[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 17 (Wednesday, February 7, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1134-S1135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. JOHNSON (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, and Ms. Snowe):
  S. 278. A bill to restore health care coverage to retired members of 
the uniformed services; to the Committee on Armed Services.

[[Page S1135]]

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, our country must honor its commitments to 
military retirees and veterans, not only because it's the right thing 
to do, but also because it's the smart thing to do. We all know the 
history: for decades, men and women who joined the military were 
promised lifetime health care coverage for themselves and their 
families. They were told, in effect, if you disrupt your family, if you 
work for low pay, if you endanger your life and limb, we will in turn 
guarantee lifetime health benefits.
  In my own family, my oldest son is in the Army and has served tours 
of duty in Bosnia and Kosovo. I fully appreciate what inadequate health 
care and broken promises can do to the morale of military families.
  Military retirees and veterans are our nation's most effective 
recruiters. Unfortunately, poor health care options make it difficult 
for these men and women to encourage the younger generation to make a 
career of the military. In fact, in South Dakota, I was talking to 
military personnel and talking to retirees who are loyal and patriotic, 
who have paid a price second to none for our nation's liberty, and they 
told me: ``Tim, I can't in good faith tell my nephews, my children, 
young people whom I encounter, that they ought to serve in the U.S. 
military, that they ought to make a career of that service because I 
see what the Congress has done to its commitment to me, to my family, 
to my neighbors.''
  I am pleased that last year we made historic improvements in health 
care coverage for the approximately 12,600 military retirees living in 
South Dakota. In the 106th Congress, I introduced the Keep Our Promise 
to America's Military Retirees Act to restore the broken promise of 
lifetime health care for military retirees and dependents. My 
bipartisan legislation received the endorsement from most military 
retiree and veterans organizations and called for military retirees to 
have the option of staying in their TRICARE military health care 
program or electing to participate in the Federal Employees Health 
Benefit Program, FEHBP.
  I offered my legislation as an amendment to last year's defense bill 
and received 52 votes. Although the amendment failed on a procedural 
motion, I was able to convince my colleagues to include one part of my 
bill--the expansion of TRICARE to Medicare-eligible military retirees--
in both the Senate defense bill and the final version signed into law.
  While I am pleased that last year's defense bill begins to address 
problems with military retiree health care, there is more work that 
needs to be done. That is why I am once again working with fellow 
Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to continue the progress we've 
made at living up to our country's commitment to those who serve in the 
military.
  Today, I am reintroducing the Keep Our Promise to America's Military 
Retirees Act to finish the job we started last year. I am pleased to be 
joined by Senator Jeff Bingaman and Senator Olympia Snowe. Similar 
legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by 
Representative Ronnie Shows and Representative Charlie Norwood already 
has overwhelming bipartisan support, and I expect a number of Democrats 
and Republicans here in the Senate to once again support my bill.
  My legislation addresses the pressing health care needs of military 
retirees under age 65. Thanks to our efforts last year, retirees over 
65 soon will be able to choose their own doctor and be covered by 
Medicare and TRICARE as a secondary payer. However, retirees under age 
65 must continue coverage under a TRICARE program that offers care at 
military treatment facilities on a space available basis. Nationwide, 
base closures and downsizing have made access to these military bases 
difficult. For many military retirees in South Dakota and other rural 
states, it is next to impossible to find a doctor participating in 
TRICARE, and these men and women are forced to drive hundreds of miles 
just for basic health care.
  In addition, retirees who entered the service prior to June 7, 1956, 
when space-available care for military retirees was enacted, actually 
have seen much of their promised benefits taken away. Under the Keep 
Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act, the United States 
government would pay the full cost of FEHBP enrollment to this most 
elderly group of retirees.
  Congress has the unique opportunity to use a portion of the budget 
surplus to improve the quality of life for our military retirees, 
veterans, and active duty personnel. I have always believed that our 
nation's defense is only as good as the men and women who serve in our 
armed forces. Broken promises of health care, retirement benefits, 
education incentives, and pay have eroded the morale of the most 
valuable assets to our national security. I am hopeful that members of 
both parties will join me once again making these issues a priority--
instead of an afterthought--during this session of Congress.
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