[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 107 (Monday, August 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H6891-H6898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS HEALTH CARE AND RESEARCH ACT OF 1998
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3980) to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the
authority for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to treat illnesses of
Persian Gulf War veterans, to provide authority to treat illnesses of
veterans which may be attributable to future combat service, and to
revise the process for determining priorities for research relative to
the health consequences of service in the Persian Gulf War, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3980
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Persian Gulf War Veterans
Health Care and Research Act of 1998''.
SEC. 2. HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS OF WAR.
(a) Authority To Provide Priority Care.--Section 1710(e) of
title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by adding at the end of paragraph (1) the following new
subparagraph:
``(D) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), a veteran who
served on active duty in a theater of combat operations (as
determined by
[[Page H6892]]
the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of Defense)
during a period of war after the Vietnam era, or in combat
against a hostile force during a period of hostilities (as
defined in section 1712A(a)(2)(B) of this title) after the
date of the enactment of this subparagraph, is eligible for
hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care under
subsection (a)(2)(F) for any illness, notwithstanding that
there is insufficient medical evidence to conclude that such
condition is attributable to such service.'';
(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ``or (1)(D)'' after
``paragraph (1)(C)'';
(3) in paragraph (3)--
(A) by striking out ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(B) by striking out ``December 31, 1998.'' in subparagraph
(B) and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 2001; and'';
and
(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) in the case of care for a veteran described in
paragraph (1)(D), after a period of five years beginning on
the date of the veteran's discharge or release from active
military, naval, or air service.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(5) When the Secretary first provides care for veterans
using the authority provided in paragraph (1)(D), the
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the experience
under that authority. The report shall cover the period of
the first three years during which that authority is used and
shall be submitted not later than nine months after the end
of that three-year period. The Secretary shall include in the
report any recommendations of the Secretary for extension of
that authority.''.
(b) Enrollment Priority.--Section 1705(a)(4) of such title
is amended--
(1) by striking out ``and'' after ``permanently
housebound'' and inserting in lieu thereof a comma; and
(2) by inserting ``, and veterans described in subparagraph
(F) of section 1710(a)(2) of this title'' after ``disabled''.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF WAR-RELATED
ILLNESSES.
(a) In General.--(1) Chapter 73 of title 38, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after section 7322 the
following new section:
``Sec. 7323. National Center for the Study of War-Related
Illnesses
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the
Under Secretary for Health, shall establish and operate in
the Veterans Health Administration a National Center for the
Study of War-Related Illnesses (hereinafter in this section
referred to as the `Center'). The Center shall, as
appropriate, coordinate its activities with those of the
National Center on Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder established
pursuant to section 110(c) of the Veterans' Health Care Act
of 1984 (Public Law 98-528).
``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Center shall be to
promote improvement of clinical, research, and educational
activities of the Veterans Health Administration with respect
to war-related illnesses, including medically unexplained
illnesses.
``(c) Functions.--In carrying out the purposes of the
Center, the Under Secretary shall ensure that the Center--
``(1) promotes the training of health care and related
personnel in, and research into, the causes, mechanisms, and
treatment of war-related illnesses;
``(2) serves as a resource center for, and promotes and
seeks to coordinate the exchange of information regarding,
research and training activities carried out by the
Department, the Department of Defense, and other Federal and
non-Federal entities; and
``(3) coordinates with the Department of Defense and other
interested Federal departments and agencies in the conduct of
research, training, and treatment and the dissemination of
information pertaining to war-related illnesses.
``(d) Staff.--The Under Secretary shall ensure that the
staff of the Center has an appropriate range and breadth of
expertise so as to enable the Center to bring an
interdisciplinary approach to the study and treatment of war-
related illnesses.
``(e) Coordination Between Departments.--(1) In order to
ensure needed coordination between the Department and the
Department of Defense in carrying out the mission of the
Center, the officials identified in subparagraphs (A) and (B)
of section 8111(b)(2) of this title shall--
``(A) meet regularly to review pertinent policies,
procedures, and practices of their respective departments
relating to such coordination and to identify actions that
could be taken to change policies, procedures, and practices
to improve such coordination; and
``(B) take all appropriate steps to carry out those actions
identified under paragraph (1).
``(2) The Secretary and the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an annual
joint report, not later than April 1 each year, on the
activities under paragraph (1) during the preceding year.''.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
7322 the following new item:
``7323. National Center for the Study of War-Related Illnesses.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The National Center for the Study of
War-Related Illnesses required to be established by section
7323 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection
(a), shall be established not later than October 1, 1999.
SEC. 4. ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS OF CARE OF PERSIAN GULF
WAR VETERANS.
(a) Assessment by National Academy of Sciences.--Not later
than November 1, 1998, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall enter into a contract with the National Academy of
Sciences for the conduct of a review of a methodology which
could be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs for
determining the efficacy of treatments furnished to, and
health outcomes (to include functional status) of, Persian
Gulf War veterans who have been treated for illnesses which
may be associated with their service in the Persian Gulf War.
(b) Action on Report.--Not later than 180 days after
receiving the final report of the National Academy of
Sciences under subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
(1) if scientifically feasible, develop an appropriate
mechanism to monitor and study the effectiveness of
treatments furnished to, and health outcomes of, Persian Gulf
War veterans who suffer from diagnosed and undiagnosed
illnesses which may be associated with their service in the
Persian Gulf War; and
(2) submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives a report on the
implementation of this subsection.
SEC. 5. CONTRACT FOR INDEPENDENT RECOMMENDATIONS ON RESEARCH
AND FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULUM ON CARE OF
PERSIAN GULF WAR VETERANS.
