Veterans Small Business and Memorial Affairs Act of 2006

Mr. President, I have sought recognition in these waning hours of the 109th Congress to provide a summary of the good work accomplished over the last 2 years on behalf of America's veterans, and to comment on comprehensive legislation that is now pending in the Senate. I provide this summary in my capacity as chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, a title I will soon pass on to my friend, Senator Danny Akaka of Hawaii.

Before the 109th Congress convened, I made a decision to serve as chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

for two fundamental reasons. The first and most important was that our country was at war and continues to be at war, and a nation at war, with hundreds of thousands of young men and women having spent extensive tours overseas in hostile lands, fighting for our country, deserves the full attention of the Senate. Many have died during the course of combat operations. Others have been seriously wounded. Thousands more will transition out of the military service in the coming years and will attempt to reenter the workforce or go to school under the Montgomery GI bill. There simply was no greater calling than for me to assume the leadership role to ensure our Government was effectively assisting the current generation of America's veterans and their families.

Second, I have always been nonplused, I guess, at the characterization that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs was a ``B'' committee. This characterization exists despite these facts. Mr. President, 24 million Americans have served in the military and are potentially eligible for VA-administered benefits. In addition, VA will soon have a budget over $80 billion, which is one of the largest and fastest growing budgets within Government. And finally, VA has the second largest Federal workforce of any Government agency.

Therefore, it was my goal to elevate the committee's profile and the importance of the veterans' benefits and services by embarking on a course of vigorous oversight and legislative effort and, I believe, accomplishment.

It is my humble opinion that I share the credit with 13 other members of the committee. One of them is here on the floor with me, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, who also served not only on the authorizing committee with me but chairs VA MilCon and has played a critical role in veterans issues. We have been diligent and active participants of the committee, and the business of this committee, in my opinion, has been extremely productive in the last 2 years.

The committee held 52 hearings during the 109th Congress. From the start, our focus was on the combat wounded, the combat deceased, and their families. We held a hearing on the difficulty that surviving spouses have in getting timely and effective, consistent information regarding their benefits following the active-duty death of their loved one.

We held several hearings on whether returned combat veterans are provided with a seamless transition--many of us have heard those words used--from active duty to civilian life. We are still working with DOD on that, to make sure it is truly seamless.

We focused on medical and vocational needs of our severely wounded. We examined the research being done within the VA to advance our understanding of various diseases and disabilities confronting veterans in the hope that advances in medical science and technology could one day improve their lives. And there is clear evidence today that that very thing is happening.

The committee was particularly active in examining VA's budget needs, and no one can argue about the high priority this Congress placed on funding the VA system.

The total VA budget will have increased from approximately $63 billion at the end of fiscal year 2004 to over $80 billion upon enactment of a fiscal year 2007 appropriations bill, an increase of 27 percent.

In addition to resources provided, this Congress has put in place a system of accountability to ensure that the appropriations provided to VA are being used to meet the needs of those who rely on the vital health care provided by VA facilities around the Nation.

By law, VA now submits quarterly reports to the Congress on its budget that contain a comparison between VA's planned expenditures and actual expenditures.

More importantly, VA is required to include quality indicators in this report, such as the percentage of primary care appointments scheduled within 30 days of a patient's desired date.

I am confident that the Congress has the mechanisms in place to know, on short order, if VA's budget needs are outpacing its resources, and is therefore equipped to take swift remedial action if necessary.

On the legislative front, the Senate has continued to do the work expected of it by the men and women we serve and represent. Let me give a quick accounting of the legislative provisions that were enacted into law during this Congress:

First S. 1234 and S. 2562. In both the first and second sessions of the Congress, cost-of-living-adjustment legislation was enacted to increase the rates of disability compensation and survivors' compensation. Benefit rates were increased by 4.1 percent for 2006 and will be increased by 3.3 percent for 2007.

Second, Traumatic Injury Protection under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, T-SGLI. In many instances the wives, parents, and other family members of servicemembers who are traumatically injured incur substantial financial obligations in order to spend time with their loved ones during recovery periods at military hospitals.

Under the provisions of Public Law 109-13, those traumatically wounded since the start of OIF and OEF as a result of combat wounds are eligible for financial payments which range from $25,000 to $100,000 for qualifying injuries, depending on severity. To date, more than 2.500 wounded servicemembers have received payments as a direct result of this legislation.

As of December 1, 2005, all servicemembers and Reservists insured under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program are also covered under the T-SGLI benefit. The coverage extends to all qualifying injuries regardless of whether injuries are incurred as a result of combat.

Under the provisions of H.R. 3200, the maximum coverage for members of the Armed Forces and veterans of the Service Members Group Life Insurance and the Veterans Group Life Insurance benefit was increased from $250,000 to $400,000.

The bill, as enacted, also requires that spouses be notified when members insured under T-SGLI elect less than maximum coverage or designate a beneficiary other than the spouse or the children or the child.

