Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - January 14, 2009)

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By Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself and Mr. GREGG):

S. 239. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans Health Administration in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise to announce that I am introducing the Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009. This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that every State has either a full-service veterans hospital or, in the alternative, that veterans in every State have access to instate hospital care and medical services comparable to the services provided in full-service hospitals.

New Hampshire is currently the only State that does not have a full-service veterans hospital or a military hospital that provides comparable care to veterans. This imposes a great burden on too many New Hampshire veterans who are forced to travel out of State for routine medical services. New Hampshire has over 130,000 veterans and this number is projected to grow over the next 10 years. It is unconscionable that New Hampshire veterans must board buses in order to be transported to Massachusetts to get necessary medical care. New Hampshire's entire congressional delegation, Senate and House, Republican and Democratic, is united in our commitment to end this unfair treatment of veterans. I am pleased the senior Senator from New Hampshire, Judd Gregg, has agreed to cosponsor this legislation with me.

Our bill is companion legislation to that introduced last week in the House by Representative Carol Shea-Porter and cosponsored by Representative Paul Hodes. I wish to take this opportunity to salute Representative Shea-Porter for the leadership she has shown on this issue.

Our goal is to ensure that New Hampshire veterans can get the care they need and deserve instate. Our legislation provides the Veterans' Administration with flexibility to achieve this end. If it is not feasible for the VA to construct a new full-service hospital in New Hampshire or to restore full services at the VA hospital in Manchester, this legislation simply requires the Veterans' Administration to contract for comparable instate care.

My father served in Europe during World War II, my husband is a Vietnam era vet from the Army, and my son-in-law Ryan recently served in the Air Force. I am proud of my family's service and the service of all the veterans of New Hampshire and across this country. Every freedom and right we enjoy today was paid for with the sacrifices of the men and women who have served in our Nation's Armed Forces.

Our veterans deserve first-rate medical care, regardless of where they live. There are full-service veterans hospitals in 47 States and veterans in Alaska and Hawaii are able to receive care at military hospitals. New Hampshire alone has neither. I am hopeful our colleagues will recognize this inequity and support our efforts to provide New Hampshire veterans with the same access to health care that veterans in every other State receive.

I look forward to working with New Hampshire's congressional delegation, with my Senate colleagues and with the new Obama administration to end this injustice.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

S. 239

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