Expressing support for designation of a "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day".

Let me thank the gentlewoman for her leadership. And I appreciate my good friend and colleague, Congresswoman Sanchez, and the manager of this bill for your great leadership, as well, in handling this legislation that simply says a huge and overdue ``thank you.'' And so I am pleased to stand on the floor of the House to support H. Res. 234 because I believe I was touched by this experience in this war, recognizing that as I would listen to Vietnam vets, those returning soldiers, speak in a language that we did not understand, talking about the places where they fought, speaking as if they were distant. Now I understand and hope we all understand as Americans that the war of a soldier is America's war. It is not a public-policy war. So we should stand with our soldiers who fight for our freedom no matter where they are.

I am honored today to be able to support this legislation because as a member of the Houston City Council, I joined with former council member Ben Reyes to raise the first POW/MIA flags in tribute to our fallen and missing soldiers in Vietnam. Those flags now stand today in front of the Houston City Hall. And I'm honored to have had the opportunity to be part of it.

Our soldiers deserve this welcome home. And more importantly, they deserve our understanding. So many of the Vietnam vets are homeless. And we should stand alongside of them. For many years, I participated in what we call ``Stand Down'' to bring our soldiers together.

I want to thank the Medal of Honor winners who always come to our Memorial Day service and sing their heart out and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I want to thank Vietnam vets like Antonio ``Tony'' Roman and John Footman, who today serve their country by being part of the Military Order of the Purple Heart working with our young soldiers.

Mr. Speaker, there is no honor--there is no honor that is too high for the soldiers who shed their blood, suffer and, of course, sacrifice on our behalf, those soldiers whose lives are lost, those soldiers who have come back to us, Vietnam vets deserve our honor. Today now we stand to welcome them home. Never will we turn our back. Always the light will be on. We welcome them home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 234, ``Expressing support for designation of a `Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.' '' I want to thank my colleague Congresswoman Linda Sanchez of California for introducing this resolution.

Few groups of Americans have sacrificed for our nation than those who have served in the Armed Forces. The war in Vietnam no longer makes headlines, but for many families it remains a daily reality, and I urge my colleagues to recognize the challenges that the families of these brave soldiers face and support this resolution in their honor.

Mr. Speaker, 2,637,100 people fought through the triumph and tragedy of the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, 58,000 never returned home again! If these now silent patriots have taught us anything, it is that because of these men and women who were willing to sacrifice their last blood and breath, the United States remains a symbol of freedom and a country whose ideas are still worth defending. As a result, these brave men and women memories should be preserved and honored for future generations in this great nation.

It was Edmund Burke who once aptly stated: ``The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.'' The birth of our nation itself was due to good men who refused to submit to an unjust rule. Time after time, in battle after battle American men and women have not fled from mortal danger, no instead they have rushed towards it. Our brave soldiers built this nation, first with independence, then with the righteousness of eliminating slavery, and finally in the last century they built this nation in the eyes of the world, not only as a superpower, but as a nation that values humanity and kindness over the tyranny of others.

I see this same courage and strength in the eyes of our current generation of soldiers. They bear the burden of a new world, in which the greatest threats against our life and freedom are often unseen. They also bear the hope of a nation and a world that clings to the hope of peace and stability. It was the great statesman Adlai Stevenson who said: ``Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.'' It is clear that the torch has been passed to a new generation of men and women willing to dedicate their lives to protecting ours. Our nation is truly blessed in so many ways, but our soldiers continue to be the greatest protectors of our blessings.

Because I feel so strong about our men and women fighting abroad and our veterans who served our nation, I will continue to advocate for their rights in Congress, and I urge my colleagues to fight as well.

Mr. Speaker, now is the time for the U.S. government to again fulfill our moral obligation to those who have fought for freedom and democracy. In the State of Texas we have 1,701,118 veterans, in fact in the 18th Congressional district of Texas alone there are more than 38,000 veterans and they make up almost ten percent of this district's civilian population over the age of 18. Yet we often forget about our men and women fighting abroad once the war is over. We must never forget veterans and we must never stop fighting for their rights as they fought for ours.

Vietnam Veterans like Antonio ``Tony'' Roman and John Footman, who continue to give back to their country and their fellow young military forces by working with the Military Order of the Purple Heart and by standing in the rain or the heat to be there when our Soldiers and Marines return from deployment. I meet with great men from Texas who are Vietnam Veterans, and our newer Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom--and I see their continuing need for our support.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 234, ``Expressing support for designation of a `Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day'.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 234, expressing support for designation of a ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.''

The very fact that we are deliberating about a ``welcome home'' for Vietnam veterans in 2009, decades after our participation in that conflict came to an end, says it all. Don't get me wrong. Those veterans eminently deserve that welcome, and the thanks for serving our Nation that comes with it. But it remains far too long overdue. Those veterans should have been welcomed home from day one. And yet, as the resolution says, ``the Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue among the people of the United States'' and so ``members of the United States Armed Forces who served bravely and faithfully for the United States during the Vietnam War were caught upon their return home in the crossfire of public debate about the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War.''

