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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 261 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 261

     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
      Department of Veterans Affairs should not retreat from its 
responsibility to support those veterans with combat wounds or service-
                        connected disabilities.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 18, 2009

    Mr. Frelinghuysen submitted the following resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
      Department of Veterans Affairs should not retreat from its 
responsibility to support those veterans with combat wounds or service-
                        connected disabilities.

Whereas President Abraham Lincoln promised ``. . . to care for him who bore the 
        brunt of battle, his widow and his orphan . . .'';
Whereas it is the mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs ``to care for 
        him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his 
        orphan'';
Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs emphasizes that it will ``provide 
        veterans the world-class benefits and services they have earned--and to 
        do so by adhering to the highest standards of compassion, commitment, 
        excellence, professionalism, integrity, accountability, and 
        stewardship'';
Whereas one of the ways the Nation provides support for the men and women who 
        fight overseas is to ensure that veterans' programs are effective and 
        reliable at home;
Whereas the President is said to be considering a proposal that would authorize 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs to recover or collect charges from a 
        veteran's private health insurance provider for hospital care and 
        medical services furnished by the Department for a service-connected 
        disability;
Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs is currently authorized to recover or 
        collect from third-party insurers of veterans charges for hospital care 
        and medical services furnished by the Department for non-service 
        connected conditions; and
Whereas expanding this policy to bill a veteran's personal insurance for care 
        that the Department of Veterans Affairs has a responsibility to provide 
        would break the solemn compact between a veteran and the Government: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the President should not formally propose a change in 
        policy as significant as the proposal to authorize the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs to charge a veteran's private 
        health insurance provider for hospital care and medical 
        services furnished by the Department for a service-connected 
        disability; and
            (2) the Department of Veterans Affairs should acknowledge 
        its responsibility for financing the health care of veterans 
        with service-connected disabilities and combat wounds.
                                 <all>
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