Maurice Hinchey: “in offering this amendment, I mean to infer no criticism of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), the chairman of the…”

“in offering this amendment, I mean to infer no criticism of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), the chairman of the subcommittee who has put this bill together under some very, very difficult circumstances and I think in many ways has done an excellent job, particularly in providing additional funds for veterans. However, there is criticism to be offered in the way that the Veterans Administration is implementing a reallocation of existing resources. It is arguable that the resources are totally inadequate and will continue to be so after the large infusion of funds which are contained in this bill should the bill become law. Nevertheless, VERA, in its allocation of these funds, is doing a grave disservice to certain veterans in certain parts of the country. In the initial phase of the implementation of this reallocation of resources, the veterans who are being injured the most initially are those who reside in the northeastern portion of the country. Those injuries are now spreading to other parts of the country and are being experienced by veterans in the midwest and elsewhere. So we are calling upon the Veterans Administration in this amendment to cease and desist in the reallocation of these resources until such time as it can be adequately discerned what damages are being done and how best to use the resources that are available for veterans health care.”