[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E246-E247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  VETERANS' OPPORTUNITIES ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 28, 2001

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs, today I am introducing on behalf of Mr. Evans, Mr. 
Hayworth, Mr. Reyes and myself the Veterans' Opportunities Act of 2001. 
This measure would make a number of needed improvements to VA benefits 
and services including memorial affairs, life insurance, the means-
tested pension program, automobile and adaptive equipment and specially 
adapted housing for seriously disabled veterans. Five different 
transition and outreach services to servicemembers, veterans, and 
disabled veterans and their dependents are included in the bill, as 
well as provisions affecting various veterans' educational assistance 
programs.

[[Page E247]]

  My colleagues and I have also consulted with Armed Services Committee 
Chairman Bob Stump and Ranking Democratic Member Ike Skelton to make 
certain time-sensitive technical amendments to certain servicemembers' 
and veterans' education provisions in current law.
  Mr. Speaker, veterans' benefits and services indeed are ``earned 
opportunities.'' They are earned through selfless and often hazardous 
service to our nation, during war and peace alike. Doing right by 
America's sons and daughters who have worn the military uniform is 
firmly ingrained in our national values, our national pride, and our 
sense of moral responsibility. On behalf of my fellow original 
cosponsors, I would like to highlight just a few of the 17 provisions 
in the bill.
  Sadly, our nation loses about 1,500 World War II veterans each week. 
The Department of Veterans Affairs projects that the current death rate 
for our veterans will continue to increase, peaking in 2008. Our bill 
would increase the burial and funeral expenses for veterans whose death 
is service-connected from $1,500 to $2,000; increase burial and funeral 
expenses for veterans with nonservice-connected disabilities from $300 
to $500; and increase the burial plot allowance from $150 to $300. The 
amount payable for these benefits has remained constant for many years 
in spite of inflation. The purchasing power associated with these 
provisions still is limited and I consider these provisions as a 
starting point for further improvements. I note that VA continues to 
maintain some 119 veterans cemeteries and 26 States participate in VA's 
State Cemetery Grants program. Both of these programs provide a final 
resting place for our veterans, and are separate and independent from 
the burial benefits in this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, VA provides certain severely disabled veterans with 
grants for the purchase of automobiles or other conveyances. The grant 
also provides for adaptive equipment necessary for safe operation of 
these vehicles. Our bill would increase the amount of assistance for 
automobile and adaptive equipment for severely disabled veterans from 
$8,000, which Congress established in October 1998, to $9,000. Veterans 
eligible for the automobile allowance are among the most seriously 
disabled. I have a deep respect for them. Prior to the 1998 increase, 
Congress had not adjusted the grant since 1988. We need to ensure that 
seriously disabled veterans have the opportunity to participate in the 
everyday freedoms sustained by their service. We owe them nothing less 
and they ask for nothing more.
  VA provides a one-time specially adapted housing grant of up to 
$43,000 to veterans with service-connected disabilities consisting of 
certain combinations of loss or loss of use of extremities and 
blindness or other organic diseases or injuries. Veterans with service-
connected blindness alone or with loss or loss of use of both upper 
extremities may receive a home adaption grant of up to $8,250. Our bill 
would increase the amount of assistance for specially adapted housing 
grants for severely disabled veterans from $43,000 to $48,000 and the 
amount for additional adaptations that may be necessary later in the 
life of the dwelling from $8,250 to $9,250. I urge my colleagues to 
support these increases because, unless the amounts of the grants are 
periodically adjusted, inflation erodes their value and effectiveness.
  Whenever we have the opportunity to make our policies family-friendly 
for Americans who wear the military uniform, I think we should do so. 
Our bill would extend coverage under the Servicemembers Group Life 
Insurance program to dependent spouses and children. The amount of 
coverage for a spouse would not exceed $100,000 and the amount of 
coverage for each child would be $10,000. The servicemember would not 
pay premiums on the child's coverage.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleagues Lane Evans and Jerry Moran for 
their efforts on our provision that would revise the rules with respect 
to the net worth limitation for VA's means-tested pension program. 
Under our bill, the value of real property owned by the veteran and the 
veteran's spouse and children would be excluded if such property is 
