[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 10, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5151-H5154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE SACRIFICES AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY DISABLED AMERICAN
VETERANS
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution (H. Con. Res. 336) honoring the
sacrifices and contributions made by disabled American veterans.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 336
Whereas the people of the United States have a sincere
appreciation and respect for members of the Armed Forces who
suffered disabling wounds while serving in the United States
military;
Whereas there are approximately 2,800,000 veterans
receiving benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs
for disabilities incurred while defending our Nation;
Whereas the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have
resulted in 30,000 disabled American veterans as a direct
result of combat operations, and even more so from conditions
simulating war, instrumentalities of war, and hazardous duty
in combat-related training;
Whereas families throughout every State in America have
been affected by loved ones returning disabled from their
service to their Nation;
Whereas the American public supports the brave men and
women who have defended the freedom of all in America;
Whereas America owes its very integrity to her sons and
daughters in uniform, who risk the most for the least, and
who epitomize the extraordinary meaning of service,
sacrifice, and, most importantly, freedom; and
Whereas Americans should remember and honor our men and
women in uniform who incurred disabilities while defending
our Nation with a Disabled American Veterans Week: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress--
(1) recognizes the great sacrifices made by disabled
veterans and their families;
(2) calls on the people of the United States to honor all
disabled American veterans and the freedom for which they
sacrificed;
(3) encourages local, State, and national organizations and
governmental institutions to participate in the effort to
honor the sacrifices of America's disabled veterans; and
(4) supports the goals and ideals of Disabled American
Veterans Week.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr.
Scalise) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
With House Concurrent Resolution 336, we honor the sacrifices and
contributions made of our disabled veterans. The current wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan have added well over 30,000 of our sons and daughters
to the roles of veterans disabled in defense of our Nation, with the
number continuing to grow.
Collectively, there are approximately 2.8 million veterans receiving
compensation for disability incurred in the line of duty. This
resolution calls for the establishment of a single week dedicated
annually to each and every one of our Nation's disabled veterans.
What better time would there be for groups large and small, national
and local, private and public, to come together and remember in their
own way the sacrifices of the Nation's heroes? Those great Americans
gave the most for the least. They have earned our lasting remembrance
and much more.
It is far too easy for many to forget the true costs of war, to
forget the deaths of our servicemen and to ignore the wounds of those
who return. It is too easy for too many of us to think that the cost of
war ends when the last soldier returns.
Our disabled veterans continue to serve our country in so many ways,
bearing their wounds as a reminder to all that freedom and liberty are
not free. The men and women who return wounded and disabled from
combat, and service to our Nation, remind us of the terrible price we
pay, not only in costs measured in dollars, but the costs measured in
lives lost and changed.
It is therefore right and proper that we remember the service and
sacrifice of our disabled veterans and pay tribute and honor to them
during this week of Disabled American Veterans Week.
When called, they answered. When needed, they served. All Americans
owe them a debt of gratitude and a heartfelt remembrance for their
sacrifice and service. I am reminded of the words of the first
President of the United States, George Washington, whose words are
worth repeating at this time. ``The willingness with which our people
are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be
directly proportioned as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier
wars were treated and appreciated by their country.''
It is part of my service and duties to visit the veterans' hospitals
and clinics
[[Page H5152]]
in the areas I travel to. I recently visited the medical center in
Puerto Rico, dedicated a new clinic in Orange City, Florida, and,
before that, the Medical Center in New Orleans.
We have been funding the VA and veterans health care at record
levels, giving the VA the largest increase in funding in the history of
the United States. It is our duty to oversee the VA to make sure that
they are spending the money properly in the best interests of our brave
men and women who defend the rights and freedom of our great Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House
Concurrent Resolution 336, a measure to honor the sacrifices and
contributions made by America's disabled veterans. Throughout our
Nation's history, the men and women of our Armed Forces have gone
bravely into battle, risking their lives and livelihoods, sacrificing
their safety to defend our freedom.
When their duty is done, many return home to life as it was.
Sadly, for veterans seriously injured in the line of duty, leaving
the battlefield does not mark the end of conflict. These permanently
disabled soldiers often carry home life-changing disabilities, harsh
reminders of the price of freedom.
By supporting H. Con. Res. 336, we will recognize the great
sacrifices made by disabled veterans and their families. We will call
upon the people of the United States to honor disabled American
veterans and the freedoms for which they sacrificed. We will encourage
local, State and national organizations and governmental institutions
to participate in the effort to honor the sacrifices of America's
disabled veterans, and we will support the goals and ideals of Disabled
American Veterans Week.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire).
Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentlewoman.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution
establishing Disabled American Veterans Week.
