[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 26, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H2382-H2388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MISTREATMENT OF OUR NATION'S VETERANS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 7, 2003, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
General Leave
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on the subject of this special order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I am joined here on the floor of the House
of Representatives by my colleagues to simply bring to the attention of
the President of the United States and to our Republican colleagues the
mistakes they are making in the way they are mistreating our Nation's
veterans in the 2004 budget that passed our House in the wee hours of
the morning last Friday.
The irony of the President of the United States leading the deep and
harmful cuts in this budget while we are in the middle of a war in the
Persian Gulf, with our brave men and women in harm's way, is more than
any American can understand. The veterans of this country are honored
in ceremonies on Veterans Day and Memorial Day and at conventions,
dinners, receptions and on and on and on, but when it comes to putting
our money where our mouths are, increasingly we are abandoning our
veterans and not taking care of their needs, as we promise them when we
recruit them and when we benefit from their services.
God willing, these young men and women fighting in Iraq will some day
be veterans. They are going to have medical needs, housing needs; and
we will need to pay for special programs and services to attend to the
problems that they will have created by their service to this country.
How then can we in good conscience turn our backs on these young men
and women by cutting their budgets? We should be happy to provide
services for our veterans.
The President of the United States will probably try and tell the
American public that we really cannot afford to take care of our
veterans, but how can the President explain to our veterans why he
insisted on a $1.3 trillion tax cut in 2001 and has come back to
Congress with a demand for $675 billion in new tax cuts, tax cuts that
benefit the wealthiest people in our society?
Madam Speaker, it does not take a Harvard scholar to know we cannot
keep cutting and cutting and cutting our income and pay for our basic
services and have money for a rainy day. This President is simply
mismanaging this country. We are now in deficit. The economy is
failing. Our President and the members of his party have failed to come
up with a stimulus package, and we have placed our Social Security
system in jeopardy. Education is underfunded, and millions of Americans
have no health care. But one of the most unconscionable consequences of
the Republican budget is the deep and devastating cuts to our veterans.
[[Page H2383]]
Let me just give my colleagues an example of how devastating it is.
The Republican budget cuts $25 billion from veterans programs at a time
when the Department of Veterans Affairs is already severely
underfunded. The 2004 House budget has reduced funding for veterans
health care by $844 million below the President's inadequate
recommendation for next year.
Over 10 years these programs will be cut by $9.7 billion. The House
budget cuts $463 million from benefit programs such as disability
compensation, pension, vocational rehabilitation, education and
survivors benefits this year.
Over the next 10 years, these programs will be cut by $15 billion.
These cuts will likely result in the loss of 9,000 VA physicians and
19,000 nurses. It could also result in the loss of 5,000 nursing home
beds for veterans.
Madam Speaker, I am so proud this evening to be a Democrat because my
party developed our own budget, and we tried to convince our Republican
colleagues not to make the deep cuts that they are making. The
Democratic budget took a much more responsible approach to our Nation's
heroes.
Unlike the Republican budget, the Democratic budget does not include
any cuts to veterans benefits over the next 10 years. In fact, it
provides much-needed increases. It provides for more health care than
the President's budget and the House Republican budget in each of the
next 10 years.
The Democratic plan provides $216 million next year for veterans
health programs, including medical research and construction. It
increases funding for these programs by $2 billion over the next 10
years, and it fully funds compensation for service-connected
disabilities, burial benefits, means-tested pensions for permanently
disabled low-income veterans, Montgomery GI Bill education benefits,
rehabilitation benefits and housing loan programs.
In conclusion, the Democratic budget is an important and responsible
budget that truly respects the sacrifices our veterans have made for
our country.
This evening I call on the President and my Republican colleagues to
stop the empty rhetoric and support our veterans before we finally
resolve the differences in the budget and come up with a budget that is
going to be signed by the President of the United States. I hope we can
reverse the harm that is being done in this Republican budget.
Mr. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
Ms. WATERS. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, I first want to thank the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Waters) for giving us the opportunity tonight to
speak out on behalf of America's veterans, and I can say to my
colleagues firsthand that this is not the first time she has spoken
out. Because 12 years ago she and I were both new members of the
Committee on Veterans Affairs, and our veterans service organizations
quickly learned that no one would speak out more loudly and more
eloquently or more firmly in behalf of our Nation's veterans.
Madam Speaker, I am privileged to represent the only two division
Army installation in the United States, Fort Hood, Texas. Even as we
speak tonight in the comfort of this congressional hall, thousands of
soldiers from my district are being deployed to the Iraqi theater and
within days could be fighting on behalf of our country.
