Tom Harkin: “I wanted to have the amendment fully read so all Senators and staff watching on their television sets would know exactly…”

“I wanted to have the amendment fully read so all Senators and staff watching on their television sets would know exactly what this amendment is all about. The veterans of the United States have earned the right to decent health care and medical care. They have risked their health and their lives to secure the liberties that we all enjoy. As we allocate scarce dollars for veterans' health care, we must ensure that no State is unfairly cut. That is why I am rising here to offer an amendment that will ensure that no State will lose funding for veterans' health care this year if the overall budget for veterans' medical care increases, which it does in this bill. The budget goes from $16.6 billion in fiscal year 1996 to $17 billion in this bill, an increase of about 2.4 percent. Why this amendment? Yesterday this body voted for an amendment by Senator McCain that calls for changes in the funding formula for veterans' health care. I hope my colleagues understand the full impact of that amendment.”