[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 106 (Thursday, July 24, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S8106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           VETERANS' BENEFITS

  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I rise to commend the members of the 
Subcommittee on VA/HUD Appropriations for their work to provide 
adequate benefits to veterans. In a letter to the Chairman, I urged the 
subcommittee to support a level of spending that adequately funded 
veterans' benefits in rightful recognition of their efforts to defend 
our country in war. I am pleased to learn that the VA will get a full 
appropriation which shows a total budget increase of $222.6 million 
above last year and $92.9 million above the President's request.
  I also applaud their foresight in voting $68 million additional 
funding over the President's request for the medical care account. The 
high priority which the subcommittee placed on this area reflects the 
heightened concern the country feels for providing appropriate health 
care to those who have served us so well.
  The mandatory spending has also been increased by $1.26 billion over 
last year for pensions and compensation.
  Mr. President, I am pleased that the subcommittee has included a 
provision which will allow the VA to retain third-party collections, 
which I have long supported, in addition to the regular appropriation. 
This additional estimated $604 million will be retained by the VA 
medical centers giving the care. This will provide much needed 
additional revenue which should allow the centers to treat more 
veterans. It will also provide an incentive to improve health care for 
more veterans at each of the 171 facilities throughout the country.
  The committee report supports the restructuring efforts of the 
Veterans Health Administration; I will be interested to see the results 
of this effort over the next 5 years as this, too, will improve health 
care for our veterans. I also share the subcommittee's concerns that 
the VA has yet to develop a nationwide plan for community-based 
outpatient clinics to ensure equitable access to medical care 
nationwide. We will be seeing great changes at the VA in the next few 
years that will make it a more streamlined and improved provider of 
services to veterans.
  Again, I thank my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for 
their efforts to help America's veterans.

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