Amending Title 38, United States Code, To Extend Certain Expiring Provisions of Law

AMENDING TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE, TO EXTEND CERTAIN EXPIRING PROVISIONS OF LAW -- (House of Representatives - November 14, 2006)

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Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I am also pleased to rise in support of H.R. 6314, which would, as we have heard, extend expired and expiring authorization for the Department of Veterans' Affairs and expand eligibility for survivor and dependent educational assistance.

I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), the chairman of our committee, and my other colleagues for working together on this very important legislation. I also would like to remind us all of the work of Ranking Member Lane Evans. His integrity, leadership, and advocacy for veterans will be missed as we move into the next session of Congress.

This bill extends important authorities for the Department of Veterans Affairs to take care of our veterans. From 1962 through 1973, the Department of Defense conducted biological and chemical warfare tests on active duty servicemembers. These tests were known as Project 112 and Project SHAD. The Department of Defense has acknowledged that it did not keep patient care records to archive health effects of the tests nor did they get, I am sure, informed consent on these tests.

Just recently, in 2003, in response to concerns from veterans that their illnesses may be a result of these exposures, Congress did act. We authorized the VA to provide priority care to veterans who participated in these tests and did not require them to provide medical evidence that any of the illnesses are attributable to the testing.

This legislation before us today does the right thing for these veterans. It would extend the VA's authority to provide priority care for them through the end of next year.

I am disappointed that we have not extended VA's authority to give priority care to veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. Just like those veterans who were subject to Project 112 and Project SHAD tests, veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and probably got cancers and other maladies as a result deserve priority care, which may be a result of this exposure. They have provided service to the Nation. They were not given full information. They deserve our help and care today.

The administration has requested that we extend VA's authority with respect to veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and I will work certainly in the next Congress to pass that extension.

The bill today also helps the over 200,000 male and female veterans who each night are sleeping in a doorway, under a bridge, in an alley, a box, a barn, a car, or a homeless shelter. Through a network of local nonprofit or public agencies, VA's grant and per diem program for homeless veterans offers homeless veterans a safe haven that is free of drugs and alcohol.

Last year roughly 300 programs across the Nation were able to give 14,000 homeless vets the help they needed to recover, rehabilitate, and obtain the skills necessary to reintegrate back into society. This legislation means that the VA can continue to support these hundreds of community shelters. But let me remind us all, as I will continue to do next year, that this covers barely 5 percent of the homeless veterans. We owe as a Nation help and care to the almost 200,000 others that remain on the streets tonight.

This bill extends the authority to treat seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans. More than one out of three veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who have turned to the VA for health care has received an initial diagnosis for a mental health disorder. Many more have such a disorder but did not come to the VA. Many did not check the boxes that would indicate this because they just want to get home to their families. We have a lot of work to do in this country to help those with mental health disorders.

This bill, though, will ensure that the VA has the authority it needs to provide our recent veterans, as well as veterans from previous conflicts, with this mental health care that they need.

As the chairman said, this legislation also extends certain work study opportunities for veterans who are students through June of 2007. Helping veterans who are attending college or vocational training to earn while they learn makes good sense. This bill will allow veterans who are students to receive work study allowances for working at VA hospitals and domiciliaries, at State veterans homes, and at national and State veterans cemeteries. While I am disappointed that we could not extend authority for this program beyond next June, I am glad that this legislation will allow veterans who are participating in this program to continue through the end of their academic year.

A small number of permanently and totally disabled servicemembers are kept on active duty status to help them recover and rehabilitate from their injuries. When these servicemembers are discharged, their spouses and dependent children are then eligible for VA's educational assistance program. This bill, though, accelerates eligibility in cases where a disability rating of permanent and total disability is delayed because the servicemember has not officially yet been discharged from military service. I am proud and I am grateful that this legislation will help families of these very severely wounded veterans by providing early education benefits.

I appreciate the chairman's enumerating other bills that need to pass through the Senate. As he said, a lot of good things are waiting. And this is one of them. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6314

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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