Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to applying laws equally to the citizens of the United States and the Federal Government.

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

I want to first say that today we've had a reminder again of how much we owe our men and women in uniform. And I want to express the gratitude of the Members of the House, the people of America to our men and women in uniform who keep our streets safe every day, and say that our hearts and our prayers are with those injured officers today, and to express our immense gratitude to each and every one of them all over the country and to our men and women in uniform around the world who make it possible for us to be here today in the greatest deliberative democracy ever created in the history of humanity. We owe it all to our men and women in uniform.

Moment of Silence for Officers Injured Today

Madam Speaker, I ask for a moment of silent prayer for those officers who have been injured today.

Madam Speaker, we are here today to work arm-in-arm in support of our men and women in uniform. I'm pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe).

Madam Speaker, at this time I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that, today, the only question before the House today is a ``yes'' or ``no'' vote whether or not you support funding our veterans.

This is not complicated. The Veterans Administration has said they will run out of money unless we pass this legislation today to make certain that our veterans who have earned these important benefits receive them.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Southerland).

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

I will remind all Members that the Veterans Administration has said that funds for these benefits will expire at the end of this month. Anytime you have a disagreement, you try to find those areas where you can agree and that are especially important, and set those aside. That's what we're doing today.

The House majority has brought this bill to the floor to ensure that our veterans and their survivors will receive their disability compensation. A ``yes'' vote will ensure that low-income veterans and their families get their pensions. A ``yes'' vote will ensure three-

quarters of a million students will receive their post-9/11 GI education benefits, that unemployed veterans will receive their benefits, and that 67,000 veterans with service-connected disabilities will get their vocational rehabilitation and employment subsistence benefits that they have earned by their service to the country.

Again, I stress the VA has said these benefits will run out at the end of this month. So we've chosen what is our highest priority, looking at our men and women in uniform--an area we are in complete agreement on--and brought it to the floor in good faith. We hope our colleagues will join us in voting ``yes'' or ``no'' in support of our veterans.

At this time I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).

Mr. LaMALFA I want to thank my colleague from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, we are here to honor our veterans--all Americans--for their job by the work we do here. It's been shameful the last few days to have our veterans come all the way to Washington, D.C.--our World War II veterans and some of the Korean veterans we've met as well--and find themselves blockaded unnecessarily out of what is theirs over the politics of a shutdown.

Now the politics of this shutdown come into this room here. We don't always get to do the perfect bill around this place. I see my Democrat colleagues basically yelling at us over, We want the perfect bill, we want it all in one.

When we can find the things we agree on, including this bill, including other measures put up in the last couple of days, we can all agree on this portion of any CR bill together. We can put this out and stop the hijinx, stop the politics, stop the games, and get this agreement done.

We all agree on this piece of legislation, that it should be done and it's the right thing. It will get veterans served and get them out of this mess, out of this pool of muck that we are in, fighting over this CR, fighting over this shutdown.

So let's agree today to get our veterans served and take the political football out, take the name-calling out--Republicans, Democrats, all that stuff--and get the job done. We're here to get the job done. On my farm, I don't want to get everything done in one day. You make progress a little bit at a time, one field at a time.

This is one field at a time here. We can do this bill. Instead of holding each other hostage because the Democrats want the perfect all- in-one-bill, we can do the pieces we agree on together.

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

I would simply point out very quickly there are no cuts in this bill. We're simply funding essential veterans services through December 15 at a level equal to the amount that we have already passed out of the House the first week of June. There are no cuts.

We want to make sure these essential services continue for our veterans and they don't see any interruption in services.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I want to point out very quickly, we are funding the most essential parts of the Veterans Administration, where we have been told they will run out of money within the next 30 days. We want to ensure that our veterans don't have a thing to worry about. We don't want their families, their children, their survivors to worry for one moment whether or not their benefits are going to be there.