In fiscal year 2006, the National Defense Authorization Act, H.R. 1815, under provisions of H.R. 1815 and as a result of veterans committees oversights, the Department of Defense was directed to provide customized integrated information to survivors of those killed on active duty about their future Federal benefits through an Internet Web site.

I was amazed when we started these hearings that we were still dealing with a hodgepodge of approaches of how we dealt with the surviving spouse of a lost one.

DOD was also directed to develop a uniform policy on providing casualty assistance to survivors. I would like to especially thank Senators Warner and Levin for their cooperation on that bill.

Also under H.R. 1815, a provision was adopted to prohibit military funeral honors and burial in VA national cemeteries and in Arlington National Cemetery to any person who is convicted of a Federal or State capital murder for which a sentence of death or life in prison may be imposed

We had an example of a fellow from Maryland who had killed two elderly people and was sentenced to death, died in prison, and was buried at Arlington. This provision was adopted following our committee's oversight and hearing of that double murder that I just expressed. I will speak more to my colleagues about the status of the double murder incident in a moment.

In June of 2006 President Bush signed into law S. 1235, a bill to help severely injured servicemembers in their transition from the military to their civilian lives. It authorizes VA to make grants available--ranging from $2,000 to $14,000--to assist with housing adaptations on a family member's home in which a severely disabled veteran is living.

It allows servicemembers, who have been legally determined 100 percent disabled when they separated from the military, up to 2 years from that date to apply for premium-free Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance coverage. Finally, it enables them to convert their coverage to Veterans' Group Life Insurance, or an individual plan or policy, during the same 2-year period.

As to H.R. 5037, undoubtedly most of my colleagues are aware of the fringe

group which has used its protected free speech rights to deliberately disrupt funerals of our military heroes. That is why the Senate voted unanimously to put reasonable restrictions on demonstrations at VA cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery.

An amendment was put forward on the floor of the Senate balancing the rights of grieving families to a dignified funeral ceremony; the rights of private property owners who live near cemeteries to be free from overly intrusive Federal laws; and the rights of demonstrators to have their message heard. The amendment was accepted, the bill was passed, and it is now Federal law.

In addition to the bills already enacted into law, the House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs have agreed on a comprehensive substitute amendment to S. 3421, which has cleared the House and awaits Senate action. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

S. 3421, the ``Veterans Benefits. Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006,'' contains provisions that would: enhance veterans' health, education, memorial affairs, and other benefit programs; improve VA's information technology infrastructure; authorize the construction of needed VA medical facilities; improve services for homeless veterans; remove the remains of a convicted double murderer from Arlington National Cemetery; and, I am proud to say, repeal an outdated and paternalistic law that limits the ability of veterans to hire an attorney to represent them during the VA claims process.

While a fuller accounting of the provisions of S. 3421 can be found in the Joint Explanatory Statement language accompanying the amendment text in the Congressional Record--and I ask unanimous consent that the Joint Explanatory Statement be printed in the Record along with the text of the substitute amendment to S. 3421,--I will make a few remarks about three provisions of note that I have championed.

Mr. President, currently, veterans and other claimants seeking veterans' benefits may not hire an attorney until the VA administrative proceedings have been completed--a process that often takes several years.

That law flows from a Civil War era policy intended to protect veterans from unscrupulous attorneys. That policy arose at a time-- unlike today--when attending law school was not required to become a lawyer and there was no effective professional oversight of lawyers.

In recent months, it has become abundantly clear that many veterans and their survivors want the option of hiring an attorney to help them navigate the increasingly complex VA system. In fact, the prohibition against veterans hiring attorneys is considered to be unfair and outdated by a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations, including veterans' organizations, veterans' advocates, judges, law professors, and bar associations.

For these reasons, I am very pleased that a compromise version of legislation I authored was accepted that would allow veterans to hire attorneys after a veteran files a Notice of Disagreement with VA's initial decision on their claim.

A provision of S. 3421 will enable the spouses of seriously wounded veterans to obtain educational assistance benefits sooner than they have ever been able to before.

The need for the educational assistance provision was brought to my attention by U.S. Army SFC Jeff Mittman, a young man who was blinded after an attack in Iraq and is being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Sergeant First Class Mittman's wife would like to begin receiving educational assistance benefits from the VA while her husband undergoes treatment in order to improve her job opportunities once he is officially discharged from service, but is now prevented from doing so by law. If enacted, S. 3421 would remove that barrier.

Finally, S. 3421 would remove the cremated remains of a convicted double murderer from Arlington National Cemetery.

In the summer of 2005, we learned that the remains of a brutal murderer--Russell Wayne Wagner--were placed in the Nation's preeminent military cemetery, Arlington National Cemetery.

I was appalled to discover that the law enacted in 1997 to deny capital offenders from burial in national cemeteries did not apply to Wagner.

This was also quickly brought to my attention by the Senator from Maryland, Barbara Mikulski. We joined together in that effort. The answer was it couldn't happen, it couldn't be removed because of the law.