{time} 1945
Those of us here rise tonight to speak on behalf of those soldiers,
our future veterans. There is one fundamental point that I would like
to emphasize in my remarks, and that is that the true test of Congress'
commitment to veterans is not what we say; it is what we do. Now, I
would say it is fair that some people in this country believe that
Republicans are veterans' best friends, but we should look at the
facts. The fact is that not many Americans saw what happened at 3 a.m.
on the House floor last Friday morning, but this is the fact. On that
morning 214 House Republicans voted to cut veterans benefits by $28
billion, to cut veterans benefits by $28 billion. Then 5 minutes later,
they voted for a resolution saying we support our troops in Iraq.
Madam Speaker, I find that hypocrisy to be outrageous. Last Friday
morning, 214 House Republicans voted to cut veterans benefits,
including benefits for war-wounded combat veterans, cut their benefits
and their pensions and compensation checks; and 5 minutes later they
voted for a resolution with no force of funds behind it saying we
support our troops.
Madam Speaker, today's troops in Iraq are tomorrow's veterans. So
when Members voted last Friday to cut $28 billion out of veterans
programs, they are basically voting to cut the veterans benefits of
those fighting and putting their lives on the line for us right now.
That is outrageous.
Do not just take my word for it. Let us see what a distinguished
American, Edward Heath, Sr., the National Commander of Disabled
American Veterans, had to say about the Republican budget resolution.
In a letter that he sent 9 days ago to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Hastert), this is what Commander Heath said: ``Has Congress no shame?
Is there no honor left in the hallowed halls of our government? Did you
choose to dishonor the sacrifices of our Nation's heroes and rob our
programs, health care and disability compensation to pay for tax cuts
for the wealthy?''
Well said, Commander Heath.
Now, Madam Speaker, I think it is important to point out that if our
country was at a time of war and we were asking all Americans to
tighten their belts and sacrifice, I would imagine the first group at
the front of the line to say we will play our part would be American
veterans; but not one dollar in the Republican budget resolution was
allocated for the Iraqi war, so these cuts were not necessitated to pay
for war, they were necessitated to pay for a $374 dividend tax cut that
will go to the wealthiest Americans who are sitting safely in their
homes and offices as American soldiers from my district at Fort Hood
will be fighting in Iraq. Outrageous.
A dividend tax cut, a dividend tax cut paid for by reduced benefits
and health care for our soldiers in Iraq today, and today's and
tomorrow's veterans. I find that to be a bad idea at any time, cutting
benefits to pay for tax cuts that benefit primarily the wealthiest
Americans; but to do so within 24 or 36 hours of the beginning of our
war against Iraq I find to be insulting. No wonder the National
Commander of the Disabled American Veterans asked the question: Is
there no honor left in the hallowed halls of our government?
As the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) pointed out, it was
good to know and I am proud as a Democrat to say that almost all House
Republicans voted for these cuts, I am proud that all but one House
Democrat voted against that resolution with veterans cuts. There were a
handful of Republicans who went to the Republican House leadership and
said these veterans cuts really are not fair, especially at time of
war. I think America's veterans would be interested to hear what the
response was from the House Republican leadership when, for example,
our colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), went to them
and said we should not be cutting veterans benefits, it is a horrible
idea.
Did the House leadership commend the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Smith) for standing up for veterans, the chairman of the Committee on
Veterans Affairs? Did they salute him, honor him? I am afraid not,
sadly not. Today's Roll Call newspaper on Capitol Hill has a headline
stating: ``Smith Spars With Leaders, Veterans Chairman Upsets Fellow
Republicans on Funding Issues.''
Madam Speaker, let me read some of this: ``After months of railing
against his own leadership, House Veterans Affairs Chairman Chris Smith
has earned public rebukes from the Chamber's top Republicans and
private warnings that he needs to do a better job toeing the GOP
line.''
So not only did they not commend him for fighting on behalf of
veterans, they threatened him. They said he is guilty of not toeing the
GOP line. I am glad to be another colleague of the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) not toeing the GOP line. Perhaps later on they found
some way in their hearts to commend him for fighting for veterans.
They said: ``Smith has pushed hard for more funding for veterans this
year. In the process, he has criticized both
[[Page H2384]]
the House Republican budget resolution and the White House spending
proposals. Earlier this month, Smith's complaints about veterans
funding at a Republican conference meeting so angered Speaker Dennis
Hastert that he rose to deliver the New Jersey lawmaker a highly
unusual tongue lashing. `Hastert got up and just shut him down,' said a
Republican source that witnessed the exchange. `It was off the charts.
I've never seen anything like it. It was scathing.' ''
Madam Speaker, a scathing attack from the House Republican leadership
on a Republican House Member for the crime of standing up and saying we
should not be cutting veterans benefits by $28 billion in time of war.
I think the veterans of America are smart enough to know the
difference between those who speak out on behalf of veterans on
patriotic occasions like Memorial Day and Veterans Day, and then vote
for a resolution at 3 a.m. on Friday morning saying we support our
troops, and 5 minutes later that very morning would vote to cut
veterans benefits by $28 billion. Who do they think they are fooling?