I introduced this resolution to express my gratitude and to allow the
entire Nation to express our gratitude to those brave men and women who
have given so much in the name of freedom.
I would especially like to thank Congressmen Bilirakis, Boozman,
Lynch and the over 100 other original cosponsors who joined me in
support of this resolution.
Over 2.8 million men and women who fought for our country have
sustained injuries that have forever changed their lives. It is my hope
that by establishing Disabled American Veterans Week we will increase
awareness of the struggles that America's heroes face every day and
encourage more support for our brave wounded warriors.
I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the great
sacrifices made by disabled American veterans and their families. These
heroes epitomize the meaning of service and sacrifice, and this is the
very least we can do to honor our Nation's disabled veterans.
Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlelady from
Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite), the ranking member of the Subcommittee
on Oversight and Investigations.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. I thank the gentleman.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of H. Con. Res. 336, a
commonsense resolution that expresses support for one of the greatest
segments of the American population, the disabled American veteran.
Back home in Florida, I represent nearly 110,000 veterans, the second
highest number of any Member of Congress. As you might guess, many of
these brave men and women are disabled, either injured in battle or in
the course of their service in the United States military.
Disabled veterans are cared for by military professionals at the VA.
They also band together in veterans organizations like the Disabled
American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, or Blinded Veterans
Association.
However, there was no Federal recognition in place for Americans
specifically to remember the deeds and heroism of disabled veterans.
The concurrent resolution before us today calls for the establishment
of a Disabled American Veterans Week and shows all disabled veterans
that Congress does not forget their bravery and actions in service to
our great Nation.
You know, every weekend I returned home to Florida to meet with my
constituents and hear their needs and concerns and what I can do to
serve the men and women who live in the Fifth Congressional District.
I often hear words of thanks for voting in support of drilling in
ANWR and in the Outer Continental Shelf, or get asked what Congress is
going to do to stop the outrageous increase in the cost of gasoline
that we have seen since our colleagues across the aisle took over the
House and Senate.
However, the most poignant and heart-wrenching stories I hear are
oftentimes from veterans. As you might expect, I attend dozens of
veterans events throughout the eight counties in my district. It is,
indeed, at these events that I hear stories of courageous deeds, heroic
actions and lives forever changed by the ravages of war.
Disabled veterans have given so much to this Nation with their blood,
sweat and tears, lying on the battlefields from Germany, to Korea, to
Vietnam, to Iraq and Afghanistan.
This resolution calling for a Disabled American Veterans Week shows
the thousands of men and women who served with honor and distinction
that Congress will see that their memories and deeds are never
forgotten.
I thank my colleague, Mr. Altmire, for introducing this resolution. I
would hope that all Members of this body can support such a worthy
passage for disabled veterans.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch).
Mr. LYNCH. Firstly, I would like to thank Representative Brown for
graciously yielding me time for speaking on this important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution
336 a resolution which honors the sacrifice and contributions made by
America's disabled veterans. The brave men and women currently serving
in our Armed Forces, and the veterans who have put on the uniform
before them, deserve our utmost appreciation for their continued
commitment to the protection of this Nation.
Regrettably, millions of these veterans have been wounded and
disabled while defending the rights and freedoms that uniquely define
our country. According to the latest statistics provided by the
Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 2.9 million
disabled veterans now receiving services from the VA. Of the 2.9
million disabled veterans, a total of 30,000 have served in either
Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
The great sacrifice that these men and women have made on behalf of
the American people cannot go unnoticed. American veterans have earned
our undying gratitude and our continued support. During last year's
appropriation process, we began to head in the right direction, in my
opinion, when Congress allocated $87.59 billion to the Department of
Veterans Affairs, an $8 billion increase from the previous year.
{time} 1445
Of this total, $37.2 billion was provided the Veterans Health
Administration, with $3.6 billion allocated to post-traumatic stress
disorder funding, and $189.25 million for traumatic brain injury
funding, and $500 million for medical and prosthetic research. Our
commitment to America's disabled veterans is exemplified by honoring
these men and women in the present and continuing to invest in their
future.
I thank Mr. Altmire for introducing this thoughtful resolution and
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting House Concurrent Resolution
336.
Mr. SCALISE. I yield 3 minutes to the ranking member of the
Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr.
Boozman).
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, as a Nation we are blessed with many
things. We have a Constitution that sets the standard for freedom
around the world.
[[Page H5153]]
We have a land that provides us with bountiful food and superb scenery.
But most importantly, America is blessed to have sons and daughters
willing to put themselves in harm's way to protect the 99 percent of
Americans who do not serve.
