[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 107 (Friday, September 10, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          DISABLED VETERANS TRANSITION ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2004

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                     HON. C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 9, 2004

  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Jones of North 
Carolina, and I are honored to introduce this bipartisan legislation to 
help our severely wounded soldiers returning home from the field of 
battle.
  With the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq moving past 1,000 
this week and over 7,000 servicemen and women wounded in combat, we 
believe Congress must act now--before we leave in October--to help 
these heroes and heroines. Many of these surviving men and women now 
face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives with severe 
disabilities--soldiers who have lost a limb, been blinded or lost an 
eye, suffered a disabling brain injury, or disfiguring burns or wounds. 
They have served their country without question honorably and bravely, 
and they deserve our help now to transition back to civilian life as 
they work to put their lives back together.
  This simple and straightforward bill would work quickly and 
appropriately to address the needs of our wounded troops. First, it 
honors all servicemembers in each of the U.S. Forces with deeds as well 
as words by helping them when they need us most. Second, it honors the 
Army and Department of Defense for recognizing this critical need and 
initiating the Disabled Soldier Support System (DS3) program in April 
2004. The current program provides the Army's severely disabled 
soldiers and their families with a system of advocacy to assist them as 
they transition from military service back to civilian life. DS3 has 
been able to step in to advocate for soldiers and their families by 
working with government agencies to resolve pay, benefits, 
entitlements, and care issues. We applaud these efforts and believe 
with adequate resources they can continue to help more wounded 
servicemembers.
  Third and most important, this bill expresses congressional support 
for the DS3 program and extends the same assistance to all wounded 
Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, Guardsmen and 
Reservists. We believe that the Congress must adequately fund the DS3 
program and expand it to include all branches of the service since all 
branches have served this Nation in harm's way.
  While both the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs have voiced 
their support for this program, DS3 is currently staffed by only 10 
people and has a budget of only $1 million dollars. This bill would 
give the Secretary of Defense the authority to correct that by 
providing the reprogramming authority necessary for adequate staffing 
to assist the number of wounded servicemembers returning from overseas. 
This bill would also designate an executive agent within the DoD with 
the authority and responsibility to carry out the program in 
coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security for all U.S. 
servicemembers with severe disabilities.
  What these soldiers and their families must face as they return home 
is unimaginable to most Americans including many of us in Congress. We 
are a grateful Nation for all our brave men and women in uniform do to 
protect the very freedoms we enjoy each and every day. How we treat 
these new veterans as they return home will be a great test to this 
generation, and we believe this is a small program that can make a huge 
difference.
  This bill has been endorsed by the National Association for Uniformed 
Services (NAUS), the PAV, DAV, VFW, AMVETS, and the Military Officers 
Association of America (MOAA), and has the support of over 40 other 
military and veteran organizations. We urge the leadership in both 
Houses on both sides of the aisle to bring this bill to the floor 
quickly for passage and send it to the President to be signed into law 
in the next few weeks. With so many severely wounded in the system now, 
we cannot wait for a new Congress. We urge our colleagues to act now.

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