[billr]

It has taken a little digging, but I believe that this proposal will be part of the Conference Committee discussions related to HR 1588. This is the Defense Authorization bill for 2003. The bill has provisions for the payment of concurrent receipt and the Administration is threatening a veto if it reaches the President with concurrent receipt still in the bill. My guess is that the threat to limit future entitlement to VA benefits is going to be used as a means to get the concurrent receipt provisions out of the bill during the conference committee process.

The House conferees are Duncan Hunter (committee chairman), Curt Weldon (PA), Joe Hefley (CO), Jim Saxton (NJ), John McHugh (NY), Terry Everett (AL), Roscoe Bartlett (MD), Buck McKeon (CA), Mac Thornberry (TX), John Hostettler (IN), Walter Jones (NC), Jim Ryun (KS), Jim Gibbons (NV), Robin Hayes (NC), Heather Wilson (NM), Ken Calvert (CA), Ike Skelton (MO), John Spratt (SC), Solomon Ortiz (TX), Lane Evans (IL), Gene Taylor (MS), Neil
Abercrombie (HI), Marty Meehan (MA), Silvestre Reyes (TX), Vic Snyder (AR), Jim Turner (TX), Loretta Sanchez (CA), and Jim Cooper (TN).

I'm still trying to find out who the Senate conferees are.

I would suggest letters to the above House members (especially those from your state) stating that entitlement to VA benefits and payment of concurrent receipt are not mutually exclusive and urge them to reject any attempt to remove concurrent receipt and/or limit future VA entitlement.