While we moved swiftly to close the loophole that permitted Wagner's burial in the first place, the question remained: Should his remains continue to be included among the scores of honored dead in Arlington? For me and Senator Mikulski, who joined me in this effort, the answer was ``no.''

That is why I am so pleased that S. 3421 would direct the Secretary of the Army to remove Wagner's remains from Arlington.

As I stated last summer, we must not dishonor the sacrifices made by those memorialized at our Nation's military cemeteries by including among them individuals who, through their own heinous acts, have grievously dishonored themselves because at another time in their life they were veterans.

S. 3421 is an impressive assortment of legislation. It contains the collective work of more than 44 Senators. I want to take some time to single out a few of them.

Senators Burr and Obama for their work on the homeless assistance provisions of the bill; Senators Hutchison, Feinstein, Graham, Landrieu, and Murray for their work on the construction provisions; Senators Thune, Salazar, and Burr for their work on the rural health components of the bill.

And lastly, the committee's ranking member, and a true friend of veterans, Senator Akaka.

I ask my colleagues for their vote. And I thank every Senator on the committee and in the Senate for their support in seeing this, and all of the other veterans' bills, through the Senate.

I also want to thank my House colleagues, in particular Chairman Buyer, Ranking Member Evans, and Acting Ranking Member Filner. We were able to come together in the spirit of compromise in the final hour on some key provisions, and it is a fitting way to end this Congress.

As we head into a new Congress, I want to extend my best wishes to my friend, and soon-to-be chairman, Senator Akaka. It has been a pleasure working with a Senator of his quality, and I pledge that as ranking member I will strive to emulate the kindness, cooperation, and ``aloha'' that he showed me during my time as chairman of this great committee.

I yield the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3421) to authorize major medical facility projects and major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal years 2006 and 2007, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, under title I of the amended bill, veterans making claims would be able to hire an attorney or an agent after a notice of disagreement referred to as an NOD, with a VA benefits decision having been filed. In the spirit of compromise, we worked with our Senate counterparts to craft this provision in such a way as to provide veterans with the opportunity to retain representation while protecting them from unscrupulous attorneys, while at the same time with great hope, not adding to the burden on VA's already overwhelmed claims system.

Title II of the compromise language increases support of servicemembers returning from the war on terror by improving VA's outreach and increasing the number of clinicians treating post- traumatic stress disorder, referred to as PTSD, and improving their training.

The funds will also expand telehealth initiatives that are invaluable to rural veterans and expand the number of community-based outpatient clinics able to treat mental illnesses. The title further authorizes spending for collaboration and PTSD diagnosis and treatment between the VA and the Department of Defense. Families contending with the loss of a loved one will also benefit from bereavement counseling authorized under this bill.

Mr. Speaker, veterans undergoing blind rehabilitation treatment for Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, and those trying to break the cycle of homelessness, will also see increased support under this legislation. The bill authorizes $2 billion for blind rehabilitation specialists and increases the number of facilities where these specialists will be located. It also authorizes the VA to designate six Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers of Excellence and at least two multiple sclerosis centers of excellence.

The compromise legislation also strengthens VA's homeless grant and per diem programs. The provisions in title III would also make modifications to veterans education programs.

Mr. Speaker, I have been fortunate to meet some of these spouses of our severely wounded veterans, and I must say there is no one more deserving than these spouses who care for their wounded, America's heroes and their husbands on a daily basis.

Therefore, section 3 of the compromise contains a provision to authorize the VA to provide these education benefits under chapter 35 of title 38 of U.S.C. to these spouses' independent children of these severely injured servicemembers prior to the members' discharge, these servicemembers who in the opinion of the VA will most likely be discharged with permanent and total service-connected disabilities.

Rather than wait the 2- or 3-year time period, let us permit the spouses then to obtain their educational benefits so they can gain an education. When the husband or wife receives his or her discharge, they are then able to care for the family. Given the long convalescence many of these severely injured servicemembers experience while being on active duty, this provision, I think, makes a great deal of sense in how we support our families.

This is not a new benefit. The current law requires severely injured servicemembers to already be discharged for a condition qualifying for a chapter 35 benefit. We merely authorize the VA to pay these benefits sooner to those who would qualify following a member's discharge.

Mr. Speaker, under title III of the amended bill, it would also clarify the VA's pro rata refund policy for nonaccredited education institutions. We extend the authorization for work-study positions located at the VA cemeteries, State veterans homes and State approving agencies through June 30, 2007. We would require the VA to report on methods to improve and streamline the administrative processes and procedures of education programs in chapters 30 through 36 of title 38 of the United States Code and restore lost entitlement for certain chapter 35 education beneficiaries forced to discontinue a course of education due to being called to full-time National Guard duty.

Mr. Speaker, title IV, section 402, contains a provision that would extend for 1 year the VA Secretary's authority to provide the family of a veteran interred in a private cemetery with a government marker or any headstone. Congress had previously given the Secretary a 5-year authority effective for deaths that had occurred as of September 11, 2001. However, this authority expires on December 31 of this year.

