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EXTENSION OF REMARKS H.R. 3571 Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing legislation to extend the period that Gulf War veterans with undiagnosed illnesses will be able to receive Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care. This measure will extend the authority for VA to provide treatment from December 31, 1998 until December 31, 2001. This extension makes the timeline for health care eligibility consistent with the presumptive period the Secretary of Veterans Affairs defined for compensation for disabilities due to undiagnosed illnesses.More than a year ago, I encouraged VA to extend the presumptive period for compensation because no one could explain why so many veterans had health care problems following their military service in the Persian Gulf. Former VA Secretary Jesse Brown justified the extension of the presumptive period by stating that no one knows why so many veterans are still sick -- seven years after serving in the Southwest Asian theater. Of the almost 700,000 individuals who served in the Persian Gulf, about 65,000 veterans have signed onto the VA’s Persian Gulf Registry and about 19,000 have registered for DOD’s Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program. VA’s latest Gulf War Veteran’s Statistics indicate that, of those veterans on VA’s registry, about 11% have undiagnosed illnesses. In response to the continuing health care problems reported by these veterans, Congress enacted legislation last year to require VA to develop innovative treatment programs for these veterans and to document the effectiveness of these programs in treating veterans. I believe the large number of veterans still suffering demonstrates the need for continuing to provide VA health care services for undiagnosed illnesses. The Persian Gulf Veterans Health Care Extension Act of 1998 follows my introduction of H.R. 3279, the Persian Gulf Veterans Act of 1998. H.R. 3279 establishes a permanent process for awarding compensation for conditions presumed to be service-connected by virtue of Gulf War service. It also addresses the need for research in many areas, including defining effective health care treatments for those who have vague or undiagnosed symptoms and investigating emerging technologies to assess exposure to various hazards and agents. The legislation would also require VA and DOD to develop information resources, and mandate VA and DOD to document their outreach programs for veterans and active duty military members. Our nation must continue to respond to Persian Gulf veterans’ needs for a complete range of benefits. Veterans still want to know why they are sick, but also need health care that can alleviate their pain and compensation to ensure that the effects of their illnesses do not impoverish them and their families. Continuing VA’s authority to deliver health care benefits for conditions resulting from undiagnosed illnesses is critical to ensuring that Persian Gulf veterans get the services they still need. It is essential to continue to provide health care treatment to veterans as we continue to seek answers about the cause of their conditions. |