Dear Colleague:

The VA-HUD Appropriations Bill for FY 2001 (H.R. 4635) contains a rider which would effectively "defund" the pending federal tobacco lawsuit and shelter the tobacco companies from federal liability. The rider expressly states that no money budgeted for litigation support may be used "for the purposes of supporting litigation against tobacco companies."

This week, I will be joining my colleagues, Rep. Henry Waxman, Rep. James Hansen and Rep. Martin Meehan, in offering an amendment to remove this troubling language which would kill any possible recovery of damages to pay for veterans health care. I urge you to support this effort and to speak forcefully for it when it reaches the floor of the House for a vote.

As you may know, the VA spends $4 billion annually treating tobacco-related illnesses. Under the Medical Care Recovery Act, any recovery by the Justice Department of these costs would be returned to the VA. The effect of the rider is to block the VA from potentially obtaining tens of billions of dollars - money that would address significant shortfalls in health care resources. Considering the struggles we have had in achieving current, but clearly insufficient, levels of funding for VA medical care, it is unconscionable that we let this language stand.

The Department of Veterans Affairs strongly supports this suit and has been working closely with the Justice Department as it moves forward. AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Veterans of Foreign Wars also support the litigation. They have written to members urging us:

"to oppose efforts to stymie attempts by the Department of Justice to advance a lawsuit seeking to recover health care costs associated with tobacco-related diseases. While the outcome of this litigation is in doubt, it does provide a possible avenue to help defray the enormous health care costs, past, present, and future, associated with tobacco-related disabilities. We urge you to resist efforts to attempt to restrict funding for the Department of Justice to continue this important litigation."

Please join me in stopping this outrageous gift to the tobacco companies.

Sincerely,

LANE EVANS
Ranking Democratic Member