Section 403 of the compromise agreement would allow tribal governments to participate in the VA's State Cemeteries Grants Program. This program dates back to 1978 and complements the department's National Cemetery System.

Title V of the compromise language improves the status of veteran and disabled veterans small businesses when competing for contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. There would be a reasonable expectation, Mr. Speaker, that all of the Federal Government's agencies in the Department of Veterans Affairs would be a leader in achieving the President's goal for annual procurement from at least 3 percent of the disabled veteran-owned businesses. Sadly, our most recent data from fiscal year 2005 indicates that the VA did barely over half of what the President directed and the public law required.

Mr. Speaker, the compromise agreement would also require the VA Secretary to establish annual contracting goals for small businesses owned and controlled by veterans and service-disabled veterans. The goal of the service-disabled veterans would not be less than 3 percent of these contracts. The veteran and disabled veteran-owned small businesses would be given priority in VA contracting as well as priority among other set-aside groups eligible for preferential treatment under the Small Business Act.

Title VI of this compromise bill contains provisions affecting the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service. The compromise agreement would also clarify the part-time employment of DVOPS and LVERs, which is half-time employment, and require that DVOPS and LVERs hired after the date of enactment successfully complete training by the National Veterans Training Institute within 3 years of appointment.

Finally, title VI of the compromise would establish a 3-year demonstration program to identify not less than 10 military occupational specialties that would lead to State licensing and authorize the use of any unobligated funds for the project through fiscal year 2009.

Title VII provisions of the legislation strengthen support for homeless veterans, increasing authorization for housing, per diem payments and other specialized services. It also creates a VA Office of Rural Health and dramatically improves outreach for rural veterans.

State veterans homes will now be reimbursed by VA for the cost of care provided to veterans with 70 percent or higher service-connected conditions. Further, veterans in these homes with service-connected conditions rated at

least 50 percent would receive their medications free of charge. In order to increase access to long-term care, VA would conduct a pilot program that makes non-VA facilities, such as community hospitals, eligible for State veterans home per diem payments.

Mr. Speaker, title VIII of the compromise language authorizes $36.8 million for advanced planning of a collaboration project between the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, S.C. and the adjacent Medical University of South Carolina, referred to as MUSC.

The project is likely to ensure that veterans in the low country of South Carolina receive the highest quality and state-of-the-art facilities. It would replace the aging infrastructure of the VA facilities and combine this with the MUSC facilities which are adjacent. Connecting these facilities, not just the sharing of clinicians, which is now the case, is the way to go.

There is very expensive and advanced medical equipment, lab and ancillary services. That is the goal of this collaboration. Both VA and the Medical University will remain committed to preserving VA's unique identity and commitment to veterans priorities. The enhanced collaboration envisioned in Charleston is innovative and will serve as a national model as its design and operation benefiting from the best minds in the public and private sectors will afford South Carolina veterans higher quality, more efficient care and truly state-of-the-art facilities.

This is a big deal, Mr. Speaker. It is a big deal because this idea is going to be leveraged also into Louisiana.

We are authorizing over $600 million for repair and replacement of flood and hurricane-damaged facilities in New Orleans and along the gulf coast of Mississippi.

The bill authorizes $98 million for the replacement of the VA Medical Center in Denver and directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to explore the viability of public-private partnerships as he moves forward in Denver.

Twenty-two other major construction projects in 15 States are authorized in this bill, which also approves continued leasing of eight medical facilities and requires the VA to explore options for construction of a new facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Mr. Speaker, on May 3, 2006, an incident of a VA employee's stolen laptop computer potentially put at risk the personal data of 25.6 million veterans and 2.2 million Active Duty, Guard and Reservists. This was the largest information security breach to have occurred in government and it is the second largest such security breach in the Nation's history.

Title IX of the compromise bill would protect our veterans and servicemembers from the misuse of their sensitive personal information. The bill directs the VA to provide breach notification to individuals, reports to Congress, broad alerts, data breach analysis and credit monitoring services, and identify theft insurance.

Title IX, what we do is direct the Secretary to issue implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment of this bill.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, title X of the compromise language makes technical and clarifying amendments to title 38

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

Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Ms. Berkley, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for your tenacity, for your commitment to your veterans that you serve, not only in your district, but across the country. I have enjoyed working with you on your project in Las Vegas. I enjoyed my visits with you when I was out there.

One of the challenges which we face is the growth of population that you have in Las Vegas, which is like none other in the country. I know that Ms. Brown believes that Orlando is growing the fastest, but Las Vegas, it is beyond comprehension how you are able to stay ahead of it.

So whatever we plan today, what I have learned about working with you, what we planned 2 years ago is already obsolete today. This is an ongoing issue that I want to work with the gentlelady with, and I compliment your effort and leadership

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), the subcommittee chairman on health.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), subcommittee chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues from the committee from both sides of the aisle for their bipartisanship in the crafting and supporting of a substantive and forward-thinking bill. It enhances veterans health care and benefits both through stronger veterans programs and through fundamental organizational reforms and innovation.

