[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1742]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2361, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT, 
             AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006

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                               speech of

                          HON. JEB HENSARLING

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2005

  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss funding for 
veterans' healthcare. As the son, grandson, and brother of veterans, I 
understand just how important this funding is to our brave men and 
women who have answered the call of duty to serve their country. Since 
coming to Congress, it has been one of my greatest pleasures to be able 
to provide our veterans with the care and the treatment they deserve.
  Since 1995, Congress has increased spending on veterans by more than 
59 percent--an average increase of 6.9 percent per year. During this 
Congress alone we have increased the death benefits and life insurance 
coverage of our Armed Services personnel. We have also provided funding 
for specialty mental health care for the first time ever, increased 
funding for the treatment of conditions like Post Traumatic Stress 
Syndrome, and doubled funding for mental health care issues. This is 
indeed a record to which we can all be proud.
  I was also proud to cosponsor H.R. 303, the Retired Pay Restoration 
Act, in the 108th Congress. With the agreement of the House and Senate, 
another version of this bill was passed and signed by President Bush in 
order to allow certain military retirees to receive both their 
longevity retired pay and veterans disability compensation. As Speaker 
of the House J. Dennis Hastert noted, ``Congressman Hensarling's strong 
support for our nation's veterans and concurrent receipt legislation 
was critical to ensuring that we achieved the most significant, 
positive step forward for veterans in our nation's history.''
  Unfortunately, sometimes Congress can fall short. For instance, the 
Fiscal Year 2004 Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development 
Appropriations bill, fell $1.8 billion short of what was agreed to in 
that year's budget resolution. This inadequate level for funding for 
veterans healthcare greatly concerned me, and that is why I voted 
against the bill. When thousands of veterans were waiting 6 months or 
longer for healthcare, I did not believe that it was the time to skimp 
on needed resources.
  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House of Representatives voted on the 
Fiscal Year 2006 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related 
Agencies Appropriations bill. Included as part of this legislation was 
$1.5 billion in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover 
an anticipated budgetary shortfall for the current fiscal year. I am 
very pleased that the House of Representatives has approved the funding 
necessary to ensure that they receive the medical care they deserve. 
However, because the underlying legislation to which we attached this 
important provision violated the budget we agree to abide by earlier 
this year, I found myself in the difficult position of having to vote 
against this legislation.

  There were a number of alternative methods that could have been used 
to alleviate this problem--methods that would not have violated the 
budget. Most notably, we could have amended H.R. 3130, which was 
approved unanimously by the House of Representatives on June 30, 2005, 
to provide the necessary funding levels. This broadly supported measure 
would have demonstrated our firm commitment to our veterans, and it is 
unfortunate this alternative was not utilized.
  Mr. Speaker, in the end the greatest threat to adequately funding the 
needs of our veterans is Congress' seemingly inherent inability to 
control runaway wasteful spending in our budget. Each and every time we 
spend another dollar on wasteful measures like bulletproof vests for K-
9s, bridges to nowhere, or an underground cafeteria in the Carlsbad 
Caverns, is a dollar that is not available for our veterans.
  One of Congress's most solemn obligations is to care for our 
veterans. I remain committed to funding 100 percent of the benefits 
veterans have earned through their service and sacrifice to our 
country. I will continue to work with Members of Congress to explore 
ways to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs gets the money 
they need within the rules of our budget agreement. I will not however, 
support legislation to grow the budget of another department, such as 
this bill would have done with the Department of the Interior, at the 
expense of our veteran's and our children's future.

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