From the Office of Senator Kerry

Friday, August 2, 2002

Washington, DC -- Senator John F. Kerry today called on President Bush to remove the Veterans Administration official who made the decision to cease VA veterans healthcare outreach activities. Senator Kerry spoke on the Senate floor today to express his deep concern about this change in policy.

On the Senate Floor Kerry said, “ I regret to come to the floor today with a concern that I find absolutely extraordinary - even shocking. This is a memorandum which represents an extraordinary broken promise to the veterans of our country. The promise made to veterans and their families that these services will be available to them - and many of them don't know exactly what all the services are - that is why we put into place the outreach efforts in order to guarantee that people aren't denied those services which they might have forthcoming. Those services are not going to be provided. They are not going to be reaching out to veterans to make them aware of them. I find that absolutely extraordinary.

Those of us from New England sat with the Secretary several months ago and made it clear to the Secretary that there is an increasing crisis in our VA system because of the lack of resources. The "greatest generation" veterans - those of World War II- are now demanding services of the VA in greater numbers than before. Our military efforts these days are increasing the awareness and the need of many people who served for those services. Yet here we are being told we have demand that is exceeding the resources. The resources don't have to be exceeded. That is a matter of budgeting priority of this administration. There are many areas where it is obvious that the administration has decided it is more important to put money rather than for the veterans. In order to keep the promise to the veterans of the country.

Secretary Miller's memorandum notes the enrollment has increased by 15 percent. So the budget ought to reflect that. The budget ought to reflect that we need to keep the promise to out veterans. The fact is, almost every single budgeting effort in the last few years has been inadequate for the VA. The VA has consistently received less funding than necessary facing this growing demand.

It is almost so obvious that it should go without saying, but I hope this is going to be reversed immediately. I hope the administration is going to keep America's promise to our veterans. And I hope they will plus up that budget sufficiently to meet the demand and keep faith with the promise made already to the past several generations of veterans and the promise that is today being made to the next generation of veterans”

Senator Kerry obtained a copy of a memo from Laura Miller, Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management that directs all Network Directors "ensure that no marketing activities to enroll new veterans occur within your networks" This directive requires each health care network to discontinue activities — health fairs, open houses, newsletters, and public services announcements — that are designed to make veterans aware of services they earned with their sacrifices for our country.

Attached is a copy of the letter Kerry sent to President Bush today and a copy of the VA Memorandum

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July 31, 2002

The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States The White House Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to bring to your attention a matter of greatest importance to our veterans and their medical care. I was deeply concerned to learn that Laura Miller, the Deputy Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health for Operations and Management, circulated a memorandum on July 18 that orders the directors of every veterans health care network in the country to cease their veterans outreach activities. Essentially, this directive requires each health care network to discontinue activities – such as health fairs, open houses, newsletters, and public services announcements – that are designed to make veterans aware of the services to which they are due for their service to their country.

This policy is unacceptable. I respectfully urge you to direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to immediately overturn the policy of discontinuing outreach activities that was outlined in Deputy Under Secretary Miller's memorandum. Moreover, I must express my extreme concern that a person at the high level of Deputy Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs would display the profound lack of commitment to our veterans that this memorandum indicates. I believe that the Deputy Under Secretary or whoever is responsible for this decision should be removed from their position -- veterans need advocates in the V.A., not bureaucrats willing to deny them needed healthcare.

Deputy Under Secretary Miller cites the financial strain on the veterans health system and the consequent long waiting times that veterans often confront as her rationale for this decision. Her memorandum notes that enrollment in VA services increased by 15% over the past year while expenditures rose only 7.8% and states that similar patterns are expected next year. Undeniably, the Department of Veterans Affairs faces a funding crisis of monumental proportions. But certainly the solution to this crisis is not to deny services or hide them from our veterans. Mr. President, the solution is to provide the resources necessary to meet our veterans' needs.

The VA has consistently received inadequate funding to address a rapidly growing demand for its health care services. In the Fiscal Year 2002 budget, there was initially an $80 million shortfall for veterans medical care in New England alone. Although this region has confronted the most severe shortages, the situation throughout the country has been similarly bleak. This year and in previous years, my colleagues and I have fought hard to obtain more funding to meet the health care needs of our veterans. Last week, Congress passed a supplemental appropriations bill for FY 2002 that includes $417 million for veterans health care nationwide. This additional funding will go a long way to forestall further cutbacks at VA facilities throughout the country and to provide the services our veterans have been promised.

Unfortunately, I believe the FY 2003 budget proposal for veterans health will once again be inadequate. Although the budget allocates $22.7 billion for VA medical care – an increase over this year's spending – demand for services continues to grow. The VA expects to provide medical services to nearly 5 million veterans in FY 2003, double the number it served just 5 years ago. The new policy put forth by Deputy Under Secretary Miller is designed as a response to anticipated budget shortfalls next year and thereafter. Instead of enacting these outrageous reforms to adjust the number of veterans we serve to fit these harsh budget realities, we must assure that the budgets for next year and future years reflect our veterans' actual needs.

Mr. President, we have a responsibility to provide our nation's veterans with the best health care this country has to offer. The VA must continue and expand on its tradition of conducting extensive outreach to help all veterans become aware of the benefits they deserve. Thank you for your immediate attention to this important matter. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely, John F. Kerry