VA Infrastructure Powers Exceptional Research Act of 2021

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5721) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve research conducted within the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5721, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5721, as amended, the VA Infrastructure Powers Exceptional Research Act of 2021, or VIPER Act, as amended, which I introduced with Ranking Member Bost.

This bipartisan bill was developed in consultation with scientific groups and veteran service organizations. It gives VA the additional authorities it needs to make its world-class research program even more efficient and innovative as it works to improve the lives of the veterans it serves.

It is no secret that VA research is a jewel in VA's crown, and we need to ensure that VA can continue to be competitive in hiring the finest scientists to understand, prevent, and treat health challenges veterans face from the effects of military toxic exposures and chronic pain to post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

VA has told us and our Senate colleagues that it urgently needs the VIPER Act, especially to protect the nonprofit veterans research and education foundations so critical to the VA research enterprise.

VIPER is also endorsed by major VSOs, including The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Minority Veterans of America, Modern Military Association of America, and Wounded Warrior Project.

It has the strong endorsement of scientific organizations that support the VA research program, including the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, America Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Heart Association, America Psychiatric Association, American Physiological Association, American Thoracic Society, Association of American Medical Colleges, Association of VA Psychologist Leaders, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations, Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs, and Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters from four of these organizations.

Friends of VA Medical Care

and Health Research,

November 5, 2021.

Hon. Mark Takano,

Chair, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Hon. Mike Bost,

Ranking Member, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost: As members of

the Friends of VA Medical Care and Health Research (FOVA)

executive committee, we write to thank you for your

legislation, the VA Infrastructure Powers Exceptional

Research Act of 2021, or VIPER Act. The organizations

represented by the FOVA executive committee are pleased to

endorse this bill, which would provide added authority and

resources to improve the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research

program.

FOVA is a coalition founded over 30 years ago to ensure

that America's veterans receive high-quality health care

supported by veteran-centric research conducted through the

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical and Prosthetic

Research program. Today, FOVA is a diverse coalition

representing nearly 100 national academic, medical, and

scientific societies; health and patient advocacy groups; and

veteran-focused associations. FOVA works in concert with the

Independent Budget veterans service organizations.

We are pleased that Congress has worked over the last

several years in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to support

robust funding growth for VA research. Specifically, your

legislation would add stability and efficiency for the VA

research program by formally authorizing VA's Office of

Research and Development and excluding VA research from

Paperwork Reduction Act requirements, better aligning VA with

other federal research agencies. We also appreciate that the

VIPER Act would work to enhance the diversity of the VA

research workforce, increasing scientific opportunities and

leading to improved health care for veterans.

While the VIPER Act takes important steps to strengthen the

research program, additional infrastructure support for

information technology and physical laboratory improvements

continue to be necessary to ensure that VA researchers have

access to the cutting-edge technology that yields state-of-

the-art research and improved health outcomes. We understand

that you remain abreast of these issues, and we stand ready

to support any additional efforts you may undertake to

address these important research needs.

Thank you again for your efforts. We look forward to

working with you to continue this important work.

Sincerely,

The FOVA Executive Committee.

In one letter, deans from 20 medical schools note that without the legislative fix in VIPER, VA will have to ``interrupt hundreds of millions of dollars invested in life-saving biomedical research for America's veterans.''

Mr. Speaker, we must pass this bill, urge our Senate colleagues to pass it, and get it to the President by the end of the year to give VA the authorities it needs to fix its research program issues now.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5721, the VIPER Act, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing this important piece of legislation, H.R. 5721, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5721, as amended, the VA Infrastructure Powers Exceptional Research Act of 2021, or the VIPER Act.

Ranking Member Bost is an original cosponsor of this bill alongside Chairman Takano.

Research is one of the core statutory missions of the VA healthcare system. VA researchers have made a number of important discoveries and advancements that have benefited not only veterans but the entire world.

Just recently, with the pandemic, VA researchers have done groundbreaking work utilizing vast stores of data to identify certain collateral health impacts on vulnerable populations, and they have made notable advancements in studying the characteristics of and potential treatments for what is termed long COVID.

This bill will make it easier for VA to conduct the research that veterans require, and yield advancements in science and medicine that will benefit everyone.

The VIPER Act would codify VA's Office of Research and Development.

VIPER would also better structure VA's ability to conduct research across the system.

Finally, this bill will expand hiring authorities for certain classes of research occupations, including statisticians, economists, informaticists, and data scientists.

VA needs the talent of these occupational categories to keep up with rapid changes in data analytics, including artificial intelligence.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the bipartisan committee work that has been done to date on this bill, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am not recorded for Roll Call votes No. 481, No. 482, No. 483, No. 484, and No. 485. Had I been present, I would have voted Yes on Roll Call No. 481 En Bloc Suspensions (H.R. 5721, H.R. 7299, H.R. 7277, H.R. 4275, H.R. 6290, H.R. 5502, H.R. 8416); Yes on Roll Call No. 482 (S. 3369); Yes on Roll Call No. 483 (S. 4359); Yes on Roll Call No. 484 (H.R. 2250); and Yes on Roll Call No. 485 (H.R. 3630).

Madam Speaker, pursuant to section 2 of House Resolution 1464, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bills: H.R. 4275, H.R. 5502, H.R. 5721, H.R. 6290, H.R. 7277, H.R. 7299, and

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