Section 706 of the Persian Gulf War Veterans' Health Status
Act (title VII of Public Law 102-585; 38 U.S.C. 527 note) is
amended by adding at the end thereof the following new
subsection:
``(d) Research Review and Development of Medical Education
Curriculum.--(1) In order to further understanding of the
health consequences of military service in the Persian Gulf
theater of operations and of new research findings with
implications for improving the provision of care for veterans
of such service, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the
Secretary of Defense shall seek to enter into an agreement
with the National Academy of Sciences under which the
Institute of Medicine of the Academy would--
``(A) develop a curriculum pertaining to the care and
treatment of veterans of such service who have ill-defined or
undiagnosed illnesses for use in the continuing medical
education of both general and specialty physicians who
provide care for such veterans; and
``(B) periodically review and provide recommendations
regarding the research plans and research strategies of the
Departments relating to the health consequences of military
service in the Persian Gulf theater of operations during the
Persian Gulf War, including recommendations that the Academy
considers appropriate for additional scientific studies to
resolve areas of continuing scientific uncertainty relating
to the health consequences of any aspects of such military
service.
``(2) Not later than six months after the Institute of
Medicine provides the Secretaries the curriculum developed
under paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall provide for the
conduct of continuing education programs using the curriculum
developed under paragraph (1). Such programs shall include
instruction which seeks to emphasize use of appropriate
protocols of diagnosis, referral, and treatment of such
veterans.''.
SEC. 6. REVISION TO PROCESS FOR DETERMINING PRIORITIES FOR
HEALTH-RELATED RESEARCH ON THE PERSIAN GULF
WAR.
Section 707 of the Persian Gulf War Veterans' Health Status
Act (title VII of Public Law 102-585; 38 U.S.C. 527 note) is
amended by striking out subsection (b) and inserting in lieu
thereof the following:
``(b) Public Advisory Committee.--Not later than January 1,
1999, the head of the department or agency designated under
subsection (a) shall establish an advisory committee
consisting of members of the general public, to include
Persian Gulf War veterans and representatives of such
veterans, to provide advice to the head of that department or
agency on proposed research studies, research plans, or
research strategies relating to the health consequences of
military service in the Persian Gulf theater of operations
during the Persian Gulf War. The department or agency head
shall consult with such advisory committee on a regular
basis.
``(c) Reports.--(1) Not later than March 1 of each year,
the head of the department or agency designated under
subsection (a) shall submit to the Committees on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report
on--
``(A) the status and results of all such research
activities undertaken by the executive branch during the
previous year;
``(B) research priorities identified during that year; and
``(C) recommendations of the public advisory committee
established under subsection (b) that were not adopted during
that year and the reasons for not adopting each such
recommendation.
``(2)(A) Not later than 120 days after submission of the
epidemiological research study conducted by the Department of
Veterans Affairs entitled `VA National Survey of Persian Gulf
Veterans--Phase III', the head of the department or agency
designated
[[Page H6893]]
under subsection (a) shall submit to the congressional
committees specified in paragraph (1) a report on the
findings under that study.
``(B) With respect to any findings of that study which
identify scientific evidence of a greater relative risk of
illness or illnesses in family members of veterans who served
in the Persian Gulf War theater of operations than in family
members of veterans who did not so serve, the head of the
department or agency designated under subsection (a) shall
seek to ensure that appropriate research studies are designed
to follow up on such findings.
``(d) Public Availability of Research Findings.--The head
of the department or agency designated under subsection (a)
shall ensure that the findings of all research conducted by
or for the executive branch relating to the health
consequences of military service in the Persian Gulf theater
of operations during the Persian Gulf War (including
information pertinent to improving provision of care for
veterans of such service) are made available to the public
through peer-reviewed medical journals, the Internet World
Wide Web, and other appropriate media.''.
SEC. 7. DESIGNATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL
CENTER IN ASPINWALL, PENNSYLVANIA.
The Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in
Aspinwall, Pennsylvania, is hereby designated as the ``H.
John Heinz III Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center''. Any reference to that medical center in any law,
regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the
United States shall be considered to be a reference to the
``H. John Heinz III Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center''.
SEC. 8. DESIGNATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL
CENTER IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA.
The Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in
Gainesville, Florida, is hereby designated as the ``Malcom
Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''. Any
reference to that medical center in any law, regulation, map,
document, record, or other paper of the United States shall
be considered to be a reference to the ``Malcom Randall
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''.
SEC. 9. MANAGEMENT OF SPECIALIZED TREATMENT AND
REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMS.
(a) Standards of Job Performance.--Section 1706(b) of title
38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking out ``April 1, 1997,
April 1, 1998, and April 1, 1999'', and inserting in lieu
thereof ``April 1, 1999, April 1, 2000, and April 1, 2001'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3)(A) To ensure compliance with paragraph (1), the Under
Secretary for Health shall prescribe objective standards of
job performance for employees in positions described in
subparagraph (B) with respect to the job performance of those
employees in carrying out the requirements of paragraph (1).
Those job performance standards shall include measures of
workload, allocation of resources, and quality-of-care
indicators.
``(B) Positions described in this subparagraph are
positions in the Veterans Health Administration that have
responsibility for allocating and managing resources
applicable to the requirements of paragraph (1).
``(C) The Under Secretary shall develop the job performance
standards under subparagraph (A) in consultation with the
Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and Special Disabilities
Programs and the Committee on Care of Severely Chronically
Mentally Ill Veterans.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The standards of job performance
required by paragraph (3) of section 1706(b) of title 38,
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall be
prescribed not later than January 1, 1999.
