[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 12, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IT IS TIME TO KEEP OUR PROMISE TO FILIPINO VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 11, 2003

  Mr. FILNER.  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to ask for the 
support of my colleagues for H.R. 664, ``The Health Care for Filipino 
World War II Veterans Act.''
  Almost 60 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt drafted the 
soldiers of the Philippines into service in World War II, because the 
Philippine was a territory of the United States at that time. Fighting 
side-by-side with soldiers from the United States mainland, the 
Filipino soldiers were instrumental in the successful outcome of the 
war. However, shortly after the war's end in 1946, Congress passed the 
Rescissions Act which took away promised benefits from many of the 
Filipino veterans and declared that their service was deemed not to be 
service in the military forces of the United States.
  We owe not only a debt of gratitude to these brave veterans, but we 
owe them recognition as veterans of the United States military. And we 
owe them the benefits they were promised! Now in their 70s and 80s, 
they are in desperate need of health care, and approximately five 
veterans are dying each day.
  I have introduced, H.R. 664, with a number of original co-sponsors 
from both parties, including Congressmembers Simmons, Evans, 
Cunningham, Pelosi, Issa, Rohrabacher, Abercrombie, Millender-McDonald, 
Tiahrt, Lofgren, and Scott. This bill would provide access to VA 
medical facilities for the Filipino veterans who are now living in the 
United States and would restore the designation of veteran to these 
brave men.
  The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Principi, testified in a 
June 13, 2002 hearing before the VA Health Subcommittee in support of 
H.R. 4904, the version of this bill in the 107th session. The House of 
Representatives passed these health care benefits on July 22, 2002 but 
they were unable to get passed by the Senate before adjournment of last 
year's session. Senator Inouye has reintroduced a similar bill in the 
108th session in the Senate (S. 68).
  There is overwhelming support for H.R. 664. We must quickly pass this 
bill to begin the process of restoring benefits that are deserved by 
the Filipino World War II veterans.

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