South Texas Veterans Health Care Expansion Act

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I thank both of my colleagues from Texas for using this as an opportunity, not only to herald this important bill, but as well the importance of health care for our veterans in south Texas.

As a sponsor myself, through several sessions of this effort to strengthen health care in south Texas, I am pleased we are finally making some progress on it. We need to continue to redouble our efforts, whether it is there or at Audie Murphy, or at the burn center, or at Lackland, or, as with our success last Friday in Austin, Texas, where we broke ground on what will become the largest veterans' outreach clinic to provide outpatient care for our veterans of any place in the entire United States.

Of course, what brings us principally here today is the bill that Congressman Cuellar introduced and that I am a sponsor of, the bill to salute the veterans of Schertz, Texas, by renaming this as the Schertz Veterans Post Office. With so many in the Schertz area who have contributed so much to our Nation's freedom, there just aren't enough public buildings in Schertz to name all of them for the individual sacrifice that has occurred, so this bill very practically approaches the heroism and the contribution of so many veterans and their families in Schertz by renaming this building the Veterans Post Office.

Schertz' connection to our Armed Forces is a proud and storied history. Most of the community's growth began going back to a general store in the last century, in the 20th century. It began in the twenties and thirties with the Army's construction of what was then called in Hollywood and elsewhere the West Point of the Air, then Randolph Field before the Air Force was even formed.

Today, Randolph Field may be called Randolph Air Force Base and Schertz, Texas, may have had since 1990 a tripling of its population, but some things have not changed. One of those, since World War II-- 1946 and the end of that war, as the veterans were returning--has been the chartering and the continuation of the Veterans of Foreign War Post, commanded by Mike Espinola, and it is still a thriving heartbeat of community activities. Families are also still coming to Schertz, Texas. They're coming in droves. Even CNN recognized it as one of the best places to live anywhere in America.

So often, rapid change will divide rather than unite, and that could be especially true when you have people coming from, literally, all over the world to a community practically adjacent to a military base and otherwise filled with many commuters. But unlike so many other parts of our country, where folks return to the same street without a sense of neighborhood, the people in Schertz have maintained a community spirit that is reflected at the Schertz Family YWCA, which recently got the Strong Community award; at the many events families attend at Pickrell Park; or at a football game at Samuel Clemens High School. This renamed Veterans Post Office will help maintain that community spirit and will serve as an anchor and as a reminder of where Schertz came from, how it has grown, and the road ahead.

A while back, I stood at this very microphone to speak up for the renaming of a post office in south Austin on South Congress, which is the street that once connected San Antonio and Austin, for Sergeant Henry Ybarra, III, who was killed in Iraq. I remember the dedication service that we had there, joined by the Catholic War Veterans, the American GI Forum, LULAC, and The Knights of Columbus Council, in addition to the family and friends of Sergeant Ybarra. It meant a great deal to them, and I believe that the same thing, the same kind of inspiration which they feel every time they go into that hub of community activity, will be realized as well in Schertz, Texas.

Our veterans, whether they wore uniforms last week or decades ago, understand a fundamental truth: That our military is the strongest in the world because of the spirit and the bravery of the men and women who put on that uniform. As a grateful Nation, we must continue to honor their service by meeting their health care needs and by taking steps like today in the renaming of the Schertz Veterans Post Office. I think it's a step in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 771) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1081 Elbel Road in Schertz, Texas, as the ``Schertz Veterans Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 771, introduced by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from south Texas (Mr. Cuellar), would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1081 Elbel Road in Schertz, Texas, as the Schertz Veterans Post Office.

This bill is cosponsored by the entire Texas delegation, and I'm a proud cosponsor myself, Mr. Speaker. It's altogether fitting and proper that we designate this post office in Schertz to honor those who have sacrificed so much for this Nation--our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to commend my colleague from Texas for introducing this legislation and also commend him for introducing H.R. 1318, the South Texas Veterans Health Care Expansion Act. I'm a proud original cosponsor of this legislation as well, which is vitally important to the veterans all over south Texas.

