FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12, 1997
CONTACT: Dana Hagerty 202/225-2165
WASHINGTON, DC -- During a hearing for the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Congressman Collin C. Peterson (DFL-7th District) today voted against the reconciliation target of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, which cuts $3.8 billion from the veterans budget.
"I've been against these cuts since they were proposed, so I'm not going to go on record today and shortchange our veterans," Peterson said. "Earlier this week, I floated a proposal that the Blue Dog Coalition came up with which had better capital gains and estate tax provisions than the GOP proposal, and a family tax credit that could be used for our children's education. That proposal still leaves $62 billion to protect groups like veterans from having to suffer from these cuts.
"I am not going to go on record supporting cuts that don't have to be made," Peterson continued. "The Blue Dogs have a way to solve this. We can balance the budget without making these types of cuts and have better tax provisions than the Republican proposal.
"I'm also not going to support a proposal which extends the $2 copayment that veterans have to pay for their prescription medication," Peterson said. The reconciliation target extends through 2002 existing VA authority to charge daily copayments for hospital and nursing home care required of higher-income veterans. It also extends existing VA authority to collect $2 copayment for each 30-day supply of prescription medication for treatment of non-service connected conditions.
"I've been against these copayments for a long time, and now they are trying to extend them. The program costs a lot to administer, and there's no reason for veterans to have a copayment for each time they pick up a prescription."
In other committee action, Peterson supported The Military Voting Rights Act of 1997, which makes it easier for military service members abroad to cast absentee votes.