HJR 16-HMONG VETERANS MILITARY RIGHTS  1:36:20 PM CHAIR TUCK announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 16, "Encouraging the United States Congress to pass legislation granting the Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War access to the same veteran benefits received by United States veterans." 1:36:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE NELSON, as prime sponsor, presented HJR 16 and read a sponsor statement, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: HJR 16 encourages the United States Congress to fulfill the promises made to the Hmong soldiers during the Vietnam War and grant them access to the same veterans' benefits received by the United States veterans. In the 1960's over 100,000 Hmong soldiers were recruited by the United States Central Intelligence Agency to help the United States soldiers in the fight against communism. The Hmong warriors fought to intercept and prevent the flow of troops and supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and approximately 40,000 were killed as they supported and protected United States Armed Forces during combat missions. The Hmong warriors were heavily outnumbered, however continued to fight, gather critical intelligence about enemy operations, and continued to undertake rescue missions to save the lives of downed United States pilots. The Hmong soldiers suffered acts of retribution and atrocities at the hand of the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese causing many to flee to Thailand. These soldiers became refugees because the United States government encouraged them to fight on behalf of the United States. The Hmong people fought bravely in what was called the "Secret War", and for their loyalty were promised access to the same veterans benefits as those received by the United States veterans. The Hmong people have put their faith and trust in the United States government, and we are requesting that the promises made to those who risked everything for our country be honored. We must recognize how much the Hmong veterans gave and lost for our country and support HJR 16. REPRESENTATIVE NELSON noted Representative Tarr's assistance in crafting HJR 16. 1:39:21 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked why the U.S. Congress has been historically resistant to honoring the promise to extend benefits to Hmong soldiers. REPRESENTATIVE NELSON noted the H.R. 371 (P.L. 106-207), the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000, and deferred to Mr. Bowen for further elaboration. 1:40:11 PM VERDIE BOWEN, Director of Veterans Affairs, Office of Veterans Affairs, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said that the only benefit for Hmong soldiers extended thus far is burial rights. 1:40:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE SHAW described the Alaska Territorial Guard, recruited in the 1940s but only granted veterans' benefits in 2003. He said the Hmong community was his "lifeline" as a Navy SEAL doing tactical guerilla warfare. He said while the Hmong community lost approximately 40,000 soldiers in the Vietnam War, nearly 100,000 additional Hmong suffered afterward at the hands of the government. He said that Hmong veterans should be honored with veterans' benefits and he would appreciate support for HJR 16. 1:42:53 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked whether the resistance is due to funding. REPRESENTATIVE NELSON said that he would not assign motives to members of the federal delegation or the U.S. Congress and deferred to Mr. Bowen. MR. BOWEN explained that the funds would not be significant due to the low number of Hmong veterans remaining in the United States. He said that there are approximately 60 living in Alaska and stated his belief that there are fewer than 500 Hmong veterans remaining. 1:44:25 PM CHAIR TUCK asked what the biggest hindrance in recognizing Hmong veterans is. MR. BOWEN replied, "I honestly don't know. It took us three tries to get the burials completed, and [U.S.] Senator [Lisa] Murkowski and [U.S.] Senator [Dan] Sullivan worked pretty hard to push those through. I don't know what would stop them from doing fulfillment of the complete honor that is due them." 1:45:18 PM REPRESENTATIVE SHAW noted that attempts to pass benefits for the Alaska Territorial Guard, as U.S. citizens, took two years. He explained that the cost was minimal due to the low number of veterans applying for benefits, as well as their advanced age. He said that due to the low number of Hmong in Alaska, the costs of their veterans' benefits would be similarly low. 1:46:41 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked whether there exists any documentation regarding the promise to the Hmong soldiers. MR. BOWEN explained that use of the Hmong soldiers was a CIA operation and said, "In the black world, if it's not written, it's not said." He noted testimony from the 1970s in which a CIA operative said that benefits were promised, but said that most of the witnesses have since died. 1:48:24 PM REPRESENTATIVE SHAW said that the nature of covert operations and guerilla warfare along the Cambodian-Laos border necessitated the destruction of operational orders. He added, "With the Hmong community, I can tell you for a fact, you will find very little written history relative to what they were involved with, and what they did, relative to the CIA operations being as covert as they were." REPRESENTATIVE NELSON noted that he had learned, through his own research and discussions with the remaining Hmong veterans, that there is no written documentation. 1:50:00 PM CHAIR TUCK commented that even if there wasn't documentation, the agreement should be honored. He then announced that HJR 16 would be held over.