Senate Floor Speech
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
January 22, 2008

SENATOR HUTCHISON DISCUSSES THE COMBAT VETERANS DEBT ELIMINATINON ACT OF 2008


MRS. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise to speak on a bill I filed today, the Combat Veterans Debt Elimination Act of 2008. This bill requires the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to forgive certain debts by our service members who have already paid the ultimate price in combat. This bill is about honoring our fallen heroes by treating the families they left behind with dignity, and by showing them we truly mean it when we tell them our Nation is grateful.

If a member of our Armed Forces is killed and owes the Department of Veterans Affairs any outstanding debts, the Secretary of VA is required by law to notify the deceased family of the debt. I am appalled at this. I am saddened. If a service member is killed in combat, his or her family has already paid enough. I cannot think of anything more insulting than to tell a family who has just lost a loved one that they owe a couple of hundred dollars to the Government. I for one will not stand for this.

Let me explain the scope of this problem to illustrate how simple it should be to fix. There are 22 service members who were killed in combat fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan who have debts to the VA. If you combined the debts of those 22 service members, the total amount of their debt would come to $56,366. In most cases the service member's debt came in the form of educational benefit payments so they could go to college. During their enrollment at school, they were called into service, and they were killed. Later on, the VA was forced to contact the families of the deceased and notify them of those outstanding debts. How tragic is this?

Three of the 22 cases occurred in my home State of Texas, which is more than any other State. One fallen hero, a brave young man from Raymondville, TX, joined the Army in 1997, right out of high school where he was both an academic star, and an athletic star. He had been accepted to a prestigious university, but put service to his country first. He was on his 3rd tour in Iraq when he was killed by a sniper's bullet. When he died, he owed the Government $389 in education assistance payments. The Secretary of VA was required by law to contact that family and ask for $389. I cannot imagine a more insensitive requirement. The family paid this debt in full because they believed it was the right thing to do. But did we do the right thing? I regret to say we did not. I am embarrassed that this happened and I beseech my colleagues to fix this problem today.

A second case involved an Army Sergeant from Missouri City, TX. After serving in the Marine Corps for a number of years, this young man enlisted in the Army. After high school he attended 2 different colleges utilizing VA education benefits. When he was deployed, he dropped out of school to serve his country. He served one tour in Afghanistan and was on his 2nd tour in Iraq when he was killed by a bomb explosion. Because he had dropped out of school, the deceased owed the VA $2,282. He is survived by a wife and 4 children. The family paid the VA because they also believed it was the right thing to do.

The third Texas case involved a Marine reservist. He graduated from Texas A&M University and intended to be a cardiovascular surgeon. He had received education assistance to go to the University. He was also killed in an explosion in Iraq. He was married and had 2 small children. Two days before his death the VA sent him a letter saying he owed $845.

This is not a bill that should in any way fall into politics. This bill should be passed quickly on a bipartisan basis. There are cases just like the ones I mentioned in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, Connecticut, Nebraska, Colorado, Michigan, Washington, California, New York, Kentucky, Georgia and South Carolina. It is clear our entire Nation is affected and we have to do something now.

I know bills are usually referred to the committee of jurisdiction for review. I have served in this distinguished body for 15 years. But I am convinced this is a special case, and so I am here today asking the distinguished Majority and Minority Leaders to bring this bill to the floor before another family suffers the indignity of the current law. The VA has no choice but to follow the law, but we, here in Congress, have the power to change it. We can and should correct this requirement and honor the memories and the families of our fallen heroes.

I am calling on all of my colleagues to right this wrong immediately. We cannot let this law stand another day. Our soldiers and their families deserve better. Every day is crucial to passing this legislation and I ask my colleagues to join with me in this endeavor.


Back to Floor Speeches.