Veterans Disability Benefits Claims Modernization Act of 2008

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Florida (Ms. Castor) for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I have to say that it is astonishing to me to what lengths this liberal Congress will go to shut down debate and close the legislative process.

This House, Mr. Speaker, has become far more dictatorial and far less deliberative in the last 19 months than ever before. In this Congress, there have been 59 closed rules, which is more than in any Congress in the history of our country.

Mr. Speaker, as you well know, a closed rule means Members are prohibited from coming to the House floor and offering an amendment to the bill that is being considered on the floor. An open rule allows Members to offer amendments to a bill that's being considered on the House floor. Mr. Speaker, it is simply as simple as that.

But Mr. Speaker, there hasn't been one single, solitary open rule this entire year in this body. For this entire Congress, going back to January of last year, there has been only one open rule on bills that were not appropriations bills. These facts present a stark picture of just how closed and restrictive this liberal Congress has become.

Yet the Speaker and Democrat-controlled Rules Committee aren't satisfied with having the worst, most closed record in history. They've decided to go even further to undermine the rules and traditions of the U.S. House of Representatives. With this rule, they've reached an absolute new low. They have chosen to breach the long-standing, bipartisan process of an open rule for the consideration of appropriations bills.

On what has been an open process on the House floor not just for years, not for decades, but dating back to the creation of the Appropriations Committee itself, this process is being closed down by this oppressive, liberal Congress.

This rule provides for consideration of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill for the next fiscal year. It is a bill that has always, Mr. Speaker, had strong bipartisan support. For example, last year it passed by a recorded vote of 409 in favor and only two against. And during that debate last year, there were just 15 amendments that were offered. And the total debate on the House floor was just 5 hours, which is a short time for appropriations bills.

Mr. Speaker, there is no part of this record that justifies what is being proposed today to decimate this open process. There is simply no excuse for what is being done and proposed by this rule.

I can only conclude that this is a blatant political attempt to stifle debate on the House floor in order to hold onto political power. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, it is being done at the expense of the rules and traditions of the People's House, the U.S. House of Representatives.

Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the new fiscal year begins on October 1; that's just 62 days away. Yet this House hasn't passed one single appropriations bill. At the end of the week, it will probably have passed one. By comparison, Mr. Speaker, in 2006, the Republican House had passed every bill except one by this point of the year.

It is a troubling, disappointing, and dangerous situation when those who control this liberal Congress are punting on their duty to pass the 12 annual appropriations bills while simultaneously undermining the open consideration of these very same appropriations bills, an open process that has been a bipartisan hallmark of this House since the inception of the Appropriations Committee.

And why is this being done, Mr. Speaker? Again, I can only conclude that it is because this liberal Congress refuses to allow open debate and votes on producing more American-made energy. Those who control this Congress have refused to allow a vote on lifting the ban on offshore drilling, at ANWR in Alaska, and on other Federal lands.

Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama oppose offshore drilling and in ANWR, but they refuse to let Congress vote on this important issue while gas prices, Mr. Speaker, are at record levels and Americans are hurting.

Mr. Speaker, I will submit for the Record three articles, one from the New York Times regarding Speaker Pelosi, one from the McClatchy Washington Bureau regarding Speaker Pelosi's position on offshore drilling, one in the House of nearly 6 weeks ago from The Hill regarding Mr. Obama's opinion on drilling, and one from the Las Vegas Review Journal regarding Majority Leader Reid's position on drilling in the Senate.

As you know, Speaker Pelosi has repeatedly insisted that this House won't ever vote, is not going to be permitted to vote, and that she will do everything possible to block a vote on lowering gas prices by producing more American-made energy by drilling for our own Nation's gas and oil. Americans can't afford this head-in-the-sand approach. Congress needs to stand up and vote on the Republicans' ``all of the above'' energy plan that simply says, let's do everything that we can to produce more American-made energy, including pursuing more clean alternatives like wind and solar, more nuclear power, more biodiesel, improving conservation, more investment in new technology research, and of course, immediately more drilling and refining of oil and gas from America's huge underground reserves.

Mr. Speaker, the choice is clear: we can continue with this ``drill nothing'' approach, or we can decide to act, to change course and to debate and vote on the Republicans ``all of the above'' plan to lower gas prices by producing more energy here in America and finding ways, at the same time, to use less.

Mr. Speaker, I believe our ``all of the above'' approach to lowering gas prices would pass. It would pass, I believe, Mr. Speaker, if it were permitted to have a vote on this House floor. I believe there is a majority that would vote for it in this U.S. House. But such a vote has yet to be allowed and is not being allowed today. And next week, we're going on a 5-week vacation. Mr. Speaker, I think that is intolerable.

The House is being shut down in new, bolder ways to block a vote on producing American-made energy. And as a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, this rule is proof of it.