I would also like to thank the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member Ike Skelton. Mr. Skelton, if you please, extend to your staff, they worked through the night with us, because there are certain things in our bill that mentioned DOD and they were wonderful to work with. So please extend our appreciation for their work.

I would also like to thank the leadership of Chairman Henry Brown and Ranking Member Mike Michaud for their good work on the Health Subcommittee; Chairman Jeff Miller and Berkley on their leadership on benefits; Chairman John Boozman and his leadership, along with Ms. Herseth on economic opportunity; Chairman Michael Bilirakis and Mr. Strickland on ONI.

I would also like to extend an appreciation to Ranking Member Lane Evans and that of the acting Ranking Member, Mr. Filner. I also extend deep appreciation to Senator Larry Craig and Ranking Member Akaka of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee whose vision and collaborative spirit do veterans justice.

Without the around-the-clock efforts by our dedicated staff both in the House and the Senate, I would not be standing here today, nor would our veterans and their families be the beneficiaries of a better VA system tomorrow.

I also want to thank Senator Lindsey Graham and former Senator Ernest Hollings and Dr. Ray Greenberg of MUSE, who recognized the value of the ``Charleston model'' that will now be hopefully leveraged across the country to bring state-of-the-art medicine to veterans.

I also want to thank Senator Richard Burr from North Carolina for his leadership and care to provide for America's homeless veterans.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks, and that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous matter on S. 3421.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6314) to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend certain expiring provisions of law and to expand eligibility for the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program.

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

Madam Speaker, today I rise and urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 6314, a bill that would extend several existing Department of Veterans Affairs benefits provisions.

This bill will extend these provisions of health care services to veterans exposed by chemical and biological testing under Projects 112 and SHAD, and treatment and rehabilitation programs for seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans until December 31, 2007. The bill would also extend VA's homeless grant and per diem programs until September 30, 2007, and extend additional services for mentally ill and homeless veterans until December 31, 2007. It would extend VA's Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, as well as the program which is providing government markers in private cemeteries until that date.

The work/study provisions of the legislation allowing veterans to assist VA and other government agencies would be extended until June 30, 2007. The work/study program is an increasingly popular benefit that provides veterans with an alternative use of their GI Bill if they choose not to go to college.

The bill also provides education benefits for the family members of severally injured veterans who are undergoing long-term convalescence while on active duty. Spouses and children of servicemembers who are determined by the VA to be permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected cause or causes would be eligible to receive Chapter 35 education benefits while the servicemember is still on active duty while undergoing treatment. This Chapter 35 provision would enable spouses and dependent children of severely wounded servicemembers to access their Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits while the servicemember is going through extended convalescence prior to discharge.

Under the current law, these beneficiaries must wait until the member is discharged, and since the spouses of these members most often become the primary breadwinner, I believe it is important to give them as much of a headstart as possible on becoming more competitive in the job market. The amount of the benefit remains the same.

I thank the Blinded Veterans Association for bringing this important issue to the attention of myself and members of the committee. We met with Army Sergeant 1st Class Jeffrey Mittman and his wife Christine. Sergeant 1st Class Mittman was blinded by an IED and is undergoing extensive rehabilitation and facial reconstruction.

Madam Speaker, this young soldier is articulate, has a very positive outlook on his life and is truly an inspiration. One look at his wife and you can immediately pick up the burdens she is bearing in caring not only for her husband, but also for her children. His wife Christy is a model of the love and support that she is providing to her husband as they face these challenges together. In fact, I think of this as the Christine Mittman provision, a provision not only that would help Christy, but also other spouses lessen the financial stress.

So, in essence, while Christy is providing leadership and mentoring for her children, caring for her husband instead of waiting until he completes all of the facial reconstruction and rehabilitation necessary, she can start her educational opportunities now.

I think this is the right thing to do. We all know he is going to be 100 percent disabled. She wants to become a nurse, so let's give her and others who are likewise situated to have these opportunities.

Madam Speaker, the committee is currently also undergoing bipartisan negotiations on a number of bills, not only with my House counterparts, but also with the Senate counterparts.

Among these bills are H.R. 3082, the Veterans Small Business and Memorial Affairs Act of 2006. It passed the House on July 24, 2006. We have informally been discussing provisions since July 28. The bill improves the status of veterans and disabled veterans small businesses when competing for contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs. It allows Tribal government to participate in the VA's State Cemetery Grants Programs, authorizes the VA Secretary to provide the family of a veteran interred in a private cemetery with government markers, which we are doing now. It also requires the Veterans Employment Training Service, otherwise known as VETS, to establish nonmandatory guidelines for disabled veterans outreach programs. There are a lot of things in this bill, and I am hopeful we are going to get this done and negotiated.

There is another bill, H.R. 4061, the Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Management Improvement Act. It would centralize VA's IT organizational structure so that it reports directly to the Department's chief information officer.