We bring this bill to the floor today to ensure that they are taken care of, their peace of mind is secured. And also, this is clearly one of those areas--in support of our veterans--where we can agree.

Again, I stress, common courtesy and common sense tell us when you have a disagreement, you find those areas where you can come together and agree and put that behind you. That's all this is. It's not complicated.

Let's vote together today to make sure that our veterans programs are fully funded.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, could I inquire how much time is remaining.

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

It's important to remember that as we have done in the House and the Senate has done by unanimous consent, we have paid our Active Duty military. Their salaries are paid. So they don't have to worry about it as they stand on the walls of Rome in defense of our freedom.

Today, we bring this legislation to the floor to be sure that past generations of our military men and women who have served this country and defended our freedom and made it possible for us to be here today, that their benefits are fully funded.

We've been told straight up by the VA that the items that are before the House today will run out of money before the end of this month. This is not complicated. It truly is common sense and common courtesy to find those areas of agreement, set those aside, do those in priority order.

We've made sure the current generation of military men and women are paid. We're now, today, making sure that our veterans of previous generations are fully compensated for survivor benefits, for low-income veterans, for student 9/11 GI benefits, for unemployed veterans. We're going to make sure that veterans with service-connected disabilities are taken care of.

What we attempted to do--and as my colleague from Georgia knows, we've always worked arm-in-arm in support of those veterans--is to find those areas where the help is needed most urgently and to set that aside and get 'er done now before these benefits run out.

And the vote today is very simple: yes or no, will you vote to support America's veterans and honor them for their sacrifice and make sure they don't miss a minute, that there's no bubble in the pipeline of the benefits that they have earned by their sacrifices for this great Nation.

This is a simple yes-or-no vote in support of our veterans.

I urge passage of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the gentlewoman's motion.

Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order that the instructions contained in the motion violate clause 7 of rule XVI, which requires that an amendment be germane to the bill under consideration.

As the Chair recently ruled on October 2, 2013, the instructions contain a special order of business within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Rules. Therefore, the amendment is not germane to the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I insist on my point of order.

Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the appeal on the table.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H.J. Res. 72, the ``Honoring Our Promise to Veterans Act.'' I have unwavering support for our nation's veterans and Houston is home for tens of thousands of veterans.

I hold our men and women of the armed services in the highest regard. I have fought for them to receive pay raises, affordable and safe housing, family support services, and the best possible medical care. My support of veterans has been consistent and strong over the time I have served in the House of Representatives. I know firsthand how painful it is for Veterans to seek assistance for medical care-- especially PTSD or Traumatic Brain injuries. So I have made it a central part of my public service to make sure they know how much they are loved and appreciated.

In the 106th Congress I introduced House Joint Resolution 98, which was signed into law by President Clinton. This resolution honored the debt paid for our nation's freedom by minority veterans who fought during World War II. If this Congress truly wishes to recognize the sacrifice and bravery of our veterans it will end this shutdown and re- open our government now. The current shutdown has slowed the rate at which the government can process veterans' disability claims and, as the VA has stated, it is negatively impacting other services to our nation's veterans.

It is extremely personal and painful to me to see the majority in this body use Veterans as a political football to try to score political points. Veterans deserve our honor and respect and regard for the service they have given to this country--which was given not for pay, but out of patriotism and love of country.

Today, I am ashamed of this body for treating Veterans as if they can be bribed to turn their backs on this nation and the pain of fellow Americans are suffering under the pressure of an unnecessary Federal government shutdown. The majority of the House of Representatives are showing such disrespect to Veterans by attempting to bribe them into leaving their fellow Americans behind by offering financial relief to them while other Americans remain in financial harm's way.

When Veterans served in uniform they fought for this nation under one flag without regard for political party or region of the nation.

As the member from the 18th Congressional District of Houston Texas I have fought hard to protect the honor and the rights of our great veterans. This Congress in years past have spoken highly of our nation's veterans because without their sacrifice we would not be in a free nation.