SEC. 10. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO COUNSEL AND TREAT VETERANS
FOR SEXUAL TRAUMA.
Section 1720D(a) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by striking out ``December 31, 1998'' in paragraphs
(1) and (3) and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31,
2001''.
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF CONSTRUCTION OF A SPINAL CORD
INJURY CENTER AT THE TAMPA, FLORIDA, VAMC.
(a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may
carry out a major medical facility project for construction
of a spinal cord injury center at the Department of Veterans
Affairs Medical Center, Tampa, Florida, in an amount not to
exceed $46,300,000.
(b) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 1999 for
the Construction, Major Projects, account $20,000,000 to be
available for the project authorized in subsection (a).
(c) Source of Funds.--The project authorized in subsection
(a) may be carried out using --
(A) funds appropriated pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations in subsection (b);
(B) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects,
for a fiscal year before fiscal year 1999 that remain
available for obligation; and
(C) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects,
for a fiscal year before fiscal year 1999 for a category of
activity not specific to a project.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Stump) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump).
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. STUMP asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
General Leave
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 3980.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arizona?
There was no objection.
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3980 is the Persian Gulf War Veterans
Health Care and Research Act of 1998. H.R. 3980 addresses the most
pressing concerns facing our Persian Gulf War veterans today. It does
so by extending and expanding the VA's treatment authority for Persian
Gulf veterans; by taking major steps to improve the effectiveness of
that treatment; and by strengthening the process by which the
government sets its Persian Gulf research agenda.
This legislation is also forward looking in providing broad treatment
authority for veterans of any future combat situations, and requiring
the VA to establish a center for the study of war-related illnesses.
The bill also extends VA's authority to provide counseling for sexual
trauma to the year 2001.
I would like to thank and acknowledge the leadership and work of the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), our subcommittee chairman, and
also commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking
member of the full committee, and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr.
Kennedy) for initiating legislation of their own and for their work on
this bill.
H.R. 3980 addresses the concerns that many have raised, including the
General Accounting Office, the Presidential Advisory Committee on
Persian Gulf Illnesses, and the Committee on Government Reform and
Oversight, as well as many members of the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs. In my view, the solutions that H.R. 3980 proposes are
responsible and offer the promise of improved care for Persian Gulf
veterans, and greater confidence in the agenda for research on Persian
Gulf illnesses.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3980. I want to thank
the chairman, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), and the chairman
and ranking Democratic member of the Subcommittee on Health, the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns) and the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Gutierrez), for their work on this important legislation. I join
the chairman in voicing my strong support for this far-reaching
legislation.
The bill offers the VA a better means of assuring the quality of care
provided to veterans of the Persian Gulf War and lays a foundation for
understanding health care needs of veterans of future conflicts.
I am particularly pleased that this bill incorporates H.R. 3571 that
I introduced in March to extend VA's authority to provide health care
treatment for Persian Gulf veterans. In addition, I am pleased that
provisions of another measure, H.R. 3279, which I introduced to provide
compensation for veterans with Persian Gulf illnesses and to improve
their health care treatment, was also included in H.R. 3980.
More than a year ago, I requested that the GAO determine whether VA
is maintaining its capacity in certain special emphasis programs as
required by law. Preliminary findings from this report and other
sources indicate that the expensive specialized services, those once
considered the crown jewels of the system, have indeed become
increasingly vulnerable to programmatic shifts and funding cuts that
now threaten their integrity. These programs serve veterans with
catastrophic disabilities, conditions such as spinal cord injury,
blindness, severe mental illness, amputations, traumatic brain injury
and posttraumatic stress disorder, conditions that I believe most
[[Page H6894]]
Americans would agree the VA system exists to treat.
H.R. 3980, as amended, will require the VA to assess its resource
managers' performance and, in part, base merit pay on ensuring that
special programs receive programmatic and resource support veterans
served by them deserve. This will better ensure that VA managers are
not rewarded for dumping their patients who are most difficult and most
costly to treat.
There are a number of other important provisions in this bill, Mr.
Speaker, which my longer statement for the record addresses. I want to
thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), the chairman, again for
his work on this important legislation. I encourage my colleagues to
support H.R. 3980, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3980. I want to thank Chairman
Stump and the Chairman and Ranking Democratic Member of the Health
Subcommittee, Cliff Stearns and Luis Gutierrez, for their work on this
legislation. As a result of their efforts and the efforts of others,
H.R. 3980, as now before the House, deserves the support of every
member of this body. I join the Chairman in voicing my strong support
for this far-reaching health care legislation. The bill offers VA a
better means of assuring the quality of care provided to veterans who
served in the Persian Gulf War and lays the foundation for
understanding health care needs of veterans of future conflicts. In so
doing, the legislation will undoubtedly benefit not only Gulf War
veterans, but also those combat veterans that follow in their
footsteps.
I am particularly pleased that this bill incorporates the measure I
introduced this past March, H.R. 3571, to extend VA's authority to
provide health care treatment for Persian Gulf veterans. H.R. 3980 also
includes provisions from a bill I introduced, H.R. 3279 (Persian Gulf
War Veterans Act of 1998), to provide compensation for veterans with
illnesses attributable to service in the Persian Gulf. For example, the
bill requires VA to commission a study from the National Academy of
Sciences to identify associations between exposures service members
likely encountered as a result of Gulf War service and their health
outcomes.
