COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

LARRY CRAIG, Idaho, Chairman

ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas
LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina
JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia

DANIEL K. AKAKA, Ranking Member,
Hawaii

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia
JAMES M. JEFFORDS, (I) Vermont

PATTY MURRAY, Washington
BARACK OBAMA, Illinois

KEN SALAZAR, Colorado

LUPE WISSEL, Majority Staff Director
D. NOELANI KALIPI, Minority Staff Director

CONTENTS

MAY 26, 2005

SENATORS

Craig, Hon. Larry, Chairman, U.S. Senator from Idaho

Obama, Hon. Barack, U.S. Senator from Illinois

Akaka, Hon. Daniel K., U.S. Senator from Hawaii

Rockefeller, Hon. John D. IV, U.S. Senator from West Virginia
Salazar, Hon. Ken, U.S. Senator from Colorado

Murray, Hon. Patty, Ranking Member, U.S. Senator from Washington

WITNESSES

Cooper, Hon. Daniel L., Under Secretary for Benefits, Department of Vet-

erans Affairs; accompanied by Ronald garvin, Acting Cahirman of the

Board of Veterans' Appeals; and Robert H. Epley, Associate Deputy Under

Secretary for Policy and Program Management, Veterans Benefits

Administrarion

Prepared statement

Kramer, Hon. Kenneth B., Former Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for

Veterans Claims

78

Prepared statement

Bascetta, Cynthia, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Gov-

ernment Accountability Office

Prepared statement

Chisholm, Robert, Past President, National Organization of Veterans' Advo-

cates

Prepared statement

Surratt, Rick, deputy National Legislative Director, Disabled American Vet-

erans

Prepared statement

APPENDIX

Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Larry E. Craig to:

Daniel L. Cooper

Robert V. Chisolm

Rick Surratt

Kenneth B. Kramer

Response to written questions submitted by Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV

Kinderman, Quentin, Deputy Director, National Legislative Service, Veterans

of Foreign Wars of the United States, prepared statement

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