[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 87 (Thursday, June 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6788-S6789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ROCKEFELLER:
  S. 3598. A bill to clarify the effective date of the modification of 
treatment for retirement annuity purposes of part-time service before 
April 7, 1986, of certain Department of Veterans Affairs health-care 
professionals; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today, I am introducing legislation 
to correct an unfair decision that hurts

[[Page S6789]]

aging, retired VA nurses. This legislation is designed to correct a 
problem from a bill we passed in 2001, to help VA nurses. That 
legislation improved nurses' pensions, and Congress intended it to be 
retroactive. Unfortunately, administrative officials took a very narrow 
view of that law. Currently VA nurses who retired between 1986 and 
2002, do not get the full pension benefits as current retirees do.
  In the 1980s, VA aggressively recruited nurses to fill a huge need at 
VA medical centers by promising full retirement for part-time work. 
Sadly, the VA and the Office of Personnel Management, OPM, does not 
want to fulfill that promise. This legislation would explicitly require 
the Federal Government to honor its commitment to our retired VA 
nurses. Pension benefits are a vital promise. It is disturbing when we 
do not fulfill our obligations, and we simply must correct this error.
  Nurses play a critical role in our health care system, including the 
VA. Recruiting and retaining nurses is important, and this pension 
shortfall does not help. It is time to deliver full pension benefits to 
the nurses who cared for our veterans.
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