CLAIMS PROCESSING AT THE VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRA- TION, UPDATE ON PROCESSING OF PERSIAN GULF WAR CLAIMS, AND EFFECT OF PUBLIC LAW 103-446, THE VETER- ANS’ BENEFITS IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 1994 HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION, PENSION, INSURANCE AND MEMORIAL AFFAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MAY 12, 1995 Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Serial No. 104-5 ae U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 92.375 CC WASHINGTON : 1995 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office ‘Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 2COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS BOB STUMP, Arizona, Chairman CHRISTOPHER H, SMITH, New Jer MICHAEL BILIRAKIS, Florida FLOYD SPENCE, South Carolina ‘TIM HUTCHINSON, Arizona TERRY EVERETT, Alabama STEVE BUYER, Indiana JACK QUINN, New York SPENCER BACHUS, Alabama CLIFF STEARNS, Florida BOB NEY, Ohio JON FOX, Pennsylvania MIKE FLANAGAN, Illinois BOB BARR, Georgia JERRY WELLER, Illini J.D. HAYWORTH, Arkansas WES COOLEY, Oregon DAN SCHAEFER, Colorado GV. (SONNY) MONTGOMERY, Mississippi LANE EVANS, Illinois JOSEPH P. KENNEDY Il, Massachusetts CHET EDWARDS, Texas MAXINE WATERS, California BOB CLEMENT, ‘Tennessee BOB FILNER, Californ FRANK TEJEDA, Texa LUIS V. GUTIERREZ, Ilincis SCOTTY BAESLER, Kentucky SANFORD BISHOP, Georgia JAMES E. CLYBURN, South Carolina CORRINE BROWN, Florida MIKE DOYLE, Pennsylvania FRANK MASCARA, Pennsylvania CARL D. COMMENATOR, Chief Counsel and Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION, PENSION, INSURANCE AND MEMORIAL AFFAIRS ‘TERRY EVERETT, Alabama, Chairman JERRY WELLER, Ulini BOB BARR, Georgia BOB NEY, Ohio LANE EVANS, Illinois G.V. (SONNY) MONTGOMERY, Mississippi BOB FILNER, California JOSEPH P. KENNEDY II, Massachusetts a)CONTENTS Page OPENING STATEMENTS Chairman Everett 1 Hon. Lane Evans 3 Prepared statement of Congressman Evans 37 Hon. J.D. Hayworth 4 Hon. G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery 4 Hon. Jerry Weller 5 Hon. Bob Barr .. 5 WITNESSES Campbell, Brian, Chair, Veterans Advocacy Committee, Vietnam Veterans of America .. 20 Prepared statement of Mr. Campbell 40 Manhan, Bob, Assistant Director, Legislative Service, Veterans of Foreign 2 Wars a. Prepared ‘statement of Mr. Manhan .. 45 Man, Russell, National Legislative Director, Paralyzed Ve Veterans of America. 27 Prepared statement of Mr. Mank 58 Maye, Jim, VARO 314, Roanoke, VA Ramsey, Donald, VARO 331, St. Louis, MO 7 Rhea, Larry, Deputy Legislative Director, Non Commissioned Officers Asso- ciation ..... Prepared statement of Mr, Rhea .......... Surratt, Rick, Associate National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans .. 23 Prepared statement of Mr, Surratt ‘Thompson, Joe, VARO 306, New York, NY Vogel, Hon. R.’ John, Under Secretary for Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs accompanied by Raymond Avent, Deputy Under Secretary for Bene- fits and Gary Hickman, Director, Compensation and Pension Service ......... 31 Prepared statement of Mr. Vogel = 3 Watson, Montgomery, VARO 328, Chicago, IL 8 Wilkerson, Phil, Deputy Legislative Director, The American Legion. 29 Prepared statement of Mr, Wilkerson. 65 Williams, Joe, VARO 348, Portland, OR 7 MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD Study: “Fact sheet addressing the inquiry of the Honorable John D. Rockefeller, 1V." Fe PISD compensation claims, submitted by Department of Veter- ans Affairs 106 ‘Table: Statistics on “claims approval rates,” prepared by Department of Veter- ans Affairs . 128 Gm