Disabled Servicemembers Adapted Housing Assistance Act of 2003

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 pass the bill (H.R. 1460) to amend title 38, United States Code, to permit the use of education benefits under such title for certain entrepreneurship courses, to permit veterans enrolled in a vocational rehabilitation program under chapter 31 of such title to have self- employment as a vocational goal, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, before I begin discussing our bill, Mr. Speaker, I would like to note with great sadness the passing of the former chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs, Bob Stump. Bob was a great friend to all of those who served in the Armed Forces since his own Naval experience as a Navy corpsman serving in the South Pacific during World War II. Although you did not see Bob making the rounds on the Sunday morning talk shows, his words, and especially his actions and deeds, spoke volumes about his dedication to all those who serve and have served our country in the United States military.

Bob served in Congress for 26 years. He was chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs from 1995 to 2000, and then chaired the House Committee on Armed Services until his retirement in December of 2002. He has left a lasting legacy of service to our country, and he will be dearly missed.

On behalf of the Committee on Veterans Affairs, I want to express our condolences to his wife, Nancy, his children, Karen, Hoot, and Bruce, and to his grandchildren as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1460, as amended, the Veterans Entrepreneurial and Benefits Improvement Act of 2003. The Committee on Veterans Affairs reported H.R. 1460 unanimously on May 15 as a result of the initiative of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi), who introduced the bill. This bill was introduced following a hearing on the state of veterans employment on February 5 at which the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) highlighted the seriously inadequate performance of Federal agencies in reaching out to disabled veteran- owned businesses. Since then, the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), and I have worked closely with the chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo), and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), of the Committee on Small Business with respect to section 3 of the bill on which the Committee on Small Business had jurisdiction.

I am pleased that we have been able to formulate language agreeable to both committees, and I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for their cooperative efforts.

Mr. Speaker, disabled American veterans deserve a full opportunity to participate in the economic system that they fought so hard to defend. Section 2 of the bill would make improvements to the veteran and service-disabled veteran's small business opportunities by authorizing for the first time the use of VA education benefits to pay for nondegree/noncredit courses. These courses are offered by the Small Business Development Center and the National Veterans Business Development Corporation.

Section 3 of the bill has been, if you want to look at it one way, almost 23 years in the making. It contains a disabled veterans contracting preference provision derived from the 1980 White House Conference on Small Business convened by then-President Jimmy Carter.

The 1981 consultant report of the SBA Veterans Project and the 1999 report of the bipartisan Congressional Commission on Servicemembers and Veterans Transition Assistance made similar-type recommendations.

This provision for the first time would authorize Federal agencies to create sole-source contracts for disabled veteran-owned and -controlled small businesses. It would also furnish Federal agencies discretionary authority to restrict contracts to disabled veteran-owned and - controlled businesses if at least two such concerns were qualified to bid on the contract. This is the first time Federal contracting officers will have such authority.

Section 3 would also create a 4-year pilot in the Department of Veterans Affairs, service-disabled veterans-controlled businesses, and would have the same contracting priority as SBA's 8(a) program for socially and economically disadvantaged small business.

For all other Federal agencies, service-connected disabled-veteran- owned and -controlled businesses would be accorded priority to be awarded procurement contracts above the women-owned and HUBZone priorities, but just below 8(a) priorities.

In all cases, to be eligible for these procurement preferences, veterans who own and control small businesses would need to have at least a 10 percent service-connected disability.

The Federal Government, Mr. Speaker, contracts for about $235 billion in goods and services annually. America's sons and daughters who became disabled in their service to the Nation will

now have some of the same types of contracting preferences accorded to other deserving groups.

Section 4 of the bill, Mr. Speaker, would extend VA's specially adapted housing grant to severely disabled service members prior to separation from active duty service. Under current law, an otherwise eligible servicemember may not apply for home modification assistance until he or she is actually separated from the military or placed on the temporary-disabled retirement list.

I want to commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for his leadership in putting together this important provision.

Section 5 would reinstate the Department of Veterans Affairs' vendee loan programs, which the VA administratively terminated last January. I want to thank the gentleman for joining me for authoring this provision.

