[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 82 (Thursday, June 10, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             EXCHANGE PRIVILEGES FOR 30% DISABLED VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 10, 1999

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support allowing veterans 
with a service-connected disability of 30% or more to use military 
exchanges. I am pleased that the House Armed Service Committee approved 
report language urging the Pentagon, in coordination with the Veterans 
Administration, to study the feasibility of providing exchange 
privileges to veterans with a disability of 30% or more. I want to 
reiterate my support for this policy, and I hope that the Pentagon will 
favorably report back the results of their study to the Armed Services 
Committees in both the House and Senate before the end of this year.
  Today, as many as one million disabled and deserving veterans are 
unjustly denied the ability to patronize military exchanges. Exchange 
privileges are granted to veterans who incur a serious disability while 
in service that warrants medical retirement, but veterans whose 
disabilities increase after separation from military service are denied 
this privilege.
  I support extending exchange privileges to disabled veterans whose 
service-related injuries exacerbate over time. Many veterans who 
incurred service-connected injuries that did not appear initially to be 
serious enough to warrant medical retirement, but these injuries often 
have a delayed effect and develop later in life into more severe 
disabilities that significantly impair their health.
  The Department of Defense can afford to give exchange privileges to 
veterans with service-connected injuries which have led to a disability 
of 30% or more. I do not believe that allowing these deserving veterans 
exchange privileges will greatly burden exchange operations or the 
appropriated funds budget. Already, employees of the military exchange 
systems, who have never served a day in uniform, enjoy exchange 
shopping privileges. Disabled veterans deserve no less.
  We should grant exchange privileges to this group of patriots because 
it is the right, fair and honorable thing to do. I am pleased that the 
bill we are considering today urges the Pentagon to correct this 
injustice.

                          ____________________