STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE LANE EVANS RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS BEFORE THE JOINT HEARING TO RECEIVE THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES OF THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 3, 1998 I am very pleased to welcome all of you here this morning. I’d especially like to welcome the many members who made it here from the great State of Illinois. If you would please stand to be recognized. Commander Moon, I have read with interest your written testimony, and I want to tell you that I share most – if not all – of the concerns you have voiced. In particular, I share your serious reservations with the Administration’s proposed fiscal year 1999 VA budget. The Administration’s FY 99 budget does not provide the resources required to meet our Nation’s solemn obligation to its veterans. Through their service in America’s Armed Forces, our veterans have earned access to the benefits and programs our grateful Nation has provided for them. These benefits should be funded at the levels necessary to accomplish the purposes for which they were established. They should be reliable, and they should be directly funded – no gimmicks, no strings attached. I look forward to working with the VFW in the fight for a fair and responsible VA budget that brings continued honor and dignity to our Nation’s deserving veterans and their families. Before closing, I want to say a special "thank you" to the VFW for your work on behalf of Persian Gulf Veterans, and for your early support for legislation. As you know, last week I introduced H.R. 3279, the Persian Gulf Veterans Act of 1998. This legislation, co-sponsored by many of my colleagues on this Committee, provides the necessary framework for compensating veterans suffering from the variety of difficult-to-define diseases known as Gulf War illnesses. I thank the VFW for working with me and my Committee staff on this extremely important legislation, and hope you will stay by my side as we endeavor to put this bill into law. Thank you Mr. Chairman for calling us together this morning for this
joint hearing. |