Jim Webb: “I would like to speak today on an amendment I filed, amendment No. 4222, which I hope at the appropriate time will be…”

“I would like to speak today on an amendment I filed, amendment No. 4222, which I hope at the appropriate time will be called up on my behalf. Actually, I suggest and hope this will become a part of the managers' package. It is a relatively simple amendment, but I think it is very important in terms of clarifying the role of the Congress versus the role of the executive branch in a lot of decisionmaking. Last October, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs announced his intention to establish a presumption of service connection for three medical conditions, including ischemic heart disease, for veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. He stated this rulemaking was necessary as a result of the Agent Orange Act of 1991, which requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to promulgate regulations establishing a presumption of service connection once he finds a positive association of exposure to herbicides in the Republic of Vietnam and the subsequent development of any particular disease. The Department of Veterans Affairs made a request on the basis of this rulemaking. It is contained in this supplemental. It is an amount of about $13.6 billion for the service connection, principally of coronary heart disease, to Agent Orange in Vietnam. I think we need to proceed very carefully in terms of our role in the Congress in examining this presumption. It is not yet official policy in the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is still in the review process.”