VA has, on its own initiative, entered into a two-year contract with
the Institute to review and evaluate the research and medical
literature available to assess associations between exposures and
health effects on Gulf War veterans. While the contract is not as
expansive as that which is required in the Persian Gulf War Veterans
Act of 1998, it lays the groundwork for research that could identify
probable clinical associations and areas where more work is needed. I
commend VA for taking the initiative to respond to the recommendation
made by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses and
reaffirm my commitment to making this a longer-term partnership in the
future.
This measure further ensures that the federal government is
accountable for its research agenda by establishing a Veterans Advisory
Panel. The Advisory Panel will recommend areas where VA should do
additional research, advise on strategies for research, and suggest
improvements in study designs. This measure further ensures that the
Research Working Group is accountable to Persian Gulf Veterans by
requiring the Working Group to either implement the Panel's
recommendations or to justify not incorporating their recommendations.
The Committee has built on the relationship VA has already
established with the Institute of Medicine. Assessing health care
effectiveness was a concern of many of our members, so this measure
asks VA to work with the Institute of Medicine to identify the outcome
measures that would be useful in helping us understand which treatments
are most beneficial to veterans. Outcomes would include measures of
both health and functional status. Having both types of measures would
allow us not only to assess if veterans' physical symptoms are
improving, but if the veteran is also better able to engage in
productive activities and social relationships.
Mr. Kennedy's original Persian Gulf bill supported a measure for
training VA clinicians to provide better health care to those with
poorly defined symptoms or undiagnosed illnesses. I recognized the
value in such a proposal immediately and I support the measure included
in the legislation before us today to ask the Institute of Medicine to
develop a recommended curriculum for VA primary and specialty
physicians involved with Gulf War veterans' care.
H.R. 3980 also establishes a new plan for addressing the spouses and
children of Gulf War veterans. The current program is expiring but is
clearly not meeting the needs of veterans' dependents. It offers a
medical examination at only 18 sites around the country with no follow-
up treatment if a problem is found. VA is now in the third phase of an
important epidemiological study to identify prevalence of symptoms or
conditions in veterans and their families. As the findings of this
study become available, this legislation will require VA to engage in
additional studies of those conditions veterans' families exhibit more
than their peers. I will pledge that to the degree there are clinically
significant associations found in this study, I will offer legislation
to assure veterans' families have access to treatment for the
conditions they suffer.
My friends, Karen Thurman of Florida and Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania
have each introduced bills to rename VA facilities in their states.
These bills have been incorporated into H.R. 3980 and just last week,
companion bills were reported favorably by the Senate Veterans' Affairs
Committee. Representative Thurman's measure will rename the Gainesville
VA Medical Center after a long-time public servant, Malcom Randall, who
served as the facility's director for more than 30 years. Congressman
Doyle's provision will rename the Aspinwall VA Medical Center in
Pittsburgh after the late Senator, H. John Heinz III. I thank the
Members for their commitment to ensuring enactment of these two
provisions and thank my colleagues on the Committee for favorably
considering the renaming measures on behalf of these two worthy
individuals.
Recently, the Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the record of
the Veterans' Health Administration's special programs meeting the
treatment and rehabilitation needs of disabled veterans. Specifically,
the Committee wanted to ensure that the VHA was obeying a provision of
the law Congress enacted as part of its comprehensive Eligibility
Reform Act in 1994. The Act, along with the sweeping administrative
changes being made, transformed the delivery of VA medical care. At the
time the law was enacted, Congress realized there would be far reaching
changes, many of which would be positive, but was prescient enough to
recognize that authorizing VA to become a more efficient provider could
adversely affect some successful programs. Our concerns were based, at
least in part, upon watching the experience of private sector medicine,
as it became more cost-effective. Specialty care for people with
chronic conditions was more adversely affected than care in other
areas, largely because it cost more to deliver. Accordingly, Congress
required VA to maintain its capacity to meet veterans' health care and
rehabilitation needs in the special programs.
More than a year ago, I requested the General Accounting Office to
determine whether VA is maintaining its capacity in certain special
emphasis programs as required by law. The Veterans' Health
Administration developed these special programs to treat combat
injuries or other conditions disproportionately experienced by
veterans. These programs treat and rehabilitate veterans with
catastrophic illnesses or disabilities--conditions such as Spinal Cord
Injury, blindness, severe mental illness, amputations, traumatic brain
injury and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder--conditions I believe most
Americans would agree the VA medical system exists to treat.
It appears the expensive specialized services--the crowned jewels of
the system--have indeed become increasingly vulnerable to programmatic
shifts and funding cuts which threaten their integrity. I must sadly
report that the hearing elicited some of the most disturbing testimony
our Committee has heard this year. Witnesses made it clear that
Congress must continue to collect data from VA to assess these programs
and to improve the data VA collects. It is apparent that too many
psychiatric inpatient settings are discharging veterans with severe
mental illness onto the streets without community resources to support
them; too many spinal cord injury centers lack the resources they need
to operate and have no medical leadership for months on end; and the
increasing demands on the prosthetics programs are not being met with
new resources to support them. Worst of all, witnesses allege that VA
officials are encouraging employees to underreport important measures
designed to help Congress understand how well the programs are
operating! Without these important measures or with faulty and
inaccurate measures, which are required by law, we are unable to
provide effective oversight of these critical programs.
To address this concern, H.R. 3980, as amended, will require VA to
assess its resource managers' performance in ensuring that special
programs receive the programmatic and resource support veterans served
by them deserve. Any merit pay managers receive based on their
performance must assess how well these important programs are
maintained. This will better ensure VA managers are not rewarded for
``dumping'' their patients who are the hardest and most costly to treat
and is an important test in further protecting the programs which make
VA a unique and essential provider.
