Benefits for Qualified World War II Veterans Act of 2009

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 23) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States Merchant Marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II, as amended.

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 H.R. 23, as amended.

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

I rise in strong support of H. Res. 23, the Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009, a measure, frankly, whose passage is six decades overdue.

I think today we are on the verge of doing a great deed, providing a way to finally give the heroic Merchant Mariners of World War II the belated compensation they so richly deserve. Congress has a responsibility to correct the wrongs of the past, and this is one of the grave injustices that deserve rectifying.

I thank all the cosponsors of the resolution, including some 40 Republicans. I know that many of you were trying to be added as cosponsors after the report was filed. I just would like to name for the record Mr. Tierney, Mr. Meek, Ms. Jenkins and Mr. Kildee.

For the remaining Members of the House who are not cosponsors of the amended version which passed unanimously out of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, let me tell you the sad history of these forgotten heroes.

The merchant mariners of World War II traversed the dangerous U-boat- laden waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific, faced down fierce attacks from enemy aircraft, and were instrumental in every theater of war by carrying 95 percent of all the tanks, supplies, and troops during World War II.

As a result, they suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the military branches. It is indisputable that the Allied Forces would not have been able to begin, sustain, or end World War II without their valiant and selfless service. It is also indisputable that these men now are entitled to be compensated for that service. After the war, they did not receive recognition as veterans that they deserved or the benefits of the unprecedented GI Bill of 1944, which they had earned and were promised. Eight million military families were able to take advantage of that GI Bill, entering the middle class, but the merchant mariners were not.

When the GI Bill was signed in 1944, as I said, which gave unprecedented education, housing, small business loans, and health benefits to World War II servicemembers, President Roosevelt declared, after losing the fight to have the merchant mariners included in the original bill, ``I trust Congress will soon provide similar opportunities to members of the Merchant Marine who have risked their lives time and time again for the welfare of their country.'' Congress never did. My friends, promises made should be promises kept.

Their fight for equity continued for over 40 years when they finally attained veteran status after a lengthy court battle, Schumacher, Willner, et al. v. Secretary of the Air Force Edward C. Aldridge, Jr. By then, over 125,000 mariners had died. As the judge ruled in that case, the mariners had ``every reasonable expectation that they would be treated as veterans'' entitled to the benefits of the GI Bill of Rights of 1944, based on the service they performed, not happened to perform. History supports this conclusion.

I had the distinct privilege of receiving the heart-wrenching testimony, during a full committee hearing, of one of the named parties to this lawsuit, a merchant mariner named Stanley Willner. Stanley was captured, interned, beaten, starved, and tortured as a POW for 3 years. He was actually one of the unfortunate groups of Allied Forces forced to build the infamous bridge over the River Kwai. Upon release, he weighed 74 pounds, and when he returned home, even his wife did not recognize him. And neither did his country. He received just 2 weeks of medical care and little else for his service. What a miscarriage of justice.

Madam Speaker, it was only due to a sad confluence of powerful events after the war that this country did not bestow the brave men of the World War II Merchant Marine with veteran status until 1988. I think that if the mariners would be on the floor today, they would say they should not have been subject to a ``process'' to determine whether they were veterans.

The mariners and many others thought that they would get these benefits since many thought they were enlisting for duty. They were denied this status unjustly and in violation of the assurances that they would partake in the GI Bill of 1944. Their valiant service was recognized by all the leaders of the Allied Forces from Generals MacArthur to Eisenhower.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a list of quotes by President Roosevelt regarding their courageous service.

Relevant Historical Quotes on the Role of United States Merchant Marine

During World War II

Quotes from President Franklin D. Roosevelt

May, 1942: ``The war is now five months old and we have had

our answer. Two million men have been called to the colors.

In far places and near, our soldiers, our sailors, our air

pilots, the beleaguered men of the Merchant Marine, have

shown the stuff of heroes. Everything we have asked of them

they have delivered. Everything--and more.''

