(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District-KS) urged his colleagues on the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee to continue the tradition of veterans’ groups presenting testimony before a joint session of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees. It was recently announced that this annual hearing, usually held in September to provide veterans’ groups an opportunity to highlight the issues and needs they feel should be addressed in the next budget proposal, has been cancelled and may be rescheduled for February 2006.

“At a time of war, funding for veterans must be made a clear and unmistakable priority,” Moore said. “Denying our veterans the opportunity to express their concerns and priorities doesn’t show that we value and appreciate our military personnel and that we will support the families of those who serve our country.”

During a recent hearing held by the Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations to discuss the status of the VA’s research into Gulf War Syndrome, Cheyne Worley, a member of Congressman Moore’s staff, testified regarding his personal experience with Gulf War-related illness. His testimony is attached.

"Congressional committees often receive useful insights from the testimony of veterans representing service organizations,” Moore said. “We need to continue these annual hearings and do all that we can to help military personnel and their families who are sacrificing greatly for our country,” Moore said.

Moore has led efforts in Congress to take care of our military personnel and veterans. When he learned that military personnel home on leave from Iraq and Afghanistan were being forced to pay their own travel costs to their home cities, he wrote a bill to direct the Department of Defense to pay all travel costs. It is now the law. Moore also wrote a bill to increase the death gratuity for the families of military personnel killed while on active duty from $12,000 to $100,000. It is now law.