Issues > Keeping Our Promise to Veterans
In this time of war, it is important to show support not only for our brave men and women currently serving overseas, but for the thousands of service members who served their country in previous conflicts. Unfortunately, the President’s FY2007 budget request fails to adequately honor our veterans by neglecting to meet their health care needs.
As you may know, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates the largest direct health care delivery system in the country, providing care at over 800 locations to about 5 million veterans. Since 1995, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the VA have coordinated their medical care in the program known as TRICARE. TRICARE provides beneficiaries with the opportunity of choosing a health maintenance organization option, a preferred provider option, or a fee-for-service option.
The Bush Administration’s proposed budget for FY2007 requests $34.3 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care program. This is an increase of $3.5 billion from 2006 levels. As the veteran population continues to age over the next 20 years, the total number of veterans will decline from 25 million to 17 million. As VA patients are increasingly older and sicker and are receiving more costly treatments, however, VA’s cost per patient will continue to grow. While greater than the 2006 amount, the Administration’s request is not enough to meet the federal government’s obligation to veterans. In order to make up the difference, the Administration is introducing a three-tier TRICARE fee structure for retirees under age 65. The proposal includes higher enrollment fees for the Prime plan, new enrollment fees for the Standard plan, increased annual deductibles for the Standard plan, and higher pharmacy co-payments. These changes would apply to Priority Level 7/8 veterans, who do not have service disabilities or lower incomes. No fee changes are proposed for active-duty members or their dependents, or for retirees over 65 who participate in TRICARE for Life. I am pleased to report that these changes were NOT included in the final version of the FY2007 Defense Authorization Act, which was considered in the House of Representatives on May 11, 2006.
In order to ensure that similar changes are prohibited in the future, I have signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 4949, introduced by Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX), which would amend title 10 of the U.S. code, in order to prohibit increases in fees for military health care.
As a veteran, legislation affecting former service men and women is especially important to me. Unfortunately, health care and prescription drug costs continue to rise in the United States, for both military retirees and private citizens. Raising TRICARE and pharmacy fees on retirees while the nation is at war, however, is a move that will send a powerful negative message to veterans, who bravely served our country during its time of need. The budget should honor our veterans by providing the benefits they have earned. As the House of Representatives continues to work on funding figures for the FY2007 budget, please be assured that I will continue to support legislation that ensures our veterans have access to the highest quality health care at the lowest possible cost.
On April 12, 2005, Democrats in the House of Representatives unveiled H.R. 2131, the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century, to honor the bravery of our troops and the tremendous sacrifices that their families have made. The new GI Bill agenda will repeal the unfair tax burdens on military families, provide veterans with the benefits they deserve like affordable health care, education and job training, strengthen our support for our men and women in uniform and improve benefits for our National Guard/Reservists. This legislation, which was introduced with 166 co-sponsors, including me, has been referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
No other group of Americans has stood stronger and braver for our democracy than troops and our veterans. We must celebrate, honor and remember these courageous and faithful men and women through the New GI Bill agenda. On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind.
I sponsored an amendment to the recent $87 billion supplemental spending bill, so that our troops using the new R&R; program do not have to pay for their own tickets for domestic travel home. This provision was adopted and signed into law by the President. I will continue working to ensure that this is implemented by the Department of Defense in a timely fashion to benefit our troops.
Congress extended a new TRICARE coverage option to reservists and their families who do not have other insurance. The April 2003 increases to family separation and imminent danger pay were also extended. Although these benefits were set to end on December 31, 2004, I will work to make them permanent.
When I spoke to family members of deployed troops on September 20, 2003, I learned that over 300 reservists from units based in Garner, KS, are currently deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Their mobilization orders were extended for up to two years. They are among the thousands of men and women in harm's way around the world protecting our freedom and standing up for us in the war on terrorism. Many are reservists and members of the National Guard who left behind jobs and families with reduced income and limited support networks; some have lost their homes and small businesses or order to do their duty. Congress and the American people must do everything we can to support our armed forces and address the needs of our military: troop strength, equipment, and supplies.
It is wrong to force military retirees to give up pay earned for their time in service, in order to receive compensation they are entitled to for service-connected disabilities. I joined over 200 of my colleagues in signing Discharge Petition #2. If 218 members sign this petition, it will force a vote on the floor of the House to end the tax on disabled military retirees.
Congress partially ended the tax for some disabled retirees last year, with a plan phased in over 10 years. I will keep working for a complete end to the tax on disabled military retirees. I opposed plans put forth by the House leadership and the Administration to take away other veterans' disability compensation in the future, in order to pay for this benefit. We should not take from one group of veterans to pay another. We should do what is right.
Historically, the VA focused on a system of hospital-based inpatient care. Today this has shifted to outpatient services to reflect the growing needs of veterans. CARES is a process in which the VA collects data on veterans' health care needs and population projections, and compares this to its facility sizes, services and locations. The VA is using this data to produce the National CARES Plan for VA facilities in the future.
It is important that Congress be a part of this process, ensuring that vital hospitals like Dwight D. Eisenhower in Leavenworth continue to meet the needs of our veterans. That's why I introduced H.R. 2808, which gives Congress a 60-day period to review the final CARES recommendations before any VA hospital is closed or downgraded. The CARES provisions from my bill were included in a veterans' health programs bill, S. 1156. Congress approved this bill, which was signed into law by the President on December 6, 2003.
On April 12, 2005, Democrats in the House of Representatives unveiled H.R. 2131, the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century, to honor the bravery of our troops and the tremendous sacrifices that their families have made. The new GI Bill agenda will repeal the unfair tax burdens on military families, provide veterans with the benefits they deserve, like affordable health care, education and job training, strengthen our support for our men and women in uniform and improve benefits for our National Guard/Reservists. This legislation, which was introduced with 166 co-sponsors, including me, has been referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
No other group of Americans has stood stronger and braver for our democracy than troops and our veterans. We must celebrate, honor and remember these courageous and faithful men and women through the New GI Bill agenda. On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind.
In 2004, when I learned that the death gratuity given to the family of a service member killed in combat was $12,000, I was very ashamed. It should be the responsibility of the United States government to assist the survivors of servicemen and women in overcoming the increased financial burden placed upon them as a result of their loss. The death gratuity of $12,000 seemed grossly inadequate to express appreciation for the sacrifice their loved one made for our country.
For this reason, I introduced legislation that would increase the death gratuity from $12,000 to $100,000 and would be applied retroactively to all servicemen and women on active duty who have died since September 11, 2001. While this legislation was never voted on independently, the President included this death gratuity provision in his funding request for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, H.R. 1268. H.R. 1268 was signed into law by President Bush on May 11, 2005, and $100,000 became the new military death gratuity.