In the 18th Congressional District of Texas there are more than 50,000 veterans and they are almost ten percent of this district's civilian population over the age of 18.

I cannot forget our nation's veterans. They are my friends' people I admire and feel privileged to serve in the House of Representatives. My service to them in part is motivated by the selflessness these men and women have shown and their courage when facing long and difficult recoveries from injuries incurred while serving.

Our veterans are extraordinary citizens who have changed the course of our lives in ways that we may not even realize. I hope we will always keep this thought in mind. The most important lessons that our Veterans can teach us is not to be divided against each other because we will surely fall as a nation. When the House of Representatives openly pits one group of Americans against another they dishonor our veterans and their sacrifice.

I would like to close my remarks with citing the words of two great American Veterans who served our nation on the field of battle and as members of the Congress: Congressman John Dingell and Senator Bob Dole. They said:

As two proud World War II veterans blessed also to serve

this great nation in Congress, we consider our bipartisan

work together in helping to create a National World War II

Memorial to be among our greatest accomplishments and a true

honor to our brothers-in-arms. If this Congress truly wishes

to recognize the sacrifice and bravery of our World War II

veterans and all who've come after, it will end this shutdown

and re-open our government now. The current shutdown has

slowed the rate at which the government can process veterans'

disability claims and, as the VA has stated, it is negatively

impacting other services to our nation's veterans. Piecemeal

or partial spending plans do not adequately ensure that our

veterans--and indeed all Americans--have access to the system

of self-government established to serve and protect them.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed to the bill, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it would appear that the chairman has resigned himself to keeping the government shut down for 30 days so that the VA will run out of money in that 30 days' time. The way to ensure that the VA doesn't run out of money in 30 days is to pass a clean CR to reopen all of government.

Mr. Speaker, I have spent every moment since waking up in my hospital bed at Walter Reed defending our military and serving our veterans. I know when they're being exploited.

Mr. Speaker, the bill we are debating isn't a serious or respectful attempt to support our Nation's heroes. It will not help veterans; in fact, it does just the opposite. It cuts more than $6 billion in funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs from the same bill that my colleagues and I passed, 421-4, just earlier this year.

I can't support this bill because it pits one veteran against another. It would continue paying out pension benefits at the cost of cutting medical and prosthetic research for wounded veterans. It would give veterans in the VA their health care and needed mental health services, which I applaud, but it leaves 800,000 of their brothers and sisters--my brothers and sisters--caught in the backlog where they would have to wait even longer to get a decision on their benefits. It would allow our troops with posttraumatic stress to access the Veterans Crisis Line, but at the expense of not laying our heroes to rest in our national cemeteries on a timely basis. It would allow our veterans to be counseled for military sexual trauma, but not quickly review the appeals that they submit to get the compensation they so rightfully deserve for that trauma.

This is unacceptable. It is shameful we are even considering responding to our veterans' service to our Nation with a funding cut at a time when the need for their services has never been greater. And we don't fund government by pitting one group against another. A piecemeal deal to fund some veterans could still allow TRICARE to run out of funds for prescription medication for our military and retirees.

We're not a Nation that would ask veterans to accept funding at the expense of their children who are in Head Start. A piecemeal-approach bill tells our thousands of military and veterans' families who rely on food stamps that we will pay their salaries when they go to war, but we won't feed their children.

And the idea that funding the VA will protect their benefits from the effects of this shutdown is simply not true. Our veterans are also small business owners in Elgin, Illinois; they are students in Addison; they are homeowners in Hanover Park; and many of them continue to serve their country as government employees. Funding just part of the VA will not help the veterans who are waiting on loans from the Small Business Administration.

So let's put our politics aside and stop using our veterans as pawns. This approach will not meet the full range of desperately needed veteran services. It is no way to fund government.

Our veterans didn't leave their comrades behind on the field of battle. Shame on the majority for leaving them and the Nation they defended without a government.