When a purchaser agrees to buy a foreclosed VA home, VA often offers to finance the sale by establishing a vendee loan to encourage the prompt sale of a home. Vendee loans are made at market interest rates and often require a down payment. Borrowers are assessed a 2.25 percent funding fee that is paid in each case. The vendee loan program is based on sound business principles, and there is an ample body of empirical evidence to suggest that offering vendee financing is highly cost effective to the government. In March, for example, of 2002, a Booz, Allen, Hamilton study found that cost effectiveness of vendee loan financing, their report said that the government would save $16 million a year starting in 1999.

Finally, section 6 of the bill would repeal the existing 2-year limitation on accrued benefits so that a veteran survivor may receive the full amount of an award and of benefits and may not be penalized if VA does not process the claim in a timely manner. This section is derived from H.R. 241, legislation that I introduced earlier this year.

Finally, I want to thank especially the good leadership that the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) has provided in shaping this legislation. As always, I wanted to thank my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for his work on this, as well as the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) who is representing the minority in presenting this bill to the floor today and for his good work as ranking member of the subcommittee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi), the author of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself an additional minute.

I again want to thank my friends on the other side of the aisle for their good hard work on this legislation, and I especially want to thank the extraordinary work by the author of it, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi). This is a bill that will help so many of our veterans who are service-connected disabled who are in the business realm to get the kind of government contracts that they are deserving of and hopefully will lead to greater wealth and a capability on their part to provide for their families and for their loved ones.

This is a good bill. It is pro-business, it is pro-veteran, and it deserves the support of everybody in this Chamber.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank our subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), and again, the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud), who is the ranking member, for their work on this bill, for marking it up and bringing it forward to the full committee where we marked it up and passed it unanimously.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas-and- nays.

The yeas-and-nays were ordered.

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 too want to share the words and the memories of Congressman Bob Stump. I am privileged to serve a major portion of the district in Arizona that he served so greatly for many, many years and more so, to learn more about him through the experience of his staff members who now work for me here in Washington. In addition, what I have learned greatly with serving with the Committee on Veterans Affairs under his mentorship and leadership has been a great influence on me.

I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for those words, and to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) I am also grateful. I will pass those on at the ceremony honoring Bob Stump this Wednesday in Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand here today in support of the thousands of service-disabled veteran small business owners across the Nation who want to do business with the Federal Government. The distinguished members of our community and the successful small businesses are an integral part of the backbone of our economy; the same economy they fought for so bravely; the same economy that they gave their personal sacrifice to preserve and protect.

I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman, because it is he who saw this many years ago and helped pull together the various portions of this legislation to build a bill that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member, has supported, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo), the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), and also our distinguished ranking member on the subcommittee, the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud). I also want to thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown) for allowing me to move forward this legislation, though it came under jurisdiction of his committee, and I especially want to thank the Committee on Veterans Affairs staff for their leadership and guidance in developing this legislation. They put a lot of hours into making this bill a reality.

This bill is a first step in improving our current practice of contracting opportunities, and I look forward to working with the Committee on Veterans Affairs in the future and with the Committee on Small Business to further extend these small business opportunities.

Our purpose in introducing this legislation was to give service- disabled business owners and Federal contractors the tools they need to meet the government-wide statutory goal of 3 percent established in Public Law 106-50. When the Committee on Veterans Affairs held an oversight hearing chaired by our committee chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), on February 5, the state of veterans entrepreneurship program was discouraging to hear. In many cases, there were only several agencies that had Federal contracts with any of our service-disabled veterans and many did not even reach 1 percent. This is unacceptable and our veterans deserve better.

This bill sets out to lift these barriers that have denied service- disabled veterans the opportunities to fully participate in Federal contracting, and we are morally bound to promote the successful employment of those who have borne the battle and bear the scars of freedom for all Americans.

For the first time, this legislation, H.R. 1460, will allow veterans to use the Montgomery GI bill to educate themselves and to take entrepreneurial courses from small business centers. The National Veterans Business Development Centers Corporation will also be included in their ability to teach many of our veterans. This gives veterans the business education and training they need to successfully operate small businesses, and it is a real investment towards improving our economy and our veterans' livelihood.