Unfortunately, that feeling of patriotism and sacrifice way too often
results in disability that affects the veteran for the rest of their
life. Often, the disability is small. But sometimes the injury, whether
physical or mental, has a significant impact on the veteran's quality
of life and their ability to support their families. In such
situations, the disability has affected more than just the veteran. As
a part of our debt to these men and women, taxpayers compensate them
for their injuries and provide a range of benefits unmatched in any
other country. But we can and should do something more symbolic of
disabled veterans' service to the Nation, and that is to designate a
week that will remind Americans that disabled veterans are with them
every day.
By giving disabled American veterans the recognition of a week named
in their honor, we demonstrate to the American people the importance of
the sacrifices made by disabled veterans and their families. This is a
way to honor our disabled veterans, and I certainly urge all of my
colleagues to support this resolution.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. SCALISE. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), the ranking member of the committee.
Mr. BUYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
As the ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I
have an obligation to help ensure that veterans and their families have
access to the benefits and services they so richly deserve. More
importantly, I have been an advocate for military members and veterans
almost my entire life. I have been in uniform for 28 years while I
served the last 16 years in Congress. It is a great part of who I am.
We have before us this House resolution to create a disabled veterans
week. Now we should pause for a moment and say why is Congress bringing
this bill to the floor at this time? You see, I view this bill on the
floor at this time as an inoculation. It is an inoculation because the
Democrats who control this Congress want to bring a bill to the floor
where it will cut a monthly pension to wartime elderly disabled and
indigent veterans in the amount of a billion dollars. So before the
Democrats take a billion dollars away from disabled veterans, they want
to stand and say I put my arms around disabled veterans, and we are
going to create a week for America to celebrate them.
I am going to blow the whistle on you. I believe that it is a matter
of principle that the Nation should not be taking money from one group
of deserving veterans to fund benefits for others. However, you should
also know that last month the Senate approved a bill that would cut
$912 million in pension benefits for wartime elderly indigent severely
disabled or housebound American veterans. A portion of the funding
saved by this unprecedented cut in veterans' benefits would be used to
fund oversized pensions for noncitizen, non-resident World War II
Filipino veterans and for other veterans' programs.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the country is probably shocked hearing me say
something like this. But, Mr. Speaker, we are here on the floor to ask
for a designation that the country support the ideals for which men and
women fought for and are now disabled, while in the same stroke this
very Congress wants to cut veterans' benefits from those very same
people when they are asking the country to celebrate their ideals.
The bill that was in the Senate is Senate 1315. There was a bill here
in the House, H.R. 760. That bill was voted out of the House Veterans'
Affairs Committee on a party-line vote. That hardly ever happens. A
party-line vote hardly ever happens in the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
They voted to eliminate a special monthly pension for severely
disabled veterans over 65 who are receiving pensions for wartime
services. The special monthly pension provides an additional payment of
up to $2,200 per year to the most severely disabled veterans. In 2006,
the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims overturned the
Department of Veterans Affairs decision that denied the special monthly
pension to an 86-year-old legally blind World War II veteran, Robert A.
Hartness, who was also receiving a VA pension granted to low-income,
disabled veterans.
The court reversed the VA's denial of benefits to Mr. Hartness and
required them to begin paying this special monthly pension. The court
held that the United States law requires an award of a special monthly
pension to a veteran eligible for VA nonservice-connected disability
pension if, in addition to being at least 65 years old, the veteran has
a disability rating of at least 60 percent or is permanently
housebound.
The Senate bill, S. 1315, would override the court decision
legislatively, and it is also what H.R. 760 sought to do. According to
the VA, more than 20,200 veterans could be affected by this
unprecedented cut in veterans' benefits.
This cut in veterans' benefits that goes to the disabled is opposed
by the American Legion, AMVETS, the National Association of Uniformed
Services, and other veterans' service organizations. The following
excerpt is from an April 25, 2008, letter to all Members of Congress
from the American Legion: ``The American Legion believes the sacrifice
of these heroes warrants relief. Balancing the books on the backs of
the very patriots that protected and defended this Nation is
unconscionable. Don't make a grave mistake in the name of fairness,
equality, or even fiscal responsibility. Do what is right.''
I wholeheartedly agree. Congress has an obligation to protect those
veterans who are the most vulnerable. They have no voice; and, indeed,
many of them are so severely disabled they are housebound and require
aid and attendants. I personally find appalling the notion of taking
benefits from these disabled veterans to create a new benefit for other
veterans, especially those of a foreign nation.
There are better ways to fund new entitlements than to cut benefits
from aging veterans who need us most, violating the principle of honor
that defined their service and our obligation to both them and the
Nation they served.
