IV 
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 Af-
fairs ‘‘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 serv-
ices they have earned—and to do so by adhering to the 
highest standards of compassion, commitment, excellence, 
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•HRES 261 IH 
professionalism, integrity, accountability, and steward-
ship’’; 
Whereas one of the ways the Nation provides support for the 
men and women who fight overseas is to ensure that vet-
erans’ 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-con-
nected disability; 
Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs is currently au-
thorized 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 in-
surance 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 Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) the President should not formally propose a 
change in policy as significant as the proposal to au-
thorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
charge a veteran’s private health insurance provider 
for hospital care and medical services furnished by 
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•HRES 261 IH 
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 dis-
abilities and combat wounds. 
Æ 
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