The long-standing, bipartisan practice of considering appropriations bills under an open process is being trampled on by this rule. The actions that are being taken to restrict and shut down Members' ability to offer amendments and debate spending bills--which I might add, Mr. Speaker, is the very job that the American people elected us to do--is being undermined by this appropriations process, and it creates a very dangerous and volatile situation in this House.

Mr. Speaker, the leaders and the chairmen who've made this decision may well rue the day that they chose to go down this path.

By their actions, bipartisanship is being diminished, but more importantly, Mr. Speaker, the traditions of this House are being diminished. One cannot trample on the rules and practices of traditions of this House with impunity and then expect no long-term damage to result.

This is a sad and shameful rule. So I urge my colleagues to oppose it and demand this House uphold open rules for consideration of appropriations bills, which is one of the best practices historically of this institution. If we do not correct the closed rule course that is being set by this rule, it will do a great deal of long-term harm to this House that will prove, in my opinion, more difficult to reverse in the future.

[From the New York Times, July 17, 2008]

For Pelosi, a Fight Against Offshore Drilling

(By Carl Hulse)

Washington.--Upon entering Congress in 1987, Representative

Nancy Pelosi quickly became part of the solid California

front against oil drilling along much of the nation's coast.

The Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969 and the steady push to

tap the potential reserves off the state's rugged coast had

galvanized Californians and made opposition to offshore

drilling part of the political DNA of up-and-coming figures

like Ms. Pelosi.

She repeatedly resisted oil drilling in marine sanctuaries

near her San Francisco district and, after joining the

Appropriations Committee, was an advocate of reinstating the

ban on coastal drilling through spending restrictions each

year.

``We learned the hard way that oil and water do not mix on

our coast,'' Ms. Pelosi told a crucial committee in 1996 as

she argued for keeping the ban before a Congress then

controlled by Republicans.

Now, with gasoline prices soaring, those drilling

restrictions are facing their most severe test in years as

calls intensify to pursue

domestic oil more forcefully. Yet despite increasing pressure

from President Bush, a full-bore assault by Congressional

Republicans and some anxiety among her own rank-and-file

Democrats, Ms. Pelosi is not budging.

``The president of the United States, with gas at $4 a

gallon because of his failed energy policies, is now trying

to say that is because I couldn't drill offshore,'' Ms.

Pelosi said in an interview. ``That is not the cause, and I

am not going to let him get away with it.''

Her voice carries considerable weight because Ms. Pelosi,

who is now House speaker, can prevent a vote on expanded

drilling from reaching the floor.

And she and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority

leader, appear intent on holding the line against calls to

approve drilling in areas now off limits. They argue that the

oil and gas industry is not aggressively exploring large

expanses it has already leased on land and offshore. They

have also urged Mr. Bush to pour some fuel from national

reserves into the commercial supply chain in an effort to

lower prices.

Trying to demonstrate that Democrats are not opposed to

drilling in acceptable locales, the House is scheduled to

vote on Thursday on a proposal that would deny oil companies

any new leases unless they can show they are diligently

exploring existing holdings. The measure would also require

annual lease sales from lands in Alaska set aside as a

National Petroleum Reserve, and direct the Interior

Department to make sure a pipeline is linked to the reserves.

Democrats, not subtly, are calling the measure the Drill

Responsibly in Leased Lands, or Drill, Act.

In the Senate, Democrats are pushing a measure to curb

speculation in oil markets.

But Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican

leader, who is escorting a delegation to the Arctic National

Wildlife Refuge in Alaska this weekend, said the Democrats'

approach was woefully insufficient. Mr. Boehner said Ms.

Pelosi, in insisting on preserving the drilling ban, was

putting Democrats in the crosshairs of voters furious about

gas prices.

``I think Speaker Pelosi is walking her Blue Dogs and other

vulnerable Democrats off a cliff, and they know it,'' said

Mr. Boehner, referring to the coalition of Democrats

representing more conservative districts.

He accused the speaker of using procedural maneuvers to

thwart votes on expanded drilling, a position that he said

would prevail if the moment arrived. ``Harry Reid and Nancy

Pelosi are standing in the way of what the American people

want,'' Mr. Boehner said.

In both the House and Senate, small groups of Democrats

have begun meeting informally with Republicans to try to

reach a bipartisan response to higher oil prices, and opening

up new areas to drilling is part of the mix. Leaders of the

Blue Dog coalition are openly pressing for drilling in the

Arctic refuge and elsewhere.

Backers of the drilling ban have pushed back furiously and

appear to have bolstered some of their colleagues. Senator

Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat who has been fighting

offshore drilling since the 1970s, has been cornering fellow

senators to impress upon them the importance of the ban to

Californians, comparing it to a mainstay of farm-state

senators.

``This is our ethanol,'' Mrs. Boxer said of protecting the

coast from oil drilling.

Since taking over as speaker, Ms. Pelosi has asserted

herself on energy policy, which she sees as an overarching

cause that encompasses national security, climate change, the

economy, health care and the environment.

