[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 86 (Monday, May 22, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2472-H2474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       KOREAN AMERICAN VIETNAM ALLIES LONG OVERDUE FOR RELIEF ACT

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 366) to amend title 38, United States Code, to treat certain 
individuals who served in Vietnam as a member of the armed forces of 
the Republic of Korea as a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United 
States for purposes of the provision of health care by the Department 
of Veterans Affairs.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 366

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Korean American Vietnam 
     Allies Long Overdue for Relief Act'' or the ``Korean American 
     VALOR Act''.

     SEC. 2. PROVISION OF CERTAIN BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO 
                   SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF 
                   KOREA.

       Section 109 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d)(1) Any person described in paragraph (2) is eligible 
     for the benefits specified in subsection (a) to the same 
     extent and under the same conditions (including with respect 
     to applicable reciprocity requirements) as a discharged 
     member of the armed forces of a government specified in such 
     subsection who is eligible for such benefits under such 
     subsection.
       ``(2) A person described in this paragraph is a person whom 
     the Secretary determines served in Vietnam as a member of the 
     armed forces of the Republic of Korea at any time during the 
     period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 
     1975, or such other period as determined appropriate by the 
     Secretary for purposes of this subsection.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 
366.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Ranking Member Takano's bill, 
H.R. 366, the Korean American VALOR Act.
  This bill would allow Korean veterans who served during the Vietnam 
war and later became American citizens to be eligible for VA 
healthcare. VA has been providing healthcare services to ally veterans 
through government agreements since World War I. These Korean-American 
veterans deserve the same opportunity.
  Korean-American veterans share similar needs with the veterans they 
served alongside with in Vietnam. They suffer from PTSD and Agent 
Orange exposure, among other injuries and illnesses. These veterans 
have earned access to proper care through the VA. Ranking Member 
Takano's bill will do exactly that.
  Mr. Speaker, as you know, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the 
vitally important alliance between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea. 
As such, this bill is a fitting tribute to thank the Korean-American 
veterans for their service. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 
366.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 366, the Korean 
American VALOR Act. I am proud to have sponsored this legislation which 
will provide eligibility for VA healthcare to veterans who served in 
the armed forces of the Republic of Korea, as allies of the United 
States during the Vietnam war, who have since become naturalized 
American citizens.
  This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean-American alliance. 
Last month, during his visit to Washington, D.C., President Yoon Suk 
Yeol addressed a joint session of Congress and reflected on how our 
alliance has served to safeguard freedom and democracy throughout the 
world.
  Following the Korean war, the United States and the Republic of Korea 
signed a Mutual Defense Treaty on October 1, 1953. It has been called 
an ``alliance forged in blood.'' In part, out of gratitude for the 
service and sacrifices made by Americans during the Korean war, the 
Republic of Korea has aided the United States in every war since the 
Vietnam war.
  Between 1965 and 1973, South Korea sent more than 320,000 troops to 
fight alongside U.S. servicemembers in Vietnam, the largest contingent 
of any U.S. ally. More than 5,000 South Korean troops died in the 
Vietnam war, and at least 11,000 were injured.
  An estimated 2,800 veterans who served in the armed forces of the 
Republic of Korea during the Vietnam

[[Page H2473]]