December 12, 1942: ``It is with a feeling of great pride

that I send my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to

the officers and men of the new U.S. Maritime Service

Training Station at Sheepshead Bay. New York. Ten thousand

apprentice seamen in training at one station is a magnificent

achievement, and the entire country joins me in wishing you

every success and in paying tribute to you men of the

Merchant Marine who are so gallantly working and fighting

side by side with our Army and Navy to defend the way of life

which is so dear to us all.''

1943: ``The men of our American Merchant Marine have pushed

through despite the perils of the submarine, the dive bomber

and the surface raider. They have returned voluntarily to

their jobs at sea again and again, because they realized that

the life-lines to our battle fronts would be broken if they

did not carry out their vital part in this global war . . .

In their hands, our vital supply lines are expanding. Their

skill and determination will keep open the highway to victory

and unconditional surrender.''

September 19, 1944: ``It seems to me particularly

appropriate that Victory Fleet Day this year should honor the

men and management of the American Merchant Marine. The

operators in this war have written one of its most brilliant

chapters. They have delivered the goods when and where needed

in every theater of operations and across every ocean in the

biggest, the most difficult and dangerous transportation job

ever undertaken. As time goes on, there will be greater

public understanding of our merchant fleet's record during

this war.''

June 22, 1944 (during signing of GI Bill): ``I trust

Congress will soon provide similar opportunities to members

of the merchant marine who have risked their lives time and

time again during war for the welfare of their country.''

Quotes from Dwight D. Eisenhower, General of the Army

Date Unknown: ``Every man in this Allied command is quick

to express his admiration for the loyalty, courage, and

fortitude of the officers and men of the Merchant Marine. We

count upon their efficiency and their utter devotion to duty

as we do our own; they have never failed us yet and in all

the struggles yet to come we know that they will never be

deterred by any danger, hardship, or privation. When final

victory is ours there is no organization that will share its

credit more deservedly than the Merchant Marine.''

May 8, 1945 (From his Tribute on V-E Day): ``The truly

heroic man of this war is GI Joe

and his counterpart of the Air, Navy, and Merchant Marine.''

1945: ``The officers and men of the merchant marine, by

their devotion to duty in the face of enemy action, as well

as the natural dangers of the sea, have brought us the tools

to finish the job. Their contribution to final victory will

be long remembered.''

Quotes from Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army

Date Unknown: ``I wish to commend to you the valor of the

merchant seamen participating with us in the liberation of

the Philippines. With us they have shared the heaviest enemy

fire. On this island I have ordered them off their ships and

into fox holes when their ships became untenable targets of

attack. At our side they have suffered in bloodshed and in

death. The caliber of efficiency and the courage they

displayed in their part of the invasion of the Philippines

marked their conduct throughout the entire campaign in the

southwest Pacific area. They have contributed tremendously to

our success. I hold no branch in higher esteem than the

Merchant Marine.''

October 14, 1945: ``They have brought us our lifeblood and

they had paid for it with some of their own. I saw them

bombed off the Philippines and in New Guinea ports. When it

was humanly possible, when their ships were not blown out

from under them by bombs or torpedoes, they have delivered

their cargoes to us who needed them so badly. In war it is

performance that counts.''

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, U.S. Navy, Chief of Naval Operations

War Shipping Administration Press Release PR 1839, April

23, 1944: ``The Merchant Marine Service has repeatedly proved

its right to be considered as an integral part of our

fighting team. Its efforts have contributed in great part to

our success. Well done.

There is one quote that is particularly telling of the broken promise, made by then General Dwight D. Eisenhower, delivered on May 8, 1945, during his tribute on V-E Day: ``The truly heroic man of this war is GI Joe and his counterpart of the Air, Navy, and Merchant Marine.''

Madam Speaker, how do you measure the loss of the GI Bill benefits that helped build the middle class of the United States, the missed opportunities and the dreams unrealized? That is what H.R. 23 will do, create a semblance of equity for the mariners of World War II. Undo this broken promise and unmitigated travesty of justice by providing this monthly benefit to the remaining 10,000 qualifying mariners.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to one of our new Members who has been very active on our committee, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye).