Also in the interest of special programs, for the third time, this
Committee will put forward a measure to authorize a major construction
project to replace the Spinal Cord Injury center
[[Page H6895]]
in Tampa, Florida. There are major deficiencies in the current
structure and the new wards this project will create are absolutely
essential. My good friend, Mike Bilirakis, has been a tireless champion
of this project for more than 10 years--neither the need, nor his
devotion, to fulfilling it has diminished over this time.
I am pleased H.R. 3980 is reauthorizing the sexual trauma counseling
program that is helping so many of our women service members move on
with their lives after being subject to traumatic physical or verbal
abuse during military service. During a recent Committee hearing, we
received unequivocal testimony from VA and veterans' service
organizations about the value of this important program. In a perfect
world we would hope that the problem of sexual harassment and abuse in
our armed forces would diminish and, in time, be eliminated, but, in
fact, all signs point to just the opposite happening. In this not so
perfect world, it is essential that we maintain this program.
I, again, want to thank Chairman Stump for working with me and others
on this important legislation. I recommend and encourage our colleagues
to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), chairman of the Subcommittee on
Health.
(Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the recognition from the
distinguished chairman of the full committee. I also want to thank the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member, and the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez), the ranking member on the
Subcommittee on Health. Mr. Speaker, I am going to take a few moments
just to outline some of the broad understanding of this Gulf War
syndrome for the record.
Mr. Speaker, in January and early February of 1991, the United States
stood on the brink of what many people anticipated would be a
protracted military campaign against the forces of an aggressor nation.
Many lawmakers, some in this Chamber, opposed military action, of
course, fearing heavy losses.
Thankfully our armed forces proved vastly superior to Saddam
Hussein's army, and in a matter of days the conflict was over.
Appropriately, much of the credit for our swift, decisive action went
to the approximately 700,000 American men and women who served in the
Gulf War during that operation. As a Nation, of course, we salute their
heroism.
In one month after the war's close, however, it became apparent that
many Persian Gulf veterans who had escaped the hazards of enemy
rockets, tanks, mines and gunfire were not left untouched. Increasingly
veterans who returned home uninjured began to experience illnesses with
multiple symptoms which their doctors really could not explain.
Almost as soon as the reports of these problems reached Congress, our
committee, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, began
investigating. We held two hearings in 1992 exploring the possible link
between these illnesses and the troops' exposure to the chemical soot
of Iraqi-set oil well fires. With continued reports of veterans' health
problems, the committee continued its review, seeking to explore the
possible effects of an ever-growing number of risk factors. In all, the
committee has held 17 hearings relating to the health effects of
service in the Persian Gulf War. While answers to these many questions
remained elusive, the committee over the years has nevertheless
initiated the passage of unprecedented legislation to address health
care problems experienced by Persian Gulf veterans, research on risk
factors associated with such service, and provision of compensation for
veterans with unexplained or undiagnosed conditions.
In the course of its oversight, the committee has heard from
individual veterans and their dependents and representatives, as well
as clinicians, researchers and auditors.
{time} 1230
We have met with and taken testimony from officials of numerous
government agencies and representatives of each of the expert panels
which have studied Persian Gulf War veterans' health problems,
including scientists from the Institute of Medicine and the
Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses. The committee
has led efforts to ensure that lack of definitive answers not be a
barrier to provision of health care and compensation for health
problems which appear to have their origin in service. At the same time
we have pushed and pursued funding for research to ascertain the nature
of these illnesses and determine the most effective means of treatment.
Mr. Speaker, numbers and statistics do not adequately explain the
problems that have led us to develop the bill we bring to the floor
today. However, the plain-spoken words of a former Marine, Carl
Wickline, who testified at one of our hearings, graphically convey the
kind of health problems veterans have encountered:
Multiple symptoms began to become noticeable shortly after
I returned to the United States. Symptoms have included
severe headaches, chronic fatigue, recurring neuromuscular
back pain, short-term memory loss, lapses in concentration,
severe rash, depression which medication has not successfully
treated, night sweats, insomnia, severe gastrointestinal
problems, blurred vision, photosensitivity, bleeding gums,
immune system inefficiencies and multiple chemical
sensitivities.
Describing VA attempts to treat him as having been unsuccessful, he
stated that,
I end up in the same place each time I attempt to contact
the VA concerning my illnesses. Mental health must be the
dead end for all cases which the VA has no knowledge or
interest in treating.
Mr. Speaker, his experiences echo those of many veterans. In fact, in
my district Michael Adcock of Ocala, Florida, who had many of the
symptoms Mr. Wickline reported, he died at the age of 22, shortly after
returning home to Ocala from the Gulf.
Another spouse, Deborah Smith, testified as to how little trust these
veterans have.
For 5 years veterans questioned the likelihood that they
had been exposed to chemical weapons during the Gulf War. For
5 years the Pentagon denied that possibility. When
indisputable evidence was presented in 1996, those denials
were turned to affirmation. Sensitivity is needed to grasp
the betrayal these soldiers experienced due to this incident.
What has become clear, Mr. Speaker, is that scientists do not believe
there is any one single illness or any single exposure which would
explain all these problems. It seems equally clear that many veterans
who have undergone VA or DOD clinical examinations or participated in
the research programs have very real illnesses which are likely
connected to the service in the Gulf.
Well, we have reviewed these, and that is why this bill is presented
today.
In a June of 1997 report on Gulf War illness and testimony before our
Subcommittee on Health, the General Accounting Office criticized the
Federal research effort as, quote, lacking a coherent approach, and
questioned the emphasis Federal departments have given on
epidemiological research rather than research on diagnosis, treatment
and prevention of Gulf War veterans' illnesses. Our committee initiated
legislation last year to foster more clinical research in this area.