``This captures everything,'' said Ms. Pelosi, who last

year broke a deadlock that had lasted for decades over

increasing automotive fuel economy standards.

In a private meeting last week, according to some in

attendance, Ms. Pelosi told members of her leadership team

that a decision to relent on the drilling ban would amount to

capitulation to Republicans and the White House, and that she

was having none of it. She attributes today's energy problems

to a failure of the Bush administration to develop a

comprehensive approach, to its ties to the oil industry and

to a mishandling of the economy.

With the drilling restrictions under such scrutiny, backers

of the ban say they are heartened that Ms. Pelosi wields the

power she does.

``It is really important to have a Californian as speaker

on this topic,'' said Representative Lois Capps, a Democrat

who represents Santa Barbara.

Ms. Pelosi has shown a willingness on issues like terror

surveillance and spending on the Iraq war to look past her

personal views and allow legislation she opposes to move

through the House. But on the drilling ban, it is clear she

sees her position as the one that should carry the day. She

said national policy had to move beyond the long dispute over

the ban.

``This is part of the fight we are in,'' she said. ``We

have to get to a place where one day my grandchildren will

say, `Do you believe our grandparents had to go with their

car and fill up?' It will be like going with a barrel on our

head to a well to get water. That will be the equivalent.''

Will the gentlewoman yield?

I appreciate the gentlewoman's yielding.

Let me ask this question: Would a Member be able to come down to the floor when this bill is being taken up and offer a second-degree amendment to an amendment that is being offered by another Member?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee and the former chairman of the Appropriations Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished ranking member of the subcommittee dealing with this issue, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).

Mr. Speaker, just for purposes of trying to plan the time, could I inquire of my distinguished colleague how many speakers she has left.

I thank her for that information, and am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Keller).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas).

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3023) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance compensation and pension, housing, labor and education, and insurance benefits for veterans, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, obviously we rise in strong support of S. 3023, as amended, the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. Just by the listing of the title of the bill, you see how wide ranging this legislation is.

We have, Madam Speaker, 24 million veterans in this country, over 2.5 million of which receive disability compensation benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Upon filing a claim for disability compensation at the VA, our veterans and their dependents face increased waiting times, along with an increasingly adversarial claims processing system.

From 2002 up until 2007, the backlog of disability claims rose from 250,000 to nearly 650,000 claims pending. That is an insult to the veterans who have served this Nation. During the same period, the VA consistently missed its performance targets on nearly all compensation and pension claims processing fronts.

These problems are not new. General Omar Bradley, who was a Director of the Veterans Administration after World War II, in the mid-50s said in a comprehensive report that ``the dominant problems are the carryover from past decades of a backward-looking pension philosophy and our failure to adjust the existing veterans programs to fundamental changes in our society.''

This quote is pretty striking, because the same thing could be said of the claims processing system 50 years later.

After nearly 2 years of oversight hearings, informed by numerous reports examining these issues, the committee, led by our colleague John Hall of New York, who chairs the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee, set out to transform this broken and outdated system. He introduced and our House subsequently passed the Veterans Disability Benefits Claims Modernization Act of 2008, H.R. 5892, which would comprehensively modernize VA's claim processing system. This legislation is the cornerstone of this Senate bill, S. 3023.

Mr. Hall's efforts included contributions from our colleagues from the committee. Joe Donnelly of Indiana introduced the Immediate Benefits for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007, H.R. 4219; Congressman Space of Ohio introduced the Veterans Disability Fairness Act, H.R. 5709; and Congressman Hare of Illinois ensured that mental health was an issue that was captured in language throughout the bill. All of these Members, Madam Speaker, are new Members of our Congress, and they have taken a vigorous and active role in their work, as illustrated in this bill.

Congressman Gutierrez from Illinois and Congresswoman Corrine Brown from Florida introduced H.R. 674, which alerted us not to let the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans sunset. And Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, another new Member from New Hampshire, has led the charge to spare families from VA debt collection.

So this bill will arm the VA with a lasting blueprint to transform its

claims processing system using integrated and modern information technology platforms and an updated rating schedule, with tools to improve the accountability, timeliness and quality of adjudicated claims. It will establish an Office of Survivors Assistance, and at last allow survivors to step into the shoes of deceased veterans to pursue pending claims and appeals.

Madam Speaker, we will finally tackle the central issues that have led to an unmanageable claims backlog, delays in processing, avoidable errors, inconsistencies in ratings and lack of accountability in a system that amounts to a ``system of injustice'' for our veterans.

This bill will help modernize the VA claims processing system and assist it in becoming a 21st century, world-class entity that reflects the selfless and priceless sacrifices of those it serves, our veterans, their families and survivors.

I would point out a pilot program that we will start on disability claims that takes as a model--and it may be surprising to say this, Madam Speaker--the IRS, our Internal Revenue Service, which for many years was very dysfunctional, but now, if you file your claim for a tax refund, you will get a check in 3 weeks because they send out the check on receipt of your tax return, but it's subject to audit.

