[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            H.R. 2116--VETERANS' MILLENNIUM HEALTH CARE ACT

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                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 5, 1999

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, and colleagues, I rise in support of the 
Veterans' Millennium Health Care Act. This bill improves the VA health 
care system in many ways--it will extend long term care and emergency 
care services--provide sexual trauma counseling--and will give the VA 
access to a portion, if funds are recovered from tobacco companies, to 
compromise for its costs of tobacco-related illnesses.
  I am especially pleased that this legislation ensures that the 
Veterans Administration (VA) will work with licensed doctors of 
chiropractic care to develop a policy to provide veterans with access 
to chiropractic services. Even though chiropractic is the most 
widespread of the complementary approaches to medicine in the United 
States, serving roughly 27 million patients--and even though Congress 
has recognized chiropractic care in the other areas of the federal 
health care system (Medicare, Medicaid, and federal workers 
compensation), VA has chosen not to make chiropractic routinely 
available to veterans. This bill changes that!
  As a Member representing a portion of San Diego County, I am also 
pleased that H.R. 2116 includes a biomedical research facility for the 
VA San Diego Healthcare System to accommodate current and pending 
research programs on diabetes, immunology, hypertension, Parkinson's 
Disease, AIDS, and memory.
  I encourage my colleagues to support and vote in favor of the 
Veterans' Millennium Health Care Act.

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