Madam Speaker, without a doubt these men, now octogenarians, average age almost 85, fought the good fight and gave our country their all. And H.R. 23 will provide them with the compensation they earned or was promised them and has been denied for decades, not just in words but in deeds.

Madam Speaker, I ask that letters of support from the American Maritime Officers, the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, and the Seafarers International Union expressing their strong support for H.R. 23, as amended, be included in the Record.

May 5, 2009.

Hon. Bob Filner,

Chairman, House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Cannon House

Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: We are writing on behalf of the

undersigned American maritime labor organizations to express

our strong support for H.R. 23, the ``Belated Thank You to

the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009'' and to

urge your Committee to favorably report this legislation. The

organizations we represent have the privilege of including

among our retired members individuals who served our country

with honor and distinction during World War II. These World

War II merchant mariners are truly representative of the

``Greatest Generation'', and we are extremely proud of them

and the example they have set for all merchant mariners who

continue to respond to our Nation's call whenever and

wherever they are needed.

General Colin Powell, following the Persian Gulf War, said

that: ``Since I became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,

I have come to appreciate first-hand why our Merchant Marine

has long been called our Nation's fourth arm of defense. The

American seafarer provides an essential service to the well-

being of our Nation as was demonstrated so clearly during

Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm . . . ''

We agree wholeheartedly with you that the enactment of H.R.

23 is necessary ``to correct an injustice that has been

inflicted upon a group of World War II veterans, the World

War II United States merchant mariners.'' We sincerely thank

you, Mr. Chairman, for your initiative in working to address

this injustice by sponsoring legislation to provide long-

overdue recognition and benefits to World War II merchant

mariners. We are also grateful to your colleagues who have

cosponsored H.R. 23 and for their decision to add their names

to the bipartisan supporters who are committed to working

with you and with us for the enactment of H.R. 23 this year.

There is not, nor should there be, any debate as to the

invaluable service given by American merchant mariners during

World War II. In fact, World War II merchant mariners

suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the branches of

the Armed Forces other than the United States Marine Corps,

as they delivered troops, tanks, food, fuel and other needed

equipment and material to every theater of World War II.

Enemy forces sank more than 800 merchant vessels between 1941

and 1944 alone.

As General of the Army, Allied Expeditionary Forces in

Europe, Dwight David Eisenhower stated, ``When final victory

is ours there is no organization that will share its credit,

more deservedly that the Merchant Marine.'' Fleet Admiral

Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief, Pacific Theater, said

that ``The Merchant Marine . . . has repeatedly proved its

right to be considered as an integral part of our fighting

team.''

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, speaking of the

merchant seamen who supported the liberation of the

Philippines, stated that ``With us, they have shared the

heaviest enemy fire. On these islands I have ordered them off

their ships and into foxholes when their ships became

untenable targets of attack. At our side they have suffered

in bloodshed and death . . . They have contributed

tremendously to our success. I hold no branch in higher

esteem than the Merchant Marine Service.''

Finally, President Franklin Roosevelt eloquently and

accurately summed up the contributions of World War II

merchant mariners, telling the country and the world that

they ``have written one of the most brilliant chapters. They

have delivered the goods when and where needed in every

theater of operations and across every ocean in the biggest,

the most difficult and most dangerous job ever taken.''

Yet, despite this record of exemplary, indispensable

service to America's war efforts, merchant mariners were not

given the formal recognition and benefits granted other

services by the Congress through the GI Bill of Rights in

1945. In fact, no legislation to recognize the contributions

made by World War II merchant mariners was enacted until

Congress extended limited veterans' status to these gallant

American citizens in 1988.

We believe, as you have stated Mr. Chairman, that it is

time to correct this injustice. We believe our country has an

obligation to the remaining World War II merchant mariners,

to fully acknowledge their service and to give them the

measure of benefit called for in H.R. 23. We ask you and your

Committee to take the first step in righting this wrong by

favorably reporting H.R. 23 to the House of Representatives

for its consideration.

