[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 26 (Thursday, March 12, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING AMERICA'S WORD TO OUR VETERANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, when millions of older Americans decided to 
begin their military careers, one of the primary selling points used by 
the recruiters back then was the Federal Government's promise of 
retirement benefits. Those benefits included free lifetime health care.
  The sales pitch went sort of like this: ``The pay is not very good, 
your family will have to move every couple of years, and there is a 
distinct possibility that you might be killed or crippled. But if you 
can live through it for the 20 years, you will have the satisfaction of 
having served your country along with a decent retirement. And you will 
not have to worry about health care costs eating up that retirement 
check because you will have free health care for life at military 
hospitals, as long as they have room for you.''
  Well, Mr. Speaker, today 400,000 American veterans are dying 
prematurely. Many of these veterans are military retirees and now have 
no medical care option left but Medicare. Some do not even have 
Medicare coverage. They counted on the lifetime military health care 
promise, the promise that they were given upon entering the military, 
and did not sign up for Medicare Part B, not ever considering that the 
Federal Government might go back on its word. Now these men and women 
do not even have health coverage this Congress provides for draft 
dodgers.
  While numerous good bills have been introduced in the 105th Congress 
to address this problem, there is one that I believe deserves some 
special attention, H.R. 1356, introduced by my very good friend the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. J. C. Watts). H.R. 1356 offers the Federal 
Employees Health Benefits Program, or FEHBP, as an alternative for 
those beneficiaries who have lost access to the Department of Defense-
sponsored health care.
  This legislation has been cosponsored by 66 Members of this House. If 
it is modified with cost control caps, it would provide a cost-
effective quick fix for those military folks and their families that 
are truly hurting today. It will go a long way towards solving the 
problems of all 8.2 million military retirees.
  H.R. 1356 would require the Department of Defense to restore the 
current CHAMPUS/TRICARE Standard program to the quality benefit 
intended when the CHAMPUS program was enacted in 1966. It would allow 
Medicare-eligible retirees the option to enroll in the Federal 
Employees Health Benefits Program. Those under the age of 65 would be 
provided with the plan option if the restored benefit is not available.
  This legislation is very similar to the Military Health Care Justice 
plan proposed by the National Association of the Uniformed Services to 
provide care to all military beneficiaries without harming readiness.

                              {time}  1500

  FEHBP, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan, is a wonderful 
example of the Federal Government providing great health care at a 
reasonable cost, a Federal program that has actually been working for 
the past 37 years. In fact, according to the Heritage Foundation, it is 
the most efficient health care system of its kind in the country. I, as 
well as my staff, know this because we are currently enrolled.
  As a veteran, I feel it is essential that the Federal Government 
honor the commitment it made to provide quality health care to those 
veterans who have served a minimum of 20 years of active Federal 
service. These are the men and women who have defended our Nation and 
protected our freedom. If the military health care crisis is not 
corrected through legislation that provides a solution in the next 
couple of years, these men and women could be denied the promise, the 
promise, from the Federal Government of lifetime medical care that was 
made to them when they first enlisted.
  Nine million Federal civilian employees, including DOD civilian 
personnel, and 1.6 million DOD and other Federal civilian retirees and 
their dependents have the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan. Let us 
honor our promise to the men and women who have protected us and let us 
pass H.R. 1356.

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