Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2015

Mr. President, I am proud today to introduce the Leahy- Collins Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. It is deplorable that in the wealthiest country in the world, 1.6 million teenagers live on the streets because they have no home. We know that those who do not have a safe place to sleep at night are particularly vulnerable to being exploited and trafficked. A recent study found that nearly one in four homeless young people have been victims of trafficking or sexual exploitation. We often talk about human trafficking as an international problem, but the sad truth is that it is a major problem right here at home. It is time we provide the resources to help protect our children from this very real threat.

The Runaway Youth Act, first signed into law in 1974, has proven essential to providing the basic services and resources that runaway and homeless youth need, and our continued support is vital. Thirty- nine percent of the homeless population is under the age of 18, and the average age at which a teen becomes homeless is 14.7 years old. Think about that. The average teen living on the streets is not even old enough to drive. These young people represent our country's future and its optimism, and as a father and a grandfather, I believe that we must do more to address the needs of the 1.6 million homeless youth in our country.

Teens run away and become homeless for myriad reasons. A U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services study found that 46 percent of homeless youth had run away because of physical abuse and 17 percent because of sexual abuse. Nearly 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT and report leaving home because of a lack of acceptance. By including a new provision that prohibits grantees from denying services based on the sexual orientation or gender identity of the homeless youth, this bill takes important new steps to make sure that we are meeting the needs of this growing and particularly vulnerable population. No young person should be turned away from these essential services.

We have made great strides in recent years in our efforts to combat human trafficking. Most recently, we reauthorized the comprehensive Trafficking Victims Protection Act, a bipartisan bill I introduced and was proud to see enacted as part of the Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. And last year, we saw historic levels of funding for victims of trafficking, an urgently needed increase that I was proud to support as the most senior member of the Appropriations Committee. But we must not forget the importance of investing in prevention efforts as well, and I was disappointed that Congress failed to pass the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. If we are to make a real difference to end modern day slavery, we must protect those who are most vulnerable and prevent the exploitation in the first place. We cannot simply focus on ending demand and arrest our way out of this problem; we must eliminate the conditions that make these children so vulnerable. That means investing in stable housing and support services for more kids in need; we are not doing enough. I hope that we can finally enact this meaningful bill in 2015.

In addition to the dangers of human trafficking, homeless youth are at greater risk of suicide, unintended pregnancy, and substance abuse. They are less likely to finish school, more likely to enter our juvenile justice system, and are often ill-equipped to find a job. The services authorized by this bill are designed to intervene early and encourage the development of successful, productive young adults.

I have heard from dozens of service providers from across the country, including in my home state of Vermont, that these programs work. I am proud to say that last year, 95 percent of youth receiving services from the Vermont Coalition for Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs were able to exit to a safe living situation upon their completion of programming. Without the programs funded through the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, hundreds of thousands of children would be left on the street and vulnerable to exploitation. Congress has an opportunity to respond in a meaningful and historic way.

I thank Senators Collins, Booker, and Ayotte for working with me on this legislation and for joining me as original cosponsors. We have the chance to make a real difference by passing the Runway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. Every day we wait is another night too many children are sleeping on the streets.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce bipartisan legislation with my colleague Senator Portman that would expand the definition of ``homeless'' used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, to ensure all homeless children and families are considered eligible for existing Federal homeless assistance programs. This change in the definition would be in alignment with what is already currently used by the U.S. Department of Education.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 1.2 million children were homeless during the 2012-2013 school year, which accounts fora 6 percent increase from the 1,166,436 homeless students enrolled in the 2011-2012 school year.

In California, 259,656 children experienced homelessness last year. This increase is nearly four times the 65,000 homeless children that were reported in California in 2003.

Unfortunately, the numbers reported by the HUD ``Point-in-Time Count'' fail to accurately reflect the upward trend in homeless families.

According to the 2013 HUD ``Point-in-Time Count,'' there were only 222,197 people counted as homeless in households that included children, a fraction of the number reported by the Department of Education.

This issue is important because only those children and their families counted by HUD are eligible for vital homeless assistance programs. The rest of these children and families are simply out of luck and are turned away by providers that do not want to be reprimanded for not following HUD regulations.

The Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2015 would expand the homeless definition to allow HUD funded homeless assistance programs to serve extremely vulnerable children and families, specifically those staying in self-paid motels or in doubled up situations because they have nowhere else to go.

These families are especially susceptible to physical and sexual abuse, trafficking, and neglect because they are often not served by a case manager, and thus remain hidden from potential social service providers.

As a result of the current narrow HUD definition, communities that receive federal funding through the discretionary grant process are unable to prioritize or direct resources to help these children and families.

This bill would provide communities with the flexibility to use federal funds to meet local priorities.

I would also like to note that this legislation comes at no additional cost to taxpayers and does not impose any new mandates on service providers.

Finally, this legislation improves data collection transparency by requiring HUD to report data on homeless individuals and families currently recorded under the existing Homeless Management Information System survey.

I am pleased that Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) has joined me as an original cosponsor on this bill.

Homelessness continues to plague our Nation. If we fail to address the needs of these children and families today, they will remain invisible and stuck in a cycle of poverty and chronic homelessness.

It is our responsibility to ensure that we do not erect more barriers for these children and families to access services when they are experiencing extreme hardship. I believe this bill is a commonsense solution that will ensure that homeless families and children can receive the help they need.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of our Nation's veterans to once again discuss the unjust and outdated policy of failing to give our veterans the full military retirement and veterans disability compensation benefits that they have earned in their service to the Nation. Full payment of retirement and disability benefits, together known as ``concurrent receipt,'' is an issue that I have strongly advocated for more than a decade.