Our Nation is better than this. We are better than this. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this motion to recommit and please, please allow us to bring up the clean, Senate-passed continuing resolution that has the additional $6 billion of funding for our heroes, for our veterans.

Let's reopen the government so we can get back to the work of serving our Nation.

Point of Order

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, if you rule this motion out of order, does that mean we will not have a chance to keep the entire Federal Government open today?

Can the Chair please explain why we can't open the entire Federal Government today?

Mr. Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the Chair.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 72. I want to point out a few critical points of this resolution and how it will ease the stress on the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as our men and women as well as their family members who have served our nation honorably and faithfully.

First, I would like to bring your attention to how important it is to continue to provide funding for disability claims processing-- ``disability claims need to go out--surely we can all agree on that? I have seen first-hand what these men and women must go through to get back on their feet and we should be making sure that all of the resources they need aren't delayed a single day.'' We have worked together over the last few years to reduce the

disability backlog and we could lose this momentum by not funding H.J. Res. 72. This resolution contains an anomaly--a $294M increase for the administrative costs of claims processing. Without sufficient funding, VA won't be able to continue its efforts to reduce the significant backlog that each Member office hears far too much about.

Secondly I would like to emphasize the importance of making funds available for the post-9/11 GI bill benefits. Without the funding in H.J. Res. 72, more than 760,000 veterans won't receive their post-9/11 benefits. This is an investment in the future of America which we must preserve.

Thirdly, I have attended far too many funerals; the mandatory funding provided in the bill will provide 49,221 burial allowances and 25,538 burial plot allowances, 26,091 service-connected death awards, 500,002 burial flags, 344,826 headstones or markers, and 63,508 grave-liners or reimbursement for privately purchased outer burial receptacles at VA and private cemeteries. We as a nation owe the men and women who have defended America the entitlements which they earned. H.J. Res. 72 will provide funding to ensure we continue to care for our Veterans.

My friends on the other side of the aisle have been emphasizing that this bill doesn't provide as much money to the VA as the bill the House passed back in June. That's because this bill is a more targeted approach. It provides all the mandatory funding and the money for claims processing administration in the near-term. But when you add the advance medical services funding that has already been provided to the money in this bill, it totals $141.4 billion--96 percent of the total the House approved last June. There are several smaller discretionary accounts that are not funded in this bill, but they tend to be accounts with a slower spend out rate, like construction and State homes, and these accounts will more than likely have carryover funds to cover the short-term. The Democrats are making too much of the $6.2B this bill doesn't provide for, when $141.4 billion will be available.

Madam Speaker, at this time I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I also would like to extend our condolences, and would also like to express our appreciation to the Sergeant at Arms and to the Capitol Police for their hard work in making sure that the people that work in this Capitol, the Members and visitors, are safe. And we appreciate their vigilance during the recent incident.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), who is the ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining?

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud), ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee.

At this time I am happy to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Brown), a strong and consistent advocate for veterans and a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for over 20 years.

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

I'd like to point out the fact that while the bill may do what my good friend has suggested, it doesn't fund all of the accounts. There are a number of accounts, as has been pointed out time and time again, that are not funded.

May I inquire, Mr. Speaker, as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. Speaker, at this time I am pleased to yield 30 seconds to my good friend, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the assistant Democratic leader.

Mr. Speaker, H.J. Res. 59, the Senate clean bill, includes all programs administered by the VA. Let me repeat: all programs. The Senate didn't cherry-pick which programs get funded. It continues operations of the entire Federal Government.

On the other hand, the anemic H.J. Res. 72 that we're voting on here, the Medical Research account is not included; Construction; Office of the Secretary, Board of Veterans Appeals; Inspector General, not included; IT account, not included; grants to State veterans homes, State cemeteries, the National Cemetery Administration, not included.

Enough of these games. Let's pass a CR. Let's do our work. Let's finish our work. Let's fund the government and put these workers back to work.

I yield back the balance of my time.