Servicemembers Overseas Outreach Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2297, as amended, the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003. I would like to thank the chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for their leadership on the full committee and their successful negotiations with the Senate. I also would like to personally thank my good friend, the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), for his leadership and bipartisan spirit shown in considering these bills assigned to our subcommittee. It definitely has been a pleasure working with Chairman Brown and his staff.

The Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 includes provisions drawn from many bills introduced by Members of both sides of the aisle. Our Nation's servicemembers and veterans have earned and their families deserve all the benefits provided under H.R. 2297 and, indeed, they certainly deserve much, much more.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a sponsor and cosponsor of many of these measures that have been incorporated in H.R. 2297, including provisions aimed to make the home loan benefit for members of the Guard and Reserves permanent, to improve veterans education benefits, enhance self-employment opportunities, and expand employment counseling and job search assistance for servicemembers returning to civilian life after separating from military installations overseas.

H.R. 2297 provides for more equitable and rational treatment for surviving spouses and Filipino World War II veterans, of which I also fully support. It allows former prisoners of war to qualify for certain presumption of service connection and adds sclerosis of the liver to the diseases considered presumptively disabling for POWs. The Gold Star wives will benefit from our efforts to allow them to remarry after age 57 without losing the dependency and indemnity compensation, educational, and home loan benefits that they currently receive. This measure is long overdue and represents substantial progress.

I also support provisions brought forth by the other body which will increase education benefits for the spouses, surviving spouses, and dependent children for totally and permanently disabled and deceased servicemembers.

Mr. Speaker, the provisions in this package will benefit servicemembers and veterans from my State of Maine as well as their families. It will help others all around the country as well. I fully support H.R. 2297, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2297, as amended, the Veterans Benefits Package of 2003.

I would like to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Lane Evans for their leadership on the full committee and their successful negotiations with the Senate.

I would also like to personally thank Chairman Brown and his staff for the cooperative manner shown in introducing and considering bills assigned to our subcommittee. It has been a pleasure working with him and his staff.

As is the custom of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, a large number of bills considered by the Subcommittee on Benefits have been included in the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003.

I am pleased that H.R. 2294 which I introduced to extend the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education is included as section 307 of H.R. 2297, as amended. The Veterans Advisory Committee provides useful information to the Congress and should be continued.

I am also pleased that H.R. 3239 which I introduced to extend the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans is included as section 703 of H.R. 2297, as amended. This committee brings to the attention of the Congress specific issues of concern to African- American, Native America, Hispanic American, and Asian-Pacific Island American veterans. I know that the Native American veterans of Maine, as well as all minority veterans, will continue to benefit from the counsel and advice provided by this committee.

I am original cosponsor of H.R. 761 introduced by our ranking Democratic member of the full committee, Lane Evans, to permit seriously disabled servicemembers to apply for grants to adapt their homes before being discharged from military service. This provision included as section 401 will enable seriously disabled servicemembers to begin the process of obtaining suitable housing while on active duty.

I joined our Ranking Democratic Member Lane Evans in introducing H.R. 1257 to make the home loan program of the Department of Veterans Affairs for members of the Select Reserve a permanent program. This provision is included as section 403 of H.R. 2297, as amended. That bill also provided for an equalization of the fees paid by reservists and active duty veterans. Although the fees were not equalized in the final bill, I note that the rates have been reduced to a nominal amount of 0.25 percent above that charged to active duty servicemembers and veterans. As we know, reservists are an integral part of this Nation's total force. Making their home loan benefits permanent and reducing the fees they must pay acknowledges their service in a tangible way.

I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 1460 introduced by Mr. Renzi to provide additional opportunities for service-disabled veterans to contract with the Federal Government. Unfortunately, the record of contracts awarded to service-disabled veterans by Federal agencies is dismal and getting worse. Provisions from H.R. 1460 are included in section 308 of H.R. 2297, as amended. I hope that Federal agencies will take seriously their responsibility to contract with small businesses owned or controlled by service-disabled veterans. Under the provision, the committees expect that the Small Business Administration will accept the determinations of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect to the definition of service-connection.

I joined my good friend and neighbor Mr. Bradley in introducing H.R. 2164 to provide an extension in the period of eligibility for educational benefits provided to certain children of disabled and deceased veterans, when those children are called to full time duty in the National Guard. This provision is included in section 303 of H.R. 2297, as amended.

