Floor Statements

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

I am pleased that we are bringing up a bill that I introduced, along with the chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Representative Coffman.

This bill takes aim at two of the VA's most chronic problems: accountability and efficiency. It is also an attempt to make real reforms in the VA construction process.

This bill may not have all the answers, but it is a step forward in a discussion we must have on addressing the facility needs of the VA and ensuring that we are addressing the access requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner.

We have seen time and again how VA has underperformed in the management of its multibillion-dollar construction budgets.

Last year, the Government Accountability Office testified to the committee on a number of significant cost overruns and completion delays.

There may be some disagreement on the metrics and the magnitude of VA shortcomings in this area--and I do wish to note that VA has made steps in the right direction--but in the end, we are faced with a very real issue that VA needs additional expertise with construction management and the acquisition of major medical facilities.

I believe that asking the Army Corps of Engineers to provide the expertise they have to the VA is a step we should explore. I am hopeful that we will pass this bill today and continue the discussion with the members of this committee, the VA, and the Army Corps of Engineers.

This legislation shows what we can do by working across the aisle. It would codify some of the GAO recommendations from 2013, as well as other industry best practices.

H.R. 3593 would also provide technical assistance to the VA in the form of special project managers and design construction evaluations on, particularly, troubled major construction projects.

While I recognize the Corps of Engineers and VA have some reservations with the bill, I believe we can work within the confines of the legislative language to ensure a positive outcome for all parties.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3593 as part of our role as watchdogs on behalf of veterans and taxpayers.

I reserve the balance of my time.

At this time, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown).

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 2 minutes.

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

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues support H.R. 3593 and work with our partners in the executive branch to improve the delivery of facilities for our veterans.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Traumatic brain injury has become a signature wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. These conflicts have caused hundreds of thousands of servicemembers to sustain TBIs.

The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act extended the pilot program on assisted living services for veterans with TBI until October 2017. This pilot has helped nearly 200 veterans with moderate to severe brain injuries, and this program fills a treatment need which residential VA facilities currently cannot handle.

H.R. 4276 will improve the reporting requirements for the TBI assisted living pilot program so that we can better gauge its success and expand the definition of community-based residential rehabilitative services so that veterans with TBI have other residential and home- based assisted living options.

Congress has provided significant resources for this program, currently approaching $30 million per year. Reports show that veterans believe this is a successful and popular program, but we in Congress must provide vital oversight so that innovative pilot programs meet our veterans' needs. This is why we need better data on the cost and benefits of this program to veterans.

This bill will require the VA to submit detailed quarterly reports on this pilot program. I believe that these increased reporting requirements will ensure that the VA is providing the best rehabilitative services for our veterans with TBI.

Earlier this year, I held a field hearing on access to care for veterans with TBI at the VA medical center in Tucson, Arizona. The Tucson VA's polytrauma care unit is one of several VA centers across the country that is at the very forefront of providing care and rehabilitative services for veterans with TBI.

I believe the VA's cutting-edge treatments and its coordinated care for veterans with TBI serve as a model for innovative care that could be expanded to other medical specialties so that the VA may better address the unique health care needs of our veterans.

In the coming months, we must look to fundamentally reform the VA in how it provides benefits and services to veterans. We must look to some of the VA health care delivery programs that show promise, such as the assisted living pilot program, to implement best practices throughout the VA system that will give our veterans the timely, world-class health care they deserve. I look forward to engaging my colleagues and veterans in this goal.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4276, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4276, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, last week the Senate passed S. 2258, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2014, which provides that veterans receive a cost-of-living adjustment beginning in December. Today, the House

can also act to ensure veterans continue to receive the support they deserve.

This is a bill that we must pass every year in order to ensure that the benefits we pay our veterans do not lose purchasing power because of inflation. Today we have the opportunity to pass this measure and send it to the President's desk.

This bill directs the VA to increase the rates of veterans' disability compensation, provide additional compensation for disabled veterans with dependents, ensure certain disabled veterans receive a clothing allowance, and increase dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. These adjustments would be made effective December 1, 2014, and match the increase in Social Security benefits.