So why not take that same process if your claim is documented fully and if you have help from a Certified Veteran Service Officer? There are thousands around the country. We will send out the check upon receipt, subject to audit. I think that's the way to clean up the backlog and to say to our veterans, yes, we understand your needs, and we are going to meet them.

In addition, Madam Speaker, I was contacted by veterans who are concerned that the VA does not have enough slots for veterans to participate in its so-called Independent Living Program. That program allows injured veterans to obtain meaningful employment, and it allows them to live independently while they heal from their wounds. So we have introduced a bill to allow 100 Independent Living Program slots to be available. I'm proud that this language was included in legislation that will ensure that the services needed by our veterans are available when they're required.

Madam Speaker, when we passed the so-called 21st century GI Bill some months ago, that was a great improvement in the educational benefits for our younger veterans, especially for those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Starting the next school year, they'll be able to draw on those new benefits, but we are trying to model that GI Bill on the GI Bill of 1944, which had so much influence on making America's middle class.

Part of that bill of 1944 had a home loan guaranty program. I'm here because of that program. My dad was able, after he came back from the war, to buy a house in New York for $2,000. We were finally members of the middle class.

We didn't include that part in that GI Bill, but we include it here. We are going to raise the values for veterans' loans. We are going to raise the value at which a refinance can take place. We are going to reduce the fees and the equity requirements, and will make the VA home loan program, again, relevant to veterans today, especially to those who are experiencing a crisis right now. They will be able to go to the VA and get a good deal on refinancing their home loans, a deal they couldn't have gotten before this passed. So I think this will be, again, a great benefit for thousands of our veterans around the country.

We also have a provision in this bill by Representative Ciro Rodriguez, who is a distinguished member of our committee, to update housing construction and design guidelines furnished to contractors. He will talk about that in a few minutes.

Again, I want to make special mention of the cooperation of my ranking member, Mr. Buyer of Indiana. What we did in working together was to provide legislation, that I'm sure he will talk about, to give VA assistance to the Paralympics program, which has been so successful in assisting veterans and servicemembers in their rehabilitation efforts. That language is in here. Through this program, we give a sense of self-worth and a sense of confidence to veterans who are severely injured.

Mr. Buyer has a special interest in that. In fact, if we're not in session next week, I think he's going to visit part of that program that's being carried out in California. He's going to my district. He doesn't realize what kind of welcome we have ready for him, but we'll leave that to his imagination. It's going to strengthen our commitment to caring for the servicemembers by helping them heal from the wounds of war so they can be active members and have the confidence to do that.

We also have language similar to that introduced by Congressman Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania that will extend Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections to enable servicemembers with deployment orders to more easily terminate or to suspend cell phone contracts without fee or penalty. It sounds like a little thing, but it's big in the lives of young people who have to face deployment. We're trying to tackle not only the big things but also these little irritants that affect our active duty and our veterans.

Congressman Boozman from Arkansas worked on legislation that closes the loophole in the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program. We clarify our intent by extending disabled veterans' small business contracting provisions to the maximum extent possible to cover agents purchasing goods and services on behalf of the VA.

On the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Chairwoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and her ranking member, Mr. Boozman, introduced a bill, which is also included in this legislation, to authorize the VA's Secretary to advertise in national media outlets to make sure that veterans are informed of their benefits.

So you see, Madam Speaker, we have some very big things and some smaller things, but again, in working together, our committee was able to significantly affect the quality of life for our 25 million veterans in this country.

I would reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, when Mr. Hall from New York arrived as a new Member last year and got thrown into looking at the VA disability claims system, he resolved that this had to be fixed. Two-years' worth of work is reflected in this bill. A big chunk of the bill comes from Mr. Hall.

We are so proud of the work you've been able to do, and we look forward to its helping millions and millions of veterans. Thank you. I would recognize Mr. Hall for as much time as he may consume.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), another great member of our committee, for such time as he may consume.

Madam Speaker, I recognize another new member of our committee, but again a very aggressive, active member, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Donnelly), for 4 minutes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 3023, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1384 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I also ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1384.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1384 provides an open rule with a preprinting requirement. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations.

The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI.

The rule waives points of order against provisions of the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI.

The rule provides that any amendment to the bill must be printed in the Congressional Record by July 30. Each amendment so printed may be offered only by the Member who caused it to be printed or his designee and shall be considered as read.

The rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions.

Finally, the rule provides that the Chair may postpone further consideration of the bill to a time designated by the Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to stand with my colleagues in support of H.R. 6599, the 2009 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act and this rule.

Mr. Speaker, the New Direction Congress has made the lives of America's veterans one of our top priorities. Years from now, history will reflect that it was this Democratically led 110th Congress, in the middle of two wars, that renewed the country's commitment to veterans and their health.

Our commitment simply is a reflection of the pride and appreciation the American people have for the service of their brave men and women in uniform, who have served so greatly in recent conflicts and wars.

