[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 39 (Thursday, March 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      CELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF VA'S CABINET DESIGNATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 11, 1999

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Monday, March 15th 
as the 10th anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a 
Cabinet-level position.
  Because by 1988, VA had become the largest independent agency in 
government, thought was given to its recognition as a member of the 
President's Cabinet.
  Serving a population of 27.5 million veterans with a budget of $28.3 
billion, with 245,000 employees, it was second only to the Department 
of Defense in the number of staff providing service to our citizens.
  At the urging of both Congress and many veterans' service 
organizations, the current President endorsed the idea that the time 
had come for the VA to become a part of the Cabinet. It was time to 
give our nation's veterans their seat at this highest table of 
government.
  Elevating the Department of Veterans Affairs to Cabinet level status 
provided the Department the opportunity to have greater national impact 
for veterans in the fields of health care, education, housing, and 
insurance. It was a move that cost virtually nothing in that era of 
tight budgets, yet gave veterans a prominent voice in the issues that 
dominate the national agenda.
  I congratulate the Department of Veterans Affairs on a decade of 
growth in service to our nation's veterans, the dedicated men and women 
who accepted the challenge to protect their country, many of which gave 
the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and liberty. I further encourage 
the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs and his staff to 
continue to take full advantage of the opportunity that Cabinet-level 
status provides to advocate on behalf of these brave men and women.

                          ____________________