I believe that our veterans are our country's most precious asset. I
also believe that those are the ideals for which you seek to recognize
in the bill that is before us. I would remind every Member who votes in
support of this bill, please recognize that when you come to the floor
and there is presented to you a Senate amended bill that would repeal
the special monthly pension for the Nation's most vulnerable veterans,
those of whom are wartime elderly, indigent, disabled and homebound,
that you remember the vote you cast this day. Because if you embrace to
defend these disabled veterans who sacrificed for the ideals and the
heritage of this country, do not cut their veterans' benefits.
It was done in committee. It was done in the Senate. We have to
defend the most vulnerable and those who do not have a voice.
I support what is in front of us, but I do not support the rationale
of inoculation before you bring a bill to this floor that will cut a
billion dollars from these wartime elderly, disabled indigent veterans.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, for thousands of our Nation's soldiers,
sailors, airmen and marines, the sacrifices of war far outlast the war
itself. There are more than 2 million veterans with service-connected
injuries or illnesses, including thousands who have returned from the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thanks to advances in medical science,
the vast majority of American servicemembers wounded in combat survive
traumatic events that would have proven deadly in previous wars.
Previous generations of veterans have come home wounded from
battlefields in Europe, the Korean peninsula, and the jungles of
Vietnam. They have returned to America with permanent damage to limb or
spirit.
Today's veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi
Freedom are suffering tragic injuries from
[[Page H5154]]
IED attacks and other hazards that are filling our military hospitals
with victims who have lost limbs, with severe burns, and with head
injuries.
We owe a debt of gratitude to all of these veterans whose physical or
psychological well-being was permanently damaged in service to their
country.
In my own district, disabled veterans have also had to endure the
closing of the Southeast Louisiana VA Hospital due to damage from
Hurricane Katrina. As a result, approximately 212,000 veterans in a 23-
parish area in southeast Louisiana have to travel up to 4 hours to go
to other VA hospitals just to receive basic care. And as we all know,
gas prices are now topping $4 a gallon, which further adds to the cost
our disabled veterans are facing when they travel to and from VA
facilities for their health care.
I want to express as well how gravely concerned I am at the high cost
of fuel and how it is affecting their ability to stretch their limited
pension and compensation dollars. I call on the Democratic leadership
in Congress to step forward and join us to help these disabled veterans
by addressing this problem and enacting a strong national energy policy
that increases supply to lower gas prices.
I want to thank my colleagues in the House for passing the VA Medical
Facility Authorization and Lease Act authorizing $625 million for
Southeast Louisiana VA Hospital that was closed down due to damage
caused by Hurricane Katrina. And I want to specifically recognize the
leadership of Chairman Bob Filner and Ranking Member Steve Buyer in
passing this critical legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our disabled veterans for their
sacrifice and contributions to the cause of freedom. The intent of this
bill is to express America's eternal gratitude to these courageous
heroes, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. America's
disabled veterans have honored us with their service and selfless duty.
We should honor them by passing this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. I want to be clear, Mr. Speaker and
Members of the House, House Concurrent Resolution 336 honors the
sacrifices of the disabled veterans, and I urge all Members to support
it.
I am very proud of the fact that we have just passed the largest VA
budget in the history of the United States of America. Now a lot of
times people talk the talk, but we as Members of this body need to walk
the walk for the veterans. And when I said that I have visited the
facilities in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, I have also visited the
facilities in Louisiana, and I made sure that we put the money into the
budget so we could rebuild that facility for veterans in that area.
I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H. Con. Res. 336.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res.
332, which recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General
Assembly came together to pass the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, which serves as a set of standards for all people and all
nations of the world to strive toward.
Drawing upon principles from both the U.S. Constitution and the
Declaration of Independence, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
recognizes the fundamental human rights bestowed to each person on this
Earth regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity. Ronald Reagan once
described the U.S. Constitution as ``a kind of covenant. It is a
covenant we've made not only with ourselves but with all of mankind.''
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights shines light in the darkest
corners of the world and reminds those in the most desperate of
situations that every person is entitled to respect and dignity.
It has been my distinct privilege to serve as co-chair of the
Congressional Human Rights Caucus for the past 7 years. The Caucus was
founded in 1983 by the late Congressman Tom Lantos and former
Congressman John Porter for Members of Congress to work to defend the
rights of individuals worldwide as defined in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights.
With the passage of this important resolution, I reaffirm my
commitment to serve as a voice for the voiceless and continue to ensure
that human rights remains a priority in the U.S. Congress.
General Leave
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res.
336.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests
for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 336.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas
and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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