European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 28, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday May 28, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 5 health benefits for vets being Cut funds shortage causes temporary action by the Washington Post Washington veterans affairs Secretary Edward j. A Orwinski said Fri Day the veterans administration will begin curtailing health benefits to Veter ans because Congress has not authorized extra funds it has requested Derwinski said he hoped the congressional impasse Over the department s re quest for added funds for its 172 Hospi tals will be Short lived. I m confident that sooner or later there will be a supplemental approx Ria  the head of the new department of veterans affairs said in an interview. Hut i be been around Washington Long enough to know that this particular impasse has the potential to be stickier than  the curtailments Orwinski announced Are intended to last three necks and will deny non emergency health care to veterans whose annual income exceeds si6.467 and whose medical Condi Tion is not directly related to their Mili tary service. That Means about 28,000 x a trans a week will be denied outpatient care and about 1.000 a week will he de Nied hospitalization. He said. Derwinski directed a fryc a in Pur Chase of equipment for new facilities and also ordered a hiring freeze actions that rep. . Montgomery. A miss. Chair Man of the House veterans affairs com Mittee said could Cut the department s payroll by 8 10 employees a week. Derwinski said Montgomery s Esti mate seemed High and cautioned his Fig ures were very general  he said the Impact of the cutbacks w ill depend on the number of patients that an individual a Hospital has. Since the workload varies greatly with in the a s 172 hospitals the cutbacks Are More Likely to he Felt in Urban areas and regions such As the Sun hell where a hospitals lend to be much More crowded and where Many Low income Ethran Slivac. Montgomery blamed the Senate Fri Day for refusing to accept a $.1-10 million supplemental appropriation that the House had approved for the a health a xylem in May part of an additional 51.2 billion appropriation the depart ment is seeking. The Senate approved the Hill but restricted the funding to june 15. A provision the House refused to accept creating the impasse. Although there is widespread support in the House Ami Senate for additional funds for Elevans hospitals the supple mental appropriation became whal is known As a Christmas tree loaded with other congressionally  projects. Derwinski said one reason he directed the Hospital in begin making cutbacks was his fear  when Congress resumes consideration of the a s request the appropriation will once again become filled with so Many other projects that president hush will veto it. Everybody knows we re the innocent Little vehicle for everybody s Christmas  Derwinski a former  House member from Chicago said. Do Rvcinski s action a on the support of the american legion the nation s largest veterans group. Clearly the impasse on Capitol Hill Over supplemental funding led Secretary Derwinski Wilh no Choice said . Ii cake. The legion s National commander. In the past veterans groups were  ical of a officials for directing Shiv. In cutbacks. The difference now according to one official familiar with the Legnini s tactics is thai Denbinski s announce ment is seen More As a warning to con Gress than a threat to the veterans. One of the major differences Between Derwinski and his predecessors in the Reagan administration is that he has assumed a highly visible role in arguing for his Agency s requests. Acle defends student s right to be offensive Detroit not a graduate student has filed suit in . District court against the new anti discrimination policy of the University of Michigan which the student contends violates his first Amend ment right to discuss his research ideas in class. Lawyers for the american civil liberties Union which is representing the student said the suit they filed is apparently the first to oppose a University policy restricting speech deemed offensive to minority people. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor adopted the policy last year after a series of incidents in which Blacks and other minority group members were harassed by other students. In one Case racially abusive jokes were played Over the University s radio station which broadcasts to University buildings. Emory University in Atlanta also prohibits verbal harassment and several other universities Are consid ering adopting similar policies. The Michigan suit asks the court to bar the univer sity from enforcing its policy on the ground thai its provisions Are so Broad that they prohibit speech clearly protected by the first amendment. La asserts that the terms of the policy Are so vague that they create a chilling effect on the expression of certain ideas because of the Content of those  a University spokesman Walt Harrison defended the policy As balancing the University s commitment to first amendment rights with its commitment opposing discrimination and discriminatory harassment. Riding the rails new Jersey sen. Frank  chats with miss America Gretchen Carlson aboard Anilak s Atlantic City express the first train sen ice in he resort area in 14 years. At left is Snitrak president w. Graham clays or. Also along for the ride were models showing off evening Wear. Bennett visits crack victims Calls for fast anti drug action new York up after a Day visiting what he called the worst casualties of the crack plague the Bush administration s drug car said Friday a Swift terrible sword is needed to cure the nation s crack problem. "1 saw pregnant addicts 1 saw their addicted children i saw babies born with aids William Bennett told re porters at City Hall after visiting hospitals in two of the City s worst Ghet tos. Ocl me Tell you that it is horrible said Bennett who also had just come from lunch with mayor Edward Koch. The mayor an old Friend of Ben Nett a has in the past castigated the Federal government for not providing enough drug treatment programs in cities starving for Federal dollars. Bennett who took Over two months ago As director of the Federal office of National drug control policy said "1 came to new York today to Sec a few of the War s worst  a Kindler gentler nation with re Gard to drug will require compassion and a binding up of the wounds. It will also require a terrible Swift sword he said after visiting Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx and Harlem Hospital. Bennett who plans to unveil a National drug strategy in september called for swifter punishment for drug dealers and tougher action against drug traffickers and drug producing countries. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago foe a. May 28. 1949 the Senate passed and sent to the House a Bill that would strengthen the Powers of the Secretary of defense and place a civilian comptroller in charge of All military funds. 30 years ago today. May 28. 1959 diplomats1 from around the world joined president Eisenhower at the National Cathedral in Washington to pay tribute to former Secretary of state John Foster Dulles who died three Days earlier. 20 years ago  28, 1969 South Vietnam s chief negotiator at the Vietnam peace Confer ence in Paris. Ambassador Pham Dang Lam ruled put any possibility of a coalition government in Saigon As demanded by the communists 10 years ago today. May 28. 1979 newcomer Rick Mears a 27-year-old from Bakers Field. Calif., won the Indianapolis 500, defeating four time Champion . Foyt by More than one Lap and teammate Hobby Unser who led most of the race