PRINTER'S NO. 3565
No. 639 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY FABRIZIO, BEBKO-JONES, SCRIMENTI, VEON, BIANCUCCI, CORRIGAN, COSTA, DONATUCCI, FICHTER, GEORGE, GERGELY, GOODMAN, JAMES, LaGROTTA, LEDERER, MANN, MARKOSEK, McCALL, MELIO, SURRA, TANGRETTI, J. TAYLOR, J. EVANS, THOMAS, DeWEESE, SAINATO, PALLONE, BROWNE, WALKO, TIGUE, HARHAI, HUTCHINSON, YOUNGBLOOD, KOTIK, STABACK, READSHAW, JOSEPHS AND WASHINGTON, MARCH 26, 2004
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, MARCH 26, 2004
A RESOLUTION 1 Memorializing Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs to 2 reconsider the negative impact of downsizing veterans medical 3 centers, especially the Erie Veterans Medical Center in Erie, 4 Pennsylvania. 5 WHEREAS, The patient load for veterans has risen 21% since 6 2001 to more than 6 million participants, doubling since the 7 mid-1990s, and 164,000 new veterans were expected to enroll 8 during 2003; and 9 WHEREAS, Currently 6.9 million veterans are eligible for 10 veterans medical benefits; and 11 WHEREAS, In the last five years the Department of Veterans 12 Affairs (VA) has cut 20,587 health care employees from its work 13 force, or approximately 9% of its health care employees, and has 14 decreased the number of doctors by half; and 15 WHEREAS, On average a backlog of 260,000 veterans comprises a 16 waiting list of approximately six months before a veteran
1 receives a first appointment at a VA facility; and 2 WHEREAS, The Bush budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2005 3 will, if passed, impose hardships on veterans, including a $250 4 annual fee for non-service-related injury or condition, 5 increased prescription copays from $7 to $15 and increased 6 medical copays for some veterans; and 7 WHEREAS, The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Principi, 8 set up a panel known as the CARES commission to recommend ways 9 to abridge veterans services; and 10 WHEREAS, The CARES commission recommended that the inpatient 11 surgical unit at the Erie Veterans Medical Center be closed; and 12 WHEREAS, The CARES commission also recommended that all acute 13 care beds at the Erie center be closed; and 14 WHEREAS, The CARES commission proposed referral of Erie area 15 veterans to the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System; therefore be it 16 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize the 17 Congress of the United States and the Department of Veterans 18 Affairs to reconsider the negative impact of downsizing veterans 19 medical centers and especially the center in Erie, Pennsylvania; 20 and be it further 21 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to 22 each member of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation and to 23 the Department of Veterans Affairs for timely consideration and 24 review of the proposed closures in the Erie area. C24L82JAM/20040H0639R3565 - 2 -