Now, just weeks ago, after months of perseverance in the face of opposition from the White House, this Congress, in a bipartisan way, adopted the new 21st century GI Bill that provides a full 4-year college tuition to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The new GI Bill for our veterans was adopted by a vote here in the House of 256-156.

Last year, we adopted the largest reform and investment in veterans' health care in the history of the Veterans Administration. And just yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the Congress adopted additional reforms to the Veterans Administration process that will improve the lives of veterans across this country.

Congressman Cazayoux from Louisiana brought H.R. 6445, that prohibits the collection by the Department of Veterans Affairs of copayments or other fees for hospital or nursing home care when they are catastrophically disabled.

Congressman Paul Hodes of New Hampshire also brought H.R. 2192, that establishes in the Department of Veterans Affairs an Office of the Ombudsman to act as a liaison to veterans and their families with respect to VA health care and their benefits.

I also salute my colleague, Congressman John Hall of New York. We adopted his bill yesterday, H.R. 5892, the Veterans Disability Benefits Claims Modernization Act, that directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to modernize the disability benefits claims processing system to ensure that our veterans are served in a timely and accurate way.

Now, in this appropriations bill that is before the House today, the American people, through the actions of this Congress, will provide the necessary resources for veterans and facilities and the infrastructure for the Armed Forces. This includes training facilities, housing, and equipment for our troops in their ongoing fight to defend our great Nation here and overseas.

While our brave servicemembers are overseas, most military families remain at home on bases, and we are committed to an excellent standard of living for them and quality of life. That includes convenient child care, and a safe and affordable place to live. I know this because I have conversations with the men and women who serve on the MacDill Air Force Base in my hometown of Tampa, Florida. They tell me that they feel much more safe and secure knowing that their families are well taken care of and well served back home on the base.

So Members should be proud that we have gone above and beyond the White House's initial budget offering. We provide nearly $4 billion more than the President in additional resources, particularly for our veterans health care programs.

Just last week, a panel testified before the Congress that returning soldiers still are not receiving the health care they deserve at Walter Reed and across the country, and this is unacceptable. And that is why in this appropriations bill we fund the VA health care system to try to get it back on track because we've asked everything of these great men and women, the ultimate sacrifice, and the least we can do as their government is support them when they return and ensure that they have the health care they need. When our troops go off to fight valiantly for our country, we're going to ensure that they have the best health care when they return.

Now, the signature injuries of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are the traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. Oftentimes, these injuries will require a lifetime of continuing medical care. In fact, the Veterans Health Administration estimates that just next year, in 2009, they will treat more than 5.8 million patients. I'm very fortunate, Mr. Speaker, that in my hometown of Tampa, we have an outstanding VA hospital, the James Haley VA Center. It is known as the busiest VA hospital in the country. We are also fortunate to have one of only four polytrauma units there that serve the most critically wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

So I've seen directly how oftentimes medical staff is overworked, they don't have the facilities that they need. That's why we provide above and beyond the President's request and reject his $38 million cut for medical and prosthetic research. We will continue to invest in medical military construction to improve the aging and outdated medical treatment facilities so they have access to the best medical care.

Now, to help the VA get a head start on helping those hundreds of thousands of new patients in the VA system, we're going to ask that they bring on additional VA claims processors because there is a terrible backlog in this country, and that's the last thing that our veterans should have to face after their service. Currently, in my State, there are over 25,000 pending cases, and nearly 19 percent of those have been in a holding pattern for over 180 days. We can and we must do better for our veterans.

We also oppose, through this appropriations bill, the Bush administration's squeeze on veterans' wallets. The Bush administration has proposed increases in enrollment fees and doubling of prescription drug copayments. How sensible is it to add to the already large number of uninsured in America by making it harder for those who have sacrificed in service to this Nation to get the care they need? Well, this New Direction Congress can and will do better for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I want to particularly applaud the leadership of Chairman Chet Edwards, who held numerous hearings in an open, bipartisan process that gave Members and the many military families and veterans groups an opportunity to review and weigh in, in a thoughtful and responsible way, to ensure that our current and past military troops and their families get the much-needed funding for various programs that they have earned by way of their service.

Mr. Speaker, I know the American people will appreciate that this is a bipartisan effort for our country's sons and daughters, who put their lives on the line for us every day. We will fulfill our promise to help them lead whole and healthy lives in honor of their sacrifice.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to make sure that the record reflects and that it is very clear that on this very important appropriations bill relating to veterans affairs and military construction, every Member out of 435 in this House had the opportunity to submit an amendment if they chose to do so.

I would be happy to yield.

Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I am fairly new in this Congress. I was proud to be part of a class that ushered in the strongest ethics reform since Watergate, and it seems to me that it is entirely fair and proper for Members to be able to offer an amendment to this bill, this very important bill, but it's also important that it is done in a responsible way so that there are no ambushes.

