[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 111 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8628-S8629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              CHRIS YODER

 Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I want to take a moment of the 
Senate's time to speak today about a man whose life has been dedicated 
to public service--in particular, service to America's veterans: Chris 
Yoder.
  Many of my colleagues know Chris. He has spent his entire career 
working for veterans. And now, Chris has decided to leave the Senate 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs [VA]. However, his life-long commitment 
to veterans will continue as he moves to the Commission on Service 
Members and Veterans' Transition Assistance.
  I have known Chris for many years, and I have come to rely on him for 
his expertise.
  He served in Vietnam and after he returned home, he began his career 
with the Veterans' Administration in 1972. He joined the Senate 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs in 1985 when I served as the Committee 
Chairman. Chris immediately demonstrated a remarkable recall and 
uncanny knowledge of veterans' issues. In 1991, Chris joined Tony 
Principi when Tony went to work for the Bush Administration as Deputy 
Secretary for the Department of Veterans' Affairs. In 1993, when I 
served as Vice Chairman of the Committee, Chris returned.
  Over the years, I have asked Chris to examine a number of veterans' 
programs and I have always expected Chris to ask tough questions about 
these programs. We spend billions of dollars on veterans' health care 
and benefits, and members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee 
constantly struggle to ensure that the money is spent efficiently and 
in an equitable manner.
  Is the veterans' health care program based on the most modern medical 
delivery systems, or are we sticking with an aging infrastructure that 
is consuming dollars that need to be redirected to meet the real needs 
of veterans? That's the type of issue that Chris has had to tackle.
  Last Congress, we passed Veterans' Health Care Eligibility Reform. If 
you think the tax code is complicated, you should have seen the VA's 
health care eligibility criteria before our reforms. It confused 
veterans, it confused Congress, and it even confused VA doctors and 
administrators.
  Chris took it upon himself to play the leading role in crafting a 
reform proposal that simplified the criteria without sacrificing the 
quality and access to care for our Nation's veterans.

[[Page S8629]]

 By far, this was the most important veterans' legislation passed in 
the 104th Congress, and one of the most difficult and complex issues I 
have witnessed during my 17-year tenure as a U.S. Senator.
  I do not think anyone can doubt the commitment and dedication Chris 
has for our veterans, and I know every member of the Senate Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs will miss his dedication and expertise.
  He is a man with the courage to tackle the difficult questions and 
the knowledge to find the answers. Chris Yoder will be sorely missed on 
the Veterans' Affairs Committee. As a friend, I wish him the best of 
the luck.

                          ____________________