Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2010

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 4592, the Energy Jobs for Veterans Act. I would like to thank Chairman Filner for bringing this legislation to the floor and Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin and Ranking Member Boozman for their assistance in crafting this legislation. Finally, I would like to thank the Democratic and Republican professional staff of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, namely, Juan Lara, Javier Martinez, and Mike Brink, for their work and expertise.

Madam Speaker, our dependence on foreign oil threatens our national security and the lives and safety of our men and women in uniform serving their country overseas. When the fierce global competition for petroleum drives up the price of crude, millions upon millions of dollars flow into the coffers of nations that don't like us too much. In too many cases, that money has financed weapons and operations that have resulted in the deaths of American soldiers.

What can we do about it? It's simple. Produce our energy in America, instead of importing it from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Venezuela.

How do we do it? Also straightforward. We invest in the production of energy right here in America. We produce American oil. We produce clean-burning American natural gas. We extract liquid fuels from algae. We construct wind and solar farms. We make our homes more efficient, and we invest in nuclear power.

What's the result? We keep our money at home. We create energy jobs all over America, and we bolster our national security.

My bill means that those who fought for their country abroad would be able to continue their work for the security of our country when they return home by getting a job and a career producing our energy right here in America.

My bill says, if you risked your life for your country fighting enemies funded by foreign oil purchased with American dollars, then you can come home and continue your work for our national security, this time with a career in the energy industry.

The Energy Jobs for Veterans Act will incentivize employers to hire veterans for jobs being created by American energy. The bill instructs the Department of Labor to award competitive grants to three States to establish programs to reimburse employers and other organizations for providing on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs for veterans that are employed by energy companies. The bill will allow States to reimburse employers for training and apprenticeship provided to veteran employees.

Unlike other employment programs for veterans that fund training but don't guarantee employment, the Energy Jobs for Veterans Act incentivizes companies to hire veterans in the first place, and ensures that veterans are learning on the job and collecting valuable work experience from the beginning.

Eligible energy employers are those involved in the energy efficient building, construction, and retrofits industry, the renewable electric power industry, the biofuels industry, the energy efficiency assessment industry, the oil and gas industry, and the nuclear industry.

This is a pilot program and it's 100 percent competitive. The Secretary of Labor must make the awards to the most competitive applications for funds. If this works, we can expand to more States and different industries.

Madam Speaker, now let's get down to why it is really important.

On March 12th, the Labor Department announced that the unemployment rate last year for young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans hit 21.1 percent. The number was well above the 16.6 percent jobless rate for nonveterans of that same age group, 18-24. As of last year, 1.9 million had deployed for the wars since 9/11. Many have struggled with mental health problems, addiction, and homelessness as they return home. Difficulty in finding work can make the adjustments much harder.

Our veterans were on the front lines defending our freedom. We can't leave them behind now. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this bill.

I will enter into the Record these seven letters of support for my bill from my congressional district.

Marine Corps League of New Mexico,

March 22, 2010.

Representative Harry Teague.

Sir: I have just received a copy of Bill H.R. 4592.

I am Marine Corps League Department Commandant for the

state of New Mexico. You have the support of the League as

well as my personal vote of approval of H.R. 4592. The

returning service personnel need all the assistance we as

Americans can give them.

Sincerely,

Vernon Mollan,

Commandant of Marine Corps League,

State of New Mexico.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4592) to provide for the establishment of a pilot program to encourage the employment of veterans in energy-related positions, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released survey data showing unsettling numbers on the employment rates of newly returning veterans. Last year, the unemployment rate for our Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans was over 10 percent. Even more disturbing were figures showing that the jobless rate of younger veterans exceeded 20 percent.

Congressman Harry Teague, a first-term member of our committee from New Mexico, proposed an innovative way to provide training for veterans in the energy industry. He introduced this act, H.R. 4592, the Energy Jobs for Veterans Act.

I would yield to Mr. Teague for further explanation of the bill.

Thank you, Congressman Teague, for your strong advocacy on behalf of our veterans. This innovative and competitive idea will ensure that our returning veterans have the employment opportunities they require to make the difficult transition into the civilian workforce, while also addressing America's need for energy independence.

Madam Speaker, Congress must act to ensure our returning veterans have employment opportunities as they strive to reintegrate into the civilian workforce. This bill would help do just that.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers and am prepared to close.

Madam Speaker, as we conclude this package of six bills that I think do so much for our Nation's veterans, this committee has been proud to work in a bipartisan way to get these bills to the floor.

I would like to remind my colleagues that this committee, in the last 4 years, has, in fact, done a tremendous amount for our Nation's veterans. We have increased the health care budget by more than $20 billion, 60 percent increase in health care for our Nation's veterans. We've updated the GI bill and have a GI bill for the 21st century that about 200,000 students are taking advantage of in this first year of the bill.