Madam Speaker, they are not fooling the veterans who put on our
Nation's uniform, fought for our country, many have died for our
country, and those who have survived understand the sacrifices that our
country has asked them to make.
This article gets better, Madam Speaker. It goes on and says that the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) does not understand what being a
team player is about: ``As one Republican staffer put it, `The
leadership wants Smith to remember that a chairmanship is a privilege,
not a right.' ''
Let me rephrase that. The American people need to understand that the
leadership of this House and top staffers for them have threatened, in
effect, the Committee on Veterans Affairs chairmanship by the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for having said that he thought it was a
bad idea to cut veterans benefits by $28 billion. Just as DAV National
Commander Heath was outraged and insulted by the cuts for veterans, I
think America's veterans are going to be even more outraged at the
added insult to injury that the House leadership not only wanted the
cuts, they rebuked and even now in effect have threatened the
chairmanship of a Member of the House who said that was wrong.
We will be judged when it comes to supporting our veterans not by our
words, but by our deeds. That is the way it should be. I hope America's
veterans will look at the facts and the present Republican leadership
and its effort to undermine important commitments for health care and
benefits to America's men and women who have served our Nation.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I yield to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland).
Mr. STRICKLAND. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Waters) for her care and concern for veterans.
As I rise tonight, I am thinking of two people, one a veteran and one
I hope who will soon be a veteran. One of the people I am thinking
about is my oldest brother, Charles, who is 79 years old, currently in
the hospital with a broken hip. He served our country during World War
II. The other individual I am thinking about tonight is a younger
person, 20-year-old Matthew Dingus. Matthew is my nephew's son. We do
not know where he is, but we know he is in Kuwait; and tonight our
thoughts and prayers are with Matthew as he joins other young Americans
in carrying out the orders of his Commander in Chief.
I speak tonight not only for veterans, but for all those who are
active duty servicemen and women because they hopefully soon will be
veterans. It is shocking to me that this Republican administration,
that this President who has made the decision to send our young men and
women into battle would at the same time preside over a budget that is
so harmful to America's veterans. Some of these facts are so shocking
as to almost be unbelievable.
Mr. Speaker, if there are those watching who think that I and my
colleagues are exaggerating tonight, I encourage them to seek out the
facts because what this administration is doing to veterans is
shameful. I will just mention a few things.
About a year and a half ago when most veterans went to a VA Hospital
to get a prescription medication, they were charged a $2 copay per
prescription, and I was outraged when the Department of Veterans
Affairs decided to increase that copayment from $2 to $7 a
prescription, and I introduced legislation to roll back that copayment
increase because many veterans get 10 or more prescriptions a month,
and they get a 3-month supply at a time, and veterans on fixed incomes
cannot afford this additional financial burden.
But what did the President ask for in his most recent veterans
budget? He asked that that copayment be increased from $7 to $15 a
prescription. Think about that. An additional burden of that magnitude
on our veterans, I just simply find it outrageous. How, at a time when
we are literally giving tax breaks to the richest people in this
country, can we justify increasing the copayment for prescription drugs
for our veterans, a copayment that has already been increased from $2
to $7, and now the President wants that copayment increased from $7 to
$15 a prescription? That is outrageous. But the outrage does not stop
there.
The President in his budget has asked for a $250 annual enrollment
fee be imposed upon veterans for enrollment in the VA health care
system. So we increase the cost of their prescription drugs, and then
we impose a $250 annual enrollment fee.
Then we create a special priority group of veterans. We call it
priority group 8, and these are veterans who have served our country
with honor; and we are saying to these priority group veterans, some of
whom make no more than $28,000 a year, you are a high-income veteran.
And because they are high-income veterans, they will no longer be
allowed to enroll in the VA health care system.
{time} 2000
I think the American people should know that those of us who serve in
this Chamber, the President, his Cabinet, all the Members of the
Senate, the Supreme Court and those of us in the House of
Representatives make about $150,000 a year. Yet we have the gall to
imply that if you make $24,000 or $25,000 a year, you are a high-income
veteran and so you should no longer be allowed to enroll in the VA
health care system. It is outrageous. It is almost unbelievable when we
really look at what they are trying to do to our veterans.
It gets worse. About a year ago, the VA decided to impose a gag order
on their health care providers. Think of this. All of the health care
providers around the country were told, too many veterans are coming in
for services and we do not have enough money to provide those services.
I guess it is because we want to use our resources to give tax breaks
to wealthy people. And so a memo was put out mandating a change in
policy. Health care providers were told, you can no longer market our
services. You can no longer participate in community health fairs. You
can no longer make public service announcements. You can no longer send
out newsletters encouraging veterans to take advantage of the services
they are entitled to receive under the law.
