A bill to designate the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Farmington, Missouri, as the "Robert Silvey Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic".

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the chairman and ranking member for all of the help they have given us in ensuring that the new veterans clinic in Farmington, Missouri can be named after the person who has advocated most vocally for it, and that is my good friend Bob Silvey.

You mentioned, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Silvey's service as part of the 82nd Airborne and going to the shores of France, actually parachuting in the night before the invasion of Normandy. But Bob has always been an incredible leader in the community of Farmington. As a matter of fact, when Bob asks you to do something, you would never want to say ``no,'' number one. And number two, you always want to make sure that it gets done as quickly as possible because he will not allow you to say ``no'' and he will not allow anything not to happen. So when we originally built our smaller veterans facility in Farmington, Missouri, Bob knew the second day that we moved in that it wasn't going to be adequate enough. So he went about looking in the community for a larger space to put it on, one now that is actually adjacent to our VFW post, and it all began like that.

But I have to say that this is an important and incredible tribute to Bob Silvey, but it is also a commitment to all of our servicemen and servicewomen in Missouri and around the country. Like Bob, so many of them continue to be active members of their community, and they are working tirelessly, as Bob did, to improve the quality of veterans health care in Southern Missouri.

I was really excited in March of this year to break ground on the facility and then in August for us to move into it, and it is a state- of-the-art facility, and really it is only a larger facility but it is there in large part because Bob Silvey was relentless in pursuit of this.

Bob has been an active member of the VFW Post 5896 of Farmington, Missouri. He served as commander four times. He twice served as commander of the VFW Post in Ironton, a town south of Farmington, a couple of times. And I was very, very proud, and I know Bob was too, that the members of the VFW Post 5896 and the American Legion Post 416 in Farmington unanimously passed resolutions in support of naming the new Farmington veterans clinic after Bob Silvey.

In addition, I might want to add that members of our Missouri statehouse and the State senate wrote letters of support in naming this clinic after Bob; so this is an important tribute to him. And certainly this legislation that you all have enabled us to put on the floor today would allow the residents of Farmington, Missouri to honor one of their greatest World War II veterans and ensure that the name on the new clinic reflects the service of a great contributor to our American freedom and the quality of our veterans' lives here at home.

Bob, I know that you are watching this on C-SPAN right now, and I hope that you know how well loved you are. I hope that you know what a leader you have been, and your commitment and your dedication to this country has been next to none. And this is a very real and fitting tribute to all that you have done to ensure that America remains the greatest country on the face of the earth.

So, Mr. Speaker, I thank very much Chairman Brown and Ranking Member Filner for this opportunity.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 4073) to designate the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Farmington, Missouri, as the ``Robert Silvey Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic''.

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

Mr. Speaker, S. 4073 would rename the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Farmington, Missouri as the ``Robert Silvey Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.''

Robert Silvey, a decorated veteran of World War II, served as a member of the famed 82nd Airborne Division and was among a group of troopers who parachuted into France the night before the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. While fighting in France, Mr. Silvey was wounded three times and was subsequently awarded the Purple Heart. After returning home from World War II, Mr. Silvey had been active in various service organizations in the Farmington area and was instrumental in advocating for the construction of this new outpatient clinic and has served as an active member in his community as well as in local veterans organizations. Naming this outpatient clinic for Mr. Silvey would be entirely appropriate.

I ask for the support of my colleagues in passing this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, House bill H.R. 5994 has the full support of the Missouri delegation and the State veterans service organizations and is identical to the Senate language.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 3 minutes to the original sponsor of H.R. 5994, the gentlewoman from Missouri, Mrs. Jo Ann Emerson.

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

Mr. Speaker, we also support S. 4073, and I know the gentlewoman from Missouri will speak about Mr. Silvey and make sure we know why his service is so honored.

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

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

I thank the gentlewoman, through the Chair, for her testimony to this decorated hero.

I would also point out we have another hero named Bob in the audience today. I would just like to recognize Bob Cover from the Legislative Counsel's Office, who has been 30 years writing this legislation and dealing with title 38. And we couldn't do anything without your expertise, Bob. We thank you for all your work. We wish you well in the future, and we appreciate your work to help veterans in this Nation.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 4073 introduced earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 days in which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 4073.