[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 35 (Thursday, March 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2384-S2385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VETERANS EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE PRIORITIES
Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, as I travel my state of South Dakota and
meet with veterans, I am reminded of the very core of what the Founding
Fathers meant when they talked about America's citizen soldiers who
serve as the bulwark of defending our democracy and freedom. The
sacrifices of the men and women who served this nation in time of war
are a dramatic story that we need to tell to future generations.
We need to remind younger generations of the sacrifice of the quiet
heroes who have served our nation in the military service. We need to
remind them that freedom isn't really free. Throughout our nation's
proud history, people have made profound sacrifices to preserve liberty
and democracy.
I have had the privilege this past year of honoring the South
Dakotans who so bravely defended the seeds of democracy in the foreign
soil of Korea and remember those who fought and died for democracy. In
ceremonies across my state, I have had the honor of presenting the
Korean War Service Medals as a long-overdue expression of gratitude
from the American public and the South Korean government. It may have
taken 50 years for us to properly recognize these veterans for their
sacrifices in Korea. But there is no time limit on their patriotism or
our country's gratitude.
Unfortunately, it has also taken too long for our government to fully
honor the commitment made to our veterans for educational benefits and
lifetime health care.
I am pleased to report that Congress has finally begun to honor
additional commitments made to veterans nationwide. We all know the
history: for decades, men and women who joined the military were
promised educational benefits and lifetime health care coverage for
themselves and their families. Many of the veterans we honor today were
told, in effect, ``If you disrupt your family, if you work for low pay,
if you endanger your life and limb, our nation will in turn guarantee
an opportunity for an education and lifetime health benefits.''
Those promises have too often not been kept, not only to our veterans
but also our military retirees, and that is threatening our national
security. Veterans are our nation's most effective recruiters. However,
inadequate education benefits and poor health care options make it
difficult for these men and women to encourage the younger generation
to serve in today's voluntary service. We are blessed to have
unprecedented federal budget surpluses, and the only question is
whether veterans health care and educational benefits should be a
priority instead of an afterthought.
Veterans from around the nation have been calling on Congress to
provide the VA with adequate funding to meet the health care needs for
all veterans. Without additional funding, VA facilities will be unable
to deliver the necessary health care services to our veterans
population.
For a number of years, I have worked with veterans to increase flat-
line appropriations for veterans' health care. Thanks to the grass
roots efforts of veterans, we were successful two years ago in getting
a historic $1.7 billion increase for VA medical care. We fought last
year for another $1.4 billion increase. While these increases will help
relieve some of the VA's budgetary constraints, I believe that more
needs to be done to make up for those years of budgetary neglect, as
well as to keep pace with rising costs of health care.
Another priority for me this year will be to continue to improve
educational benefits for veterans. The Montgomery GI Bill has been one
of the most effective tools in recruiting and retaining the best and
the brightest in the military. It has also been a critical component in
the transition of veterans to civilian life. Unfortunately, the current
GI Bill fails to keep pace with the rising costs of higher education.
On the first day of this legislative year, I joined Senator Susan
Collins in introducing legislation to bring the GI Bill in the 21st
Century by creating a benchmark level of education benefits that
automatically covers inflation to meet the increasing costs of higher
education. Our concept is a very simple one: at the very least, GI Bill
benefits should be equal to the average cost of a commuter student
attending a four-year university. Currently, less than one-half of the
men and women who contribute $1200 of their pay to qualify for the GI
Bill actually use these benefits.
The Veterans' Higher Education Opportunities Act--S. 131--has broad
bipartisan support and the support of an unprecedented partnership of
veterans groups and higher education organizations.
My bipartisan ``Keep Our Promises to America's Military Retirees
Act'' called for the government to fulfill its obligation of lifetime
health care for military retirees and their dependents. While I am
pleased that last year's enactment of the TRICARE-for-Life program
begins to address problems with military retiree health care, there is
more work that needs to be done.
In fact, a recent federal court of appeals ruling finally supported
what we have been saying all along: that the government has not lived
up to its contract with millions of military retirees who were told
they would receive lifetime health care in return for 20 years of
service in the military. That is why I am once again working with
Senator
[[Page S2385]]
Olympia Snowe and Senator Jeff Bingaman to finish the job we started
last year and fulfill our country's commitment. Honoring our commitment
to active duty personnel, military retirees, and veterans is of special
importance to me for a number of reasons. My oldest son, Brooks,
currently serves in the Army and tells me firsthand how broken promises
impact the morale of active duty personnel and their families.
Finally, an issue that needs to be addressed this year is concurrent
receipt. I find it indefensible that our government forces men and
women who fought for our country and are disabled as a result of it to
choose between retirement pay and disability compensation. This nickel-
and-diming of our country's heroes must stop, and I recently joined
Senator Harry Reid in introducing the Retired Pay Restoration Act of
2001, S. 170. I am hopeful that we will be able to continue on the
progress made last year on Concurrent Receipt and finally make this
long-overdue correction for 437,000 disabled veterans nationwide.
Veterans are our country's heroes, and their selfless actions will
inspire generations of Americans yet to come. Our country must honor
its commitments to veterans, not only because it's the right thing to
do, but also because it's the smart thing to do. I consider myself
fortunate to live in our democracy, and I am filled with a sense of
patriotism each day as I travel to work and see the United States
Capitol come into view. In this city that is filled with monuments to
the heroism of our Founding Fathers and the men and women who have
served to protect our freedoms, I pledge that I will continue to fight
to make veterans issues a priority in Congress.
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