And I would like to point out that the Republican member from the Appropriations Committee that came to the Rules Committee did state, and I took notes that afternoon, that Chairman Edwards did a great job. We've had 18 hearings. This has been an open and bipartisan process, a very open process. It has served as a model of bipartisanship.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

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

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close after the gentleman from Washington has made his closing statement.

I would also like to join with my colleague from Florida (Mr. Keller) in saluting Chairman Obey and the other members of the Appropriations Committee and the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Subcommittee because as that new VA hospital goes to Orlando, it will relieve a great deal of pressure in Tampa, in my hometown, at the Haley VA Center, the busiest VA Center in the country, and the Bay Pines Medical Center in St. Petersburg.

So I thank the gentleman for expressing his opinion on this, and I join with him.

With that, I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 4 minutes to the distinguished Chair of the Appropriations Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).

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

I rise in support of S. 3023, as amended, the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. The manager's amendment before us is a compilation of the bipartisan provisions of 11 bills from both the House and the Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs.

I would like to thank Chairman Filner, Chairman Akaka and Ranking Member Richard Burr for their cooperative efforts in bringing this bill forward to serve our Nation's veterans.

I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of both the House and the Senate staff. Our Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity is chaired by Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and by Dr. John Boozman as ranking member. Both of them together have a proven track record of working in a bipartisan manner to ensure that veterans who are leaving active duty have meaningful career opportunities and the skills needed to pursue those opportunities.

Our Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs has also demonstrated its dedication to working on behalf of our Nation's veterans. I want to thank Chairman Hall and Ranking Member Lamborn for their hard work and bipartisanship in their efforts.

Madam Speaker, S. 3023 incorporates over 60 veterans' provisions that have passed either the House or the Senate, and that's what had to be negotiated here between the two bodies. Clearly, time doesn't permit me to expand on every one of these provisions, but I'd like to highlight just a few.

I am pleased that the Department of Labor will be required to collect data on the employment needs of Native Americans. The Department of Veterans Affairs will begin a 20-year longitudinal study of veterans who participate in the VA's Vocational Rehabilitation Program. This measure would also increase the time to 20 years that spouses of deceased or 100 percent service-connected disabled veterans have to use their education benefits.

There are provisions that extend the temporary increases in VA- conforming loan limits in the stimulus act of 2011 and that reduce equity requirements for VA-guaranteed refinancing loans. As well, there are provisions that

renew the adjustable and hybrid adjustable loan programs for another 4 years.

This bill expands the servicemember protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act in several ways. It also clarifies the VA's authority to purchase advertising as part of outreach efforts.

Madam Speaker, for me, one of the most exciting parts of the bill would authorize a new program at the VA to promote the increased participation by disabled veterans in adaptive sports. That is what the chairman was referring to. The bill would direct the VA to expand its cooperative sports activities with the United States Paralympics, and it would authorize $8 million to be used for grants to support an integrated adaptive sports program managed by the United States Paralympics and by partners such as the Disabled Sports USA, Blaze Sport, the National Parks Recreation Association, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Disabled American Veterans.

I want to thank Chairman Filner for his mutual interest in the disabled sports and for his efforts to ensure this bill was included.

Chairman Filner, your leadership here, not only for the United States Olympic Committee's being out in Chula Vista, is extremely important in making this a reality. So I appreciate your support, not only of our Olympic Committee but also for the fact that this has become a reality. So, because of your leadership and for the fact that we were able to take our mutual interests and to bring them together to serve a greater need, I applaud your leadership.

The United States Paralympic Team that competed in Beijing included 13 disabled veterans, several of whom were wounded in the war on terror. Now, a few years back, I visited Chula Vista. This was years back when the United States Olympic Committee had a very large board, and we had individuals who were really positioning to profitize off of the Olympic ideal, and it was very disturbing to me. We had a series of ethical blunders that occurred at the Olympic Committee. It was the Olympic Committee's darkest hour.

I came back to Congress. I met with Cliff Stearns at the time, who was on the Energy and Commerce Committee. He helped set a course for the reorganization of the United States Olympic Committee at a time when also then Senator McCain took action in the Senate and when the Olympic Committee also then created its own task force. The Olympic Committee had reorganized itself. We went into the past Olympics. Everyone was pulling on the rope in the same direction. It was very exciting. I took that relationship that had developed with the United States Olympic Committee and brought them to the VA to develop these sports programs.

The whole intent of not only this legislation but of what Chairman Filner is embracing is to use sports as a platform of healing, and I think that is extremely important. What we have done here is: As for these 13 disabled veterans who just returned from the Paralympic Games in Beijing, this group of wounded warriors produced four gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals. So I'm pretty excited about these spectacular Americans.

It's the wave of the future when disabled veterans who are competing with artificial limbs or with spinal cord dysfunctions will be commonplace. The program we are implementing here today will be the seed for the VA and for its partners to nurture and grow.

