To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs blind rehabilitation center in Long Beach, California, as the "Major Charles Robert Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center".

Madam Speaker, not only does the BVA provide support for our Nation's blind veterans, the organization also provides inspiration and support for their family members via the Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Awards. This worthy scholarship enables spouses and dependent children of blinded veterans to achieve their goals in higher education.

Our blinded veterans have made tremendous sacrifices on behalf of our Nation to ensure our safety and our freedom. It is altogether appropriate that we honor them this day and join the Blinded Veterans Association in celebrating its 65th anniversary.

Obviously I am a strong supporter of H.J. Res. 80, a resolution to recognize and honor the Blinded Veterans Association on its 65th anniversary of representing blinded veterans and their families. As all of us know, recovering from the tragic loss of sight is a traumatic and life-changing event. Veterans who are burdened with this loss are forced to relearn almost every task associated with normal daily activities. Such rehabilitation is a difficult but necessary challenge blinded veterans must overcome to integrate back into civilian life. The Blinded Veterans Association was established specifically to help these severely injured veterans and their families during this most difficult period.

On March 28, 1945, 100 blinded members of the Armed Forces who served in World War II formed the Blinded Veterans Association. Just a year later, in 1946, General Bradley of the Veterans Administration appointed the BVA as the first official representative for blinded veterans who were filing claims and appeals to the Veterans Administration. This made the Blinded Veterans Association the eighth veterans service organization to receive such authorization.

Chartered by Congress in 1958, the BVA has worked throughout the years assisting blind veterans in acquiring Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation and health care benefits, as well as other Federal and local benefits. Thanks in large part to the efforts of the BVA, there are now ten blindness rehabilitation centers located at various VA medical centers across this country.

Madam Speaker, along with this legislation, which obviously you can see how important it is, we wanted to honor today these blinded veterans on their 65th anniversary. But, Madam Speaker, our committee also had requested consideration of H.R. 4360, a bill to designate the blind rehabilitation center in Long Beach, California, as the Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center. This legislation has the support of the entire California delegation and the major veterans service organizations in California and would further honor blind veterans to whom Major Soltes provided so much service and so much sacrifice.

I would like to inquire, if it is appropriate to the Speaker, or perhaps

Chairman Filner, if they could explain why this very important bill was not permitted consideration on the floor today?

I yield.

I understand he is saying that it wasn't put in the loop at the moment, it wasn't put on the schedule, but I think you are also saying that this is the type of bill that you support and you believe should be part of a vote on the floor. Can I assume you support this bill?

Well, Madam Speaker, I think it is unfortunate that this bill to honor an individual who did so much for our blind veterans community and paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country, this particular bill is not being considered this afternoon. Many of us are disappointed, and we will work with Ranking Member Buyer and Chairman Filner, since he is a signee on the unanimous delegation letter, to have it brought to the floor at the earliest opportunity.

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

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4360, to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center in Long Beach, California, as the ``Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center.'' I was honored to introduce this legislation to recognize a true American Hero who was a constituent of mine from Irvine, CA.

Major Soltes, 36, was the first military optometrist to be killed in action while on active duty. He was serving as a Public Health Officer with the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve in Mosul, Iraq, assisting in the restoration of the medical infrastructure. On October 13, 2004, he was killed while returning from a hospital visit when his convoy was attacked with an improvised explosive device.

The son of an Army officer and Vietnam veteran, Major Soltes was a graduate of Norwich University, a military school in Vermont, and the New England College of Optometry. He entered the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps in 1994 as an Army optometrist and provided eye care services to service men and women at home and abroad. Major Soltes served in Texas, the Republic of Korea, and at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

During his military service, Major Soltes completed a residency at the prestigious Brooke Army Medical Center. He earned adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Houston College of Optometry, the State University of New York State College of Optometry, and the Northeasrn State University College of Optometry. At the United States Military Academy at West Point, Major Soltes served as director of the Optometry Residency Program. In 1998, he earned his fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry. After completing his military duties in 1999, he moved to Irvine, CA, where he started a private practice, joined the Army Reserve and became the clinical director at Irvine Vision Institute, a refractive surgery specialty center in Irvine, CA.

Major Soltes leaves behind his wife, Sally Huong Dang, O.D., and three sons, Ryan, Brandan, and Robert Harrison. Major Soltes is also survived by his father, COL (retired) Charles R. Soltes, Sr., his mother, Nancy Soltes, and two siblings, Carolyn Soltes Matthies, and Jeffrey Soltes.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased this legislation has received wide bipartisan support with 73 cosponsors including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Bob Filner. It also has broad support outside of Congress from groups such as the American Optometric Association to the following Veteran Service Organizations: Blind Veterans Association, Vietnam Veterans of America, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, POW/MIA, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Disabled American Veterans, and Jewish War Veterans.

I have had the opportunity to meet with Major Soltes's widow, Dr. Sally Dang and their three outstanding sons. This is a family of such immense strength, but also of pride for their husband and father, his life, his accomplishments, his service and his sacrifice. Dr. Dang recounted that if her husband had the opportunity to come back and serve again, he would do it without hesitation. When we name this center for Major Soltes today, we honor his family, his memory, and his military service, but also his service as a doctor who helped people see more clearly. Fittingly, Dr. Dang is also a practicing optometrist.

May this honor today help us all to see--to see better with our eyes, of course, and to help those veterans suffering with blindness. But also, to see the selfless and wonderful people upon whom our freedoms as a people rest. Major Soltes lies amongst them. May God bless his family and his memory.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res 80, ``Recognizing and Honoring the blinded veterans association on its 65th anniversary of representing blinded veterans and their families,'' a bill sponsored by my colleague from Illinois, Congresswoman Halvorson.

