[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE VETERANS WHO SERVED DURING WORLD WAR II, THE AMERICANS 
 WHO SUPPORTED THE WAR, AND CELEBRATING THE COMPLETION OF THE NATIONAL 
                         WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2004

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the brave men 
and women who served our nation during World War Il and to 
wholeheartedly support H. Con. Res. 409. The National World War II 
Memorial will be officially dedicated on May 29 to honor the 16,000,000 
veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces duirng World War 
II and the millions of Americans who supported the war effort on the 
home front. Even today, we deeply appreciate the great service and 
sacrifice that those men and women gave in defense of our nation and 
the world.
  The soldiers of World War II fought against unimaginable tyranny. 
They gave their blood, sweat, tears, and for many, their lives, to 
protect and preserve the American way of life. Veterans who served our 
country in World War II deserve a tribute to illustrate their valor and 
courage. The National World War II Memorial is a fitting and lasting 
tribute and only a down-payment to a debt we can never repay in full.
  But to truly honor this nation's Greatest Generation, we must do more 
than just offer kind words and lasting memorials. It's time for 
Congress to live up to its promise to care for their health and well-
being. It is time that we start adequately funding our veterans' health 
care system.
  Today, only 1 in 4 World War II veterans are still surviving. Every 
day, 1,100 more die. Those surviving veterans are aging and their 
medical needs are increasing. It is a great dishonor to turn our back 
on those veterans; it is a great dishonor to make those men and women 
wait for needed health care and an even greater dishonor to turn them 
away from Veterans' Administration facilities.
  There is a growing crisis in veterans' medical care: more than 30,000 
veterans are waiting six months or more for an appointment at Veterans' 
Administration hospitals. Some are even dying before they see a doctor. 
In his 2005 budget, the President recommended a less than 2 percent 
increase in funding for veterans' medical care--not even enough to 
cover the cost of inflation. The President's budget also slashes $294 
million in funding for long-term care for America's veterans, which 
will reduce the number of patients treated by more than 8,000. That is 
not acceptable.
  While the House-passed budget does provide $1.2 billion above the 
President's wholly inadequate budget request, it is still $1.3 billion 
below the amount of funding suggested on a bipartisan basis by the 
House Veterans' Affairs Committee and $2 billion below the amount 
recommended by the Independent Budget. The House-passed budget will not 
give the VA the resources it needs to reduce the backlog of patients or 
improve the quality of care. It will not end the Survivor Benefit 
Penalty or end the disability tax for the two-thirds of disabled 
veterans whose pension and disability payments are still offset. It 
will not give our World War II veterans the care they deserve. 
Democrats have offered a plan that will give veterans the care they 
deserve.
  I urge my Colleagues to join me in honoring the sacrifice of World 
War II veterans by voting for this resolution. I also urge us to 
further honor those brave men and women by committing enough funding to 
meet their needs.

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