FOR RELEASE: July 19, 2001

Evans Offers Testimony on “Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans’ Assistance Act” to Senate Veterans’ Panel
Praises Wellstone for Offering Companion Bill in Senate

Washington, DC -- Congressman Lane Evans (D-IL) appeared before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to discuss the “Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans Assistance Act” and to commend its Chairman pro tempore Paul Wellstone for offering it to the Senate for consideration. 

Evans introduced the measure in the House early this spring.  The companion bills, H.R. 936 in the House and S. 739 in the Senate, are named for Miss America 2000, Heather French, who devoted her reign to homeless veterans.  The House bill enjoys bipartisan support from 128 Members, but has not been scheduled for a hearing in that Chamber.  In addition several veterans’ groups, including a coalition that includes most of the major veterans’ organizations, support the bill.  Advocates of mental health, mentally ill, incarcerated, and homeless people have also praised the bill. 

Comparing Wellstone to the late Senator Hubert Humphrey (also from Minnesota) Evans praised the Senator for holding a hearing to consider the bill,  “I know that today Senator Humphrey would champion programs for homeless veterans and be fully committed to ending homelessness among our veterans.”

“Homelessness is a complex problem for which there is no “quick fix”, stated Evans.  “Homeless individuals are more likely to have serious chronic mental illness, to have substance use disorders, to have significant chronic illnesses or disease, to lack the social networks that help most of us through our difficulties and to lack jobs and even basic living skills.  The programs that you and I want to provide through this bill work to address these problems with comprehensive solutions.”

Evans explained that his bill would work by expanding programs with proven track records within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and in the private sector.  He emphasized the need for VA to enhance its community partnerships to ensure that effective programs offered by homeless providers in the private sector reimbursed by the VA can be expanded and enhanced.  Evans’ bill would also look to experts to identify effective programs and enhance innovation in programming for homeless veterans’ programs.

“The ‘Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans Assistance Act’ takes an audacious step.  It states, in law, that Congress’s goal is to end homelessness among veterans in a decade.  I know of no Members of Congress who would oppose this goal.”

Evans expressed his optimism that he and Senator Wellstone would win Congressional approval of the bill, “It is a national disgrace to have our veterans living on the street.  It is past time for us to address this problem."

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