So I want to thank Chairman Filner for his leadership on this. This is so meaningful. I look forward next week to coming out to your district, Chairman Filner, and to going out to Chula Vista, out to the U.S. Olympic Training Center with the Secretary of the VA. Hopefully, you'll have an opportunity to be there. I'm pretty excited about these sports programs.

In Senate 3023, we will also enhance and improve veterans' benefits and the system that administers them. Such revisions include measures to increase the accuracy and the timeliness of benefit claims decisions and to enhance the VA's use of information technology. It will also look at VA disability compensation to ensure due consideration is afforded to veterans for their loss of earnings and their quality of life.

This is something that Senator Burr and I had introduced in a measure in response to not only the recommendations of the Disability Commission but also in response to the recommendations of the Presidential task force of Senator Dole and former Secretary Shalala.

The bill would also improve benefits for the survivors of deceased veterans. For instance, it would allow the substitution upon the death of a claimant for the purpose of acquiring benefits. That was Mr. Lamborn's provision.

The bill would also release survivors of deceased claimants of the frustration of the time-consuming process of starting the entire claims process from square one.

The bill would also create a VA Office of Survivors Assistance to ensure surviving dependents have access to benefits and to services and that such programs are responsive to the needs of survivors.

With that, Madam Speaker, I would like to reserve the balance of my time.

How did you do against them?

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

I would like to thank Chairman Hall and also Mr. Lamborn. I had asked the staff to go through this bill that we are looking at today, and I wanted to put authorship on all of the provisions so I get to see who are the authors of all of the provisions. So I want to thank Mr. Lamborn and Mr. Hall for their good work on the bill. Mr. Lamborn has a lot of authorship on a lot of different provisions.

But I see a lot of names in here. There is also Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and Dr. Boozman. These are two individuals who had a lot of years working together, and they define bipartisanship on the committee, Madam Speaker. They have a great work product.

Madam Speaker, at this time I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman).

I would like to thank the gentleman for his leadership, and I reserve the balance of my time.

The gentleman may proceed. If he needs time, I will be more than happy to yield it.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I would like to extend compliments to the Speaker pro tem, the gentlelady from Ohio, for her attentiveness during this. As a former member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee yourself, and as a former chairwoman of one of the committees on Comp and Pen and Memorial Affairs, I appreciate your leadership here tonight.

I also would like to note that two members of the staff on the Republican side are not with us here tonight who gave tremendous contributions to both bills that we've had here tonight, on health and in benefits; that being the former Staff Director, Jim Lariviere and Jeff Phillips. Both of these individuals have been called to active duty, and both were promoted to Brigadier General. So Brigadier General Jim Lariviere tonight with the United States Marine Corps is on duty, and Brigadier General Jeff Phillips is also on duty with the United States Army. We recognize their contribution to these bills tonight, and wish them Godspeed and safety to themselves and their families.

With that, I want to express my appreciation to Chairman Filner and the leadership of your team and that of your staff, and to include my staff for their hard work and the cooperation with that of the United States Senate.

I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate is acting on S. 3023, as amended, the proposed Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, as passed by the House of Representatives earlier this week. The bill, as it comes before the Senate, is a compromise agreement developed with our counterparts on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. I thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer of the House committee for their cooperation on this legislation. I also thank my good friend, the committee's ranking member, Senator Burr, for his cooperation as we have developed this bill.

This omnibus veterans' benefits bill will provide much needed support to our Nation's veterans. It contains provisions that are designed to enhance compensation, claims processing, housing, labor and education and insurance benefits for veterans. A full explanation of the Senate and House negotiated agreement can be found in the Joint Explanatory Statement, which I will ask appear in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.

I will highlight a few of the provisions that I have sponsored in the legislation that is before us today.

This legislation would result in improved notices being sent to veterans concerning their claims for VA benefits. Following a number of decisions by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, VA's notification letters to veterans about the status of their claims have become increasingly long, complex, and difficult to understand. These notification letters must be simplified, as veterans, VA, veterans' advocates, and outside review bodies have all recommended. The notices should focus on the specific type of claim presented. They should use plain and ordinary language rather than bureaucratic jargon. Veterans should not be subjected to confusing information as they seek benefits.

To further improve the VA compensation system, this legislation would end the prohibition on judicial review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit of matters concerning the VA rating schedule. VA issues regulations which are used to assign ratings to veterans for particular disabilities. Under current law, actions concerning the rating schedule are not subject to judicial review unless a constitutional challenge is presented. This legislation would amend the law to treat actions concerning the rating schedule in the same manner as all other actions concerning VA regulations.

I expect VA to comply with all laws passed by Congress in developing and revising the rating schedule. However, justice to our Nation's veterans requires that actions concerning the rating schedule be subject to the same judicial scrutiny as is available for the review of actions involving other regulations.

VA's Home Loan Guaranty Program may exempt homeowners from having to make a downpayment or secure private mortgage insurance, depending on the size of the loan and the amount of the VA guaranty.