Secondly, we recognize certified small business owners as a source of Federal procurement programs. Service-disabled veterans have a tougher journey ahead of them when they return from duty with a disability, and these veterans are comprised of individuals of all races and both genders. Veterans have earned the right to compete for contracts on the same level as other classes of individuals.

We hope that in the future those who have served within the Department of Defense and have provided homeland security will also have a priority in contracting with DOD and the Department of Homeland Security.

Small business-contracting Federal officers will note that Public Law 106-50 directed the creation of a database of small businesses that have identified themselves as being owned by service-disabled American veterans. This has been a labor intensive task, and I commend the Department of Veterans Affairs for their progress in realizing this effort. It is critically important that our Federal contractors have access to this information and be able to identify veteran-owned businesses that qualify for prime and subcontractor awards.

This legislation is a beginning. This tool can be used by veteran contracting officers to find service-disabled veteran businesses and help them achieve the statutory goal of 3 percent.

I want to thank again the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his leadership and his kindness towards me and generosity. I thank everyone on the Committee on Veterans Affairs, and I hope disabled American veterans will find a way now to help grow their businesses and prosper.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 1460, the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Benefits Improvement Act of 2003, which I am a proud co-sponsor of. I also would like to thank the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith); the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans); and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), for their work in bringing this important legislation to the floor.

This bill includes several provisions related to veterans who are owners of small businesses or who aspire to be.

I appreciate the efforts of the chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo); and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez); as well as the staff of the Committee on Small Business for their assistance with those provisions.

H.R. 1460 would authorize the use of VA education assistance to pay for nondegree and noncredit business courses at approved institutions. This will enable veterans to obtain educational opportunities that meet their small business goals. This legislation would also improve the ability of service-disabled veterans who own small businesses to do business with the Federal Government.

As a member of both the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Veterans Affairs, I am pleased that we are considering this legislation to help service-disabled veterans to obtain government contracts. These men and women who have sacrificed so much for this country, they are disabled as a result of their service to our Nation. The least that we can do is to say if you own a small business, then you should have the opportunity to obtain contracts from the Federal Government.

I am particularly disappointed about the number of service-disabled veterans who are obtaining Federal contracts. The number is already unacceptably small, and it has actually decreased over the past year. As Angela Styles of the Office of Management and Budget testified earlier this year, the Federal Government's record for contracts to service-disabled veterans is abysmal.

This bill will help improve that record. Section 4 of the bill includes provisions from H.R. 761, introduced by the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), and by the chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). These provisions would allow servicemembers such as those seriously disabled during the Iraq War to obtain special adapted housing grants before being discharged from military service. These grants are available only to the most severely disabled veterans.

Under current law, servicemembers with severe disabilities may have their hospital discharge delayed if, for example, they do not have a wheelchair-accessible home available. But we can speed up the process by giving them their assistance immediately. Since they will meet the requirements as soon as they are discharged, there is no reason to delay providing them with assistance while their discharge is pending. This is a sensible, cost-effective and humane provision.

Section 5 of the bill would reinstate a particularly effective VA vendee home loan program, and I am puzzled as to what the reasons were for terminating such an effective, cost-saving program; and I am pleased that Congress is taking action to reinstate it.

H.R. 1460 also includes a provision of H.R. 241, which removes the time limitation on accrued benefits paid to the families of veterans who died while a claim for veterans benefits is pending. I have veterans in my district in Maine with claims which have been pending for many years. I hope none of them passes away while waiting for a decision. Should they do so, I want their families to see the full retroactive benefit to which the veteran is entitled.

I urge all Members to support this bill.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I note with sadness the passing of a long-time friend of this Nation's veterans and former chair of our committee, Bob Stump. Although I did not have the opportunity to work with Mr. Stump, I appreciate the legacy of bipartisan cooperation he has left with the Committee on Veterans Affairs, similar to the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith).

I would like to extend my sympathy and that of all members of this body to his wife and his children.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.