Think of that. It is what I call the VA's if-you-don't-ask-we-won't-
tell policy. If you do not ask as a veteran what services you are
entitled to receive under the law, services that the Congress has
decided that you should receive, if you do not ask, the VA system is
not going to make an effort to tell you what services you are legally
entitled to receive.
Reference has been made here to the VA budget. It is true that the VA
budget passed out of this House is a shameful document. No wonder they
decided to do it at 3 o'clock in the morning last Friday morning when
most of America was asleep. We passed two bills during those late-night
hours. One bill was to provide a resolution in support of our troops,
the men and women currently fighting for us in Afghanistan and in Iraq
and in other parts of this world. Within 5 or 10 minutes of casting
that vote, we cast another vote to pass the Republican budget
resolution. That Republican budget resolution cuts funding for
veterans' benefits and health care by over $28 billion. Think of that.
With one hand we salute our troops and
[[Page H2385]]
we pass a resolution thanking them for their service, and with the
other hand we take our voting cards and we vote for a budget that cuts
$28 billion out of veterans health care and veterans benefits.
I want to say something that I believe deep in my heart. The best way
to honor the troops who are fighting for us now is to keep our promises
to the troops who have fought for us in the past. When we honor our
veterans, we honor our current young men and women who are fighting for
us. The American people need to know what is going on. What we are
doing in this Chamber is cutting health care benefits for veterans and
other benefits for veterans so that we can have the money and so that
we can give it to the richest people in this country in the form of tax
cuts.
That is shameful. The American people need to know it; and the
veterans of this country need to rise up, draw a line in the sand and
say, no more. We paid the price, we have given the service, we have
risked our lives, and in some cases we have given our body parts for
the defense of this Nation.
This President and this Congress have a responsibility to keep their
promises to the veterans.
I want to thank the gentlewoman from California for having this
Special Order and for giving us an opportunity to speak out. I want to
thank her for her commitment to America's veterans.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Scott).
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I
thank her for holding this Special Order.
First of all, we need to put these cuts in perspective and with the
budget to see how we got to where we are. This is a chart, not spin,
not adjectives, a chart of the budget deficit which you notice goes
deep under the Reagan and Bush administrations, 8 years of digging out
in the Clinton administration up to a surplus and right back down into
a deep deficit. This is not a war budget way down here, because this
was passed without the war budget money in it. The war budget will take
you off the chart. This is where we are.
What is the plan? You notice we started with a little surplus in
2001, and we spent all the Medicare surplus; in 2002, all the Medicare,
Social Security and then some for as far as you can see. We had no
growth, unemployment is up, the stock market is down. And what is the
consequence of running up all that debt? Right now, a family of four,
divide the country into the interest on the national debt, $4,500 for a
family of four paying on the national debt. If we had not messed up the
budget, we would have paid off the whole national debt and have zero
debt tax. But by 2008 it will be $6,400; and by 2013 it will be $7,500
for a family of four because we have run up so much debt.
Because we have so much debt, we have had to cut the budget. We have
had to cut agriculture. We have had to cut education, energy and
commerce; and we have had to cut veterans benefits, disability
compensation, pensions, GI bill, housing subsidies, health care. This
is wrong. We are cutting these because we have run up the debt because
of the tax cuts.
Our veterans deserve better. We should improve the budget before
final passage and restore the cuts in those veterans programs. We
should honor the sacrifices our troops are making today by restoring
the cuts in veterans programs. Today's troops are tomorrow's veterans.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Ryan).
Mr. RYAN of Ohio. I would like to thank the gentlewoman, also, for
holding this Special Order tonight.
I would also like to thank the gentleman from Ohio whom I share
Mahoning County with in northeast Ohio. He has done a fine job and been
quite a leader on veterans issues.
Madam Speaker, is it no wonder that people do not vote? Is it no
wonder that people are disconnected from their government when they see
the duplicity that we have seen in the last week or so in this Chamber?
It has been stated many times tonight and I hope it will continue to be
stated, where on one hand we are falling all over each other to say we
are supporting our troops in Iraq and at the same time in the wee hours
of the morning we are cutting veterans benefits, $15 billion in
benefits, $9.7 billion in health care.
All of a sudden, we say that we can afford a tax cut that is
primarily going to the top 1 and 2 percent in this country, which is
going to lead to more debt. At the same time, we have more seniors, we
have more veterans, we have more challenges and need more aid to spread
democracy around the world. We need more aid to heal and mend the
international relationships that we have ruined over the past few
months. We have more of a demand for education in this country.
Madam Speaker, let me make some recommendations. We need to index the
GI bill for inflation so that our veterans can afford to be educated.
We need to increase the service-connected compensation and death
benefits.