We note that during the consideration of H.R. 23 in the

last Congress, changes were made to the legislation that

would, among other things, reduce its overall cost. For

example, it no longer provides any payment of benefits to

survivors' spouses and revised the legislation so that it is

no longer self-funded. Rather, it sets up a Merchant Mariner

Equity Compensation Fund and leaves it to Congress to later

determine funding within its spending caps. Finally, those

who have received benefits under the Servicemen's

Readjustment Act of 1944 (the GI Bill--PL 78-346) are not

eligible for benefits under H.R. 23. The bill, with these

changes, is the legislation that was adopted by the House of

Representatives on July 7, 2007 and we continue to support

H.R. 23 with these changes.

We again thank you and your colleagues for the support you

have shown for the World War II merchant mariners and we

stand ready to work with you for its enactment this year.

Sincerely,

Thomas Bethel, President, American Maritime Officers;

Timothy Brown, President, International Organization of

Masters, Mates & Pilots; Don Keefe, President, Marine

Engineers' Beneficial Association; Anthony Poplawski,

President, Marine Firemen's Union; Gunnar Lundeberg,

President, Sailors' Union of the Pacific; Michael

Sacco, President, Seafarers International Union.

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

I rise in opposition. I rise in opposition, and I would say to the chairman, as a history professor, I know that you must embrace history and not be a revisionist of history.

I'm greatly disappointed with regard to this legislation. I'm disappointed because this is an attempt to say that he wants to resolve an inequity through discrimination so that your bias towards one specific group is so strong among the veterans community that you will discriminate against others. And I will even use your example of your friend with regard to his service as a merchant mariner, as a prisoner of war building the bridge over the River Kwai. It means that other POWs who served with him would not be entitled to the special monthly payment, that you believe that that merchant mariner is so special that all other prisoners of war should not receive such payment.

You see, there's a reason that those of us who have worn the uniform do not do this. The only time we have provided a service pension, a service pension, are for Medal of Honor recipients. We do not provide service pensions, and that's exactly what this is. So we're paying $1,100 to Medal of Honor recipients, and you want to pay now $1,000 to merchant mariners. Yet there are 28 groups of whom are similarly situated, individuals of whom were contractor status during the war.

Now, we need to stop and pause and think about what we are doing here. Ever since the American Revolution, our government has utilized contractors as our combatants go to war. Whether it was in the Revolution, whether it was the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the first Gulf War, and, in fact, the present wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we all used contractors. So after World War II, we created a process whereby these contractors then could be granted that ``veteran status.'' So for merchant mariners, the question of their valor, even the question of their status has now been resolved.

What's before the House is now with regard to a particular group of veterans that we're going to treat them differently, that we're going to say that you have such unique status that we are going to give you a $1,000-a-month payment, a service pension, when, in fact, we don't even do that for anyone else.

So I am greatly disappointed that this type of legislation is brought to the floor. This is legislation that should never have been done. Members are just flying back now, so they aren't even sure about this legislation or what it's about, and they're thinking that, well, because it came out of the committee, it must be great legislation. It must be veterans legislation. We all must be arm in arm and let's go ahead and pass it. Time out. I think we should be very cautious and careful.

Like I said, we don't even give a specialty payment to prisoners of war, and we're going to select a particular group of individuals to give them.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time because I have further comments I would like to make.

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

This conversation we are having here on the floor with regard to degrees of valor is off the mark. Merchant mariners exhibited valor. They have been granted their veteran status. The question is whether we should now give them a service pension, which we do not do for any other veterans groups except the most highly decorated veterans, our Medal of Honor recipients.

The argument being made is that merchant mariners were shortchanged because they did not receive GI Bill benefits, unlike the members of the Armed Forces who then served in

World War II. However, 28 other groups that also provided military- related service in the U.S. during World War II have received veteran status in the same manner as merchant mariners and, likewise, did not qualify for GI Bill benefits.

