[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S925-S926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            KEEP OUR PROMISE TO AMERICA'S MILITARY RETIREES

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in sponsoring, S. 
2003, the Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act of 2000. 
I am sponsoring this legislation because I believe it is necessary if 
we are to fulfill our moral obligation to those who devoted their 
careers to safeguarding our nation's people, our homes, and our way of 
life.
  The brave men and women of our armed forces literally put their lives 
on the line for this country. We owe them a debt we can never repay. 
But one thing we cannot do, in my opinion, is fail to live up to our 
explicit promise that those who made military life their career would 
receive, in return lifetime medical care. That is a promise we have 
made; and it is a promise we must keep.
  There has already been a great deal of discussion on this topic in 
the Administration and the Congress. In the 1998 National Defense 
Authorization Act, Congress expressed its sense that many retired 
military personnel reasonably believed that they had been promised 
lifetime health care in exchange for 20 or more years of service. 
Recruiters for the uniformed services, as agents of the United States 
government, had used recruiting tactics promising enrollees entering 
the Armed Forces prior to June 7, 1956, that they would be entitled to 
fully paid lifetime health care upon retirement.
  Unfortunately, prior to 1956, a statutory health care plan did not 
exist for our military personnel. Since the establishment of CHAMPUS, 
and its successor, Tricare, we have seen the erosion of space-available 
health care at military treatment facilities for military retirees. 
Additionally, military health care has become increasingly difficult to 
obtain for military retirees as the Department of Defense reduces its 
health care infrastructure. As a result, military retiree's health care 
situation is woefully inadequate compared to health care afforded to 
other federal employees. Today, military retirees remain the only 
Federal Government personnel who have been prevented from using their 
employer-provided health care at or after 65 years of age. Military 
retirees deserve to have a health care program that is at least 
comparable with that of retirees from civilian employment in the 
Federal Government.
  In statements before this Congress, our distinguished Secretary of 
Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs have reiterated the importance 
of seeing to military retirees' health needs. According to Secretary 
Cohen, the loudest complaints he hears while traveling concern the 
military health care system.
  I believe General Hugh Shelton expressed the correct response to 
these complaints when he stated, ``I think that the first thing we need 
to do is make sure that we acknowledge our commitment to the retirees 
for their years of service and for what we basically committed to at 
the time they were recruited into the armed forces.''
  It is morally imperative, that we keep our promise to the brave men 
and women who devoted their careers to protecting our country.
  But we should also keep in mind that health care is not only a top 
issue for retirees; it is also a major source of dissatisfaction for 
active duty personnel. As such it affects readiness, recruiting and 
retention. The availability of quality, lifetime health care is a 
critical recruiting incentive for the all volunteer Armed Forces.
  That incentive has been undermined by the declining services provided 
to military retirees. In its self-proclaimed ``Year of Health Care,'' 
the Department of Defense had a major opportunity to  take the lead in 
keeping commitments to service members and start erasing the skepticism 
and distrust that years of broken health care promises have engendered 
among the retired population. Putting these initiatives in the

[[Page S926]]

President's budget would have made them much easier to enact. But, once 
again, the Administration has chosen to pass its moral responsibilities 
to the Congress.

  For too long, this Administration has ignored the needs of the brave 
men and women who have defended our interests and our shores. This is 
unfair. What is more, in my view it is unwise to ignore the well-being 
of military retirees.
  Well-trained, properly motivated troops have been and continue to be 
the single most important factor in protecting our national security. 
Without them we will not be able to achieve and maintain military 
readiness. We will not be able, as a nation, to fight and win. Under 
current conditions we cannot expect to maintain the levels of re-
enlistment, expertise and morale we need to maintain an effective 
military force.
  Last year this Congress took it upon itself to address the critical 
issue of unconscionably low military pay. I hope and believe that this 
year we will address the no-less critical issue of unconscionably 
inadequate health care services for military retirees.
  This Congress and the President must take action to address the 
problems associated with the availability of health care for military 
retirees. Keeping this nation's promise and providing adequate health 
care for military retirees is an issue whose time has come. Every day, 
in hundreds of locations all over the world, our soldiers, sailors and 
airmen willingly serve in defense of our national interest, promoting 
peace and prosperity around the globe.
  We have asked for the greatest sacrifice from our military retirees 
and today's men and women in uniform--to give one's life in defense of 
their nation. When people put themselves in harm's way for their 
country, they should not have to worry about their families' access to 
proper health care.
  We must act upon the sense of this Congress that the United States 
has incurred a moral obligation to provide health care to former 
members of the Armed Forces who are entitled to retired or retainer pay 
(or its equivalent); and it is, therefore, necessary to provide 
quality, affordable health to such retirees.
  For these reasons I am happy to join with Senators Coverdell, 
Johnson, and 13 fellow Senators in co-sponsoring the bipartisan Keep 
Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act (S. 2003). This 
legislation is key to re-establishing the morale, confidence and trust 
of our military retirees.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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