[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 26014]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2684, DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND 
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2000

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                               speech of

                           HON. BARON P. HILL

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 14, 1999

  Mr. HILL of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, today, I grudgingly voted for the 
Conference Report for Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban 
Development Appropriations, H.R. 2684, but I still think Congress could 
have done better by our veterans. I voted for H.R. 2684, despite the 
fact that it did not include the $3 billion increase in veterans health 
care that veterans say they need. Unfortunately, there was no way left 
to improve this bill.
  I am still very concerned about how this year's budget will affect 
veterans. Earlier this year, the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), DAV 
(Disabled American Veterans), PVA (Paralyzed Veterans of America) and 
AMVETS stated in their Independent Budget and in testimony before the 
House Veterans Affairs Committee that the VA needed a $3 billion boost 
in health care funding to provide adequate care. The American Legion 
requested a slightly smaller, but still substantial, increase in 
veterans health care funding, as well.
  I agree with many of my colleagues who believe the original Clinton 
Administration request for VA health care funding was way too low. It 
essentially maintained the existing funding level. And although the 
House VA/HUD Appropriations bill did include a one-year, $1.7 billion 
increase in veterans health care, it fell well short of what veterans 
groups say is needed.
  I voted against the House version on this VA/HUD Appropriations bill 
because defeating it would have given House members another opportunity 
to find the money needed to properly fund veterans' health care. 
Unfortunately, the Senate did not offer a higher funding level and the 
conference committee settled on the smaller increase.
  I voted for this bill, but I know we can do better. In the future, I 
hope we will listen to the veterans and work together to better address 
our veterans' most pressing needs. They deserve it.

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