[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2166-E2167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               VETERANS' BENEFITS ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. BOB STUMP

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, October 10, 1998

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, we have unfortunately come to the point of 
impasse with the other body over efforts to wrap up veterans' 
legislation in the 105th Congress.
  The House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee have reached 
agreement on a wide-ranging package of veterans' program enhancements 
in our usual bipartisan fashion.
  The House is ready to act on that agreement.
  However, there seems to be difficulty in the other body because 
certain Members may disagree with the compromises agreed to by the two 
veterans' committees.
  We should not have come to this point, Mr. Speaker.
  The House has worked diligently this year on veterans' legislation.
  We have passed bills in a timely fashion: two bills in the month of 
March, two bills in May, and two in early August.
  In contrast, the other body did not bring a veterans' bill to the 
floor until the last day of September.
  They are still trying to bring up various bills under unanimous 
consent but holds are being placed on some of them for one reason or 
another.
  This puts the House in the difficult position of facing the need to 
try one last time in this session to move a bill which includes all the 
agreements reached between the two Veterans' Affairs Committees.
  Passage of House amendments to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4110 will 
provide the Senate the opportunity to either send this entire package 
to the President for his signature or kill the bill, including the 
cost-of-living adjustment for veterans service-connected disability 
payments. I want to make it very clear to House Members and Members in 
the other body that I will not ask the House to take any further action 
on this legislation this year.

  The House has done its job, more than once.
  The other chamber should clear this bill for the President to sign.
  We should be forthright and sincere about our efforts on behalf of 
veterans rather than engaging in brinkmanship over the provisions on 
one particular piece of legislation.
  I hope we can avoid this situation in the future, Mr. Speaker.
  The House Committee would like to work with the other body next year 
to reach agreement on individual bills during the course of the 
session.
  Waiting until the very last minute to act on bills risks our entire 
work product on behalf of veterans.
  I believe this bill is an excellent package of program enhancements 
for veterans.
  It clearly demonstrates action by Congress to fulfill our Nation's 
commitment to those who have sacrificed in defense of freedom.
  This bill includes:
  Significant progress toward improving health care to Persian Gulf war 
veterans;
  An independent scientific evaluation by the National Academy of 
Science of the potential health effects of risk factors veterans may 
have been exposed to in the Gulf war;
  An increase in pensions for those incredible heroes who earned the 
Congressional Medal of Honor;
  A new innovative loan guarantee program for multifamily transitional 
housing for homeless veterans;
  Burial benefits and national cemetery eligibility for World War II 
merchant mariners;
  Increasing the Federal share for establishing State veterans' 
cemeteries to one-hundred percent;
  Extending VA home loan eligibility for guard and reservists through 
the year 2003;

[[Page E2167]]

  Authorizing medical facility construction funding at a level that is 
$157 million above the administration's budget request; and
  Providing a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for veterans' 
compensation, pension, and related programs.
  H.R. 4110 also includes various enhancements to medical care, 
pension, insurance, education, and employment provisions in current 
law.
  The COLA will follow the Social Security Administration figure, which 
is based on the Consumer Price Index.
  Final action on H.R. 4110 will provide plenty of time for the VA to 
implement the COLA by December 1, 1998.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.
  I want to express my appreciation to the leadership of the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee in the other body, Chairman Specter and Senator 
Rockefeller, for reaching agreement on these provisions.
  I also want to thank the members of the House Veterans' Affairs 
Committee for their hard work on all the bills passed by the House this 
year and their cooperation on reaching these agreements.
  We have truly worked in bipartisan fashion for the benefit of 
veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, this is the final piece of legislation the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee will bring to the floor in the 105th Congress.
  I want to tell the Ranking Democratic member of the committee, Mr. 
Evans, that his work and cooperation on all these issues, as well as 
the day to day operation of the committee are truly appreciated.
  The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs takes a back seat to none in 
our bartisan approach to the very serious business of crafting 
legislation.
  Lane Evans has steadfastly adhered to that tradition and should be 
commended by all veterans for his support on their behalf.
  His committee staff members have also performed their 
responsibilities in the highest bipartisan tradition of the committee--
and I want to thank every member of the majority and minority staff for 
their contribution to the committee's work.

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