If equity were really the issue, this bill would help these groups, too. But H.R. 23, as amended, does not. This bill unfairly ignores them and, thus, does not provide full equity. It creates an inequity among veterans, distinguishing the value of one group over and above someone else, something that we don't do in the military. We're very cautious and very careful not to do that type of thing, to say that, well, if you're a combatant and you're on the front line, then your service is more important than someone who is in a rear echelon, or, gosh, if you were back in the home States or in the National Guard, then your service isn't as important as somebody who is on the battlefield. Time out. We don't do that in the military.

The reason we don't do that is we look at everybody as a team, as one team. So when we go to a theater of operations, it may take seven to actually put one combatant on the field of battle because everybody is important, from the theater Army all the way to the actual combatants. And as a matter of fact, when they fall on the battlefield, maybe when they go to Landstuhl, Germany, they come back to the States. Everybody is an important part of the team, and we don't then make discriminatory judgments that someone's military service is more important than another and, thereby, Congress then awards a service pension.

I'm just appealing to the Members do not do this. It will have consequences among the ranks and the services of our military.

I would like to talk about the other 28 groups. One of these other groups of veterans of whom are being discriminated here against if this legislation passes is the American all-volunteer group famously known as the Flying Tigers. They were American P-40 pilots and ground crews who worked for the Chinese Government in the air defense of Rangoon and other parts of China before and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Flying Tigers are credited with destroying an impressive 297 enemy aircraft and had one of the best kill ratios of any air group in the Pacific theater. There were approximately 80 pilots that flew for the Flying Tigers, of which 21 died in service.

An amazing 19 of them were credited with five or more air-to-air victories, making them aces. Nineteen out of the 80 pilots were aces. But they are not worthy for this service pension, okay, because we are not going to do that. Of the over 300 original members of the Flying Tigers, 18 of them are still alive today.

Another one of the groups that is being discriminated against here today I would like to highlight is the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the WASPS. There is even a colleague of mine who has legislation to get them the Congressional Medal of Honor. Yet a vote in favor of this legislation today discriminates against the Women Airforce Service Pilots. These were female pilots who flew every type of mission that an Army Air Force male pilot flew during World War II, except combat missions.

They freed up their male pilots for combat by flying planes from factories to air fields and flew over 60 million miles in every type of aircraft in the Army Air Force arsenal, from the fastest of fighters to heaviest of bombers. More than 25,000 women applied for WASPS service and less than 1,900 were accepted. After completing months of military flight training, 1,078 of them earned their wings and became the first women in history to fly American military aircraft. Thirty-eight of these brave women died while serving their country.

Madam Speaker, these are just some of the stories of two of these groups out of the 28 who all served loyally, selflessly, and courageously. Yet their service also contributed directly to victory in 1945, but they are being ignored and discriminated against by the legislation before us.

In May 11 of this year, a letter to all Members opposing H.R. 23, as amended, the Veterans of Foreign Wars stated with respect to the Merchant Mariners of World War II that ``singling out this group, no matter how valiant their service, will create inequities. Congress should not single them out for special benefits when they are not provided to other groups.''

Madam Speaker, I offered an amendment at the full committee of H.R. 23, as amended, to include these other 28 groups, who are similarly situated. It was rejected on a 15-14 vote.

I would like to insert the May 11, 2009, letter from the VFW and the names of the other 28 groups who have been granted veteran status of World War II to be placed into the Record.

Veterans of Foreign Wars

of the United States,

Washington DC, May 11, 2009.

Dear Representative: This week, the House of

Representatives is expected to take action on H.R. 23, the

Belated Thank You to the Merchant Marines of World War II

Act. This legislation would grant a $1,000 monthly benefit to

individuals who served in the Merchant Marines between

December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946, The Veterans of

Foreign Wars of the U.S. has serious concerns with the equity

of this bill, and we urge you to oppose it.

The VFW has no doubt about the dedication and bravery the

Merchant Marines demonstrated during World War II. Their

contributions to the war effort in transporting cargo to keep

forces supplied enabled the Allied forces to win the War.

They suffered heavy casualties. with nearly one-in-26 dying

in the Atlantic theater. We value and salute their efforts.

