[House Report 107-474]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     107-474

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  ROBERT J. DOLE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL AND REGIONAL 
                             OFFICE CENTER

                                _______
                                

  May 16, 2002.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Smith of New Jersey, from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 4608]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 4608) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs 
medical center in Wichita, Kansas, as the ``Robert J. Dole 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center'', having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments 
and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.

  The amendments are as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL AND REGIONAL 
                    OFFICE CENTER, WICHITA, KANSAS.

  The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center 
in Wichita, Kansas, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act 
be known and designated as the ``Robert J. Dole Department of Veterans 
Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center''. Any reference to such 
medical center in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other 
paper of the United States shall be considered to be a reference to the 
Robert J. Dole Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional 
Office Center.

  Amend the title so as to read:

      A bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
and Regional Office Center in Wichita, Kansas, as the ``Robert 
J. Dole Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional 
Office Center''.

                              Introduction

    On April 25, 2002, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Health, the Honorable Jerry Moran, introduced H.R. 4608.
    On May 1, 2002, the Subcommittee on Health met and by 
unanimous voice vote ordered H.R. 4608 reported favorably to 
the full Committee.
    On May 9, 2002, the full Committee met and by unanimous 
voice vote ordered H.R. 4608, as amended, reported favorably to 
the House.

                      Summary of the Reported Bill

    H.R. 4608, as amended, would:

    Name the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and 
Regional Office Center in Wichita, Kansas, the ``Robert J. Dole 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional Office 
Center''.

                       Background and Discussion

    The Committee bill would honor former United States Senator 
Robert J. Dole for his exemplary service to his country as a 
United States Army soldier in World War II.
    During World War II, Robert J. Dole, a 19-year-old from 
Russell, Kansas, joined the Army's Enlisted Reserve Corps and 
gained assignment as a second lieutenant in the Army's 10th 
Mountain Division. His unit was sent to Italy where he was a 
platoon leader. On April 14, 1945, his platoon was attacked by 
German forces. While aiding a wounded soldier, he was seriously 
injured by mortar fire. The round shattered his right shoulder, 
leaving him paralyzed and near death. He recovered over a 
period of three years in Army and VA hospitals, surviving nine 
surgeries and undergoing rehabilitation. Robert Dole was 
awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his heroism and selfless 
effort to aid a fellow soldier, and two Purple Hearts for the 
injuries he sustained. He was awarded the European-African 
Middle Eastern Campaign medal with two Bronze Stars for 
participation in the Po Valley and Northern Apennines 
Campaigns. He is also a recipient of the American Campaign 
Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
    In civilian life, Senator Dole was awarded the Harry Truman 
Good Neighbor Award, the Defense Distinguished Public Service 
Medal, the American Legion Distinguished Service Award and 
Paralyzed Veterans of America's Award for Life Service to 
Veterans. In 1997, President Clinton awarded Senator Dole the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian 
award. At that ceremony, the President described Senator Dole 
as ``. . . one of our nation's most distinguished World War II 
veterans . . . [a] son of the soil, citizen, soldier and 
legislator, Bob Dole understands the American people, their 
struggles, their triumphs and their dreams.''
    During his many years of service in Washington as an 
elected public official, Senator Dole gave a public speech on 
each yearly anniversary of his own injury in the Italian 
campaign to highlight the status of America's veterans and the 
disabled. His advocacy for the disabled has been lifelong and 
as a U.S. Senator, he was a leader in the passage of the 
Americans with Disabilities Act, one of the most significant 
pieces of legislation dealing with the needs of the disabled 
since the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
    This bill also serves to memorialize Senator Dole's 
outstanding advocacy for the veterans of Kansas and all 
veterans of the United States armed forces. Along with 
President Dwight Eisenhower, Robert Dole is one of the greatest 
figures in Kansas history. Eisenhower's name graces the VA 
Medical Center at Leavenworth, and it would be appropriate that 
the Wichita VA facility bear Senator Dole's name.
    The Kansas Congressional delegation is unanimous in its 
support for the Committee bill, as are the major veterans 
organizations of the State of Kansas. Thus, this bill meets 
existing Committee criteria regarding the naming of VA 
facilities.

                      Section-By-Section Analysis

    Section 1 would, after the date of enactment, name the 
Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center in Wichita, 
Kansas, the ``Robert J. Dole Department of Veterans Affairs 
Medical and Regional Office Center''.

                    Performance Goals and Objectives

    The Government Performance and Results Act is not 
applicable to the reported bill.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    The following letter was received from the Congressional 
Budget Office concerning the cost of the reported bill:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                      Washington, DC, May 10, 2002.
Hon. Christopher H. Smith
Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

    Dear Mr. Chairman: At your request, the Congressional 
Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 
4608, a bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical 
center in Wichita, Kansas, as the ``Robert J. Dole Department 
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.''
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sam 
Papenfuss, who can be reached at 226-2840.

            Sincerely,
                                            Dan L. Crippen,
                                                          Director.

    Enclosure.

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate              May 10, 2002     
                                        


 H.R. 4608, A bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical 
   center in Wichita, Kansas, as the ``Robert J. Dole Department of 
                   Veterans Affairs Medical Center''

As ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
on May 9, 2002

    H.R. 4608 would name the Department of Veterans Affairs 
medical center in Wichita, Kansas, as the ``Robert J. Dole 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.'' It also would 
require that any reference to such medical center in any law, 
regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the United 
States be considered a reference to the clinic by the new name. 
CBO estimates that implementing the bill would have a 
negligible cost, subject to the availability of appropriated 
funds. Because the bill would not affect direct spending or 
receipts, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
    H.R. 4608 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact is Sam Papenfuss. This estimate was 
approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for 
Budget Analysis.

                     Statement of Federal Mandates

    The preceding Congressional Budget Office cost estimate 
states that the reported bill contains no intergovernmental or 
private sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act.

                  Applicability to Legislative Branch

    The reported bill would not be applicable to the 
legislative branch under the Congressional Accountability Act, 
Public Law 104-1.

                 Statement of Constitutional Authority

    Pursuant to Article I, section 8 of the United States 
Constitution, the reported bill is authorized by Congress' 
power to ``provide for the common Defense and general Welfare 
of the United States.''

                                  
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