In the past, veterans were prevented from receiving the full pay and benefits they earned in dedicated service to our country. The law required that military retirement pay be reduced dollar-for-dollar by the amount of any disability compensation a veteran received. I am pleased to say that many Senators have joined me in fighting this policy, and we have made some progress on behalf of our Nation's veterans

In 2003, Congress passed legislation that allowed disabled retired veterans with at least a 50 percent disability rating to become eligible for full concurrent receipt benefits by 2013. In 2004, the 10- year phase-in period was eliminated for veterans with 100 percent service-related disability. With the phase-in period now complete, I am deeply gratified that all those veterans with over 50 percent disability ratings are now receiving the full benefits they earned from their service. These are significant victories that put hundreds of thousands of veterans on track to receive both their retirement and disability benefits. However, many more of our veterans remain unjustly impacted by the denial of concurrent receipt.

For me, this is a simple matter of fairness. There is no reason to deny a veteran who has served their country honorably the right to the full value of their retirement pay simply because their service also resulted in a disability that affects them each and every day for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the current law does. This legislation will bring that indefensible practice to an end.

This is not a partisan issue. Our Nation has been at war for over a decade, through both Republican and Democratic administrations, and our service members have performed with unmatched valor around the world. Our utmost duty as lawmakers should be to ensure that the brave men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces receive the benefits they have earned.

So once again, I rise on behalf of our Nation's veterans. Today, I introduce legislation that will eliminate all limitations to concurrent receipt. We must take action now to support our veterans who have never faltered in their unwavering service to this grateful Nation. This is the right thing to do.

I hope my Senate colleagues will join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of our Nation's veterans to once again discuss the unjust and outdated policy of failing to give our veterans the full military retirement and veterans disability compensation benefits that they have earned in their service to the Nation. Full payment of retirement and disability benefits, together known as ``concurrent receipt,'' is an issue that I have strongly advocated for more than a decade.

In the past, veterans were prevented from receiving the full pay and benefits they earned in dedicated service to our country. The law required that military retirement pay be reduced dollar-for-dollar by the amount of any disability compensation a veteran received. I am pleased to say that many Senators have joined me in fighting this policy, and we have made some progress on behalf of our Nation's veterans

In 2003, Congress passed legislation that allowed disabled retired veterans with at least a 50 percent disability rating to become eligible for full concurrent receipt benefits by 2013. In 2004, the 10- year phase-in period was eliminated for veterans with 100 percent service-related disability. With the phase-in period now complete, I am deeply gratified that all those veterans with over 50 percent disability ratings are now receiving the full benefits they earned from their service. These are significant victories that put hundreds of thousands of veterans on track to receive both their retirement and disability benefits. However, many more of our veterans remain unjustly impacted by the denial of concurrent receipt.

For me, this is a simple matter of fairness. There is no reason to deny a veteran who has served their country honorably the right to the full value of their retirement pay simply because their service also resulted in a disability that affects them each and every day for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the current law does. This legislation will bring that indefensible practice to an end.

This is not a partisan issue. Our Nation has been at war for over a decade, through both Republican and Democratic administrations, and our service members have performed with unmatched valor around the world. Our utmost duty as lawmakers should be to ensure that the brave men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces receive the benefits they have earned.

So once again, I rise on behalf of our Nation's veterans. Today, I introduce legislation that will eliminate all limitations to concurrent receipt. We must take action now to support our veterans who have never faltered in their unwavering service to this grateful Nation. This is the right thing to do.

I hope my Senate colleagues will join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I am introducing a bill to name the Federal courthouse serving the Western District of Oklahoma after the late Judge William J. Holloway.

This legislation has the support of the judges on the Western District, retired Judge Ralph Thompson who served on the bench in the Western District for from 1975 to 2007, and many in the legal community in the Western District of Oklahoma.

Judge Holloway was born in Hugo, OK, and his father was the eighth governor of the State of Oklahoma. He served in the U.S. Army during the height of World War II, received his law degree from Harvard University in 1950, and worked in private practice with a 2-year stint for the Department of Justice. President Lyndon Johnson nominated Judge Holloway to the 10th Circuit in August 1968, and the Senate confirmed him on September 13, 1968, where he served as chief judge from 1984 to 1991. Judge Holloway assumed senior status in May 1992 and passed away April 25, 2014, in Oklahoma City.

Judge Holloway was the longest serving judge on the 10th Circuit, and during his service, he authored over 900 opinions. He was well regarded by all who worked with him, appeared before him, and knew him. I have not found a person knowledgeable of Judge Holloway or his service who could not unequivocally tell you that Judge Holloway adhered to precedent when deciding cases. He did not proclaim any type of philosophy. As new 10th Circuit Judge Robert Bacharach described Judge Holloway, ``He simply decided cases by asking `What does the statute say? What does the Constitution say? What are the facts of this case?'' We know that is a high standard, and a standard lost sometimes in our judiciary.

When he passed away last year, 10th Circuit Judge Jerome Holmes said of Judge Holloway, ``The nation has lost a thoughtful, dedicated, and compassionate jurist, and, as a former law clerk of Judge Holloway, I have lost a mentor, dear friend, and colleague. I know that Judge Holloway was very honored to serve his nation as a judge on the Tenth Circuit, and he served with great distinction.''

On behalf of Judge Holloway and his family, I introduce this bill in his honor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill and a letter of support be printed in the Record.