch as cosponsors of this legislation.
  America's most important resource has always been the individuals 
willing to lay down their lives for their country. Throughout our 
history we have been blessed with men and women willing to put 
themselves at risk for the greater good.
  Native Americans have been proud to be a part of this Nation's 
defense. From the revolutionary era to our ongoing peacekeeping 
missions around the globe, native Americans have served and continue to 
serve the United States honorably. It may surprise some members to know 
that native Americans served, suffered, and died in service to this 
Nation even though they were not allowed to be citizens until 1924.
  As a veteran I feel a special kinship with all those men and women 
who served this Nation in peacetime and in war. As an Indian veteran I 
am keenly aware of the dedicated service Indians, Alaskans, and 
Hawaiians have given--often without recognition of their sacrifice.
  How can we compensate these men and women for making the greatest 
sacrifice they could? There is no dollar value we can place on a life. 
At the very least, we must provide the basic benefits of health care, 
housing, and education to those that laid down their lives for America.
  Since 1992, the Department of Veterans Affairs has operated a direct 
housing loan program to help native America veterans build decent 
homes. I was amazed to find out that in the last 5 years, that program 
had provided eight Indian veterans with loans.
  That is not an indication that all Indian veterans have no housing 
needs. During a hearing on veterans issues, members of the Indian 
Affairs Committee saw videotape of the houses used by Navajo veterans. 
They looked like something you would see in a Third World nation, not 
America. Houses had holes in their roofs and walls and plastic sheets 
for windows. Many houses do not have working plumbing and water has to 
be carried from miles away. This is certainly not the appreciation and 
respect war veterans deserve.
  Native Americans seeking home loans face many obstacles unique to 
Indian country, including poor economic conditions and the fact that 
the land cannot be used as collateral. But the most surprising 
revelation at the committee's hearing was that the majority of Indian 
veterans seem to have little or no knowledge that the VA's direct loan 
program exists. If they do, many do not know how or where to apply. The 
Government has no problem finding these men and women when it is time 
to draft them to fight in a war. But when it is time to pay them back 
for their sacrifice, the effort just is not there.
  That is why the bill I introduce today does more than extend the 
direct loan program for 3 years. It includes measures to boost the 
Department of Veterans Affairs' efforts to implement the direct loan 
program for native American veterans. The bill places new requirements 
on the Department to consult with tribal organizations, native veterans 
organizations, and other groups prior to making decisions under the 
act. It also expresses Congress's desire that the Department carry out 
vigorous outreach and education efforts to inform potential 
beneficiaries of the housing assistance benefits under the

[[Page S7711]]

act. The bill requires the Department to submit annual reports to the 
Committee on Indian Affairs, the House Resources Committee, and the 
Veterans' Committees of both Chambers containing a description of the 
outreach activities undertaken by the VA on a regional basis, with a 
second mandate that the VA conduct an assessment of how effective these 
efforts have been in encouraging greater use of the loan program.
  We must honor the service and sacrifice of our warriors. We must 
recognize the sacrifice they have made for all of us. The direct loan 
program is an ambitious idea designed to help our veterans with the 
most basic human need: a roof over their heads. It should not sit 
unused because of bureaucratic complacency. It is my hope that this 
reauthorization, with the appropriate changes, will jumpstart the 
Department's efforts to make the program available to native veterans 
and help them use it. I believe it is the least we can do. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this critical legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill and 
a section-by-section analysis be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1027

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Native Americans across the United States have a long, 
     proud, and distinguished tradition of service in the Armed 
     Forces of the United States.
       (2) Native Americans have historically served in the Armed 
     Forces in numbers which far exceed their representation in 
     the population of the United States.
       (3) Native Americans have lost their lives in the service 
     of the United States and in the cause of peace.
       (4) The demand for safe, decent, and affordable housing 
     among the 210,000 Native American veterans in the United 
     States is acute.
       (5) Native American veterans face unique impediments to the 
     use of traditional housing programs to benefit veterans such 
     as poor economic conditions, the legal status of Indian trust 
     lands, and the lack of incentives for lenders to make loans 
     on trust lands.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF DIRECT HOUSING LOAN PILOT PROGRAM.

       Section 3761(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
     by striking out ``September 30, 1997'' and inserting in lieu 
     thereof ``September 30, 2000''.

     SEC. 3. OUTREACH.

       Section 3762(i) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) by inserting ``, in consultation with tribal 
     organizations and Native American veterans organizations,'' 
     after ``The Secretary shall''; and
       (2) by striking out ``tribal organizations and''.

     SEC. 4. CONSULTATION WITH NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS 
                   ORGANIZATIONS.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall consult with Native 
     American veterans organizations in carrying out the Native 
     American veterans direct housing loan program under 
     subchapter V of chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. ANNUAL REPORTS.

       Section 8(d) of the Veterans Home Loan Program Amendments 
     of 1992 (Public Law 102-547; 106 Stat. 3640; 38 U.S.C. 3761 
     note) is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
       (A) by striking out ``1998,'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
     ``2001,''; and
       (B) by inserting ``, the Committee on Indian Affairs of the 
     Senate, and the Committee on Resources of the House of 
     Representatives'' after ``the House of Representatives'';
       (2) by striking out ``and'' at the end of paragraph (3);
       (3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
       (4) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new 
     paragraph (4):
       ``(4) a description of the outreach activities undertaken 
     by the Secretary under section 3762(i) of such title (as so 
     added) which--
       ``(A) specifies such activities on a region-by-region 
     basis; and
       ``(B) assesses the effectiveness of such activities in 
     encouraging the participation of Native American veterans in 
     the pilot program; and''.
                                                                    ____


Veterans Direct Housing Loan Pilot Program--Section-by-Section Analysis

       Background. Begun in 1992, the Native American Veterans 
     Housing Program is due to be reauthorized. The account 
     retains some $3.5 million of an original $5 million 
     appropriation. Since 1992, the performance of the Veterans 
     Administration in distributing this money to Indians is poor, 
     especially compared with the experience of the Native 
     Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. The goal of the amendments 
     is to get the VA to do its job better in Indian country. The 
     reasons adduced by the VA for the poor performance are not 
     convincing.
       Section 1. New Findings Section. This section recognizes 
     Indians' long and historic contributions made to the Armed 
     Forces and defense of the United States. This section also 
     recognizes the acute need for housing among the more than 
     200,000 native veterans, and the unique impediments native 
     veterans face due to poor economic conditions on the 
     reservation, and the inability to securitize Indian trust 
     lands.
       Section 2. Extension of Program. The bill would extend the 
     authority for the program for 3 years, to September 30, 2000.
       Section 3. Outreach. Most of the discernible problems in 
     the implementation of this program involve a lack of 
     knowledge about the program by Indians and lack of proactive 
     endeavors by the VA to disseminate information about the 
     program through Indian country. The bill would place new 
     requirements on the VA to consult with tribal organizations, 
     native veterans organizations, and other groups prior to 
     making decisions under the act.
       Section 4. Consultation with Native American Veterans 
     Organizations. This new section requires the VA to consult 
     with native veterans organizations in implementing the act.
       Section 5. Annual Reports. The VA is required to submit 
     annual reports to the Committee on Indian Affairs, the House 
     Resources Committee, and the veterans committees of both 
     Chambers containing a description of the outreach activities 
     undertaken by the VA on a regional basis, with a second 
     mandate that the VA conduct an assessment of the efficacy of 
     such activities in encouraging greater use of the program.
                                 ______