The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THE VETERANS MILLENNIUM HEALTH CARE ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1956-E1957 on Sept. 24, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE VETERANS MILLENNIUM HEALTH CARE ACT
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HON. HAROLD ROGERS
of kentucky
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 24, 1999
Mr. ROGERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my concerns with an item contained in H.R. 2116, the Veterans Millennium Health Care Act, which passed the House last Tuesday with overwhelming support.
Let me first say that I voted in favor of this bill, and believe its passage was long overdue. This bill ensures the continuation of vital healthcare services for our Nation's veterans into the next century by reforming many aspects of delivery and support services.
The veterans who have so bravely served each and every one of us deserve our highest respect and they deserve a Federal Government that lives up to its commitment to them. With the aging of our veteran population, there is a greater need for long-term care, and this bill sends a strong message that America is prepared to live up to that commitment by expanding these services.
Unfortunately, there is one concept contained in this legislation which I oppose. The Veterans Tobacco Trust fund, contained in section 203 of the bill, requires that a certain percentage of any proceeds recovered from tobacco manufacturers, as a result of a U.S. Government lawsuit, be transferred to a special account within the Treasury to treat smoking-related illnesses for veterans. While I support the Federal Government providing adequate resources to the VA to combat and treat smoking-related or any other illnesses, this language legitimizes Federal lawsuits against tobacco companies. That is wrong.
As we saw yesterday, the Justice Department finally unleashed its forces on tobacco by filing a suit in U.S. court, seeking to recover billions in health-related costs to the government. The administration is proceeding with a politically motivated, and legally suspect, attack on a private industry that manufactures and sells legal products. If successful, this action will further damage the farm economies of Kentucky and other States.
I believe it is hypocritical for the Department to propose spending millions of taxpayer dollars trying to develop a legal basis for yet another lawsuit. After all, the Federal Government has earned billions of dollars on the sale of tobacco, through Federal excise taxes, and warned the public about the risks of smoking through labels for decades. It also is hypocritical for this body to pass an appropriations bill that denies funding for a tobacco lawsuit, to then turn around and set up a trust fund in anticipation of receiving proceeds from one.
Section 203 is unnecessary for achieving the objective of improving veterans' health care. It also can be interpreted to implicitly encourage civil actions by the Federal Government made against private industries, including, but not limited to, tobacco related products.
I hope that during the further consideration of H.R. 2116, the House and the other body will agree to omit section 203 from the bill.
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