H.R. 1318 would expand health care for the more than 117,000 veterans who reside in far south Texas. Currently, without adequate medical facilities, many of these veterans are forced to drive over 6 hours to the nearest facility in order to receive needed medical care.

This is unacceptable and we can do better.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that this legislation passed the House last week as part of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2012, and it is my hope that the Senate will act swiftly on this measure and that the President will soon sign this important bill into law.

The VA estimates nearly 49,000 veterans currently reside in the 27th Congressional District, which I am honored to represent. This makes up much of far south Texas, along with the district Mr. Cuellar and Mr. Hinojosa represent. According to the VA, Texas has an estimated 1.7 million veterans, and there are approximately 22.5 million veterans all across our Nation.

To the men and women who have served, thank you for all you have done and for the countless sacrifices that you have made. I am truly grateful for your service and for the hardships you and your families have endured. I am proud to stand in this Chamber and to

honor you here today with both bills, that of renaming the post office and our veterans' bill for south Texas. I urge all Members to join me in strong support of H.R. 771.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I too would like to thank the gentlemen from Texas for their ongoing and continuing support for the veterans.

There is not too much that we can do for the men and women who sacrifice time and again for our country. They sacrifice their time; they sacrifice their work; and sadly, in some cases, they are asked to sacrifice their lives. I stand in strong support of this bill, and urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 771, renaming the post office in Schertz, Texas, the Schertz Veterans Post Office.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

First of all, I want to thank my good friend and colleague from south Texas, along with Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, and then on the Senate side, both Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Senator Cornyn. All of us have been working as a team, and have been working to improve the access to veterans in south Texas. I think my friend said it ably, that there is a need out there, and we are working together to make sure in a bipartisan way that we provide that health care to the veterans. And I certainly want to thank Mr. Farenthold for all the leadership that he has provided. Thank you very much.

H.R. 771 will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1081 Elbel Road in Schertz, Texas, as the Schertz Veterans Post Office to honor those who have served in our Nation's defense. Many of us know someone who has served in the military: a friend, a family member, a parent, or a neighbor. Nearly 2 million veterans, almost 10 percent nationwide, call Texas home, and I thank them for their service. Our veterans have given full measures of devotion, sacrificing their time, their youth, in some cases their health, and in all cases time with their families. The Schertz Veterans Post Office will be located in the city of Schertz in Guadalupe County, which is connected with the military presence of Randolph Air Force Base nearby, which I represent.

Guadalupe County, in which Schertz resides, has the second-highest concentration of veterans in my district. Thousands and thousands of them live there in Guadalupe County. This legislation will name a landmark to serve as both a reminder and as a sincere ``thank you'' to the veterans at home and abroad. I urge the passage of H.R. 771 for all the brave men and women who have fought for our country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my good friend, the gentleman from Texas, Congressman Lloyd Doggett.

I want to thank the gentleman from Texas, my good friend and colleague, Mr. Lloyd Doggett, for his dedication, his passion, and his commitment to the veterans. For many years, he has been supporting the veterans, and has worked very hard. If there is anybody who works very hard for the veterans, it is my friend Mr. Lloyd Doggett, and I certainly want to thank you for cosponsoring this legislation.

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

In November, the VA outpatient clinic in Harlingen, Texas, earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval. This award recognizes facilities that comply with the Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety in ambulatory care, behavioral health care, and home care.

There is no way we can adequately express our thanks to those who serve this country, but we must welcome them home and make sure they have access to the benefits and services that they have earned.

Our servicemen and -women deserve quality health care. The Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System has earned this distinction because they demonstrate a commitment to meeting the health care needs of all south Texas veterans.

My staff and I are passionate about helping veterans. South Texas is one of the most military and veteran-friendly places in the country, and I will work hard to ensure that the servicemembers and families receive the support that they deserve.

While south Texas is served by great outpatient facilities, we are in desperate need of a full-service VA hospital. I'm the cosponsor of two bills, H.R. 1318 and H.R. 837, that direct the VA to bring full- service, inpatient care facilities to south Texas.