I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2285 introduced by Mr. Simpson to require the Secretary of Labor to provide staffing at overseas locations to servicemembers who are separating from active duty. This provision is included as section 309 of H.R. 2297, as amended. It is unfortunate that the Secretary of Labor has not followed the lead of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in making these services available at overseas locations. This bill will require the Secretary of Labor to do so.

I joined our chairman on the full committee, Chris Smith, our ranking Democratic member on the full committee. Lane Evans and our subcommittee chairman, Henry Brown, in introducing H.R. 2297 which provided the basis for this larger bill. I appreciate the efforts made by the chairman of the full committee as well as Chairman Brown to operate in a bipartisan manner.

Although H.R. 3392, introduced by our Democratic Ranking Member Lane Evans and myself to improve the adjudication of claims for benefits was not considered by the House committee during this session, I note that provisions similar to that bill are included as section 701 of H.R. 2297, as amended.

I am also a cosponsor of many other bills included in H.R. 2297, as amended. As a freshman Member of Congress, I am proud to have been able to introduce and cosponsor legislation which will improve the lives of our Nation's veterans.

The House Committee on Veterans Affairs has a reputation of serving veterans in a bipartisan manner. This bill reflects that spirit of cooperation.

Our Nation's servicemembers and veterans have earned--and their families deserve--all the benefits provided under H.R. 2297, as amended.

Indeed, they deserve so much more.

Mr. Speaker, the provisions in this package will benefit servicemembers and veterans from my State of Maine as well as their families. It will help others around the country as well.

I fully support H.R. 2297, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), who has fought for veterans for a number of years.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland), who has fought for veterans issues for a number of years.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to once again thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for all their work, as well as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown). I think our servicemen, our veterans in this country, can be very proud of the way the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has handled itself this year in a bipartisan manner, looking out for veterans in this country for all the work that they do as well.

I would also like to thank staff on both the Republican and Democratic side for working together in a bipartisan way. The only way we are ever going to move forward and get veterans issues addressed in Congress is by working together in a bipartisan manner. I wish actually some other committees here in Congress would look at the way the Committee on Veterans' Affairs operates and act as bipartisanly.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2297) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Senate amendment to H.R. 2297 reflects an agreement with the other body on comparable House and Senate bills. The Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 includes almost all of the provisions that were contained in the bill when the House originally considered it, as well as several other worthwhile provisions contained in S. 1136, which the Senate passed on October 31.

Mr. Speaker, the Chairman of our Subcommittee on Benefits, the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina, will describe several of those important provisions, some seven titles in all, approximately 40 provisions, and I will yield to him in just a moment to do so. But let me briefly touch on the benefits this bill contains and who will be affected by it.

Mr. Speaker, many surviving spouses of veterans who die of a service- related cause will qualify for restoration of benefits taken away when they remarry. Former prisoners of war will find it easier to qualify for veterans benefits that they so richly deserve. Disabled veterans who own businesses will find it easier to sell their goods and services to the Federal Government. The surviving children of those killed in the line of duty will now receive a college-assisted payment that is 13 percent higher than the current benefit. Reservists who want to use the VA home loan program will now be charged a lower fee.

Mr. Speaker, following on the heels of our historic enactment of legislation to provide concurrent receipt benefits to over 250,000 severely disabled military retirees, this bill is a further testament to Congress' commitment to aiding those who serve our country in the Armed Forces. There are many other important provisions in this measure, and I do urge my colleagues to review them. And, again, my good friend and colleague, as well as the ranking member, will be going into further detail.

I would especially like to congratulate the Chair and Ranking Member of our Subcommittee on Benefits, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown) and the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) for holding hearings this year on a variety of important issues affecting veterans. I am pleased that

their efforts on the subcommittee pulled together in truly bipartisan fashion all of these disparate elements into this omnibus bill to advance the needs of our veterans.

And, again, I always like to thank, because we work hand in glove, my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for his work on this legislation as well.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), the distinguished chairman of our Subcommittee on Benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) for his kind remarks and also point out that he has been indefatigable in fighting for the Filipino veterans, and thank the gentleman for his hard work, which has been incorporated in this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, all of the staff who have worked for days, weeks and months on this legislation through the hearing process. There are seven titles and close to 40 provisions in this bill. It is a very comprehensive omnibus bill, and so many Members made a difference in its content.

