To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Wenatchee, Washington, as the Elwood "Bud" Link Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of H.R. 2245, my bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Wenatchee, Washington in honor of Elwood ``Bud'' Link.

Bud joined the Navy in 1941 and served on the destroyer USS Tracy that aided U.S. forces at Guadalcanal, Okinawa, and elsewhere in the Pacific. He was one of many residents of north central Washington who were called to serve their country during World War II. However, Bud's support for his Nation didn't stop when his military service ended.

As an active member of the local Cashmere Veterans of Foreign Wars post, Bud was a dedicated advocate for increased hometown health care. He experienced firsthand the long distances north central Washington veterans had to travel for even the most basic health care. In 2001, the Cashmere-Leavenworth VFW passed a motion to research the need for a VA clinic, and Bud quickly took the lead. He became a tireless proponent of bringing a veterans outpatient clinic to north central Washington.

Bud was instrumental in keeping the local veterans motivated, active and informed about how to successfully make a clinic a reality. He championed the clinic until his death in 2003.

For several years I worked with Bud Link and local veterans to make the case for a new clinic in north central Washington and press the VA when the project faced delays. Our hard work paid off in 2006 when the Secretary of Veterans Affairs approved a new clinic. And, in 2007 I was very proud to attend the grand opening of the new VA clinic in Wenatchee.

As a tribute to Bud's work to support hometown health care for rural Washington state veterans, Senator Patty Murray and I introduced legislation to name the clinic in Bud's honor.

This bill has the endorsement of the local community, the entire Washington state Congressional delegation, the Washington state Chapters of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, and the Vietnam Veterans of America.

By officially naming this clinic in Wenatchee after Bud, we are paying respect to a local veteran who fought for the quality care his fellow veterans deserve.

I would like to thank Bud's wife, Helen, for her steadfast support of Bud's efforts. I would also like to thank the members of the Cashmere- Leavenworth VFW for their work to organize the local community in support of the clinic. Finally, I would like to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for their work to bring this bill to the floor today.

I strongly encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 2245. Through this bill we are recognizing the heroic efforts of Bud Link and his work to improve the health care of his fellow veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2245) to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Wenatchee, Washington, as the Elwood ``Bud'' Link Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my support of H.R. 2245, a bill to name the VA Outpatient Clinic in Wenatchee, Washington, after Elwood ``Bud'' Link.

Mr. Link, along with his comrades from the Cashmere Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1045, was the driving force in getting a VA clinic built in North Central Washington. A veteran of World War II, Link worked tirelessly to bring accessible health care to his rural community.

And according to the Northwest Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, ``Bud may not be the highest ranking veteran in the community or the one with the most medals. But if you ask us, no one stood taller than him in the veteran community and naming the [clinic] after him will inspire us all to greater heights.''

In a newspaper article on the opening of the clinic, Mr. Link's widow stated that the message of Link's work for veterans was ``if you want to get something done, get a group behind you and go for it.'' Mr. Link did just that, and today, the veterans of rural Washington have a veterans' health care facility.

So today we not only honor the work of Elwood ``Bud'' Link, we also, in a very real sense, recognize the efforts of all of our veterans who work tirelessly day after day to ensure that their comrades get the health care benefits that they earned in service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, everywhere I go across the Nation I find leaders like Bud Link who don't just care about their own benefits, their own next appointment with the VA, but all the veterans, and they work in their community to make sure that we as a Congress respond to those needs. And I hope that we continue to respond to them.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I'm prepared to close and would reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2245.

I urge my colleagues to unanimously support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I rise in support of H.R. 2245, a bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Wenatchee, Washington, as the Elwood ``Bud'' Link Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic. I commend my colleague from Washington, Doc Hastings, for introducing this bill.

Bud was a very outspoken Navy veteran of World War II. Along with his friend and fellow veteran Bill Forte, he worked tirelessly with local veteran service organizations and elected officials to establish this outpatient clinic in Wenatchee, Washington, which is about 148 miles from Seattle. Bud is recognized as the catalyst behind this outpatient clinic, but unfortunately, he passed away before seeing its opening.

This selfless example of service to veterans is an inspiration to us all and certainly should be recognized. Memorializing Bud by renaming the clinic will recognize his service as both a seaman and as a veteran advocate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I urge my colleagues to adopt this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the motions to suspend the rules relating to the following measures be considered as adopted in the form considered by the House on Tuesday June 24, 2008:

House Resolution 1294, House Concurrent Resolution 163, House Resolution 353, House Resolution 1231, H.R. 2245, H.R. 4264, H.R. 4918, House Resolution 1271, House Concurrent Resolution 370, House Concurrent Resolution 195, House Resolution 970, House Concurrent Resolution 365.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Veterans' Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2245 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements be printed in the Record.