S. 2258 will assist the estimated 4.5 million veterans and survivors who receive these monthly benefits and often depend upon these payments to make ends meet. For some, it is their only source of income.

Without this annual COLA increase, veterans, their families and survivors, would see the value of their hard-earned benefits slowly erode. Providing for this cost-of-living increase is another important thing Congress can do to help veterans and their families that have already sacrificed so much for us.

I urge my colleagues to support S. 2258, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2258 and send this important bill to the President today.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support

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

I am opposed to it in its current form.

Yes, I object.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill. It will not kill the bill, nor send it back to committee. If it is adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent a district that has more Native American tribes that own tribal land than any other district in the country. I have 12 tribes in my district, including the Navajo nation, where the people speak a beautiful language called Dine. So I am going to start my speech tonight in Dine.

(English translation of the statement made in Dine is as follows:)

Hello, my esteemed elders, my relatives, and my Navajo friends. It's your Congresswoman speaking, Ann Kirkpatrick, and I work for you.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Congressman Rahall, thank you for your strong support of one of the most important provisions in the Senate amendments to H.R. 3230.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this motion to instruct the conferees. Both the Senate and the House amendments will expand access to non-VA care for veterans, but this program will only last for 2 years.

It will only address the current emergency by ensuring those veterans who are waiting too long for appointments receive timely care. If we do not address the VA's doctor, nurse, and medical support staff shortage now, we will face the same crisis again in 2 years.

Just yesterday, I learned that the one physician serving the community-

based outpatient clinic in Flagstaff, Arizona, where I live, is leaving, and there is no physician identified as his replacement.

In another VA clinic in my district, the one doctor there is planning to retire, without a replacement doctor identified.

Our rural veterans struggle to access care, and VA hospitals and clinics must be able to recruit and retain doctors and nurses to serve veterans in rural and underserved communities.

Currently, 10 percent of all health care provider positions in the VA remain unfilled. By ensuring that the VA has the ability to quickly hire doctors and nurses and fill these positions, we help the VA ensure it has the capacity to provide timely, world-class care to our veterans before this 2-year program ends.

As a member of the conference committee, I strongly believe that the negotiations between the House and the Senate must continue. We need to put political differences aside and maintain our focus on the veterans we are here to serve.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize Folksville USA, a pioneering organization that began in Arizona and is spreading through communities across our nation. Folksville USA works with Adopt-a-Highway to back BagReadyJobs, an innovative program that pairs local businesses with youth groups to clean up our highways.

Arizona's District One boasts some of the most beautiful landscape in the country, and the BagReadyJobs program is keeping it that way! Under the leadership of Gary Chamberlain, Folksville USA is teaching the kids of Arizona about the effects of littering, the fundamentals of money management and most importantly, introducing them to that positive feeling you get when you are serving your community.

Getting kids excited about cleaning up the environment and raising money for a good cause is no easy feat, but Gary Chamberlain and Folksville USA seem to do it over and over again. This program makes a difference in the lives of Arizona kids and preserves the pristine beauty of our state, and I hope communities all over our country will have the opportunity to achieve these same benefits. Thanks for keeping Arizona beautiful!

Mr. Speaker, I support this motion to instruct the conferees. The Senate amendments go beyond a short-term solution to solving the patient access crisis at the VA.

As a member of the conference committee, I continue to push for the provisions in the Senate amendments because they are good for veterans and their families.

We must seize this opportunity to pass meaningful reforms at the VA. Our veterans and their families deserve better than piecemeal, short- term fixes, especially with report after report of veterans struggling to receive timely care and benefits and struggling to find good-paying jobs.

One provision in the Senate amendment will give post-9/11 GI benefits to surviving spouses of servicemembers who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

We cannot forget about surviving spouses. A surviving spouse struggles with the loss of a loved one and often struggles with a financial loss that can make it difficult to provide for the family left behind.

Servicemembers are able to transfer GI Bill benefits to their spouses and children, but the benefits and the ability to transfer this benefit are based on time served on active duty.

We can all agree that surviving spouses should not be cut out of receiving full bill benefits if they lose a loved one before that loved one has served 36 months on active duty.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill will give surviving spouses the opportunity to receive education and training so they

are better able to provide for themselves and their families. It would be wrong of the conference committee and Congress to pass up this opportunity to give surviving spouses this benefit.

