[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 78 (Friday, May 23, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S7146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FEINGOLD:
  S. 1151. A bill to rescind the Department of Veterans Affairs 
memorandum of July 18, 2002, in which Directors of health service 
networks in the Department of Veterans Affairs are directed to ensure 
that no marketing activities to enroll new veterans occur within their 
networks; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation that 
would restore a valuable--and statutorily mandate--service to our 
Nation's veterans and their families.
  In July 2002, Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Under Secretary 
for Health for Operations and Management Laura Miller sent a memo to 
Veterans Integrated Service Network Directors ordering them to ``ensure 
that no marketing activities to enroll new veterans occur within 
[their] networks.''
  This memo cited an increased demand for VA health care services as 
the reason for this change in policy. While it is clear that more 
funding should be provided for VA health care and other programs, it is 
inappropriate for the VA to institute a policy to stop making veterans 
aware of the health care services for which they may be eligible.
  I joined with a number of our colleagues last year in sending a 
letter to the President asking that this policy be immediately 
reversed. I regret that the VA's reply indicated that the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs stands by this policy, which remains in effect.
  The bill that I am introducing today, Veterans Outreach Protection 
Act, would rescind the policy issued in this memorandum and prohibit 
the VA from using Federal funding to enforce this policy. This bill is 
a companion to legislation introduced in the House by Congressman Paul 
Kanjorski earlier this year.
  I have long been concerned that tens of thousands of our veterans are 
unaware of federal health care and other benefits for which they may be 
eligible. We can and should do more to educate our veterans and their 
families about these benefits, and to provide adequate funding to 
ensure that all veterans who wish to take advantage of their benefits 
are able to do so. Halting health care marketing activities is not the 
answer. Our brave veterans have earned these benefits. The Federal 
department that is charged with advocating for and providing benefits 
to our veterans should not be allowed to continue to restrict health 
care outreach activities.
  In addition to this bill, I am currently working to draft legislation 
to improve VA-wide outreach efforts. Our veterans and their families 
have made great personal sacrifices to protect our freedoms. We owe 
them a great debt of gratitude. Making sure that our veterans know 
about the benefits that they have earned is an important first step in 
starting to reply this debt.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of my bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1151

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Outreach Protection 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. RESCISSION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   MEMORANDUM.

       (a) Rescission of Memorandum.--The memorandum of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs dated July 18, 2002, from the 
     Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and 
     Management with the subject ``Status of VHA Enrollment and 
     Associated Issues'' is hereby rescinded. Marketing activities 
     of Directors of health service networks (known as ``Veterans 
     Integrated Service Networks'') of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs to enroll new veterans within their respective 
     networks shall be carried out without regard to such 
     memorandum.
       (b) Funding Limitation.--No funds available to the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs may be used to carry out the 
     memorandum referred to in subsection (a) or otherwise to 
     implement the policy contained in that memorandum.
                                 ______