NEWS FROM….

CONGRESSMAN LANE EVANS

RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS

    U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Washington, DC – Congressman Lane Evans of Illinois, Democratic Leader of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, announced today that he is preparing a comprehensive legislation to provide the greater commitment of resources needed to make major inroads into veterans’ homelessness. Evans said he will name the legislation in honor of Miss America 2000, Heather French, in recognition of her unyielding commitment to aid homeless veterans.

Evans said new legislation was needed because existing efforts are not adequate. While current programs providing assistance to homeless veterans have been successful, there are too few programs and too many homeless veterans, Evans remarked. If our nation, the richest and most powerful nation on earth, is serious about assisting homeless veterans to once again become productive members of society, we simply must do more. We need to both expand existing programs and create new programs as well.

During her year of service as Miss America 2000, Heather French has done more than anyone else to increase the public’s awareness of the plight of homeless veterans. Miss America 2000 has been a devoted and tireless advocate on behalf of our nation’s homeless veterans. No one has done more or been more effective in reminding us of our debt to the men and women who have served their nation in uniform and who are now homeless.

"Frankly, it is an honor and privilege for me to introduce legislation which acknowledges with gratitude the invaluable contributions of Miss America 2000 and makes ending homelessness among veterans a national priority," Evans said.

"For me", Evans continued, "one homeless veteran is too many. Estimates of 250,000 to more than 400,000 are simply intolerable." About one-half of our homeless veterans served in the Vietnam War. Studies show most of these homeless veterans move in and out of homelessness depending on their circumstances, trying to get jobs and normalize their lives with the help of veteran-specific programs. Evans notes that a number of bills have been introduced in this session of Congress, offering constructive suggestions for helping homeless veterans, but a comprehensive proposal with a greater commitment of resources for making major inroads into veterans homelessness has not been submitted to the Congress to date. In proposals previously offered, Evans said his measure would include new legislation including suggestions offered by Miss America and others who are daily working to help end homelessness among veterans.

"My intent is to introduce comprehensive legislation," Evans said. "I will name the bill in honor of Heather French, who has done such selfless and extensive work to make ending homelessness among America’s veterans a national priority. It is time to act boldly. We can take a quarter of the homeless off our Nation’s streets, and we can put homeless veterans on their feet."

As Miss America 2000, Heather French represents the Miss America Organization – the largest provider of scholarship assistance, exclusively for women, in the world. The Miss America Organization has maintained a tradition for many decades of empowering American women to achieve their personal and professional goals, while providing a forum in which to express their opinions, talents, and intelligence.