I want to thank those veterans not just for their service to our Nation in Vietnam, but for their service to our Nation upon their return, service that forms the backbone of support for veterans today. As we have confronted yet another divisive war these last few years, we have welcomed our returning servicemen and--women differently, honoring them appropriately and immediately. And that is largely because of those veterans of Vietnam.

As a 24-year veteran myself and as a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I have seen a remarkable thing happen. Time and time again, I have heard Vietnam veterans--from witnesses at committee hearings and elsewhere--make clear that we cannot let one generation of veterans abandon another. We have to make sure this new generation of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans do not have to go through all the hardships we know all too well are awaiting them if we do not act to prevent them.

Whether it be access to VA health care, the specific mental health issues that some veterans face after the war, the problem of homelessness among

veterans, preventing our veterans from ending up incarcerated, or even the public perception of veterans and the way veterans think about and understand themselves as veterans--we know the dangers that are out there, thanks in no small part to Vietnam veterans working together, and we know we have to act aggressively to make sure we fulfill our commitment to our newest veterans.

For my part, I see no more important task as a member of Congress and of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

But I also have to say, I think something else has started to happen as we as a country have worked to honor and do justice to the veterans of our current conflicts--regardless of how we feel individually about the war itself. I think just as Vietnam veterans have done for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans what World War I veterans did for World War II veterans, supporting the next generation of veterans, I think our society's treatment of our newest veterans has begun a really renewed appreciation for and a different, more positive public perception of Vietnam veterans themselves.

What you all went through when you came home is something that never should be repeated. And it should not have happened in the first place. But it says something about you as a group and America as a society that we have finally, I think, started to move away from the ugliness of that time, and from the stereotypes and cliches about Vietnam veterans.

The new congressional majority that I was a part of forming in 2006 committed to making our military and our veterans an absolutely top priority. And we did that last Congress, and we continue to do that in this new Congress. Last Congress, we passed the largest veterans funding increase in history, increasing pay for our military and providing them with more of the protection they need when they go into battle, passing into law a historic new GI Bill that should do for our 21st century veterans what the original GI Bill did after World War II.

And we will continue that work in this Congress, putting America's veterans first and working to provide them with the care and benefits they deserve.

The debt we owe those who serve our country honorably in the military is never fully paid. But we owe that obligation to our veterans, and it begins with a full welcome home. The Nation can never fully repair the damage done with the failure to immediately and fully welcome home our veterans from Vietnam. But it is never too late to continue recognizing the obligation we owe you, and thanking you for what you have done and what you continue to do.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 234) expressing support for designation of a ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day''.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 234. This resolution before us today establishes March 30, 2009, as a day to honor and recognize the contributions of veterans of the Vietnam War.

As a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, I have had the opportunity to hear the accounts of many Vietnam veterans. I hear the pride that came with the duty of defending their country, and I hear the anguish that they felt coming home to a country that confused the war and the warrior.

I encourage all Americans to reach out to veterans, especially our Vietnam veterans. Thank them and their families for their amazing sacrifice, understand more about their great contributions to our country, and gain the wisdom of their personal stories of our Nation's history.

There are more than 24 million veterans living in this country today, including 8.2 million veterans that served during the Vietnam War. Of these veterans, 2.6 million served in country.

More than 58,000 members in our military lost their lives in Vietnam. Tragically, American casualties continued to climb after the war, as a result of suicides, substance abuse, and homelessness among these veterans and their families.

More than 300,000 members of the Armed Forces were reported wounded as a result of the Vietnam War. Today, this number also continues to grow, as more and more of our Vietnam veterans are feeling the effects of Agent Orange.

Approximately 20 million gallons of herbicides were used in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971 to remove unwanted vegetation that provided cover for enemy forces during the war. Shortly following their military services in Vietnam, some veterans reported a variety of health problems and concerns due to exposure to Agent Orange. Modern science clearly establishes that the symptoms of many degenerative diseases can take decades to onset.

Too many Vietnam veterans are suffering from conditions that resulted from their service to our country, yet are not considered service- connected by our government. Time is running out for many of our Vietnam veterans. Many have already lost the battle. And those who remain, along with their families, are fighting for their lives every day.

The Vietnam War was a very divisive time, and too many Americans, myself included, confused the war and the warrior. We did not provide the support, the care, the compassion, and the love that our dedicated servicemembers earned and deserved.

Many of our finest leaders, both military and political, have been quoted as saying that they did not believe that the men who served in uniform in Vietnam were given the credit they deserve.

In that spirit, the House of Representatives takes this step to recognize the contributions of brave veterans who served in Vietnam and the continued importance of helping Vietnam-era veterans readjust to civilian life.