It is clear that many Persian Gulf veterans are unsatisfied. They are
frustrated that research has not provided the full answers, and they
perhaps have lost confidence in departments managing that research, and
I share their concern. That is why this committee, in developing the
legislation we are bringing to the floor today, has sought to bring to
attention these concerns to the public and pass legislation that will
solve these problems.
H.R. 3980 would address all these concerns directly. It would provide
both for independent expert oversight of the Federal research program
relating to the Gulf War illnesses and a mechanism for, quote, consumer
participation in Persian Gulf research agenda-setting. It is not all
the military, it is not all the Veterans Affairs. For the first time we
bring the consumer in. An independent voice is now available.
H.R. 3980 would effectively carry out the recommendation that
Congress provide for independent oversight. It would do so by requiring
the VA and DOD to enter into contract with the National Academy of
Sciences, under which the Academy Institute of Medicine would
periodically review and provide recommendations to the departments on
their plans and strategies for Persian Gulf research. Such review
[[Page H6896]]
would involve both assessing and making recommendations on the DOD and
other departments' research plan.
While the research agenda is the key to resolving long simmering
questions, many veterans continue to experience disabling health
problems. To that end this bill today would extend VA special treatment
authority for Persian Gulf War veterans and to assure that the promise
of ``priority health care'' is not compromised.
The bill would also elevate the ``enrollment priority'' of the
veterans. At the same time the committee recognized that health care
issues for Persian Gulf veterans are not just issues of access. Lack of
understanding of these issues and lack of tools available to resolve
these symptoms have certainly been the perception out there that many
veterans have, and we seek to change that in this bill. Evaluations of
VA care for the veterans has not been altogether good.
The American Legion, for example, testified that, quote, there is
little evidence that VA's overall approach provides effective medical
treatment for Gulf War veterans with difficult-to-diagnose and ill-
defined conditions. The structure of VA's medical system, the lack of
treatment protocols to guide physicians in the treatment of this
illness, the nature of the illness and the site visit conducted by the
American Legion suggests that on the whole VA does not effectively
treat these illnesses. Our bill attempts to correct that.
There remains questions, I understand, regarding the effectiveness,
but the important concerns we have are addressed in this bill. In H.R.
3980 there is a provision to require VA to enter into a contract with
the National Academy of Sciences to remedy these problems.
We have, Mr. Speaker, to apply the lessons that we have learned from
the Persian Gulf War experience and not just continue to hearken on the
past. Just as our committee has worked to resolve the health problems,
we believe it is critical to apply the lessons in the future.
Early this year, for example, the country again faced the possibility
of committing our armed forces to military intervention in Iraq with
the potential for renewed combat in the Persian Gulf theater we have to
be prepared, and we have to have in place legislation to care for these
soldiers that might go to fight again.
The findings that we provided in our hearings underscores the
importance both of increasing understanding of war-related illness
generally and of ensuring that the Department of Veterans Affairs is
better prepared to treat veterans in future wars or military combat.
So, Mr. Speaker, I think this bill takes a long step forward, and let
me again say that H.R. 3980 is an important bill, not just for Persian
Gulf veterans, but for those now in military service and in the future.
I believe the American Legion has best described the significance of
these provisions in this bill when they talk about it by saying, ``The
best contribution that Congress can make in the search for the cause
and medical treatment of Gulf War illnesses, they refer to this bill.''
So, Mr. Speaker, I believe that H.R. 3980 is an important bill that
all Members should support, and I urge all my colleagues to do so.
Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).
Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding this time
to me, and I rise today to speak about two bills, H.R. 3980, the
Persian Gulf War Veterans Health Care and Research Act of 1998, the
measure that is before us today, and H.R. 4036, the Persian Gulf War
Veterans Health Act of 1998 that I hope will be before us at a later
date. I certainly appreciate the work of the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs' Subcommittee on Health as well as our full committee on this
issue. I think we have heard the eloquent statement of the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Stearns), the chairman, that he is attempting to get
at the root of our problems with the Persian Gulf War illness. The
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez), his ranking member, and the
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), chairman of the full committee, and
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member, have spent
countless hours in crafting this legislation, and as the gentleman from
Florida said, I think this will address many of the concerns of our
Persian Gulf War veterans.
I will be voting for this bill. But I think the statement that the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns) so eloquently gave and the
compassion which he feels for our veterans should logically lead to a
bill which would go a little further, and let me make my concerns clear
about that by spending a few minutes on a bill that was later
introduced, H.R. 4036, introduced by the gentleman from Connecticut
(Mr. Shays), who was chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Resources
for the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight of our House. That
is a bill which also enjoys bipartisan support in Congress, widespread
support in both the Gulf War veterans' community and the veterans'
community at large. The Shays bill does three things more than the bill
before us:
Number 1, it assumes that our fighting men and women were indeed
exposed to toxins found in the Gulf War, including chemical warfare
agents, experimental drugs and depleted uranium. Thus this legislation
provides researchers with a blueprint of where to begin. It creates a
definitive toxic exposure list, one that can be added to with new
information. Given dramatic failures at the Department of Defense and
the Department of Veterans' Affairs to begin, even begin, research on
oil well fire pollution, depleted uranium or combinations of exposures
creating this sort of list is a clear step in the right direction, and
passage of such a bill has strong precedent. The Agent Orange Act of
1991, for example, contained a listing of herbicide toxic exposures. If
we never actually list the toxins, as H.R. 4036 does, then the
suspected causes are left open for endless future debate with little
possibility of action or treatment for our veterans.