I would like to say we break a lot of new ground in this legislation, including the legislation dealing with veterans' businesses so that set-asides, sole source procurements, and the benefits accruing thereon will go to veterans themselves. In the past, veterans have gotten so little of the Federal procurement dollars--only 0.13 of 1 percent-- which is unconscionable. This legislation now gives discretionary authority government-wide so we can again facilitate these important businesses.

Let me also point out that provision, just like the whole bill which is backed by virtually every veteran service organization in the country--that particular provision--on veterans' businesses has 36 military and veterans organizations backing it from a broad spectrum. From the largest Hispanic organization to the Black Veterans for Social Justice, we have a good cross-spectrum of people backing this provision because our veterans who have served so ably and are disabled are absolutely deserving of this legislation.

I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) for his leadership on this particular provision. He actually introduced the bill which is incorporated here in our final product. Mr. Renzi has been a champion of veterans benefits, and I thank him.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank Senator Rockefeller, who was instrumental in encouraging a strong text for this provision. I also thank our counterparts in the Senate, Senator Graham and the chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Senator Specter, for their work on this legislation and their spirit of cooperation.

Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record a joint explanatory statement describing all of the provisions including the compromise agreement that we have reached with the other body.

Explanatory Statement on Senate Amendment to House Bill, H.R. 2297, as

Amended

H.R. 2297, as amended, the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003,

reflects a Compromise Agreement reached by the House and

Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs (``the Committees'')

on the following bills considered in the House and Senate

during the 108th Congress: H.R. 1257; H.R. 1460, as amended;

H.R. 2297, as amended (``House Bill''); and S. 1132, as

amended (``Senate Bill''). H.R. 1257 passed the House on May

22, 2003; H.R. 1460, as amended, passed the House on June 24,

2003; H.R. 2297, as amended, passed the House on October 8,

2003; S. 1132, as amended, passed the Senate on October 31,

2003.

The House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs have

prepared the following explanation of H.R. 2297, as amended

(``Compromise Agreement''). Differences between the

provisions contained in the Compromise Agreement and the

related provisions of H.R. 1257, H.R. 1460, as amended, H.R.

2297, as amended, and S. 1132, as amended, are noted in this

document, except for clerical corrections, conforming changes

made necessary by the Compromise Agreement, and minor

drafting, technical, and clarifying changes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and we are, of course, supporting H.R. 2297, a bill that incorporates many provisions that have been discussed at the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and in the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and it includes provisions that upgrade benefits in many, many areas.

I would suspect, Mr. Chairman, that if this bill was taken one by one in terms of the provisions in there and the health bill that we hope will follow sometime later today, veterans across the Nation would understand that we are really keeping our promise to our Nation's veterans in both our benefits and our health provisions.

I would say to the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and to the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the combination of the benefit and the health bill probably represents one of the most productive years in the history of this Congress in terms of veterans' benefits and veterans' health care. So I thank the chairman, and I thank the ranking member for bringing all these provisions together and working so hard and allowing Members from both sides of the aisle to contribute. There are provisions in these bills that represent both Democratic and Republican contributions, and I think that is the way we ought to behave here, and that is what this bill represents.

I just want to add a few comments to what has been stated previously. Two provisions which I helped to write are in the bill. The first involves a cause for which I have been fighting ever since I became a Member of Congress, and it is exceptionally gratifying to see progress on an important issue, and that is restoring the rightful benefits to Filipino World War II veterans.

Many of us know that after being drafted into service by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, after bravely fighting alongside soldiers from the U.S. mainland, many Filipino veterans were deprived of their promised benefits by the Congress of 1946. In the intervening years, many of these veterans have emigrated to the United States and have become American citizens. This bill will increase the compensation received by one part of the Filipino Armed Forces, and that is the new Filipino Scouts.

They had been given what is called the ``peso rate'' in their disability compensation. That is one-half of what an American soldier would get. And they have been receiving that peso rate since the end of the war, whether they have lived in the United States or in the Philippines. For these that live in the United States, their cost of living is equal to the veterans here, and paying half is just simply not acceptable. Upon the passage of this bill, the widows of the Filipino World War II veterans will also receive the full amount of their DIC benefits, and burial benefits for the new Scouts will also be restored. So this is justice restored after almost 60 years of being denied.