H.J. Res. 80 will honor those who have sacrificed greatly for this nation and have lost their eyesight in the process. These veterans have given great contributions and made incredible personal sacrifices so that all of us in this country might live in a safe and secure nation and world. When we pay tribute to the service of our brave veterans, we acknowledge the great debt that this Nation owes them.

Because I realize that our veterans deserve our very best, I introduced H.R. 1240, the Vision Impairment Specialist Training Act (VISTA), passed into law as part of larger bill. The provisions of VISTA help our nation's blind and low-vision veterans by establishing a scholarship program for students seeking training in blind rehabilitation. There are more than 160,000 legally blind veterans in the United States, but approximately 35,000 are currently enrolled in Veterans Health Administration. Members of the armed forces are important to our nation and we show them our appreciation by taking care of them when they no longer can serve.

Caring for our veterans also means giving them our time. I have had the honor of visiting with some of our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. Many of these soldiers were recovering from some of the most horrific wounds imaginable. But what made the most indelible impression on me was that to a man and woman, there was no self-pity or anger at their fate. Instead of anger or sorrow there was only concern for their fellow soldiers and pride in the certain knowledge that they had fought valiantly on behalf of a country they loved. There is no reason that any of our veterans should not receive the highest care from all of us in this country. I hope all Americans take the time to visit their local VA hospital and thank the wounded for their service to our country.'' We must do everything possible to let our veterans know how much we value their service.

We all know that no one has paid a higher price than the brave men and women through the years who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country. Whether it is the ultimate sacrifice of life or the loss of limb or the loss of time with family and friends, we owe our veterans an enormous outstanding debt of gratitude. So, let us celebrate and recognize our blinded veterans during the 65th anniversary of the Blinded Veterans Association.

It is out of my profound respect and gratitude for all who wear and have worn the uniform of the United States that I continue to work so hard to pass legislation that will ensure that veterans receive the health care, job opportunities, housing assistance, and educational benefits they deserve. Caring for our veterans also means giving them our support when they need it.

Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.J. 80.

Madam Speaker, today I rise in honor of an American patriot for his service and his sacrifice to our country, Major Charles Robert Soltes of Irvine, California, the son of Colonel Soltes, who is now retired. Major Soltes had a distinguished career in the United States Army as well as in the city of Irvine, I might add, where he practiced medicine. It was in Irvine where he entered into private practice as an optometrist and set down his roots to raise a family.

Dr. Soltes subsequently joined the Army Reserve and was deployed to Iraq in 2004. He worked tirelessly as a public health officer in the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion building and upgrading hospitals for the Iraqi people.

On his way back from a hospital visit, his convoy was attacked by an improvised explosive device, and Major Soltes was killed on October 13, 2004. He was the first Army optometrist to be killed in action while on Active Duty. As such, it seems fitting that we honor him and his family by naming a soon-to-be-completed Veterans Affairs blind rehabilitation center in Long Beach, California, at the veterans hospital there, which is in my congressional district.

Once this facility is completed, the blind rehabilitation center, it will work to deliver the same compassion and care that Dr. Soltes dedicated his entire career and gave his life for. This new 24-bed inpatient-outpatient facility, which is expected to be completed this year, will be the first purpose-built blind rehabilitation center in the national Veterans Administration, and as I say, it's located in my district, for which I have great pride.

Dr. Soltes was a graduate of New England College of Optometry. He entered the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps in 1994 and treated members of the military here in the United States as well as abroad. He was well liked and respected by his colleagues. One of

his superiors, Colonel Adams, whom he met while he was going through officer basic training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, said of him, ``He was a tremendous young man. He volunteered to go into Civil Affairs, and every email he sent was upbeat and positive, and he felt he was making a real difference in the lives of the Iraqi people.''

Today, by naming this new facility after him, we are ensuring that Major Soltes' spirit lives on. Every time a patient's quality of life improves, Major Soltes, his dedication to service, will be continued.

To Major Soltes and his family, we salute you. And with this act of Congress, we forever remember the sacrifice Major Soltes gave. Whether giving their most vibrant and youthful years of service to their country or laying down their lives so that we and our children can sleep safely at night, we must remember all who gave some, and some, like Major Soltes, who gave all.

I appreciate my colleagues' understanding in this issue in bringing it up today. Thank you.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4360, a bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center in Long Beach, California, as the Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center.

Naming the future blind rehabilitation center currently in its final stages of construction in Long Beach, California, after Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., is an appropriate expression of our support for our blind veterans.

In 2004 while deployed in Iraq, Major Soltes was serving in the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion in the U.S. Army when the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by an improvised explosive device, costing him his life.

He was the first Army optometrist to be killed in action while on Active Duty, but the legacy Major Soltes leaves behind remains strong with the veteran community, particularly among our blinded veterans. The VA estimates that approximately 157,000 veterans in the United States are legally blind, and over 1 million additional veterans are suffering from debilitating low vision.

Approximately 60 percent of veterans with known combat-related traumatic brain injury and 30 percent with noncombat TBI report visual symptoms. As eye injuries continue to plague our servicemembers overseas, these numbers will continue to rise. And the work of optometrists like Major Soltes will become increasingly important.

In closing, I would like to express my deepest condolences and heartfelt appreciation to Major Soltes' family for their sacrifice. It's my sincerest wish that through the facility, the service and sacrifice of Major Soltes will not be forgotten, and his dedication to country and mankind will live on in the increased health and well-being of our Nation's blinded veterans.

I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) as much time as he might consume.

Again, Madam Chair, in closing, this is a special honor for me as an optometrist who practiced for many, many years, to be celebrating a colleague who paid so dearly, he and his family. We're so proud of him--myself, as a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, but also as an optometrist. And I know that the profession of optometry is very, very proud of his efforts. And we will be thinking of his family, but I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.