One thing that I constantly hear back in my district is the
concurrent receipt, where someone who has been issued disability
benefits, veterans disability, they leave their limbs on the
battlefield all around the world, they come home, and they do not just
take the benefits, they go out and they work and they get a Federal job
and earn a Federal military retirement. And then we have the audacity
to say you are not allowed to get both. You can leave your limb in
Europe, but you are not allowed to get any benefit from it.
If we say we support our troops now, then we can only really mean it
if we support our troops from wars gone by. And so I urge this Congress
to reevaluate the decisions we made in the wee hours of the morning
last week. Let us not be duplicitous, let us not contradict ourselves
by saying one thing and doing something completely different and, more
importantly, let us respect the sacrifices that have put us all in this
Chamber, the respect for freedom and the dignity and what this country
really stands for. Let us honor our veterans.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I am so proud of Democrats this evening.
They have taken this evening to come to the floor to speak up for this
Nation's veterans.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.
Davis).
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask this
Congress to seriously consider the harmful impact the budget resolution
could have on veterans health care and other VA services. Already,
thousands of veterans face waiting lists 6 months or longer to see a
physician in a VA medical facility. All too often, veterans must seek
treatment elsewhere simply because the VA does not have the resources
to meet the need.
With so many veterans living in San Diego, I see firsthand the
difficulties they encounter. Just today, Petty Officer Al Kovach, a
paralyzed veteran from Coronado, called my office to share his story.
He was bedridden for more than a year due to a service-related injury.
Once doctors realized he required surgery, it took 6 months for an
operating room to become available. I have heard from hundreds of
others who have experienced similar delays in the VA health care
system.
I do not see how, after the great sacrifices they have made, we can
support a budget that cuts more than $25 billion in VA funding over the
next several years. This astonishing amount will greatly reduce
services and undoubtedly cause these waiting lists for health care to
become even longer.
Madam Speaker, we are in a time of war. Last week we stood before the
Nation and passed a resolution in support of our military personnel
fighting in Iraq. On the same day, this body approved a budget outline
that communicated a very different message to the men and women in the
battlefield, that when the fighting is done and you return home, do not
expect us to care for your needs.
I call on my colleagues to correct this contradiction, to prove that
we support the men and women in harm's way and to prove to our veterans
that we appreciate their sacrifices. We must restore appropriate levels
of funding to the health care system and other VA services. Like the
young men and women fighting today in Iraq, our veterans were there
when we called upon them. Now we must be there when they call upon us.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana
(Ms. Carson).
[[Page H2386]]
Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I extend certainly my heartfelt
appreciation to the honorable gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters)
and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland) for bringing this very
crucial situation to the ears and eyes of America.
Madam Speaker, we come into this Chamber on a regular basis and we
are faced with this wonderful display of the first President of the
United States, George Washington. In 1789, General, President George
Washington said, ``The willingness with which our young people are
likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly
proportional as to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars and how
they were treated and appreciated by this country.''
How scary to think that that is still true today. It is hard to
believe that those words, 200 years ago plus, have so much meaning
today. We all know what President Washington was saying. We recognize
and acknowledge the service of our veterans if we are to expect our
young people to serve and to fight. The government must do its part
with their benefits.
{time} 2015
All of us as citizens must do our part; and the great corporations of
this country need to do their part, too. After all, corporations are
the direct beneficiaries of veterans services because, collectively,
veterans have preserved the free enterprise system under which
corporations operate.
Due to the limitation of time remaining, let me eliminate some of my
comments and point up a few facts for edification.
Estimates are that homeless veterans run from 200,000 to 294,000,
based on a VA fact sheet and the community homelessness assessment for
veterans. Twenty-five percent of homeless persons are veterans. Thirty-
three percent of male homeless persons are veterans. Seven hundred and
seventy-five Reserve and National Guard personnel working in the VA
were called up for active duty in Operation Iraq Freedom. This created
a shortage in critical care nurses which may negatively affect
veterans' care or add to the preponderance of the problems that
veterans already face.
The Department of Defense announced today the identity of an Army
soldier unfortunately killed in action March 24 in Iraq. Army
Specialist Gregory P. Sanders, 19 years of age, Indianapolis, Indiana,
was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
A quote from a female soldier at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, who was
waiting to get shipped out to the Persian Gulf, a future veteran, knows
what the cost is and yet is willing to serve: ``People are dying over
there. Let me go and do my job. I want to help my comrades.''
Ladies and gentlemen of America, there are some of us who came under
fierce criticism for not supporting the resolution that passed last
week because in part it commended the war in which America is now
engaged; and, yes, indeed it did provide our support and our prayers to
those noble women and men who are serving in Iraq for the safety of our
country, but let me say very sincerely there is not a Member in the
House of Representatives that does not support all of those women and
men who serve in harm's way 24 and 7. We love you, we uphold you, we
respect you, and we appreciate you for stepping out in that situation
that most Members of Congress who are here today would not dare do.