However, the VFW cannot support a special monthly benefit

for this single group. Merchant Marines are just one of 28

civilian groups that have been awarded Veterans status by

virtue of their military-related service. Not one of these

other 28 groups receives a special monthly benefit such as

this. In fact, the only group of veterans that receives a

special monthly benefit is Medal of Honor recipients.

Singling this group out--no matter how valiant their

service--would create inequities. Congress should not single

them out for special benefits when they are not provided to

other groups, such as the Women's Air Force Service Pilots

(WASPs) or those honorably discharged members of ``The Flying

Tigers.'' Further, many World War II veterans who served on

the front lines are not receiving any form of compensation,

and certainly not a $1,000 monthly benefit. We cannot put one

group ahead of all others.

The VFW is also concerned about the funding for this

proposal. The special monthly benefit would consume almost

$500 million of the VA's budget over the next five years.

With waves of service members returning from Iraq and

Afghanistan and presenting challenges for the entire VA

health care system, especially for those who are grievously

wounded, taking away money to give a special bonus to one

segment of veterans is not right. This is especially true

because the vast majority of the Merchant Marines covered

under this bill are already entitled to VA health care and

most veterans' benefits.

The VFW greatly respects their bravery and their

dedication, but we cannot support legislation that singles

them out above other deserving groups. We ask you to keep

these issues in mind, and to oppose this bill's passage.

Very truly yours,

Robert E. Wallace,

Executive Director.

World War II Service by Particular Groups

A number of groups who provided military-related service to the United States can receive VA benefits. A discharge by the Secretary of Defense is needed to qualify. Service in the following groups has been certified as active military service for benefits purposes:

I urge all Members to oppose this legislation before us, and I appeal to them, do not create a service pension that will differentiate members' service from others. This is the wrong approach.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support for the veterans' bills considered on the floor this week. I am very pleased that we have reached a point where we can begin to address the many institutional problems our returning soldiers endure under the Department of Veteran Affairs. While some of these issues can be attributed to administrative deficiencies, many of the department's problems can be helped by increased federal support. These brave men and women deserve our support as they risk their lives in combat. This support should be reflected in appropriate legislative action to ease the burdens they confront upon returning home. While many of us in Congress may disagree on our military strategy and presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, we can all agree that our returning veterans deserve far more than what they have received upon returning home from combat.

Although the Bush Administration initiated the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it failed to provide for critical veterans' health care benefits and programs that would have helped to reorient our returning troops into society. However, under a new administration and as evidenced by the bills considered this week, Congress is working diligently to introduce and pass critical legislation that will provide our veterans with long overdue support and efficient access to medical resources. Therefore, I am pleased to support all of the veterans' bills on the floor this week, and I commend my colleagues in Congress for their commitment to our nation's troops.

A New York Times report published last fall reported that the nation's newest veterans, particularly the wounded, are paying an exceptionally high price for their service to our country. According to various veterans' advocacy groups, the combination of injury and unemployment coupled with the long VA disability claims process has forced many veterans into foreclosure and other financial hardships. Thus, the legislation on the floor this week will provide for beneficial assistance through federal appropriations, employment and housing resources, and improved veterans' medical insurance programs.

H.R. 3219, the Veterans' Insurance and Health Care Improvements Act of 2009 will expand veterans' insurance and provide much needed healthcare improvements. Additionally, this measure establishes permanent VA authority to provide hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to Vietnam-era herbicide-exposed veterans and Persian Gulf War veterans who have insufficient medical

evidence to establish a service-connected disability. Undoubtedly, many of our current veterans from past and our present international conflicts stand to benefit a great deal from this bill.

In addition, H.R. 1293, the Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009, will increase the amount of authorized grants the Department of Veterans Affairs can pay for improvements and structural alterations for homes of veterans with service-connected disabilities of 50 percent or more. Accordingly, this bill will provide much needed assistance for veterans to make any necessary improvements they are otherwise unable to fix on their own. As many may suffer from service-connected physical disabilities impeding their normal life activities, this bill would authorize the VA to increase their financial assistance to veterans. This measure will greatly supplement the bill we passed last Congress, the Homes for Heroes Act, H.R. 3329. Where that bill expanded the supply of permanent housing for veterans, H.R. 1293 will provide the grants to make improvements for veterans' current homes.

