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“EEOICPA OMBUDSMAN ENHANCEMENT AND EXTENSION ACT OF 2007” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1005 on May 9, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
EEOICPA OMBUDSMAN ENHANCEMENT AND EXTENSION ACT OF 2007
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HON. TOM UDALL
of new mexico
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to introduce the EEOICPA Ombudsman Enhancement and Extension Act of 2007. I am also pleased to be joined in doing so by Representatives Udall of Colorado, Slaughter, Wamp, Whitfield, and Hastings.
This important legislation is needed to extend the authorization of the EEOICPA Ombudsman, which is set to expire on October 28th of this year. The office of the EEOICPA Ombudsman was created in 2004 to help individuals making claims under Part E of the program navigate the complex and cumbersome claims process. The EEOICPA Ombudsman has proven to be an effective ally for these Cold War heroes who have contracted serious illnesses as a result of their work for the United States Government.
Since the implementation of EEOICPA, it has become tragically apparent that the program is not working as intended. Claimants face overwhelming obstacles on their road to compensation. From a complex bureaucracy, to a highly technical burden of proof, to intimidating health physics discussions--all the while dealing with the physical and emotional strains of their illnesses--obtaining compensation for many claimants has proven to be a particularly difficult process.
With that in mind, Congress created the Office of the EEOICPA Ombudsman, an independent office tasked with providing information to claimants and advising the Department of Labor concerning additional Resource Centers. However, due to objections from the Administration, language originally included in the FY05 Senate Defense Authorization that provided broader authority for the office was scaled back in favor of the language that ultimately became law. As a result, the Ombudsman was not only scheduled for sunset, but was also prohibited from serving as an advocate for claimants. It was instead restricted to a role in which its powers are limited to making inquiries on behalf of claimants. There is no question the Ombudsman has proven to be extremely valuable even in its limited capacity, but with broader authority, the Ombudsman will be that much more effective as an advocate, helping claimants receive the compensation they deserve, which, after all, is the intention of the EEOICPA program in the first place.
Today, my colleagues and I seek to provide broader authority for the EEOICPA Ombudsman by introducing this legislation. This bill extends the life of the EEOICPA Ombudsman indefinitely, expands its authority from Part E of the program to Part B, and provides contracting authority for services necessary to fulfill their duties. Also, this legislation expands the powers of the EEOICPA Ombudsman to act as an advocate for the claimants when the Ombudsman determines it is appropriate. One other expansion of power in this legislation is to give the Office of the Ombudsman the authority to provide recommendations to Congress about legislative changes needed to make EEOICPA work more effectively. These are all expansions that are greatly needed to help the Ombudsman build on its already valuable role, which, in turn, helps EEOICPA claimants obtain their compensation.
I urge my colleagues to join us in support of this legislation and help improve and expand efforts to provide some measure of justice to our Cold War heroes.
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