Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. H.R. 2297. the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003. would expand the Montgomery GI Bill program to provide veterans considering selfemployment with improved access to training benefits. including training related to franchises. Allowing veterans to use their MGIB benefit in this manner gives the flexibility necessary so that veterans can pursue an educational path that best suits their talents and interests. Additionally. this legislation would allow a surviving spouse of a veteran to be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery regardless of the status of a subsequent marriage. In many cases. the veterans children and grandchildren. and often the most recent spouse of the veteran. support this burial eligibility. This legislation also makes important strides In including more disabilities as serviceconnected. The VA Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War recommended that the original 30day requirement for serviceconnection be eliminated for all psychiatric conditions. cold weather related injuries and post traumatic arthritis. No -durational criteria exist for posttraumatic stress syndrome or frostbite. PTSD is common in former prisoners of war. And frostbite can occur within hours if the temperature Is low enough. Posttraumatic arthritis is a condition that comes from traumawhich can occur in seconds. Removing the 30day requirement is the right thing to do in order to make these disabilities presumptive. HR. 2297 also expands benefits eligibility to children with spina bifida who were born to veterans who served in an area of Korea near the demilitarized zone between October 1. 1967 and May 7. 1975. The Department of Defense estimates that approximately 12.056 service members were potentially exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides while serving in the Republic of Korea between 1968 and 1969. This legislation is similar to other legislation that covers the children of members of the Armed Forces that serve in Vietnam. This legislation also provides for uniformity of home loan guaranty fees between reserve and active duty members of the Armed Forces. Reservists have traditionally been paying a funding fee that is 75 percent higher than active duty members. although reservists have a lower foreclosure rate than other loan guaranty beneficiaries. H.R. 2297 includes many other benefits that will help us to meet our veterans needs. This is a step in the right direction. However. time and time again. our veterans needs are being ignored. Not only do Americas veterans face issues with concurrent receipt. but they also face long waiting periods to see a VA doctor and prescription drug copayments. Also. VA still needs $1.8 billion to bring the fiscal year 2004 appropriation to the level set forth by the Budget Resolution. Where are our priorities? On average. 14.000 veterans have been waiting more than 15 months for their disability claims to be finalized. And 200.000 veterans wait for six months or more for an appointment at VA hospitals. This shabby treatment of our veterans Is intolerable. If we can come up with an $87 billion supplemental appropriation for the war in Iraq. In addition to the $63 billion already provided by Congress. then surely we can give VA the $1.8 billion that is necessary to minimally provide for our veterans. We should be ashamed of ourselves. At this time. more than every. we need to show our veterans that we appreciate them. We first need to pass H.R. 2297. the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003. then we need to give VA the $1.8 billion it still needs to bring the fiscal year 2004 appropriation to the level set forth by the Budget Resolution. Our veterans should not have to come begging at our doors.