Moreover, H.R. 2270, the Veterans Nonprofit Research and Education Corporations (NREC) Enhancement Act of 2009 will amend federal provisions regarding the establishment at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities of nonprofit and research and education corporations (NRECs) to allow an NREC to facilitate the conduct of research or education, or both, at more than one VA medical center. This will greatly benefit the VA so that they can have readily available resources to help them confront challenges facing our veterans.

And H.R. 3155, the Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act will provide federal assistance to individuals providing non- institutional extended care to disabled veterans. These valuable services include educational and teaching caring techniques; strategies and skills; nursing care, and mental and health services.

And finally, H.R. 1803, the Veterans Business Center Act of 2009 will amend the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish within the SBA a Veterans Business Center program to provide entrepreneurial training and counseling to veterans. This will create yet another resource to benefit our returning veterans who may have trouble finding employment.

Madam Speaker, these are incredibly important bills, providing our veterans with the federal resources so they may have efficient access to much needed medical assistance, job, and housing support. As a strong advocate for veterans' rights, I am pleased to add my voice of support for all of these measures. Moreover, I will be working with my colleagues to make sure we continue to provide the necessary resources towards protecting our veterans' rights and ensuring fair and just access to their rightful benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3219) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the laws administered by the

Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to insurance and health care, and for other purposes, as amended.

I thank the Speaker, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of passage of this bill, the Veterans' Insurance Health Care Improvement Act of 2009, H.R. 3219. This important legislation was assembled with the help of many members of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, without whose efforts this bill would not have been possible. I'm surprised to see my friend, Mr. Stearns, managing the bill, having just railed against nationalization of health care, which is not what the Obama plan has, but then he's a great supporter of the veterans' health system, which I think may come under his definition. So I'm pleased that he supports so strongly the Veterans Administration health care system, which is nationalized care, but I wish he would support Mr. Obama's health care plan, which has nothing to do with nationalization.

But I want to recognize and applaud the outstanding effort of especially two dynamic members on the committee who sponsored major insurance provisions of the bill under consideration. Mrs. Halvorson of Illinois sponsored the Families of Veterans Financial Security Act, H.R. 2774, which has become section 101 of this bill. And Mrs. Kirkpatrick of Arizona sponsored the Veterans and Service Members Accelerated Benefit Option Equity Act of 2009, H.R. 2988, which is now section 103 of this bill.

These measures represent commonsense yet critical insurance provisions intended to ensure that our veterans, servicemembers and their families who have insurance-related needs receive the full measure of the benefit offered and that the survivors have ample replacement income to meet their needs. All of the provisions would give veterans and servicemembers greater flexibility in their insurance choices, and, consequently, greater peace of mind.

Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office reports that none of the bills would increase Federal direct spending for veterans' insurance programs. And I want to applaud, also, the chairman of our Disability Assistance

and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee on these measures, Mr. Hall of New York, for his leadership on these measures.

The legislation further provides for a wide variety of health care improvements in recognition of veterans who have sacrificed so much for the safety and freedom of the Nation. It enhances the lives of the Nation's veterans, from World War II to the current conflicts.

Other members also contributed to the health care provisions of this, and I want to thank them for their efforts. For example, Mr. Mitchell of Arizona, who wrote H.R. 1197, the Medal of Honor Health Care Equity Act of 2009, which assigns a higher priority status for VA hospital care and medical services for veterans who are recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Another provision by Mr. Hare of Illinois, H.R. 1302, would establish a position of director of physician assistant services within the Office of the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health. And Mrs. Halvorson from Illinois also sponsored H.R. 1335, which would prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled from non-service- connected causes and have income above the means tested level.

Mr. McNerney from California sponsored H.R. 1546, the Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act, and that has been incorporated to establish a committee on the care of veterans with traumatic brain injury to assess the VA's ability to treat and rehabilitate veterans with TBI--that is traumatic brain injury--and to provide recommendations on how to more effectively treat these veterans.