So I ask my colleagues to join me in showing our gratitude to those brave men and women who served during the Vietnam War. Mr. Speaker, I urge strong support for House Resolution 234.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California, the sponsor of this resolution, Ms. Sanchez.

The gentlelady is granted an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

I would like to know if there are any further speakers.

Then we reserve the balance of our time.

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 House Resolution 234.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support House Resolution 234.

I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, how amazing, quite amazing that we just heard this testimony and these remarks from our colleague from Louisiana, Representative Cao. But if there is any reason for our colleagues to support this resolution, it is by the words that he just spoke. What an unbelievable story he told. He is a Vietnamese-American, his father for 7 years in a re-education camp in Vietnam, and here he is as a result of our men and women fighting for freedom and democracy and liberty. That is certainly a vivid demonstration of why we need to pass this resolution today. I certainly support Resolution 234, which will designate a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.

My district in McComb County, Michigan, is actually home to I think one of if not the largest chapter of Vietnam veterans, Chapter 154, in the entire Nation.

My husband, a very proud Vietnam veteran, actually flew F-102s with the 509th Fighter-Interceptor group from air bases in both Danang and Saigon. These veterans served our Nation faithfully and with distinction and honor. But, to our everlasting shame, they received a horrible homecoming.

One of the saddest times, Mr. Speaker, in American history was the way that we treated our Vietnam veterans when they returned from combat. Caught in the crossfire of the debate on the war in our Nation, they came home to taunts, insults, and worse. These brave men and women, these great war fighters, these great patriots, these great Americans, they answered our Nation's call to fight, and they fought, they bled, and they died in the service of our country.

Not only did they have to bear their physical and psychological wounds of warfare, Mr. Speaker, but our Nation did not recognize them as the heroes that they were and that they are. There were no parades and no yellow ribbons and no thanks for serving when our Nation asked them to do so, and they stepped forward to defend freedom and liberty and democracy.

These men and women deserved better, Mr. Speaker. And although it has taken many years to rectify the injustice some of our fellow citizens visited upon our Vietnam veterans, today we can honor them, and we should, with a day to welcome them home properly. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial here in Washington is one of the most visited memorials. This wall stands as a reminder that 58,000 of our fellow countrymen paid the ultimate price, and we must never forget them.

We owe our Nation's veterans a debt that can never be fully repaid, but we want to thank them for their service and their sacrifice on behalf of our great Nation, and all of us will continue to work the halls of Congress to ensure that our veterans get the care, the help, the recognition, and the benefits that they so richly deserve. I know that I have a MIA/POW flag hanging right outside the door of my Congressional office, and if you walk up and down the halls of Congress, you will see many, many others displayed here as well.

We can never forget.

And I would encourage every community in America to observe the ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day'' so that we never forget our veterans' bravery, courage and sacrifice. And today let me say ``welcome home.''

I ask all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I stand in support of our veterans and in support of H.R. 1377, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non- department facility and for other purposes by my colleague from California, Representative Bob Filner and the Members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

H.R. 1377 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay for emergency care that certain veterans receive at non-VA medical facilities or to reimburse veterans if they have paid for that care. Specifically, veterans with non-service-connected conditions whose third-party insurer does not cover the full cost of care would be reimbursed.

The bill also permits the VA to reimburse veterans for emergency treatment that was provided prior to the date of enactment. Under current federal law, the Department of Veterans Affairs has the authority to reimburse certain veterans or pay for emergency treatment of a non-service connected condition if the VA is the payer of last resort. However, the VA currently does not pay for emergency treatment for non-service connected conditions in facilities outside the VA system if a veteran has third-party insurance that pays for any portion of the medical cost. H.R. 1377 would make these veterans eligible for reimbursements from the VA.

I have been a strong advocate of supporting our veterans. We are providing for our veterans with legislation such as:

H. Res. 234--which would designate a ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.''

H. Res. 1054--Honoring the service and achievements of women in the Armed Forces and female veterans (Rep. Davis (CA)--Armed Services).

H.R. 2790--To establish the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services within the office of the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health as amended (Rep. Hare--Veterans' Affairs).

H.R. 3889--To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a longitudinal study of the vocational rehabilitation programs administered by the Secretary (Rep. Boozman--Veterans' Affairs).

H.R. 5554--Veterans Substance Use Disorders Prevention and Treatment Act of 2008 (Rep. Michaud--Veterans' Affairs)--Passed.

H.R. 5664--To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update at least once every six years the plans and specifications for specially adapted housing furnished to veterans by the Secretary (Rep. Rodriguez--Veterans' Affairs).

Currently, there are over 25 million veterans in the United States. There are more than 1,633,000 veterans living in Texas. According to the Texas Veterans Commission, there are 197,030 veterans in Harris County. In the 2007 fiscal year health care costs in the 18th district of Texas were over $80,000.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in expanding Title 38 for reimbursement of emergency care in non-department facilities for veterans.