But I am pained to know that, even in our prison system, those who
are incarcerated today constitute a large proportion of veterans who
were in the Persian Gulf, who were in Vietnam. We just had an execution
in my State last week of a Persian Gulf War veteran who was convicted
for murdering someone at the military camp. A terrible situation, an
abominable situation, but what is America doing for our veterans? We
support the troops by resolution, but what do we do in fact in terms of
those noble men and women who return to this country?
Again, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland) and the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) so very much because I know
they, too, love and admire the troops that are serving so fearlessly
for the United States of America; and I am so grateful that they have
called this very urgent and critical matter to the attention of all of
the people in this country who love the troops but who need to
recognize what happens to the troops when they return back to American
soil and thus become veterans of America. I thank them so very much.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms.
Carson).
I call on the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).
Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and
I thank them all for being here tonight to stand up for our Nation's
veterans.
Our troops in Iraq are being funded at the rate of about $1 billion
every 2\1/2\ or 3 days, $1 billion every 2\1/2\ or 3 days. We want our
troops to have the best. We want our troops to have everything they
need for success in Iraq. But if we have the money to send our troops
to war, we must have the money for them when they come back from war,
and that is all we are saying here tonight.
What we are saying is for 2\1/2\ or 3 days of that war in Iraq, we
can fund everything that our veterans need this coming year. That is
the amount of money that has been subtracted by the Republicans in
their budget, $25 billion over the next decade.
We have the money. It is a question of the will. We have the
resources. It is a question of our priorities. And, ladies and
gentlemen, it is time to call the names and take the prisoners of those
who are hurting our veterans.
You hear on Memorial Day and on Veterans Day the words of support,
but watch what they do when they come and vote. Watch what they do when
they vote on the budget. Watch what they do when they vote on the
appropriations. Watch what they do when they take your future away from
you. Watch the procedural votes. Watch us, ladies and gentlemen.
Because if you just take the words, everybody here supports you, but
the money ain't there to make it happen.
Let me say a couple of things that the Republican budget takes away
if it goes through. As we heard earlier, a co-payment for a month's
worth of prescription drugs, the drugs that you need to survive, is
going to double, more than double, from $7 to $15. We are going to
charge enrollment fees to veterans who are in ``a higher priority'' but
who are veterans and who deserve the treatment, and we can give it to
them. We are going to cut 5,000 nursing home beds so only those
veterans with the worst kind of disability will be able to be cared
for.
We will abandon our goal of eliminating homelessness amongst our
veterans. Every evening, Madam Speaker, 250,000 of our Nation's
veterans are on the streets. Can the Members imagine that as a way to
pay back what they have given to our country? They are homeless, and we
do not seem to have the resources to change it. We give the program $20
million a year, $20 million a year. That is nothing in the context of
our budget.
Disabled veterans, disabled veterans will be cut from care if this
budget goes through. The Montgomery GI bill, which helps our education
of our veterans, will not be funded. VA home loans will not be funded.
Markers and flags for deceased veterans will not be funded.
This is hypocrisy, ladies and gentlemen, hypocrisy that comes from
saying we are for the veterans and not providing the money.
Madam Speaker and the gentlewoman from California, right now there
are 200,000 veterans who have waited more than 6 months for their first
appointment. Veterans will die while they are waiting for that first
appointment, and yet we say we cannot do anything. Let us resolve to
change this.
I ask all the veterans, when we consider the appropriations, come to
Washington, surround the Capitol, camp out, bivouac, and do not leave
this place until we pass a budget that is worthy of you.
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr.
Filner), and I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda).
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Blackburn). The Chair will remind all
Members to direct their remarks to the Chair and not to the viewing
veterans.
[[Page H2387]]
Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, to the gentlewoman from California (Ms.
Waters), I really appreciate this opportunity for us to be able to
speak to the members of our country and to share the information that
somehow and sometimes never get to their years.
Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to talk about what it really means
to support our troops and our Nation's veterans.
Madam Speaker, I believe it is easy for any Member of Congress to
stand here in the well on the floor and say they support veterans and
support our troops in Iraq. It is always easy to talk the talk, but the
real question we should be asking is, will they walk the walk?
Just last week, the Senate passed a unanimous resolution in support
of our troops. The following day, the House Republican leadership had
the same opportunity to send an equally powerful message to our troops
by introducing a clean resolution similar to the Senate version. But,
instead, the House Republicans denied the troops this message of unity
and decided to politicize the issue by drafting House Concurrent
Resolution 104, a resolution that included language in support of
President Bush's misguided Iraq policy.
By drafting a resolution that mixes support for our troops and
support for President Bush's policies, Republicans sought to coerce
Members opposed to the war into voting for the resolution. While I
fully support our troops, I vehemently disagree with the President's
decision to abandon a diplomatic solution to disarming Saddam Hussein
and could not support a resolution that endorses that decision.