There is another provision which I am pleased to see in this bill, and that involves life insurance policies. The VA currently holds about 4,000 insurance policies, valued at about $23 million, on which payment has not been made because the VA has not been able to locate the identified beneficiary.

What will happen after this bill passes is that the VA can pay secondary benefits if we cannot locate the primary beneficiary. And if no beneficiary files within 4 years, the VA secretary may pay another appropriate relative. It is a shame to have Veterans paying for life insurance throughout

their lifetimes only to have their insurance unclaimed. So this will benefit the families of many of our veterans in this country.

Mr. Speaker, these are just two portions of the bill. There are many, many provisions which have been described by my colleagues. Again, I think it is a great advance for veterans to be able to receive the benefits that are in H.R. 2297, so I urge Members to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I am pleased

we are here today to consider the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003, a bipartisan effort with no less than 37 substantive provisions.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight five of the provisions of this comprehensive bill which provides more than a billion dollars in improved benefits over 10 years.

Section 101 of the bill is long overdue. After years of trying to find the offsets, we are finally able to bring equity to those surviving spouses who lose their Dependency and Indemnity Compensation upon remarrying later in life. Section 101 would allow a surviving spouse who remarries after age 57 to retain DIC, as well as home loan and educational benefits. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) has championed this cause for almost 15 years now, and I appreciate his dedication.

Small business is the bedrock of our economy. Section 301 of the bill would expand the Montgomery GI bill while authorizing educational assistance benefits for on-the-job training of less than 6 months in various types of self-employment training programs. Similarly, section 305 would allow, for the first time, servicemembers, veterans and certain dependents to enroll in entrepreneurship and pre- entrepreneurship courses offered by the Small Business Development Centers and the Veterans Business Development Corporation. I applaud the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) for this provision, as well as provisions giving Federal agencies and departments new discretionary contracting authority to assist service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, another first.

Indeed, we, as a Nation, should accord veterans who become disabled in their service to this Nation a full opportunity to participate in the free enterprise system they have fought so hard to defend.

Section 309 would require the Department of Labor to go where its customers are to provide in-person Transitional Assistance Program services overseas, as VA has done since about 1992. I applaud the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) for their long-standing work on this provision.

Lastly, section 402 of the bill increases the adapted housing and automobile allowances for disabled servicemembers. I applaud the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Mr. Specter, along with the ranking member, Mr. Graham, for their many excellent contributions to this bill. I also applaud the former ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Mr. Rockefeller, for his continued assistance.

In closing, I commend Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Evans, and Subcommittee on Benefits' Ranking Member Michaud for their leadership and diligent work on this bill, as well as the support they have given to me my first term as chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits. I also want to recognize the good folks who make up the committee staff, many of whom put in long hours so we could consider this bill before we adjourned.

I wholeheartedly support H.R. 2297, as amended, and encourage the full House to support it as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my support for H.R. 2297, the legislation that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has worked so hard to pass this year. I want to commend the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith); the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans); and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown) for their steadfast leadership on veterans issues.

I also want to recognize the efforts of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) in drafting the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2003, which is included in this legislation. Obviously, this bill will increase the opportunity afforded to veterans who spent their youth serving our country. Federal agencies will have the discretionary authority to sole source contracts for disabled veteran-owned businesses. Additionally, disabled veterans enrolled in school under a VA vocational rehab program will be allowed to declare self-employment as a vocational goal. Certainly this encourages entrepreneurship and business ownership. It clearly establishes a level playing field for those who have been wounded or injured while defending our freedom.

Very important to a lot of widows back home is that it addresses an injustice which has been suffered by military widows whose spouses died while on active duty or of a service-connected condition. They will no longer be denied the benefits earned by their first husband if they choose to remarry later in life. A military spouse already faces a life of sacrifice and hardship and should not be stripped of earned benefits because of a new-found love and companionship. We should not as a government be discouraging people to get married, and this bill corrects that injustice.

In a time of war, it is critically important that our servicemen and -women see that when they return home they will be welcomed by an eternally grateful Nation. This bill helps to express the gratitude that Congress has for our veterans of wars past and present.