Ultimately, the bill would empower the CIO with the authority over the IT budgets, equipment and personnel. While the House passed this bill with widespread bipartisan support, and I appreciate the leadership of Mr. Filner and others on this legislation, the Senate is even yet to take action on that bill.

There is another bill, H.R. 5815, the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Authorization Act of 2006, that would ensure that we will efficiently provide the right facilities with the right places for veterans' health care. Given the current veteran population and those which we can expect in the coming years, it would authorize $2.5 billion for major implementation projects and $51 million for facilities leases. This is an important bill, and we are getting close on these negotiations.

We have another bill, H.R. 5835, the Veterans Identity and Credit Security Act, as amended. This bill requires notification to Congress and individuals in the event of a data breach. All of us Members understand and remember the data breach.

And we had extensive oversight on the committee. Mr. Filner and I were able to lead over eight hearings in a 6-week time frame, and we are perfecting change in our cooperation with the administration. This is a good bill and I am hopeful that we can get this bill done.

This bill also included a scholarship and loan repayment program to provide the Secretary with a recruitment and retention tool to attract qualified people in the areas of information technology and management so they can work in these security areas. As I said, this bill received widespread bipartisan support here in the House and I am most hopeful that we can move to the Senate and achieve our work

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time

Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend Mr. Filner for his comments.

You are absolutely right. We have a lot of good work product that hopefully we can get done.

At this point I would like to yield 2 minutes to a friend of America's veterans, the Honorable Michael Bilirakis. Michael will be retiring and leaving us here at the end of this Congress, and his work and leadership will be missed.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. We will have one more opportunity, I am hopeful, to speak about Mr. Bilirakis' efforts.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the First District of South Carolina, the chairman of the Health Subcommittee, Henry Brown.

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

Ms. Berkley, I want to thank you for your leadership on this bill. Thank you for working with Nancy Johnson, Jeb Bradley. This symbol of honor and remembrance is very important. I want to thank you for that.

Also I want to embrace your words regarding the leases. In the construction bill we have a number of leases, and we need to complete our work. And so I embrace your words. I call on you for your help. The Senate has not been as helpful. You know that is a continuous body over there. We do not know how it is about to be reorganized. We have a lot of our work that needs to be done over the last 2 years, and we cannot let this construction bill die on the vine. We have to complete that work.

If we do not re-up these leases, it is going to cost the Federal Government more money because there are penalty clauses that will go into effect, and we cannot and should not let that happen.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Nevada.

Reclaiming my time, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

I thank the gentlewoman for her contribution.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, the Honorable Tim Murphy.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Filner for his cooperation on this bill and other bills. Mr. Filner, we have got the CIO bill, we have got the cyber security bill. The Senate sent us two health bills, a benefit bill and we have got the construction bill. So all of these are in negotiation with the Senate. It is hard work. It represents 2 years of effort.

Recalling the recent words of my esteemed colleague, Nancy Pelosi, with the creation of this new theme of a bipartisan way for all Americans, let's embrace it. Let's get our work done. We enjoy bipartisanship on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and I wish other committees could see how well we have worked together over the years. I call on leadership of everyone here in the House in dealing with these bills here on veterans affairs to complete our work on behalf of our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I also call upon the Senate leadership to finish our legislative negotiations. Let's complete our work. Let's not forget our veterans and their families. And, Mr. Speaker, I also call upon the leadership of the veterans service organizations and the military service associations to encourage the Senate leadership to finish our negotiations and again finish the work that we had started on behalf of this Nation's veterans and dependents.

These warriors fought for our freedom. The least we can do is complete our work and provide for them the best care and benefits possible. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

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

Mr. President, I commend the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Senator Craig has done an outstanding job of making sure the laws that weren't working, where we were not doing what we should be doing to help our veterans, were changed.

He has worked a long time on the bill now coming to its final passage--finally. He has been working on it for 2 years, that I am aware. He has done a terrific job. There is a lot of authorization that is essential to go forward next year on appropriations.

I appreciate the work of the Senator. He is retiring as chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and going to ranking member. I know his working relationship with the new chairman is such that we will continue to see progress in this area.

military construction appropriations

I will talk about the continuing resolution being passed by the House in a few hours that will be sent to the Senate. We will send that bill to the President to meet the midnight deadline so Government can continue to function.

I am talking tonight about this bill with very mixed feelings because I am chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans' Affairs and Related Agencies, and I wanted to pass the full bill, the appropriations for military construction, and I wanted to make sure we covered our veterans' needs. It is an important subcommittee, of which I have served as chairman these last 2 years. I have worked with my ranking member, Senator Feinstein, to assure we had the funding we needed. Senator Feinstein and I were ready to go on our bill. It passed in September. It is a bill that passed unanimously in the Senate. I know everyone agreed we had

covered the bases that need to be covered to do what is right for our military--active duty and the veterans--who have served our country in the past.