We are helping to improve access for our rural veterans, for our women veterans, and, as we show today, to make sure we bring an end to our homeless veterans. So we are very proud of the work that we are doing for the veterans that we are so proud of.

General Leave

And as I close, Madam Speaker, I would ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material, both on the previous bill, H.R. 4667, and the current bill, H.R. 4592, as amended.

I would urge my colleagues to support this bill. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4592, ``To provide for the establishment of a pilot program to encourage the employment of veterans in energy-related positions,'' a bill sponsored by my colleague Congressman Teague from New Mexico.

H.R. 4592 increases job opportunities increase job opportunities for veterans by reimbursing employers for the cost of providing on-the job training for veterans in the energy sector through a new ``Veterans Energy Related Employment Program'' of competitive grants.

We have an obligation to ensure that our veterans can continue to use their expertise and talents that they have so ably used in serving this great nation. We can do this by showing our appreciation of the service of veterans and actively provide opportunities for them to work. 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. It is time that we pay up and stand up for our heroes. For, what is the price of freedom?

As President Kennedy once said, `The price of freedom is high, but Americans have always paid it.' And 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.

From Bunker Hill to Yorktown, from Washington, D.C. to the Battle of New Orleans, from Bull Run to Gettysburg and Antietam to Appamattox, brave Americans gave their lives so that the nation might live. And from Alsace Lorain to Verdun, and Normandy to Berlin and Pearl Harbor to Okinawa, from Inchon and Correigador to Vietnam, Lebanon, Grenada, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq, Americans have nobly sacrificed their lives so that the world may live in freedom.

The debt of gratitude we owe to the soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who answered their nation's call and made supreme sacrifices can never be repaid. But the nation can follow President Lincoln's admonition to `care for him who has borne the battle, and for his [family].' Indeed, it is the least we can do.

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.R. 4592.

Mr. President, today, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I urge all of my colleagues to support S. 3107/ H.R. 4667, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2010. This measure would direct the Secretary of Veterans

Affairs to increase, effective December 1, 2010, the rates of veterans' compensation to keep pace with the rising cost of living in this country. The rate adjustment is equal to that provided on an annual basis to Social Security recipients and is based on the Consumer Price Index.

Congress regularly enacts legislation that would provide for a cost- of-living adjustment for veterans' compensation in order to ensure that inflation does not erode the purchasing power of the veterans and their families who depend upon this income to meet their daily needs. The 2011 COLA has not yet been determined.

The COLA affects, among other benefits, veterans' disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Many of the recipients of those benefits depend upon these tax-free payments not only to provide for their own basic needs, but those of their spouses and children as well. Without a COLA increase, these veterans and their families would see the value of their hard-earned benefits slowly diminish if there was an increase in inflation. If there is an increase in inflation, we in Congress would be neglecting our duty to ensure that those who sacrificed so much for this country receive the benefits and services to which they are entitled.

It is important that we view veterans' compensation, including the COLA, and indeed all benefits earned by veterans, as a continuing cost of war. It is clear that the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will continue to result in injuries and disabilities that will yield an increase in claims for compensation. Currently, there are more than 3.1 million veterans in receipt of VA disability compensation.

Disbursement of disability compensation to our Nation's veterans constitutes one of the central missions of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is a necessary measure of appreciation afforded to those veterans whose lives were forever altered by their service to this country.

I urge our colleagues to support passage of this COLA bill. I also ask our colleagues for their continued support for our Nation's veterans.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Madam Speaker. Today I rise in support of H.R. 4667, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2010, a bill that I was proud to introduce in support of America's veterans.

Over 140 years ago, President Lincoln called upon our Nation ``to care for him, who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.'' This charge is as compelling today as it was in 1865. It underscores the important role that our veterans play in defending our freedoms and the obligation we all have as a Nation to provide our brave veterans the care they need once returning home.

H.R. 4667, the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2010, will provide an increase to the rates of basic compensation for disabled veterans and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation to their survivors and dependents, along with other benefits, in order to keep pace with the rising cost of living. The disability COLA would become effective December 1, 2010, and will be equal to that provided on an annual basis to Social Security recipients.

In these challenging economic times, our disabled veterans depend upon these tax-free payments not only to provide for their own basic needs, but for those of their spouses, children, and parents as well. Without an annual COLA increase, these veterans and their families would see the value of their hard-earned benefits slowly erode. We would be derelict in our duty if we failed to guarantee that those who sacrificed so much for this country receive benefits and services that fail to keep pace with their needs.

Doing right by veterans must always be a top priority for Congress. I believe that passage of this bill will send a clear message of support to those who wear the uniform of the United States military, a message that says we will never forget your service and sacrifice and that a grateful Nation will take care of you when you return from the front lines of freedom.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill on behalf of this Nation's veterans and continue the bipartisan support that we showed in the committee.