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RELATED LEGISLATION:
Cosponsor of H.R. 1291, the 21st Century Montgomery GI Bill Enhancement Act
This legislation would increase the current MGIB monthly allowance of $650 (from
which veterans pay tuition, books, fees, and living expenses) to $800 in FY2002,
$950 in FY2003, and $1,100 in FY2004. The bill was considered by the whole House
on June 19, 2001 and passed by a vote of 416-0-1. I voted in favor of this legislation.
Cosponsor of H.R. 134 - Expanding Radiation Exposure Coverage
This bill would revise the eligibility criteria for presumption of service-connection
of certain diseases and disabilities for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation
during military service.
Cosponsor of H.R. 1435 - The Veterans' Emergency Telephone Service Act
This bill would provide for a national toll-free hotline to provide information
and assistance to veterans.
Cosponsor of H.R. 1587 - The Agent Orange Respiratory Cancer Act
This legislation will repeal the requirement that, in order to receive compensation
under veterans' disability compensation, respiratory cancers must have become
manifest in a veteran within 30 years after the last date on which the veteran
performed active military service in the Republic of Vietnam.
Cosponsor of H.R. 179 – The Keep Our Promises to America’s
Military Act
This legislation would allow any member or former member of the armed forces
entitled to military retired or retainer pay, as well as their families, to enroll
in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. It would also begin
to fulfill the promise of full health care benefits to retirees who entered the
uniformed services prior to June 7, 1956 by extending their coverage under the
FEHB program without cost to them.
Cosponsor of H.R. 303 – The Retired Pay Restoration
Act (Concurrent Receipt)
This legislation would amend current law to permit Armed Forces retirees to receive
retirement benefits and VA disability benefits concurrently.
Cosponsor of H.R. 442 – Home Loans for Veterans
This bill would increase the maximum amount of home loan benefits available for
veterans and service members to keep pace with rising cost of housing. This legislation
would increase from $50,750 to $63,175 the maximum amount of a home loan guarantee
available to a veteran from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Cosponsor of H.R. 511 - The Veterans’ Right to Know Act
This bill would direct the VA to improve its outreach programs to provide for
more fully informing veterans of benefits available to them.
Cosponsor of H.R. 862 – Diabetes and Agent Orange
This legislation would add certain forms of diabetes to the list of diseases
presumed to be service-connected for veterans exposed to certain herbicide agents,
such as Agent Orange. For years, many veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange
have believed they were more likely to develop diabetes. I was pleased that the
VA made the decision of a presumption of service-connection for these veterans.
Cosponsor of H.R. 959 - The Veterans American Dream Homeownership Assistance
Act
This legislation would eliminate the arbitrary cutoff that exists under current
law. It would allow former servicemen and servicewomen who served our country
beginning in 1977 or any other year after that to be eligible to apply for a
home mortgage loan provided by their state. This bill simply allows the states
to help their veterans own a home regardless of when they served.
H.R. 1996 World War II Memorial
Voted in favor of H.R. 1996, which addressed the issue of the placement of the
World War II Memorial. This legislation requires the American Battle Monuments
Commission to proceed expeditiously with the construction of the National World
War II Memorial at the dedicated Rainbow Pool site in the District of Columbia
and declares the decision to construct the Memorial at such site and decisions
about design are final, conclusive, and not subject to administrative or judicial
review. I voted for this bill, which was signed into law by President Bush on
May 28, 2001.
Letter Regarding Concurrent Receipt
As part of my service on the House Budget Committee, I sent a letter to the Chairman
of the House Budget Committee urging him not to ignore military personnel and
veterans programs while he conferred with the Senate on the budget for fiscal
year 2002. In this letter, I specifically asked the Chairman to fight for language
that would add $3.1 billion in additional funding for the Defense Health Program
and increase funding to allow Armed Forces retirees to receive retirement benefits
and VA disability benefits concurrently.
Sponsor, H.R. 3256 - The Servicemembers Health Protection Act
I am the author of H.R. 3256, the Servicemembers Health Protection Act. This
bill would create an independent, national center to study military deployment-related
health issues and protect those serving on the front lines. Servicemen and women
have experienced numerous health related problems connected to their military
deployment. These problems include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Agent
Orange exposure, radiation exposure, Gulf War related illness, and the side effects
of experimental drugs and vaccines. Medical research on these conditions is currently
scattered among numerous federal agencies with little or no coordination, resulting
in both wasteful redundancy in some areas and negligent gaps in others.
This legislation would create a National Center for the study of military
deployment health issues and establish regional research and education centers
across the country. The legislation would ensure that the National Center would
be completely independent of both the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs,
and that it would have the authority to initiate and influence national policy
on health research relating to veterans, active, reserve, and guard forces,
and their families.
Supported H.R. 2116 - The Veterans Millennium Health Care Act
I was proud to support the Veterans’ Millennium Health Care Act, passed
in November 1999, that enhanced programs providing health care, education,
memorial, and other benefits for veterans, and authorized the construction
of new, major VA medical facility projects. Among the many significant aspects
of this new law was a requirement for VA to provide long-term health care for
our aging WWII veterans. Additionally, under this law, all veterans who were
awarded the Purple Heart medal are now provided priority VA health care. Furthermore,
the legislation requires VA to submit a report to Congress before it plans
to close any VA medical facility, or more than 50% of a VA facility’s
beds.
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