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Substantive Legislation Introduced For Disability For Post Traumatic Stress

By Marv Freedman

This February, Representative Robert W. Kastenmeier, a Wisconsin Democrat, introduce the first substantive legislation relating to Vietnam War veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders. H.R. 4711 would create a presumption of service of connection in cases in which a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD applies to the VA for a service-connected disability. Simply put: the burden of proof in the extremely stressful PSTD claims proceedings would be shifted from the veteran to the VA unless the VA could adequately prove that a stress or other than Vietnam service (a plane crash, for instance) might be the actual cause of the veteran's PTSD.

Kastenmeier who has once again proven that he is a friend to all Vietnam vets has placed a high priority within his office on H.R. 4711. On March 6th, he sent a "Dear Colleague" letter to all members of the House of Representatives asking each member to join with him in co-sponsoring the legislation. Within 3 weeks, 29 members of Congress had already signed on, with more to come.

Kastenmeier pointed out that the VA acknowledged that at least 20% of Vietnam veterans have substantial war-related psychological difficulties impairing their lives. "This means that from 700,000 to 800,000 veterans, plus family members, are still suffering the effects of this tragic period in our history," Kastenmeier observed.

While acknowledging that legislation passed by Congress last year provided for a study of PTSD in Vietnam vets, Kastenmeier called it only a first step since the final results of the study are not due until 1988. He stated that the study approach would not only postpone for four more years key decisions on how to deal with PTSD, but that veterans would continue to suffer the effects of PTSD with only sporadic compensation.

Blasting the VA, Kastenmeier said, "Recent reports that as much as $40 million may have been diverted by the VA from the Vets Center program to other VA programs calls into question the dedication of the Reagan Administration to the Operation Outreach program—a program the administration has tried to abolish and seems to be trying to weaken through withholding funds. Such action may make H.R. 4711 all the more urgent."

H.R. 4711 is one of the most significant pieces of Vietnam veteran legislation introduced to date. VVAW members can play a crucial role in helping to move this bill along. H.R. 4711 needs co-sponsors—a lot of them, and the more the better. Listed below are the names of the members of Congress who now are co-sponsors; if your Representative isn't on the list, contact him or her to urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 4711. And if the name is there, write and say thanks. Rep. Kastenmeier can't do it along, but together we can do it with him and with other Vietnam vets and supporters.

Co-sponsors: Gus Hawking (D-CA), Ed Markee (D-MA), Jim Howard (D-NJ), Won Pat (D-Guam), Lyle Williams (R-OH), Parrin Mitchell (D-MD), Major Owens (D-NY), Howard Berman (D-CA), Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Dan Glickman (D-KS). Ed Towns (D-NY), Katie Hall (D-IN), Dick Ottinger (D-NY), Ted Weiss (D-NY), Bruce Vento (D-MN), Gary Studds (D-MA), Barbara Mikulsky (D-MD), Ed Madigan (R-IL), Pete Stark (D-CA), Jim Moody (D-WI), Steve Neal (D-NC), Dennis Eckhardt (D-OH), Michael DeWine (R-OH), Bernard Dwyer (D-NJ), Jim Jeffords (R-VT), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Edward Feighan (D-OH), Hamilton Fish (R-NY).

—Marv Freedman
Madison VVAW