[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 82 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HEALTH CARE BENEFITS FOR FILIPINO VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB SIMMONS

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 5, 2003

  Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill that would 
provide the Filipino veterans of World War II who now live in the 
United States health care benefits on the same basis as if they were 
veterans of the U.S. armed services.
  This legislation would require the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, 
within the limits of the Department's facilities, to provide hospital, 
nursing home and medical care services to certain Filipino World War II 
veterans of the Philippines Commonwealth Army and former Philippines 
New Scouts who legally reside in the United States, in the same manner 
as their American veteran peers.
  The substance of this bill was included in the Veterans Health Care 
and Procurement Improvement Act of 2002 that passed the House last 
year, but failed to clear the other Body. I thank the President for his 
leadership and acknowledgement of the importance of addressing the 
health care issues of the Filipino veterans by recently requesting the 
introduction and prompt consideration of similar legislation this 
Congress. I also acknowledge the advocacy of my colleague from 
California, Mr. Filner, who for years has kept this issue before the 
House as a matter of equity and recognition for an important allied 
force during a time of great peril for this Nation.
  Currently, Commonwealth Army veterans residing in the U.S. are only 
eligible for VA health care services for treatment of service-connected 
disabilities and for non service-connected disabilities if they are in 
receipt of certain compensation. My bill would remove these barriers to 
treatment of veterans of World War II who are of Filipino descent by 
eliminating the receipt-of-compensation requirement for Commonwealth 
Army veterans and extending to new Philippine Scouts the same 
eligibility for medical care and services as Commonwealth Army 
veterans. Commonwealth Army veterans and new Philippine Scouts would be 
subject to the same eligibility and means test requirements as their 
American counterparts.
  The military forces of the Commonwealth of the Philippines were 
called into the United States Armed Forces during World War II by 
President Roosevelt's Executive Order. Under the Command of General 
MacArthur, the Filipino soldiers served side-by-side with forces from 
the United States and exhibited great courage at the battles of Battan 
and Corregidor. The participation of the Filipino forces delayed and 
disrupted the initial Japanese effort to control the Western Pacific 
and was vital to giving the U.S. time to prepare the forces necessary 
to defeat Japan.
  When the United States granted independence to the Philippines, 
Congress passed the Rescission Act of 1946, reducing or eliminating 
many of the veterans' benefits for which Filipino veterans had been 
eligible, based on service in the Commonwealth Army. The 
reclassification of their service to the United States during World War 
II by the Rescissions Act unfortunately left many Filipino veterans 
residing in the United States without eligibility for VA health care.
  It is due time that these Filipino veterans are given the health care 
benefits they have been waiting more than 50 years to receive. I urge 
all my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this bill, one that 
recognizes our Nation's moral obligation to extend VA health care 
services to the approximately 14,000 Filipino veterans who are in their 
senior years here in the United States.

                          ____________________