National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I claim time in opposition.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, this amendment would direct the VA to conduct an awareness campaign regarding types of fertility treatments, procedures, and services that are available to veterans.

While I do agree that all veterans should be made aware of the care and services covered under the earned VA medical benefits package, I must oppose this inclusion of the amendment in the NDAA.

I cannot support an outreach campaign that champions a process like in vitro fertilization, a process that creates life in a petri dish and then either destroys, discards, or forever freezes it on a shelf. This is not life-affirming. This is not right for veterans or their spouses or their children.

Being a father is one of the highlights of my life. I wish every veteran could know the joy of parenthood, and I want to help veterans struggling with infertility to connect with life-affirming resources and support.

I hope to work with my colleagues and fellow veterans to find a better way forward for veterans who are unable to conceive. Dropping an amendment into the NDAA is not the way forward, and for that reason, I am opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I mentioned earlier in my statement, I cannot support this amendment that promotes the provision of in vitro fertilization as part of the VA medical benefits package, and I urge Members to oppose the amendment.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I claim time in opposition.

Mr. Speaker, this amendment would provide access to VA medical care and services for veterans who served in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea during the Vietnam conflict.

There are approximately 3,000 Korean veterans living in the U.S. as citizens and who served alongside American forces during the Vietnam conflict. This amendment would grant them eligibility to enroll in the VA healthcare system. This would create an inequity between these individuals and veterans of U.S. Armed Forces who are not currently eligible to enroll in the VA care.

It would also create a disparity with the veterans of other allies of other conflicts who later became U.S. citizens. Ultimately, the amendment unfairly singles out one group of service above others. That is why I cannot support the amendment's inclusion in the NDAA.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chairman's willingness to work on doing that as well, but this amendment itself being included in the NDAA will not take care of those others. I would like to work with him to make sure that everybody that needs to be included is included.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier in my statement, I cannot support the amendment that would provide benefits to one group of allied veterans before considering that same eligibility for all veterans. I appreciate the opportunity for the chairman to work with us to make sure that all the U.S. Armed Forces that have supported us over the years, that we can come to some sort of agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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