Hearing Committee on Veterans' Affairs House of Representatives
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HEALTH CARE OF FILIPINO WORLD WAR II VETERANS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH OF THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JUNE 13, 2002 Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Serial No. 107–33 ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 81–561PS WASHINGTON : 2003 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman BOB STUMP, Arizona LANE EVANS, Illinois MICHAEL BILIRAKIS, Florida BOB FILNER, California TERRY EVERETT, Alabama LUIS V. GUTIERREZ, Illinois STEVE BUYER, Indiana CORRINE BROWN, Florida JACK QUINN, New York JULIA CARSON, Indiana CLIFF STEARNS, Florida SILVESTRE REYES, Texas JERRY MORAN, Kansas VIC SNYDER, Arkansas HOWARD P. (BUCK) MCKEON, California CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ, Texas JIM GIBBONS, Nevada RONNIE SHOWS, Mississippi MICHAEL K. SIMPSON, Idaho STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts RICHARD H. BAKER, Louisiana SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada ROB SIMMONS, Connecticut BARON P. HILL, Indiana ANDER CRENSHAW, Florida TOM UDALL, New Mexico HENRY E. BROWN, JR., South Carolina SUSAN A. DAVIS, California JEFF MILLER, Florida JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas PATRICK E. RYAN, Chief Counsel and Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH JERRY MORAN, Kansas, Chairman CLIFF STEARNS, Florida, BOB FILNER, California HOWARD P. (BUCK) MCKEON, California RONNIE SHOWS, Mississippi JIM GIBBONS, Nevada SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada MICHAEL K. SIMPSON, Idaho CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ, Texas RICHARD H. BAKER, Louisiana LUIS V. GUTIERREZ, Illinois ROB SIMMONS, Connecticut VIC SNYDER, Arkansas ANDER CRENSHAW, Florida STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts HENRY E. BROWN, JR., South Carolina JEFF MILLER, Florida JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas (II) C O N T E N T S June 13, 2002 Page Health Care of Filipino World War II Veterans within the Department of Veterans Affairs ................................................................................................... 1 OPENING STATEMENTS Chairman Moran ..................................................................................................... 1 Prepared statement of Chairman Moran ....................................................... 46 Hon. Bob Filner ....................................................................................................... 1 Prepared statement of Congressman Filner ................................................... 47 Hon. Lane Evans, ranking democratic member, full committee on Veterans’ Affairs .................................................................................................................... 8 Prepared statement of Congressman Evans .................................................. 48 Hon. Jeff Miller ........................................................................................................ 8 Prepared statement of Congressman Miller ................................................... 48 Hon. Ciro D. Rodriguez ........................................................................................... 9 Hon. Jim Gibbons .................................................................................................... 9 WITNESSES Cunningham, Hon. Randy ‘‘Duke’’, a Representative in Congress from the State of California ................................................................................................ 13 Prepared statement of Congressman Cunningham ....................................... 76 Del Rosario, His Excellency Albert, Ambassador to the United States, Em- bassy of the Philippines ....................................................................................... 4 Prepared statement of Ambassador Del Rosario ........................................... 63 Fischl, Jim, Director of National Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commis- sion, The American Legion .................................................................................. 36 Prepared statement of Mr. Fischl ................................................................... 122 Friedman, Fritz, Chair, Assembly for Justice, Los Angeles, CA ......................... 22 Prepared statement of Mr. Friedman ............................................................. 89 Ganio, Patrick, President, American Coalition for Filipino Veterans ................. 31 Prepared statement of Mr. Ganio, with attachment ..................................... 105 Gilman, Hon. Benjamin A., a Representative in Congress from the State of New York .......................................................................................................... 10 Prepared statement of Congressman Gilman ................................................ 68 Ilem, Joy J., Assistant National Legislative Director, Disabled American Vet- erans ...................................................................................................................... 35 Prepared statement of Ms. Ilem ...................................................................... 121 Maquindang, Susan Espiritu, Executive Director, Filipino–American Service Group .................................................................................................................... 29 Prepared statement of Ms. Maquindang ........................................................ 101 Millender-McDonald, Hon. Juanita, a Representative in Congress from the State of California ................................................................................................ 16 Prepared statement of Congresswoman Millender-McDonald ...................... 80 Mink, Hon. Patsy T., a Representative in Congress from the State of Hawaii .. 12 Prepared statement of Congresswoman Mink ............................................... 72 Phillips, Lou Diamond, Actor and Filipino Veterans Activist, Los Angeles, CA .......................................................................................................................... 20 Prepared statement of Mr. Phillips ................................................................. 85 Principi, Hon. Anthony J., Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, accom- panied by John H. Thompson, Deputy General Counsel .................................. 4 Prepared statement of Secretary Principi ...................................................... 65 (III) IV Page Rohrabacher, Hon. Dana, a Representative in Congress from the State of California .............................................................................................................. 15 Prepared statement of Congressman Rohrabacher ....................................... 77 Supnet, Resty, President, Filipino World War II Veterans Foundation of San Diego County, accompanied by Romy Monteyro ................................................ 26 Prepared statement of Mr. Supnet ................................................................. 91 Prepared statement of Mr. Monteyro ............................................................. 96 Tancinco, Ms. Lourdes Santos, Esq., President, San Francisco Veterans Eq- uity Center ............................................................................................................ 32 Prepared statement of Ms. Tancinco, with attachments ............................... 111 Underwood, Hon. Robert A., Member of Congress from the territory of Guam . 18 Prepared statement of Congressman Underwood .......................................... 83 Weidman, Richard, Director of Government Relations, Vietnam Veterans of America ................................................................................................................. 37 Prepared statement of Mr. Weidman ............................................................. 124 MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD Bill: H.R. 4904, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve benefits for Filipino veterans of World War II and surviving spouses of such veterans, and for other purposes .................................................... 41 Photograph taken by Carl Mydans for LIFE magazine, submitted by Con- gressman Stearns ................................................................................................. 144 Prepared statements of Members of Congress: Hon. Daniel K. Inouye, a U.S. Senator from the State of Hawaii ................ 49 Hon. Barbara Boxer, a U.S. Senator from the State of California ............... 52 Hon. Barbara Lee, a Representative in Congress from the State of California ....................................................................................................... 54 Hon. Zoe Lofgren, a Representative in Congress from the State of Califor- nia .................................................................................................................. 55 Hon. Nancy Pelosi, a Representative in Congress from the State of California ....................................................................................................... 56 Hon. Lucille Roybal-Allard, a Representative in Congress from the State of California ................................................................................................... 58 Hon. Robert C. Scott, a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia .......................................................................................................... 60 Hon. Maxine Waters, a Representative