Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004-Resumed

DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004-RESUMED

Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member of the subcommittee for agreeing to accept my amendment pertaining to veterans outreach programs. My amendment would restore a valuable-and statutorily mandated-service to our nation's veterans and their families.

In July 2002, the Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management sent a memo to Veterans Integrated Service Network Directors ordering them to "ensure that no marketing activities to enroll new veterans occur within [their] networks."

This memo cited an increased demand for VA health care services as the reason for this change in policy. While it is clear that more funding should be provided for VA health care and other programs and I strongly support doing so it is inappropriate for the VA to institute a policy to stop making veterans aware of the health care services for which they may be eligible.

I joined with a number of our colleagues last year in sending a letter to the President asking that this policy be immediately reversed. I regret that the VA's reply indicated that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs stands by this policy, which remains in effect.

My amendment would prohibit the VA from using Federal funds to enforce this policy, or any other policy prohibiting regional health care directors from conducting outreach to enroll new veterans into the VA health care system. A similar amendment offered earlier this year by Congressmen SANDERS and KANJORSKI was accepted to the House version of the underlying VA-HUD appropriations bill.

I have long been concerned that tens of thousands of our veterans are unaware of Federal health care and other benefits for which they may be eligible. We can and should do more to educate our veterans and their families about these benefits, and to provide adequate funding to ensure that all veterans who wish to take advantage of their benefits are able to do so. Halting health care marketing activities is not the answer. Our brave veterans have earned these benefits. The Federal department that is charged with advocating for and providing benefits to our veterans should not be allowed to continue to restrict health care outreach activities.

This is especially important as we welcome home a new generation of veterans who are serving in Iraq and in the fight against terrorism. Today's soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines are tomorrow's veterans. These men and women selflessly put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, as have countless military personnel before them. We must ensure that their service and sacrifice, which is much lauded during times of conflict, is not forgotten once the battles have ended and our troops have come home.

Our veterans and their families have made great personal sacrifices to protect our freedoms. We owe them a great debt of gratitude. Making sure that our veterans know about the benefits that they have earned is an important first step in starting to repay this debt.

Again, I thank the chairman and the ranking member of the subcommittee for working with me on this important issue.