FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2003

Contact: Josh Freed
(202) 225-4431

DENVER – U.S. Representative Diana DeGette (CO-1) released the following prepared remarks on Sunday, March 30 concerning proposed cuts to veterans’ benefits included in the Republican Leadership’s 2004 budget passed last week by the U.S. House of Representatives:

“I am honored today to be standing at the first Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in the nation, surrounded by Colorado war veterans who have sacrificed so much in the service of our country.  Not only have you fought to protect our nation, you have continued to fight as advocates to make sure our veterans receive the respect, recognition, and resources they deserve.  You are doing all of Colorado’s veterans and veterans around the nation a great service.

Let me start today with a few words about our men and women in uniform who are serving our nation and putting their lives at risk overseas as I speak.  The noble performance of the American servicemen and women in Iraq have made all of us proud and the thoughts and prayers of everyone in the Denver area are with you and we all hope that you will come home soon and safely.

I would now ask that we take a brief moment of silence to honor those in uniform who have already lost their lives or are prisoners of war in the conflict in Iraq.

I wish that the sole purpose of our gathering today were to support the brave American men and women who are currently in harm’s way in Iraq.  Unfortunately, we are also here to discuss a threat facing our veterans here at home and a threat that could face the hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women when they return from the Persian Gulf. 

That threat is to veterans’ benefits. The Leadership in the House of Representatives narrowly passed a budget resolution on March 20 that would severely cut veterans benefits, including health care, disability compensation, and education benefits.  211 of my colleagues and I opposed the budget resolution.  Many of us voted instead for an alternative budget resolution preferred by several of the nation’s veterans groups that would have increased veterans’ benefits.  I am sad to say it did not pass. 

This cut in the veterans’ budget follows a decision by the Administration last January to cut off access to the VA health care system for approximately 174,000 veterans, including 2,100 in Colorado.  This new rule excludes “Priority 8” veterans – those who earn more than $29,000 a year – and who were not already enrolled in the VA, from access to the health care system.  The administration also stopped actively enrolling any other veterans in the program.  As a result, any veterans who do not actively seek out the benefits available to him or her would be shut out.       

How can this Congress even consider cutting benefits to our veterans during a time of war?  What kind of message does it send to the hundreds of thousands of American men and women in uniform currently risking their lives overseas?  When they come home from war what are we to tell them?  “Thanks for your service, but now you’re on your own.”  Our veterans and our future veterans deserve better.

The budget resolution, that passed the House would cut compensation for service-connected disabilities and education benefits by $14.6 billion and would cut veterans’ health care funding by another $14.2 billion over the next ten years, compared to the levels needed to maintain current benefits.  The Disabled American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans of American, and the American Legion have all gone on record to oppose the budget.

Under pressure from veterans’ groups and representatives on both sides of the aisle, the Congressional Leadership sent a last minute letter agreeing to restore funding for veterans programs during negotiations for the final budget agreement.  Despite this letter, which I assure you is not a binding legal document, the leadership did not change the cuts to mandatory veterans’ programs before the budget resolution came to a vote. 

It should not take an eleventh hour behind the scenes deal to protect the benefits we as a nation owe to our veterans. Thanks to the vocal criticism of veterans’ groups and pressure from me and other Members of Congress, the Leadership seems to have had a sudden change of heart, but the proof is in the pudding.  I will hold them to their word and then I will ask them to increase veterans’ benefits above and beyond what they are today.

At a time of war and great sacrifice by our nation’s armed services, we cannot let these cuts stand.”
 
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