Secondly, what I find most disturbing about the bill before us is
that the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense remain
basically in charge of the medical research, research the Committee on
Government Reform and Oversight of this House has found, and I quote,
irreparably flawed, hobbled by institutional inertia, plagued by
arrogant incuriosity and a pervasive myopia. In my view, these
agencies, condemned by their own stonewalling and lack of
forthrightness to the American people, have forfeited the right to
direct this research effort.
H.R. 4036, the bill that I hope will come before us, would establish
an independent research body to investigate toxic exposures and true,
true independent oversight of government research. With this kind of
expanded research scientists would have a better chance of discovering
treatment programs that Gulf War veterans desperately need, contrasted
with most of the research done by the VA and DOD up to this point. The
General Accounting Office, as already pointed out by the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Stearns), characterized those efforts as lacking focus and
putting little or no emphasis on developing treatment programs. It is
time for a radical change in the structure by which we carry out this
research.
Thirdly, under H.R. 4036, when scientists find an association between
the exposure and illness, the ill Gulf War veteran becomes classified
as service connected; that is, eligible for not only health care but
compensation and other benefits. This is a health crisis, Mr. Speaker,
not a political football to be decided by the public relations and
turf-conscious referees in those departments. This issue should be in
the hands of scientists.
As I said earlier, I will vote in favor of H.R. 3980. The gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Stearns) has made an excellent case for how it will
make improvements in our treatment of Persian Gulf War veterans. But I
do not believe that this should be the final vote on this issue. It
gets us closer to the goal, but it does not score the goal. Why I ask,
Mr. Speaker, after 7 years should Gulf War veterans settle for anything
less than a full accountability and full responsibility from their
government? H.R. 4036 goes all the way and addresses the core problems
at issue. Congress can do no less than to support those who have
allowed this great Nation to remain free and prosperous.
[[Page H6897]]
All Gulf War veterans want to know is how they got sick, how they are
going to get better and how this country is going to prevent future
comrades from getting the same sickness. This is the essence of the
written as well as the unwritten contracts between those who lay their
lives on the line for our people. Our Persian Gulf War veterans gave
their best, they deserve the best from their country: the best in
research, the best in treatments. We should be doing nothing less.
{time} 1245
Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman).
Mrs. THURMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Persian Gulf Veterans Health
Care and Research Act of 1998. Seven years and hundreds of billions of
dollars later, our Nation's Gulf War veterans still do not have the
answer to their most pressing question, what is causing Persian Gulf
War syndrome.
While I continue to find this troubling, I believe that Congress is
on the right track by continuing to elevate the priority for access to
VA health care for Persian Gulf War veterans. The symptoms associated
with Gulf War syndrome are often so complex and obscured that it can be
difficult to continuously prove service-connected disability.
Furthermore, Congress should be encouraging early intervention and
treating these illnesses, often made difficult by current eligibility
requirements. This legislation would provide priority health care to
treat illness that may be attributable to a veteran's service in
combat.
Unfortunately, our Nation's troops may be needed again in a region
where chemical warfare is a possibility. When they put their lives on
the line to protect our freedoms, we should hold nothing back to ensure
their safety. We owe our veterans, present and future, this investment.
I would also like to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman
Stump) for all of his help over the last couple of months, and the
ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and the entire
Florida delegation, including the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown)
and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), for including in this
comprehensive bill my legislation, H.R. 3336, renaming the VA Medical
Center in Gainesville, Florida, the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center.
After 32 years of service, on April 27 of this year Mr. Malcolm
Randall retired as director of the Gainesville VA Medical Center. Mr.
Randall has devoted his life to serving our country bravely and
meritoriously. His long and honorable career is recognized worldwide.
Not only did Mr. Randall serve on PT boats and battleships in the
South Pacific in World War II, he was formerly Air Staff Commander of
the Naval Air Reserve Unit in Jacksonville, Florida, and holds the rank
of Captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
In addition, he was awarded the two highest awards the VA offers, the
Meritorious Service Award and Exceptional Service Award. Throughout
Florida, Mr. Randall is regarded as a leader in introducing medical
technology and techniques that have resulted in higher quality medical
care being delivered to greater numbers of veterans.
It is altogether fitting that one of the premier VA medical centers
in this country, one that symbolizes innovation and excellence in
medical care, should bear his name. With passage of this bill, not only
the entire Florida delegation but the Nation can take pride in Mr.
Randall's achievements.
Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Stump)
for all of his help.
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield one minute to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Stearns).
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I just want to echo the comments of my
colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman). We did indeed
recognize Malcolm Randall for his efforts, the 40 years of hard work he
has done at that hospital. I had the privilege to represent that
hospital for 4 years in Congress, and I wanted to echo the sentiments
of my colleague.
Mr. Randall has been an outstanding administrator, and, more
importantly, he has been there for 40 years. He developed this hospital
from a very small facility to a very prestigious institution. I have
toured that facility many times and I have spoken at their dedications
and veterans' ceremonies, so I feel a special akin to that institution.
So I am pleased to recognize the naming of the institution, as the
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman) has mentioned. I am glad we
included this initiative as part of our bill. I wanted to thank the
gentlewoman for her efforts, because she is the one that spearheaded
this effort and got it going in the early stages. She also got the
Florida delegation to all sign on. The gentlewoman is to be recognized,
and that is another reason I stand. I stand also to recognize the
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman) for her efforts.
Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to again commend the gentle man from
Florida (Mr. Stearns), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member on the
committee, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez), for their
work in drafting this bill. I am pleased to be able to accommodate the
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman), and I thank her.
Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3980, the
Persian Gulf War Veterans Health Care and Research Act. Incorporated as
part of H.R. 3980, is legislation I introduced, H.R. 2775, which
designates the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in
Aspinwall, Pennsylvania as the H. John Heinz, III Veterans Affairs
Medical Center.
As the Chairman of the Senate VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, the
late Senator Heinz made a top priority of ensuring that the federal
government maintained its commitment to our nation's veterans. In
keeping with this legacy, I am confident Senator Heinz would be honored
to have his name associated with legislation that reinforces our
commitment to those who served in the Persian Gulf War.
In the area of southwestern Pennsylvania where both Senator Heinz and
I were born and raised, young men and women have served in our nation's
armed forces at a greater rate than almost anywhere in our country.
Because of this, the VA has been a major part of life in our
communities for generations, and the benefits and services provided by
the VA have improved the lives of countless families in our area. As
the son of a fully disabled World War II veteran, I can personally
attest to this fact.
Without question, the Aspinwall facility was constructed as a direct
result of Senator Heinz' recognition of the critical need for increased
VA health care services in Pittsburgh. Thus, it is fitting and
appropriate that the Aspinwall facility be renamed to acknowledge his
dedication to all those who have benefited from the hospital's medical
care. I can assure all members of the House that renaming the Aspinwall
VA facility is no small tribute.
The tragic death of Senator Heinz in 1991 was, and continues to be, a
heartfelt loss for not only the veterans of Pennsylvania, but for all
of its residents. The gratitude that Pennsylvanians have for Senator
Heinz is evident in the overwhelming support my bill has received from
members of the Pennsylvania delegation and veterans organizations from
across the Commonwealth.
I am pleased that the House is considering H.R. 2775 as part of the
Persian Gulf War Veterans Health Care and Research Act. I want to
extend my sincere thanks to Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Stump
and Ranking Member Evans for their support of my efforts to rename the
Aspinwall VA facility in honor of the life and achievements of Senator
John Heinz. I urge support for H.R. 3980.
Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3980.
Eight years after 700,000 American troops were deployed to the Persian
Gulf, many disturbing questions remain unanswered about their residual
medical conditions. As I said at our joint Subcommittee on Health and
Oversight Hearings on Persian Gulf War Veterans' Health Concerns in
April 1997, ``It is clearly evident that our government was aware of
the presence of chemical weapons in Iraq since at least 1986. The CIA
and the Defense Department's long denial of the possibility of chemical
weapons exposure was a great disservice to thousands of Gulf War
veterans who believe their tour of duty in the Persian Gulf has
adversely affected their health.''
While DoD and the VA have improved their research, a more disciplined
approach is required to address the unresolved questions regarding
Persian Gulf veterans health problems
[[Page H6898]]
as well as applying these lessons learned from the Persian Gulf
experience to assist veterans who may deploy in future conflicts.
As my colleagues have mentioned before me, this legislation would
authorize the VA to provide priority health care to treat illnesses
that may be attributable to a veteran's service in combat during any
period of war after the Vietnam War or during any other future period
of hostilities.
This legislation would require the VA to establish a multi-
disciplinary National Center for the Study of War-Related Illnesses to
carry out and foster research, education and improved clinical care of
war-related illnesses.
This bill contains many requirements for accountability and openness,
so I have chosen to address only a few. I fully support all provisions
of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Chairman Stump of the full Committee,
Mr. Evans, the Ranking Minority Member, Chairman Stearns of the
Subcommittee on Health, and Mr. Gutierrez, the Subcommittee's Ranking
Minority Member, for their hard work and bipartisan approach on the
bill. I am pleased to join them in cosponsoring the bill.
And finally, Mr. Speaker, when we send American troops into the
hostile physical and military environment of war and they come back
wounded or ill, we need to do all we can to heal the wounds of war. I
urge all of my colleagues to approve this bill.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in strong support
of H.R. 3980, the Persian Gulf War Veterans Health Care and Research
Act.
HR. 3980 establishes priority VA health care enrollment to treat
illnesses that may have been caused by a veterans service in any combat
period after the Vietnam war or for any future combat service. This
treatment will be available for five years after a veterans discharge
from service.
This legislation also directs the VA to establish a multi-
disciplinary center to support research, education and improved
treatment of war-related illnesses. Furthermore, the VA must establish
a joint research project with the national academy of sciences to study
the efficacy of treatments given to Gulf war veterans for possible
service-connected illness. Finally, the emphasis of public input on
gulf war illness efforts is increased.
Mr. Speaker, in my view this legislation is long overdue. As we all
know, the track record of the Department of Defense and the Pentagon
regarding Gulf War illness research is sorely lacking. For years, the
VA was all too happy to accept the overly optimistic findings of DOD
that no veterans had been exposed to toxic chemicals or other
materials. Consequently, research on Gulf-war illness did not truly
begin until 1995, four years after the war ended.
Moreover, Mr. Speaker, this research effort has been slow to get off
the ground and lacks, a uniform approach. The General Accounting Office
has been sharply critical of the VA research efforts, and the VA has
chosen to contest GAO findings, rather than adopt more of them.
In the interim, our Gulf-war veterans, have not been getting any
healthier, their symptoms are real, they are debilitating, and they are
most definitely not products of the veterans' imaginations, I hope that
this legislation will continue to make their lives, and their coping
with their symptoms, a somewhat easier.
According, I urge my colleagues to support this worthwhile
legislation.
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barrett of Nebraska). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3980, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________