war and later became U.S. citizens are living today. My legislation 
would provide some measure of long-overdue parity for Korean-American 
Vietnam war veterans who, up to this point, have never been eligible 
for VA healthcare services.
  Under this bill, the United States and the Republic of Korea will 
establish a reciprocal agreement. Korea will reimburse the United 
States for healthcare services VA furnishes to these Korean-American 
veterans. In exchange, the United States will reimburse Korea for 
healthcare it provides to veterans of the United States Armed Forces 
residing in Korea.
  Such an arrangement is not new. Since 1958, through its Allied 
Beneficiary Program, VA has had the authority to treat veterans who 
have served in the armed forces of nations that were allied with the 
United States during World War I and World War II. These veterans did 
not need to be United States citizens, and VA has the authority to 
treat veterans of any combat era.
  Now, VA furnishes this care through reciprocal agreements which have 
been established with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, 
Canada, and South Africa. In 1976, VA's Allied Beneficiary Program was 
extended to certain veterans who had served in the armed forces of 
Czechoslovakia or Poland during World War I or World War II who 
subsequently became U.S. citizens.
  We recently observed the 50th anniversary of the date the last combat 
troops left Vietnam. It is far past time for our Nation to properly 
honor the service and sacrifice of South Koreans who served side by 
side with United States troops during the Vietnam war and have since 
become naturalized U.S. citizens. We must ensure they finally receive 
the same respect and consideration their counterparts from other allied 
nations have received for generations.
  The needs of Korean-American veterans of the Vietnam war are no 
different from those of U.S.-born veterans. From Agent Orange exposure, 
to coping with complex injuries and mental illnesses, these veterans 
deserve the specialized care and services that only VA can provide. 
Many of them are entering their final years and should not have to wait 
any longer for this care.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 366, the Korean 
American VALOR Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Kim).
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bost for 
yielding.
  I rise in strong support of H.R. 366, the Korean American VALOR Act. 
I thank Ranking Member Takano for his leadership on this very important 
issue.
  During his joint address to Congress, South Korean President Yoon Suk 
Yeol highlighted that during the Korean war, ``Korean and American 
soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder and fought bravely.''
  However, the Korean war was not the last time Korean soldiers fought 
alongside American troops. They fought side by side in the Vietnam war, 
sharing the same physical and mental scars from that conflict.
  Many of these Korean troops eventually immigrated to the United 
States and became proud naturalized American citizens. I personally 
know several of these individuals, and I am eternally grateful for 
their service.
  Unfortunately, because the United States does not currently have a 
reciprocal veterans' healthcare agreement with the Republic of Korea, 
these Korean Americans cannot access veterans' healthcare benefits. The 
Korean American VALOR Act will create a pathway for an agreement to be 
reached and for these veterans to receive access to VA healthcare. I 
urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from my home State 
of California. I am very confident this bill will become law, but we 
will need to make sure that we work together in a bipartisan way to 
make sure the reciprocal agreement finally gets put into effect.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson Lee), my good friend, who holds a seat on the House Budget 
Committee, Homeland Security Committee, and the House Judiciary 
Committee. She is indeed a staunch advocate for all our military 
servicemembers and veterans.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman as well, Mr. 
Takano, for his vision and leadership and the years of service that he 
has given to the Veterans' Affairs Committee. We could not have a more 
stalwart champion for the veterans of America.
  I thank my friends on the other side of the aisle and certainly, our 
colleague from California, who made a very important point. For this to 
work it has to be bipartisan. I hope we all will lean into the 
bipartisan efforts that need to be done to ensure not only its passage 
but its implementation.
  As the ranking member indicated, I am on the Homeland Security 
Committee and the Budget Committee. Many times in those committees we 
see the concerns of domestic security. We also see the concerns of 
effectively utilizing all of our tools to ensure the proper budget for 
the people of the United States of America.
  I cannot think, as we approach Memorial Day, and as we commemorate 
the accomplishments of Asian Americans in this great month of May, 
interacting with all of our community, that we would not find an 
appropriate time to honor those Korean-American soldiers who fought 
alongside of our fellow Vietnam soldiers in a battle that was for 
democracy and protecting, if you will, the sense of equality, 
protecting the people of that era and of that war.
  These soldiers bled. They rescued. They stood in front of our 
soldiers in terms of being comrades and fighting alongside. They saved 
lives. They lost lives.
  I think that it is important to take note of those who served, who 
were members of the armed forces of the Republic of Korea and are 
considered veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, for 
purposes of the provision of healthcare by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
  For so long, I would listen to my Vietnam vets before we really 
answered their call on Agent Orange and saw them get very sick, saw 
many of them pass away, talking about Agent Orange over and over again, 
and it just seemed that it was not being heard.
  Thank goodness we have done so many different things, such as the 
PACT Act, Agent Orange Act, all during my tenure as a Member of the 
United States Congress. We finally understood the truth of what the 
veterans were saying, and every time they speak, we should listen.
  I was with veterans over the weekend, and I thank them everywhere I 
go. Every speech I make in my community, I ask veterans to rise, and I 
say thank you.
  In this instance, title 38 is a special pay authority used to recruit 
and retain employees in certain healthcare occupations. It allows NIH 
to be competitive with other healthcare facilities.
  However, this would expand the eligibility of these benefits, this 
Korean American VALOR Act, to veterans who served in the armed forces 
of the Republic of Korea during the Vietnam war and have since become 
naturalized citizens, almost 300,000, and how many others served.
  So this legislation is clearly evidence of our relationship between 
the Republic of Korea and the friendship that we have established.

                              {time}  1645

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from Texas.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. As we heard from the South Korean President who 
spoke to a joint session just a few weeks ago, he talked about 
patriotism, democracy, and the unity of our nations. It is absolutely 
imperative that we support these Korean war vets who stood alongside of 
us and acknowledge that they served in Vietnam. They are now 
naturalized citizens, and they, in fact, have the evidence of the 
illness. It is so important to call them Korean American Vietnam 
veterans, naturalized citizens. We want them to get the honor of the 
Korean American VALOR Act. I ask my colleagues to support it.

[[Page H2474]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 366 the Korean American 
Vietnam Allies Long Overdue for Relief (VALOR) Act.
  H.R. 366 would amend title 38, United States Code, to treat certain 
individuals who served in Vietnam as a member of the armed forces of 
the Republic of Korea as a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United 
States for purposes of the provision of health care by the Department 
of Veterans Affairs.
  Title 38 is a special pay authority used to recruit and retain 
employees in certain health care occupations. It allows NIH to be 
competitive with other health care facilities in the area.
  The Korean American VALOR Act would expand the eligibility of these 
benefits to veterans who served in the armed forces of the Republic of 
Korea during the Vietnam War and have since become naturalized U.S. 
citizens.
  This bipartisan legislation, when enacted into law, will provide 
veterans who served between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, and 
became U.S. citizens during or after such service, access to hospital 
and domiciliary care and medical services through the VA.
  Approximately 3,000 Korean American Vietnam veterans are naturalized 
citizens--and the number of surviving veterans continues to dwindle.
  As a result of their time in Vietnam, these veterans are falling ill 
from the diseases caused by exposure to Agent Orange and other toxins 
and are not receiving adequate care.
  Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) fully supports the passage of the 
Korean American VALOR Act H.R. 366.
  The Korean American VALOR Act will protect our veterans that served 
in Vietnam by providing them with the healthcare relief they deserve.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, we do need to remember that this is a perfect 
week to do this when Memorial Day is coming up, and we are honored to 
make sure that these veterans are recognized in the way they should be 
and that they do receive healthcare.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.
  Again, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 366, the 
Korean American VALOR Act. Might I just add to the chairman's assertion 
that this is the perfect week to pass this bill. I have already 
mentioned the 70th anniversary of our historic alliance, but now as we 
in the Indo-Pacific must strengthen our alliance, I also want to add my 
congratulations to both the nations of Japan and the Republic of Korea 
for making great strides to improve their relationships and to afford 
us the opportunity in the trilateral alliance among the United States, 
Japan, and South Korea to become stronger allies.
  This legislation, I believe, is part of the entire effort to become 
stronger allies with greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 366.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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