Unfortunately, our full bill is not going to pass. It is not going to pass because, first, it was held up in the Senate for appointing conferees, held up by a few Senators who thwarted the majority. I was very disappointed we lost those weeks. Our Appropriations Committee chairman Thad Cochran tried, as I, to pry the bill out so we could go to conference and work with the House.

Finally, this week, through the leadership of Senator Frist and Senator Stevens from Alaska, the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, we were able to alleviate all of the concerns raised and get the bill to conference.

Then, unfortunately, the members of the House committee had determined we did not have enough time to conference the bill. I think we did have enough time. We had the time to do all of the construction that should be started right now. However, that is not going to happen.

I would not have allowed this bill to go forward, and I would be speaking against it right now if we did not have a provision in the House-passed continuing resolution that will give budget transfer authority to the Department of Veterans Affairs so that there will be no medical need, no service need, no payment to any veteran that will not be made before this continuing resolution runs out.

If that provision had not been added in the bill, we would not be passing this bill tonight because I would be talking all night to keep it from passing.

I called the Secretary of Veterans Affairs this afternoon, and I asked him if he could assure me that there would be enough money in the accounts from which they could transfer to assure that all of the medical needs, including surges in medical needs, would be able to be given. The Secretary assured me that is the case. The Secretary said they had enough surplus money, enough rainy day fund money, and enough money in the other accounts that they would not hurt the other accounts and they would be able to transfer. He did say that by the time we got to February 15, if we didn't have a full bill, they would be beginning to run into trouble. He gave me his word--and I know his word is good-- that if they see some shortfall that would start happening before February 15, and if there is no bill, he would call me immediately, and we would begin to work on a supplemental approach.

I am certainly going to trust his word. Secretary Nicholson has been a man of his word throughout these years I have worked with him. He is a veteran himself, a distinguished veteran. He knows the veterans issues. He cares about veterans. He will call, as he did last year when he saw a looming shortfall and he asked for help and we gave him the help to assure the veterans' needs would be met. We are going to cover it, and we are going to do it in a way that will assure that the medical care is given.

I have to say, I am disappointed we are going to adjourn without completing the full bill, without completing the military construction so it can start right away, without completing the appropriations and the priorities that we are putting in the next year for veterans. I know they will not suffer in any way because Secretary Nicholson assured me of that.

I will be watching. I will be staying on top of the VA's financial situation throughout this period that the continuing resolution is going to run, to the middle of February. If a problem arises, I will not stop advocating for the supplemental appropriation that will be necessary to assure we have the funding we need.

We will work together in this Congress to assure that the men and women who are protecting our freedom, as we speak today, get the quality of life they deserve. We will continue to work together to assure that the veterans who have served our country, who have answered the call of our country, are given everything to which they are entitled and which we owe them.

I am going to be the ranking member of this subcommittee next year, having served as chairman for 2 years with a wonderful ranking member, Senator Feinstein. It has been pure joy. She has a wonderful staff. We have never had a disagreement that couldn't be worked out. We have made sure the priorities, which are the same for both of us, have been met. I will be a loyal ranking member, and I hope the new chairman will have the same relationship and the same overall goal for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs that Senator Feinstein and I have had. I believe he will.

I am going to vote for the continuing resolution. However, I could not be more disappointed that we did not pass the full appropriations bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. I know the veterans will be taken care of, and I know the military construction will begin with the new starts a couple of months late. We will get those projects done with that small delay. I am going to make it my priority to assure that happens.

Senator Stevens has come to the Senate. I want to say, in addition to Senator Cochran, Senator Stevens and Senator Inouye have been the advocates for our military throughout the time I have been in the Senate. I am honored to be a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. I know those two leaders work together, as Senator Feinstein and I do, and that is with one goal: to make sure the military, who are in harm's way, who are fighting so we may speak freely in this Chamber, who are fighting for our children and grandchildren to have the freedom we enjoy and that has been given to us by generations past, will have the opportunities they deserve, and that is the quality of life that we can give them.

I thank the Senate for coming to the end with this continuing resolution. I will support it.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I would just like to clarify, with the Senator from Alaska on this subject, that the Senate did act. The Senate did pass our bill, and we did appoint conferees, and it was a lack of willingness on the part of the House to have conferees meet with the Senate. His disappointment is the same as mine.

I am going to start working on January 4, when we are sworn in to the new Congress. And I hope we can take the bill that has been passed unanimously by the Senate and work through the appropriations process and pass this bill before the continuing resolution is ended on February 15. We do not have to wait until February 15. And once the committee is constituted, and we have a chairman and a ranking member, I will be the ranking member, and I will work with the chairman. And I hope we can pass this bill because it is in very good order and it was unanimously supported by the Senate. And I think we are pretty close to what the House passed. I think, with a strong will, we will be able to come in before February 15 and start those projects about which the Senator from Alaska just spoke.

So I will look forward to working with him in the new year, both for Defense appropriations and for this Military Construction bill and the Veterans Affairs bill and the military quality of life that is in the bill that we passed in the Senate earlier this year.