However disturbed I was about the politicization of support for our
troops, it does not even come close to the feelings of outrage I have
over the passage of the House Republican budget resolution. Just 10
minutes before the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 104, the
House Republicans pushed through their budget resolution. I can think
of no better way of describing the Republican budget resolution than by
using a quote by the Disabled American Veterans. The quote is: ``Has
Congress no shame? Is there no honor left in the hallowed halls of our
Government that you choose to dishonor the sacrifices of our Nation's
heroes and rob our programs, health care and disability compensation,
to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy?''
The Republican budget resolution makes room, makes room, for the
President's $1.6 trillion tax cut, while cutting discretionary health
care spending for veterans below the level needed to maintain
purchasing power at the 2003 level.
The Republican budget also directs the House Committee on Veterans'
Affairs to cut $14.6 billion from mandatory benefit payments to
veterans, including compensation for service-connected disabilities,
burial benefits, and veterans' education benefits.
This is why the Disabled American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans of
America, and the American Legion all issued statements opposing the
Republican budget.
The Democrats, in contrast, eliminated the $14.6 billion Republican
cut to mandatory veterans' benefits program, including compensation for
service-connected disabilities, burial benefits, Montgomery GI
education benefits, and housing loan programs. Our budget also
protected the veterans' health benefits from the Republican cuts,
providing $16.2 billion more than the House Republican budget.
I voted for the Democratic budget. I am proud to support our troops.
I am proud to support and reflect our budget and our values.
Madam Speaker, this pattern of patriotic posturing must end. Congress
needs to start showing real support for our troops by taking care of
our Nation's veterans. During this time of war, we must do no less.
Republican leaders can sure talk the talk, but can they walk the
walk?
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr.
Filner). I call on the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy).
Mr. POMEROY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and
I especially thank her for organizing this important hour to discuss
the deeply troubling cuts in the funding of veterans' services in this
country.
This is a serious night. We are at war. We have young men and women
of our country with their lives on the line in Iraq, fighting for all
of us, and yet here in the Congress, while we honor their service and
to a man and woman serving in this Chamber, I believe we honor their
service, we are fighting this partisan fight on whether or not we ought
to fully fund the veterans' services.
I find it nothing less than stunning that our Republican friends
would bring a budget that takes $28 billion out of the funding of
veterans' services over the next 10 years, $14 billion from that
portion of veterans' funding that goes to the health benefits for
veterans, and $14 billion from that portion of the budget that funds
the disability benefits for those who have laid their lives on the line
and wear the scars of battle the rest of their lives.
{time} 2030
It is unbelievable that this, at all times, would be the time that we
would see a budget cutting veterans services to fund those tax cuts,
tax cuts that flow so disproportionately to the wealthiest few in this
country, contained in the Republican budget. It is wrong.
You do not have to take our word for it, because the veterans of this
country have spoken on this matter, and spoken with one voice and great
clarity.
The Paralyzed Veterans of America: ``We do not consider payments to
war-disabled veterans, pensions for the poorest disabled veterans and
GI Bill benefits for soldiers returning from Afghanistan to be waste,
fraud and abuse'' worthy of the kind of cuts in the majority budget.
The Disabled Veterans of America state: ``Has Congress no shame? Is
there no honor left in the hallowed halls of our government that you
choose to dishonor the sacrifices of our Nation's heroes and rob our
programs to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy?''
The American Legion writes: ``This budget defies common sense. There
must be a better way to provide tax relief to the American people than
to balance the budget on the backs of disabled veterans.''
Mr. Speaker, there are other colleagues here also eager to speak, so
I will cut my remarks short, other than to say in my entire time in
Congress, I have never seen a worse policy judgment than to cut the
funding of veterans services while our Nation is at war and the lives
of young men and women are literally laid on the line in battle for our
country tonight. We have got to overturn the Republican budget.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Dakota.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).
Mr. RODRIGUEZ. I want to take this opportunity to thank the
gentlewoman for taking this time. I have the pleasure of sitting on the
Committee on Veterans Affairs, and let me just indicate that we really
must honor our veterans' service. We honor them by ensuring that we
honor the promise that we make to them to provide them with the access
to quality benefits and services once they come home.
Let me also add at this point in time, our veterans are reaching that
point in time where they need our help. They are reaching the age where
they need this assistance. They were there for us; we need to be there
for them now. With our troops in the field and, sadly, with many
Americans already experiencing war's devastating effects, it is
shameful that the House would pass a budget resolution on the same day
that our soldiers began Operation Iraqi Freedom cutting $15 billion,
yes, cutting $15 billion, from the veterans disability compensation
programs and $9.7 billion from veterans health care.
