James M. Jeffords: “I am proud to rise with my colleagues, Senator Rockefeller, Senator Specter, Senator Hollings, Senator Murkowski, and my…”

“I am proud to rise with my colleagues, Senator Rockefeller, Senator Specter, Senator Hollings, Senator Murkowski, and my friend from Vermont, Senator Leahy, to introduce the Veterans' Equality for Treatment and Services Act, or VETS Act, of 1998. This bill will give our Nation's veterans greater freedom to choose where they receive their medical care. Also known as ``Medicare Subvention,'' the VETS Act will authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to set up 12 pilot sites around the country for Medicare-eligible veterans who are either barred from getting care at VA facilities, or cannot afford costly VA copayments. As members of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Rockefeller and I worked successfully last summer to pass this exact piece of legislation through the Senate Finance Committee. We were disappointed that before final passage of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act our legislation was replaced with a requirement to simply study the matter and issue a report. Well, we have studied the issue and it is now time to act.”