used for farming, ranching, or similar agricultural purposes. I believe 
this provision is a fairer approach to the family farmer who becomes 
disabled from nonservice connected causes. Further, it would simplify 
administration of this program.
  I appreciate Representatives Pascrell and Doyle's work on our next 
provisions, which would expand the definition of ``eligible dependent'' 
for purposes of VA outreach services to mean a spouse, surviving 
spouse, child, or dependent parent. The bill would require VA to make 
known through a variety of means such as the Internet, media outlets, 
and veterans' publications the VA services available, and require VA to 
provide to the veteran or dependent information concerning benefits and 
health care services whenever the veteran or dependent first applies 
for any benefit. My colleagues and I appreciate VA Under Secretary for 
Benefits Joe Thompson making Ms. Diane Fuller and Mr. Dennis Rhodes 
available to assist us in drafting this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, the fundamental marker of a successful transition for 
our servicemembers is timely and suitable employment. The Departments 
of Labor, Veterans Affairs and Defense operate a Transition Assistance 
Program, known as ``TAP'' for this and other transition purposes. In 
its 1999 report to the Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services Committees 
of the House and the Senate, the bipartisan Congressional Commission on 
Service members and Transition Assistance made a number of 
recommendations to improve servicemembers' transition programs and 
services. The Commission reported that the Department of Defense 
expects to separate about 238,000 servicemembers annually for the 
foreseeable future and that during the 10-year period from 1987 to 
1997, total unemployment compensation to former servicemembers 
surpassed $2.9 billion. The Commission also reported that compared with 
other veterans, Department of Labor Transition Assistance Program 
participants collected Unemployment Insurance for Ex-Service Members 
benefits for shorter periods because they found jobs more quickly. 
About 65 percent of servicemembers are married at the time of 
transition and many have children.
  The issue our bill addresses is one of the timing of the Transition 
Assistance Program. Although section 1142 of title 10, United States 
Code, requires the Services to furnish transition assistance no later 
than 90 days before an individual's separation or retirement, the law 
does not specify the earliest point at which this service should begin. 
Transition Assistance Program statistics reveal that the majority of 
servicemembers are within this three-month window when they first visit 
a transition office.
  The Commission reported that during its visit with servicemembers at 
military installations in the Continental United States and around the 
world, servicemembers repeatedly voiced their desire to begin the 
transition process earlier than 90 days prior to separation--ideally 
one-year prior for regular separatees and two years prior for retirees. 
The Commission agreed that this approach gives servicemembers more 
adequate time to prepare. The Commission's Vice Chairman, G. Kim 
Wincup, former staff director of the House Armed Services Committee, an 
Assistant Secretary of the Army during the Persian Gulf War, was the 
Commission's chief advisor on transition matters. We note the 
Commission's observation in its report that: ``additionally, it 
provides commanders flexibility since many servicemembers are deployed 
during the last six months of their active duty. With additional time, 
servicemembers could learn the fundamentals of transition and the job 
search process before deployment and relieve the pressure to compress 
transition and out processing into the last few weeks.''
  This provision in our bill would expand the availability of pre-
separation counseling (and Transition Assistance Program assistance for 
servicemembers) as furnished by the Departments of Defense, Veterans 
Affairs and Labor to as early as nine months for separatees and 18 
months for retirees, but in no event less than 90 days. TAP is so 
important because often it is the last thing servicemembers remember 
about their military service and it is what they share with the next 
generation.
  Mr. Speaker, dramatic changes have occurred in both the methods for 
providing education and in the institutions offering courses over the 
past several years. As the Transition Commission pointed out, 
``postsecondary education is now available on the Internet, through 
broadcast media and videotape on satellite campuses, and through non-
campus programs.'' Our bill would permit veterans to use VA educational 
assistance benefits for an independent study certificate program 
offered by an institution of higher learning. I thank the University of 
Phoenix, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, DeAnza Community 
College, Washington State University and George Washington University 
for bringing this issue to the Committee's attention.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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