The budget resolution also, as it calls for that cut, indicates that
it is under the disguise of trying to do away with ``fraud, waste and
abuse.'' Let me tell you that 90 percent of the budget on spending for
the VA entitlement is paid out in monthly payments to disabled veterans
and their survivors. I do not consider payments to our war-disabled
veterans pensions, pensions for the poorest disabled veterans and the
GI benefits for soldiers returning from Afghanistan to be fraud, waste
and abuse.
I recently joined, and I want to thank my colleague on the House
Committee on Veterans Affairs, the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman
[[Page H2388]]
Smith), in a very bipartisan recommendation to the Committee on the
Budget, which would have added $3 billion next year alone for veterans
discretionary programs, including medical care and research,
construction and programs that fund the administration costs of other
important benefits such as compensation, pension and education
programs. I want to thank the gentleman for the efforts he has made in
working with us in that area.
But I urge all my colleagues to do the right thing and to honor our
commitment to our veterans. These cuts are irresponsible; they are
shameful and unacceptable.
Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity once again to thank the
gentlewoman for taking this time tonight. It is important that we
continue to talk about this issue. We cannot allow this issue to go
away, because, as we stand here tonight and as we go back and talk to
our veterans, I never hear one Member talk and say they are not going
to be responsive. Yet Members say it is important what we do, not
necessarily what we say, because what we do, and the budget says it
all, that is going to be very important.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for allowing me to be here
tonight with her.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts
(Mr. Delahunt).
Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I
want to congratulate her for presenting to the American people the
truth.
I was so impressed as I heard my colleagues come to the floor and
describe the realities of what is occurring. The gentleman from Texas
just alluded to the chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs and
praised him for his efforts. It is fascinating to read in today's Roll
Call that he was castigated and admonished by the House Republican
leadership for his efforts in this regard. That, I suggest, says
something loud and clear to the American people.
We know what is happening. The veterans know what is happening. But
it is time for the American people to be informed, and I congratulate
the gentlewoman for her efforts.
What I find particularly fascinating is sometime supposedly next week
we will be considering a supplemental budget in the amount of $75
billion, some $63 billion of which I think we all support. It is for
our troops and for the men and women that find themselves in harm's
way. The rest of the money, much of it, is allocated to other nations:
$1 billion for Turkey, monies for Egypt, for Jordan. And for what
reason I cannot understand. But if we can afford to take care of the
rest of the world, we should be able to take care of the men and women
that served us, not just in this war, not just in the Vietnam conflict,
not just in Korea and World War II, but all of our veterans.
It is absolutely unconscionable. It is un-American. Those men and
women that will be coming home from the Middle East and leave the
military, many of them will assume the title ``veteran.'' While we
honor them while they are there, we are disrespectful to them when they
come home, and that has to stop.
We, and I know the gentlewoman has been a leader in this regard, have
to design a strategy when it comes to that supplemental budget to take
care of those men and women and not to continue the disrespect that has
been shown to them.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I tonight rise in ardent support of our
troops fighting in Iraq. As a veteran of the Korean War, I fully
understand the sober task which our soldiers have undertaken. We must
remember that these troops are on the front line doing their duty,
saluting and following orders. They are great Americans. I want them to
know, along with their families, that they have my unwavering support.
It is well known that I strongly disagree with the policies that have
led us to war in Iraq. It is my opinion on many, many levels that the
U.S. should not be at war in Iraq. However, my support of U.S. troops
is resolute.
I think it is important that support be more than just lip service.
Last week I voted against the Bush Administration's budget which would
have drastically reduced veteran's health care and benefit programs.
Even though the President is waging this preventive doctrine war, he
presented a budget to Congress that would have cut Mandatory Veterans
Programs benefits by billions of dollars. Mandatory veteran's programs
include disability compensation, pensions, vocational rehabilitation,
and survivors' benefits. The Bush administration's budget slashes
compensation for service connected disabilities and education benefits
by $15 billion and cuts veteran's health care funding by another $15
billion over the next ten years. The Disabled American Veterans, the
Paralyzed Veterans and the American Legion have all issued statements
opposing the Bush Administration's budget. In fact, the Michigan
Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans wrote to me, stating, ``the proposal, if
implemented, would have a shocking effect on VA health care services
and be an affront to millions of veterans. The proposal, approximately
1.3 billion above the FY 2003 appropriation, would not even cover
inflationary impact and anticipated salary increases for VA health care
workers.'' Furthermore, ``budget resolutions set spending priorities.
We find it hard to fathom that veterans would not be priority to the
Budget Committee, or the leadership of the House of Representatives.''
I submit to you that budget cuts such as these do not bode well for
strengthening the solidarity of our troops to our country.
I'd like to close with a quote from George Washington, ``The
willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war,
no matter how justified, shall be justified, shall be directly
propositional as to how they perceive the veterans of wars were treated
and appreciated by the Nation.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bradley of New Hampshire). The time of
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) has expired.
____________________