IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 226

Expressing the sense of Congress concerning funding for health care services

for veterans.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOVEMBER 10, 1999

Mr. ROTHMAN submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress concerning funding for

health care services for veterans.

Whereas veterans throughout the United States in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care priority group

designated as ‘‘priority group 7’’ have received notices

from the Department of Veterans Affairs that, due to

funding shortfalls, the Veterans Health Administration

may be unable to provide those veterans with health care

services in the future;

Whereas the income threshold for designation as a priority

group 7 veteran (that is, having an annual income of over

$22,351 for a single person and assets of over $50,000)

is not so high that an individual in that priority group

could be considered to be otherwise capable of paying the

full cost of needed health care services;
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Whereas the Nation must remain committed to providing

first-rate health care services to veterans who joined the

Armed Forces with the understanding that their future

health needs would be met by a grateful Nation;

Whereas leaders of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the

United States, American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled

American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Jewish War Veterans of America, Catholic War Veterans,

and other distinguished veterans service organizations

have expressed deep concern over the serious funding

shortages that are compromising the level and quality of

health care being delivered to the Nation’s veterans by

the Veterans Health Administration;

Whereas veterans have held over 130 rallies across the

United States to demonstrate their concern in the deterioration of the Veterans Health Administration’s health

care system;

Whereas the level of funding for the health care system of the

Department of Veterans Affairs has been inadequate to

meet the pressing medical needs of America’s veterans;

and

Whereas, as one example of the funding shortfalls affecting

the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system,

the Veterans Integrated Service Network Number 3

(VISN3), which serves veterans in New Jersey and New

York, experienced a budget shortfall of $61,000,000 for

fiscal year 1999 alone: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring),
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Health

3 Fairness Resolution’’.

4 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL STATEMENTS ON HEALTH CARE

5 SERVICES FOR VETERANS.

6 Congress—

7 (1) affirms its fundamental belief that all vet8 erans enrolled in the national enrollment system of

9 the Department of Veterans Affairs, including those

10 in the priority group designated as ‘‘priority group

11 7’’, have earned the right to secure, quality health

12 care services from the Veterans Health Administra13 tion of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and

14 (2) urges the Secretary of Veterans Affairs not

15 to deny health care services to veterans in the pri16 ority group designated as ‘‘priority group 7’’ and as17 serts that veterans in that priority group should

18 have their enrollment renewed every year.

19 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING PRESIDENT’S

20 BUDGET FOR VA HEALTH CARE.

21 (a) It is the sense of Congress that the President’s

22 budget for VA health care for fiscal year 2001 and fiscal

23 years thereafter should include the amounts needed to en24 sure that all veterans, including veterans in priority group

25 7, are able to benefit from the broad array of VA health
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1 care services, including preventive care, primary care, and

2 inpatient and outpatient services.

3 (b) In subsection (a), the term ‘‘VA health care’’

4 means health care delivered by the Veterans Health Ad5 ministration of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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