Public Law 108-454 increased VA's maximum guaranty amount to 25 percent of the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit determined under section 305(a)(2) of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act for a single-family residence, as adjusted for the year involved.

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, Public Law 110-185, temporarily reset the maximum limits on home loans that the Federal Housing Administration may insure and that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may purchase on the secondary market to 125 percent of metropolitan-area median home prices but did so without reference to the VA home loan program. This had the effect of raising the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA limits to nearly $730,000, in the highest cost areas, while leaving the then-VA limit of $417,000 in place. On July 30, 2008, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was signed into law as Public Law 110-289. That law provided a temporary increase in the maximum guaranty amount for VA loans originated from July 30, 2008 through December 31, 2008, to the same level as provided in the stimulus act.

The compromise agreement would extend the temporary increase in the maximum guaranty amount until December 31, 2011. This would enable more veterans to utilize their VA benefit to purchase more costly homes.

The compromise agreement would also increase the maximum guaranty limit for refinance loans and increase the percentage of an existing loan that VA will refinance under the VA home loan program.

Under current law, the maximum VA home loan guaranty limit for most loans in excess of $144,000 is equal to 25 percent of the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit for a single-family home. Public Law 110-289 set this value at approximately $182,437 through the end of 2008. This means lenders offering loans of up to $729,750 will receive up to a 25- percent guaranty, which is typically required to place the loan on the secondary market. Under current law, this does not include regular refinance loans.

Current law limits to $36,000 the guaranty that can be used for a regular refinance loan. This restriction means VA will not guarantee a regular refinance loan over $144,000, essentially precluding a veteran from using the VA program to refinance his or her existing FHA or conventional loan in excess of that amount.

VA is also currently precluded from refinancing a loan if the homeowner does not have at least 10 percent equity in his or her home.

The compromise agreement would remove the equity requirement for refinancing from an FHA loan or conventional loan to a VA-guaranteed loan. This would allow more veterans to use their VA benefit to refinance their mortgages. Many veterans do not have 10 percent equity and thus are precluded from refinancing with a VA-guaranteed home loan.

Given the anticipated number of non-VA-guaranteed adjustable rate mortgages that are approaching the reset time when payments are likely to increase, the committee believes that it

is prudent to facilitate veterans refinancing to VA-guaranteed loans. In light of today's housing and home loan crises, additional refinancing options will help some veterans bridge financial gaps and allow them to stay in their homes and escape possible foreclosures. These provisions would allow more qualified veterans to refinance their home loans under the VA program.

This omnibus benefits bill would also make crucial updates to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which protects service members' rights to return to their prior jobs with the same wages and benefits. The provisions in the committee bill are derived from S. 2471, the proposed USERRA Enforcement Improvement Act of 2007, which Senator Kennedy and I introduced on December 13, 2007. This legislation would ensure that Federal agencies assist service members in a more effective manner by requiring the Department of Labor to investigate and refer cases in a more timely manner and by requiring reports from the Department of Labor on their compliance with the deadlines.

The omnibus benefits bill includes a provision derived from S. 3000, the proposed Native American Veterans Access Act of 2008, which I introduced on May 8, 2008. This provision is intended improve VA's ability to understand and respond to the needs of Native American veterans. While Native Americans are more likely to serve in uniform than the general population, many of them find cultural and geographical barriers between themselves and the benefits they earned through service. In addition, those returning to traditional homelands, especially reservation communities, frequently come home to dismal job opportunities and starved economies. The proposed bill would require a study to help us understand the employment needs of Native American veterans and how best to address them.

The compromise agreement also includes provisions derived from legislation I introduced on April 25, 2007, S. 1215, which would update the Special Unemployment Study required to be submitted by the Secretary of Labor to the Congress by mandating that it cover veterans of Post 9/11 global operations. It would also require the report to be submitted on an annual, rather than a biennial, basis. By updating this report, Congress will have more data available on more recent groups of veterans--those who served and are serving in the Post-9/11 global operations. This will help with assessments of the needs of current veterans entering the work force and develop appropriate responses.

Before I close, I recognize and thank the individuals involved in putting together this comprehensive measure. Specifically, I thank Kimberly Ross, Brian Lawrence, Juan Lara, and Mike Brinck from the House committee and Amanda Meredith, Mindi Walker, and Kevin Tewes from the minority staff on the Senate Committee. I also thank the majority staff who assisted me in developing the compromise agreement and all the legislation that led up to it. Patrick McGreevy, Mary Ellen McCarthy, Ted Pusey, Babette Polzer, and Dahlia Melendrez have worked throughout the 110th Congress on many of the provisions included in this legislation, and I am pleased that our collective efforts have led to this compromise agreement becoming a reality.

I urge our colleagues to support this important legislation that would benefit many of this Nation's nearly 24 million veterans and their families.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have the Joint Explanatory Statement, which was developed with our colleagues in the House, printed in the Record.