I thank the Senator.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

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

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the gentlelady. Having visited her area, I understand the fast growth that she is experiencing with VA and her veterans. So I strongly support a new facility in her area, and will talk in a few minutes about the needs of the veterans in Central Florida for over 25 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Veterans Benefit Health Care and Information Technology Act of 2006. This bill, as its title suggests, authorizes new benefits and health care programs for veterans. The bill authorizes needed construction of VA medical facilities and leases for VA clinics across the Nation. The bill also addresses significant vulnerabilities in VA's information technology security.

I am proud that working with the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Buyer, the chairman of our committee, and our colleagues in the Senate, Chairman

Craig and Ranking Member Akaka, we have been able to draft a solid veterans bill before we recess.

Mental health: I have been a firm advocate that we must do more to help veterans with mental health concerns and their families. The legislation we consider today has many important mental health provisions which will expand VA capacities to address the mental health concerns of veterans.

One example, the bill authorizes the VA to have marriage and family therapists and the other mental health professionals. Today we are sending a clear signal that we want to help the families of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder stay strong, stay resilient and stay together.

This bill requires the VA to ensure that each community-based outreach clinic has the capacity to provide mental health services. This bill requires the VA to increase the number of vet centers able to use telemedicine to provide counseling for veterans. This is especially important for veterans living in rural areas. This bill requires VA to increase the outreach service of vet centers.

Passing this legislation is an important first step, but we must be vigilant to be sure that VA implements the law as we intended them.

Long-term care: In just a few years, VA estimates that there will be 1.3 million veterans who will be 85 years old and older. Because of their age, these men and women will most likely need long-term nursing care or other assistance. This bill requires VA to develop and publish a comprehensive plan for the long-term care of veterans.

Since 1888, State veterans homes have played an important role to provide care for our Nation's disabled veterans. This bill enhances this important Federal and State partnership by ensuring that medication is provided at no cost to veterans with a 50 percent or more service-connected disability. This bill also increases veterans reimbursement for the cost of care for veterans with significant service-connected disabilities.

Rural care: We all have heard of the frustration and challenges rural veterans face in trying to access medical care from the VA. This legislation helps focus VA efforts on addressing the needs of veterans in rural areas. The bill establishes a VA Office of Rural Health Care and requires the director of the new office to develop a plan to improve rural veterans access to VA care.

Outreach to recent veterans. This bill also requires the VA to conduct an extensive outreach program to veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and have returned home to rural communities.

This provision is proactive and presses VA to reach out to veterans and build on the strengths of our small towns and communities.

Construction. This omnibus measure also authorizes VA major facility construction projects and leases. It has been some time now since Congress acted to address the health care infrastructure of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

At this time, I want to mention the facility in Orlando, which has been in the pipeline and gone through the process for over 25 years, and that is one reason why I am extremely pleased that we are bringing this bill up today. The veterans in our area that have come from all over the country can no longer wait for a facility, and I am very pleased that the facility in Orlando and the facility not just in Orlando but in Florida and all over the country, including New Orleans whose facility was destroyed, and other places will get the authorization that it needs to move forward.

While I am proud that we are moving forward on important veterans legislation, I remain deeply frustrated and concerned that it still appears that we are still ending this congressional session leaving veterans without a funding bill. Even with a continuing resolution, we are undermining VA's health care system and shortchanging veterans. At the medical center level, a delay in the fiscal year 2007 funding translates into delays in hiring nurses and other hospital staff. It means staff work longer hours and are stretched thin. It means quality of care is put at risk. It means longer waiting lines for veterans.

This failure to pass a budget is a clear illustration of the need for mandatory or assured funding of VA health care, and I firmly support it. In the next Congress, we need to look seriously at alternate ways to assure adequate funding for veterans health care.

Needed action. This bill is a good bill, but even this hefty omnibus bill leaves some of our work incomplete.

I believe that we owe it to our newest veterans to modernize the GI bill, especially including meaningful benefits for the Guard and Reserve.

We must increase VA's capacity to meet the rehabilitation and long- term care needs of veterans with traumatic brain injuries.

We must continue to monitor and strengthen VA's capacity to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health concerns.

As we work to address the emerging issues of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, we must also continue to press VA to meet the health care needs of veterans exposed to Agent Orange and veterans struggling with a range of Gulf War illnesses.

Today's bill permanently authorizes VA's homeless grant and per diem program, which I think is very important because I know that we have all looked in our area and seen the homelessness. We know that one- third of those homeless are veterans, and so this bill helps homeless grants and per diem programs. This is a good program. We must help it grow to address more than a fraction of the homeless veterans on the streets. This is really unacceptable.

We need to work together in the next Congress to acknowledge where there are problems in the VA system and fix them.

Finally, I want to thank all of the VA staff on both the Republican and Democratic side for their dedication and hard work, and I know they have worked into the night for the last two nights to serve our Nation's veterans. I personally appreciate the work that they have done, and I appreciate the work that the leadership has done. I think it is a good bill. It is a good start, and I urge my colleagues to support it

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), my classmate.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests

for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.