Mr. Nye of Virginia introduced H.R. 2926, which was incorporated into the bill to provide hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicides and also veterans of the Persian Gulf War.

Mr. Buyer's bill, H.R. 2270, would establish a compensation fund for all civilian groups who are given veteran status under the G.I. Bill Improvement Act of 1977, and that is also in the bill.

And finally, we have a bill introduced by Mr. Teague of New Mexico to waive the housing loan fee for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities called to active service.

So I want to thank all of the members of our committee who've worked so hard to put together the important legislation we are considering today, and I hope my colleagues will support H.R. 3219 as amended

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to one of our dynamic new members of our committee, Mrs. Halvorson of Illinois.

I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).

Mr. 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 H.R. 3219, as amended, and urge my colleagues to unanimously support the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3219, the Veterans' Insurance and Health Care Improvements Act of 2009.

Earlier in this session, I introduced H.R. 1302, a bill to create a full-time Director of Physician Assistant (PA) Services in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Central Office. I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Jerry Moran, for his leadership with me on this bill, as well as Chairmen Filner and Michaud, Ranking Members Buyer and Brown and many other VA Committee colleagues for joining us as cosponsors''.

Today, I am very pleased to speak in support of H.R. 3219, which incorporates the provisions of my bill and eight other bills that were favorably considered by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

PAs have long been a key component in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Almost two thousand PAs are currently employed by the VA, roughly 30 percent of whom are veterans. While the PA Advisor position, established by Congress in 2000, has been valuable, many problems exist.

For example, as the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) explained in written testimony on October 18, 2007, ``In one case, a local facility decided that a PA could not write outpatient prescriptions despite licensure in the state allowing prescriptive authority. In other facilities, PAs were told that the VA facility can not use PAs and will not hire PAs.'' These inconsistencies and restrictions not only hinder PAs currently employed by the VA, but also discourage PAs from even entering the VA system, ultimately impacting the medical care of our nation's veterans.

PAs are the fourth fastest growing profession in the country, yet the VA is simply not competitive with the private sector for new PA graduates. The lack of a Director of PA Services at the VA prevents necessary recruitment and retention of the PA workforce in the VA at a time when we need more health care professionals to provide necessary care to our Veterans.

Considering the fact that nearly 40 percent of all VA PAs are projected to retire in the next five years, the VA is in danger of losing its PA workforce unless serious focus is directed toward recruitment and retention of this critical group.

One of the biggest challenges facing current and future PAs in the VA system is their exclusion from recruitment and retention benefits. The VA designates physicians and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) as critical occupations. As such, these individuals receive priority in scholarships and loan repayment programs. Unfortunately, the VA has not designated the PA profession as a critical occupation despite the fact that the VA has determined PAs and NPs functionally interchangeable.

Additionally, VA medical facilities, at times, post vacant positions for NPs only, excluding

PAs. There is also a hiring trend in the VA of NPs outpacing PAs nearly three to one, again despite the interchangeability between the two specialties.

Finally, PAs are not included in any of the VA special locality pay bands, so PA salaries are not regularly tracked and reported by the VA. There is evidence that this has resulted in lower pay for PAs employed by the VA compared to other health care professionals. This only serves as yet another deterrent for PAs to enter the VA system.

A permanent Director at the VA Central Office (VACO) would serve as an advocate on behalf of PAs and work to ensure their fair treatment. It is time for the VA to devote serious attention to PA recruitment and retention. Enactment of H.R. 1302 is a start.

As a Congressman who represents a district with rural communities, I know that PAs play a key role in providing medical care in rural and other medically underserved areas. I want to ensure that they are equally well utilized by the VA. I know that medical institutions like the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, the MD Anderson Cancer Clinic at the University of Texas, and others have a Director of PA Services to make sure that the PAs they employ are integrated into their health systems. Additionally, each branch of the Armed Services has a Chief PA to help the military best utilize its PA workforce. It is time for the VA to do the same.

I strongly urge my colleagues to show their support of strengthening Veterans' healthcare by voting ``yes'' on H.R. 3219.