[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 39 (Friday, March 31, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2696-S2697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE VETERANS HOMES

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 417, which was 
submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 417) honoring the National 
     Association of State Veterans Homes and the 119 State 
     veterans homes providing long-term care to veterans.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate is 
considering this Senate resolution, which I submitted with Senator Dole 
and 23 additional co-sponsors.
  This resolution honors the National Association of State Veterans 
Homes, NASVH, and its 119 State homes for their support in caring for 
our Nation's military veterans. The State veterans' home program has 
been a successful partnership between the Federal Government and the 
States. It is responsible for the bulk of VA-supported long-term care 
services to veterans and their families.
  The NASVH was first established in 1954 as a volunteer, nonprofit 
organization. Now, 119 State homes provide nursing home care, 
domiciliary care, and hospital-type care to over 27,500 veterans in 47 
States and Puerto Rico. My State of New Jersey has three Veterans 
Homes, which serve approximately 1,000 veterans.

[[Page S2697]]

  The NASVH has been vitally important in developing new methods for 
caring for elderly veterans, such as hospice care, respite care, 
Alzheimer's care, and adult day health care.
  The State veterans home program has been remarkably successful. This 
resolution recognizes the importance of this Federal-State partnership 
and honors the dedicated men and women of the National Association of 
State Veterans Homes for caring for our Nation's aging and disabled 
military heroes.
  I served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II. Consequently, 
I am well aware of the sacrifices brave young men and women make on 
behalf of our country. It's important that our Nation honors its 
commitment to look after our veterans. That's where organizations like 
the NASVH come in and do their part. So it's appropriate to honor this 
group for its commitment to serving our veterans. I thank the Senate 
for adopting this resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble agreed to, the motion to reconsider laid 
upon the table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 417) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 417

       Whereas the National Association of State Veterans Homes 
     was established in 1954 by a group of administrators of State 
     veterans homes to represent the interests of those homes in a 
     unified voice before Congress and the executive branch;
       Whereas the National Association of State Veterans Homes 
     functions on an all-volunteer basis and focuses on endeavors 
     that improve the conditions of care furnished to veterans by 
     State veterans homes, elevate and monitor the qualifications 
     for managers of such homes, and provide continuing education 
     standards for staff who provide care to veterans in such 
     homes;
       Whereas the National Association of State Veterans Homes 
     has been and continues to be in the forefront of developing 
     and supporting new methods and models for providing long-term 
     care services to elderly veterans, such as hospice care, 
     respite care, Alzheimer's care, and adult day health care;
       Whereas State veterans homes, which provide long-term care 
     to thousands of veterans, were established initially in the 
     States of Connecticut, Kansas, Ohio, and Maine in 1868 to 
     house, feed, and care for thousands of homeless, wounded, and 
     permanently scarred Union soldiers and thus have been in 
     existence since before the establishment of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, the earlier Veterans' Administration, and 
     its predecessor agencies;
       Whereas in 1888 Congress authorized the Federal payment of 
     a daily allowance for the care of each former soldier or 
     sailor in a State home-hospital, an allowance that continues 
     today in the form of a per diem grant program administered by 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs that is authorized to 
     provide up to 50 percent of the average daily cost of care, 
     but currently provides only approximately 30 percent;
       Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs further 
     participates in the care of veterans in State homes with a 
     matching grant program to support construction and major 
     renovation projects to sustain those homes and build towards 
     sufficient levels of available, high-quality health care;
       Whereas State veterans homes offer long-term services to 
     eligible veterans in need of such services on certification 
     of the Department of Veterans Affairs at 119 facilities in 47 
     States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
       Whereas the States determine the allocation of nursing home 
     beds in individual State veterans home facilities, and 
     establish the eligibility of veterans and their dependents to 
     occupy those beds, following Federal guidelines;
       Whereas within the limits of their capacities, State 
     veterans homes provide care for more than 27,500 veterans 
     each day, accounting for more than 50 percent of the total 
     national long-term care bed capacity for veterans, thereby 
     sharing the enormous responsibility of caring for veterans 
     with the Department of Veterans Affairs in an admirable 
     partnership;
       Whereas State veterans homes provide quality care for 
     elderly and disabled veterans at an average daily cost that 
     is significantly less than nursing homes operated by the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs;
       Whereas the number of elderly veterans, particularly those 
     over age 85, continues to rise, and the need for long-term 
     care services for those veterans will continue to rise in the 
     coming years; and
       Whereas the Nation's State veterans homes continue to 
     achieve their purpose of improving and sustaining the health 
     of elderly, sick, and severely disabled veterans by assuring 
     access to affordable nursing care in settings that provide 
     personal dignity to truly deserving veterans, often at the 
     end of lives spent in service to the Nation: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors the National Association of State Veterans Homes 
     and the 119 State veterans homes providing long-term care to 
     veterans that are represented by that association for their 
     significant contributions to the health care of veterans and 
     to the health care system of the Nation;
       (2) commends the thousands of individuals who work in, or 
     on behalf of, State veterans homes for their contributions in 
     caring for elderly and disabled veterans;
       (3) recognizes the importance of the partnership between 
     the States and the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
     providing long-term care to veterans; and
       (4) affirms the support of Congress for continuation of the 
     State homes program to address the known and anticipated 
     needs of the Nation's veterans for institutional long-term 
     care services.

                          ____________________