Statement of Administration Policy: S. 869 - Veterans Health Care Amendments Act of 1991

(Senate)
(Cranston (D) and 7 others)

The Administration has no objection to Senate passage of S. 869 provided the Senate adopts the Simpson amendments to delete:

—   section 103, which would provide hospital and outpatient treatment on what amounts to a priority basis to all veterans who served in combat and seek care for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, even though no determination of service-connection has been made.

—   section 104, which would provide readjustment counseling services in Vet Centers to veterans who served in a combat theater during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Currently, such services are provided only to Vietnam veterans and veterans who served during the Persian Gulf War, and the earlier hostilities in Lebanon, Grenada, and Panama. The Administration believes that expanding eligibility to veterans who returned from wars which ended many years ago would distort the role of Vet Centers. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, outpatient clinics, and mental hygiene clinics can best meet the health needs of these veterans.

SCORING FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAY-AS-YOU-GO

The Administration understands that the Committee Substitute contains a provision providing retroactive special pay to certain Department of Veterans Affairs doctors. Preliminary review indicates that this provision would result in additional costs under the pay-as-you-go requirements of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. Estimates of the cost of this provision are still under development.