[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10664-S10665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           VETERANS DAY 2002

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, as the Senate prepares to recess until 
after the November elections, I would like to take a moment to express 
my thanks and the thanks of the people of Wisconsin to our Nation's 
veterans and their families.
  The Senate will not be in session on Veterans Day, November 11th. I 
urge my colleagues and all Americans to take a moment on that day to 
reflect upon the meaning of that day and to remember those who have 
served and sacrificed to protect our country and the freedoms that we 
enjoy as Americans.
  Webster's Dictionary defines a veteran as ``one with a long record of 
service in a particular activity or capacity,'' or ``one who has been 
in the armed forces.'' But we can also define a veteran as a 
grandfather or a grandmother, a father or a mother, a brother or a 
sister, a son or a daughter. Veterans live in all of our communities, 
and their contributions have touched all of our lives.
  November 11 is a date with special significance in our history. On 
that day in 1918--at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the 
eleventh month--World War I ended. In 1926, a joint resolution of 
Congress called on the President to issue a proclamation to encourage 
all Americans to mark this day by displaying the United States flag and 
by observing the day with appropriate ceremonies.
  In 1938, ``Armistice Day'' was designated as a legal holiday ``to be 
dedicated to the cause of world peace'' by an Act of Congress. This 
annual recognition of the contributions and sacrifices of our Nation's 
veterans of World War I was renamed ``Veterans Day'' in 1954 so that we 
might also recognize the service and sacrifice of those who had fought 
in World War II and the veterans of all of America's other wars.
  Mr. President, our Nation's veterans and their families have given 
selflessly to the cause of protecting our freedom. Too many have given 
the ultimate sacrifice for their country, from the battlefields of the 
Revolutionary War that gave birth to the United States to the Civil War 
that sought to secure for all Americans the freedoms envisioned by the 
Founding Fathers. In the last century, Americans fought and died in two 
world wars and in conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. 
They also participated in peacekeeping missions around the globe, some 
of which are still going on. Today, our men and women in uniform are 
waging a fight against terrorism. And in the future, our military 
personnel could be asked to undertake a campaign in Iraq.
  As we prepare to commemorate Veterans Day 2002, we should reflect on 
the

[[Page S10665]]

sacrifices--past, present, and future--that are made by our men and 
women in uniform and their families. We can and should do more for our 
veterans to ensure that they have a decent standard of living and 
access to adequate health care.
  For those reasons, I am deeply concerned about a memorandum that was 
sent to Veterans Integrated Service Network Directors by Deputy Under 
Secretary for Health for Operations and Management Laura Miller in July 
ordering them to ``ensure that no marketing activities to enroll new 
veterans occur within your networks.'' The memo continued, ``[i]t is 
important to attend veteran-focused events as part of our 
responsibilities, but there is a difference between providing general 
information and actively recruiting people into the system.''
  Deputy Under Secretary Miller's memo states that the increased demand 
for VA health care services exceeds the VA's current resources. 
According to the memo, ``In this environment, marketing VA services 
with such activities as health fairs, veteran open houses to invite new 
veterans to the facilities, or enrollment displays at VSO, Veteran 
Service Officer meetings, are inappropriate.''
  While it is clear that more funding should be provided for VA health 
care and other programs, what is inappropriate is for the VA to 
institute a policy to stop making veterans aware of the health care 
services for which they may be eligible.
  Soon after this memo was issued, I joined with the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry) and a number of colleagues to send a letter 
to the President that expressed concern about the memo and asked that 
the policy outlined in it be reversed. As of today, Mr. President, more 
than two months later, we have yet to receive a reply to that letter.
  I call on the President and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
reverse immediately this unacceptable policy.
  After the 108th Congress convenes next year, I plan to introduce a 
comprehensive package of reforms that will help to ensure that our 
nation's veterans are treated in a fashion that respects and recognizes 
the contributions that they have made to protect generations of 
Americans.
  I am working to build on two pieces of legislation that I introduced 
during the 107th Congress. The National I Owe You Act, which I 
introduced with the Senator from Missouri [Mr. Bond], would require the 
VA to take more aggressive steps to make veterans aware of the benefits 
that are owed to them. This legislation, which was inspired by the 
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs' ``I Owe You'' program, would 
create programs that identify eligible veterans who are not receiving 
benefits, notify veterans of changes in benefit programs, and encourage 
veterans to apply for benefits. The bill also would direct the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop an outreach program that 
encourages veterans and dependents to apply, or to reapply, for federal 
benefits.

  This legislation in no way duplicates the work of County Veterans 
Service Officers (CVSOs) in my state and other states. The work of 
CVSOs is indispensable for reaching out to veterans, particularly in 
rural areas. The I Owe You Act simply calls for the VA to develop a 
program that encourages veterans to apply for benefits, identify 
veterans who are eligible but not receiving benefits, and notify 
veterans of any modifications to benefit programs. The new VA policy 
that prohibits marketing of health programs underscores the need for 
legislation in this area.
  In addition, I have heard from many Wisconsin veterans about the need 
to improve claims processing at the VA. They are justifiably angry and 
frustrated about the amount of time it takes for the Veterans Benefits 
Administration to process their claims. In some instances, veterans are 
waiting well over a year. Telling the men and women who served their 
country in the Armed Forces that they ``just have to wait'' is wrong 
and unacceptable.
  In response to these concerns, I joined with the Senator from Utah 
(Mr. Hatch) to introduce the Veterans Benefits Administration 
Improvement Act, which would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
to submit a comprehensive plan to Congress for the improvement of the 
processing of claims for veterans compensation and pensions. In 
addition, every six months afterwards, the Secretary must report to 
Congress about the status of the program. I remain concerned about 
claims processing, and will continue to work with the VA and with my 
colleagues to address this important issue.
  I look forward to continuing to meet with veterans and their families 
around Wisconsin in order to hear directly from them what services they 
need and what gaps remain in the VA system.
  And so, Mr. President, this coming Veterans Day, and throughout the 
year, let us continue to honor America's great veterans.
  Thank you, Mr. President.

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