HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

VETERANS' AFFAIRS

 

 

January 18, 2005   Hearing Room C

8:30 A.M.      Tapes 3 - 4

(Corrected 07-08-05)

MEMBERS PRESENT:            Rep. Donna Nelson, Chair

Rep. Phil Barnhart, Vice-Chair

Rep. Debi Farr, Vice-Chair

Rep. Brian Boquist

Rep. Scott Bruun

Rep. Dave Hunt

Rep. Betty Komp

 

STAFF PRESENT:                  Jim Stembridge, Committee Administrator

Erin Seiler, Committee Assistant

 

MEASURES/ISSUES HEARD:        

                                                Veterans’ Issues - Informational Meeting

                                                    

 

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 3, A
001	Chair Nelson	Opens the meeting at 8:32a.m. Opens an informational meeting on Veterans’ Issues.
VETERANS’ ISSUES - INFORMATIONAL  MEETING
072	Congresswoman Darlene Hooley	District 5. Summaries objectives and goals of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Speaks about the needs of veterans that are not being met by current veterans’ programs and services.
133	Congresswoman Hooley	Identifies what veterans’ needs that are not being met by veterans’ programs and services.
176	Congresswoman Hooley	Addresses the need to provide all soldiers and veterans with physical and mental health care insurance coverage.
208	Rep. Hunt	Asks what veterans’ issues should be considered priority.
224	Congresswoman Hooley	Identifies the concerns and issues that the state should focus on.
TAPE 4, A
007	Chair Nelson	Summarizes the goals of the Committee, noting concern regarding low recruitment numbers.
025	Congresswoman Hooley	Identifies reasons why recruitment and retention has been difficult for the military.
161	Rep. Barnhart	Comments on the efforts and work of Congressman Peter DeFazio.
173	Chair Nelson	Recesses the meeting at 9:13 a.m.
174	Chair Nelson	Reconvenes the meeting at 9:21 a.m.
177	Chair Nelson	Recognizes Kevin O’ Reilly from Oregon Paralyzed Veterans’ of America.
201	Jim Willis	Director, Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA). Explains how to mitigate the impact of deployment on the soldiers and their families.
269	Willis	Explains what needs of soldiers are not currently being met and why the federal government has the best resources for addressing these issues.
323	Willis	Addresses the need to properly fund healthcare programs for veterans.
379	Willis	Explains the Veterans’ Home Loan Program and why Congress must amend Internal Revenue Service statutes so that ODVA can continue provide loans.
TAPE 3, B
069	Willis	Speaks to the difficulty of finding employment for veterans and soldiers returning for combat.
121	Willis	Speaks to the lack of funding for educational benefits and why the amount of assistance provided by the state needs to increase.
200	Gerard  Lorang	Regional Director, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Summarizes the general type of services and benefits available to veterans through the federal government.     Gives an overview of the department’s organizational structure, intergovernmental relationships, and funding sources.
289	Lorang	Addresses the availability of education and healthcare benefits.
321	Lorang	Addresses the type of assistance that is available to a veteran seeking secondary education and employment.
379	Lorang	Addresses the compensation benefits available to a veteran.
TAPE 4, B
002	Lorang	Provides an overview of the organizations structure, intergovernmental relationships, and funding sources.
057	Rep. Boquist	Asks how veteran is defined by the Veterans’ Administration and what qualifies soldiers as veterans under federal statute.
083	Lorang	Explains how veteran is defined at the federal level.
111	Rep. Boquist	Asks for verification of the definition of active-duty soldier under federal title 10 and federal title 32.
212	Chair Nelson	Closes the informational meeting on Veterans’ Issues. Adjourns the meeting at 10:19 a.m.

 

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

 

1. No exhibits submitted