We cannot delay passing meaningful veterans legislation. If we do not take this opportunity now, then Congress will once again fail all the American people, veterans, and their families by refusing to act.

Passing VA reform legislation in a meaningful way that gives GI Bill benefits to surviving spouses should be an easy decision for every Member of Congress.

For those who are holding up the progress of this legislation, how will you go home to your district in August and explain to veterans and constituents why Congress was unable to pass something as simple as giving GI benefits to surviving spouses?

I know that all of my colleagues sincerely wish to help veterans and their families, but it is not enough to pay lip service to our military and veterans. Congress must act now. At the very least, the conference committee should agree to this provision in the Senate amendments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the late Staff Sergeant Manuel Mendoza, an American hero, who was born in my Arizona district, and to urge support for my bill to rename the United States Post Office in Miami, Arizona, in his honor.

Staff Sergeant Mendoza was born in 1922 in the eastern Arizona mining town of Miami. At the age of 20, he was drafted into the United States Army, where he was nicknamed ``the Arizona Kid'' for his heroism in battle.

Staff Sergeant Mendoza posthumously received the Medal of Honor for singlehandedly repelling a 1944 German assault on Italy's Mount Battaglia during World War II. That afternoon, the Germans launched a fierce counterattack against Allied forces, but due to Staff Sergeant Mendoza's determination, bravery, and selflessness, he was able to kill 30 enemy troops and successfully defend the Allied position.

Later in his service, he went on to fight in Korea. After retiring from the Armed Forces, Mr. Mendoza returned to Mesa, Arizona, where he died in 2001. He is survived by his wife and three children.

It is my honor to introduce H.R. 4416, which redesignates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 161 Live Oak Street in Miami, Arizona, as the Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza Post Office Building.

Staff Sergeant Mendoza's service was in keeping with the highest traditions of military service, as he demonstrated outstanding heroism above and beyond the call of duty.

To name a U.S. post office in my district after such a man is not only a credit to him, but to the State of Arizona and our Armed Forces.

On behalf of Arizona's entire delegation, I thank you, Mr. Gosar, for your support on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4416 when it comes to a vote later today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a friend and extraordinary educator in my community of Flagstaff, Arizona, Dr. John Haeger, who is retiring after 13 years as president of Northern Arizona University (NAU).

NAU is one of the great universities in my state and, with Dr. Haeger's vision and commitment, has become one of the best universities in the country.

Collaborations and partnerships were a hallmark of President Haeger's leadership and

legacy. His pursuit of creative funding solutions in the face of increasing enrollment and budget constraints contributed to the university's reputation and educational mission, provided alternative revenue sources and created efficiencies at every level. New ventures with public and private entities--such as TGen North, the High Country Conference Center and the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA) transportation spine that has become central to the growth of NAU--also played a role in the university keeping up with growth.

The physical transformation of NAU--both in Flagstaff and throughout the state--is a defining aspect of President Haeger's legacy. Under his watch, dozens of new buildings have been added or renovated, the result of careful and deliberate planning and a demonstrated commitment to sustainability during economically challenging times. They include the new W.A. Franke College of Business and Engineering School, nearly a dozen new services including an expanded University Union, a Native American Cultural Center, new transportation options through NAIPTA and new parking structures, expanded opportunities statewide for NAU students with campuses in North Valley, Tucson, Yavapai and others and new residence halls to accommodate the phenomenal growth of the university.

His commitment to affordability and accessibility is intrinsically linked to NAU's mission. In 2008, President Haeger initiated the tuition pledge guaranteeing the same tuition rate for each incoming undergraduate student for four years. It's a promise of predictability that has become not only a motivating factor for choosing NAU but that also serves as an incentive for students to complete their degree in four years.

His charge has been largely devoted to fundamentally changing the way college-bound students gain access to higher education. Some of the university's most pioneering alternatives to the traditional four-year college experience also have emerged under his watch. The cost-saving model at NAU-Yavapai garnered the attention of Governor Jan Brewer, who called it ``visionary'' and ``an example for the entire state and the nation.'' The award-winning 2NAU joint admission program with community colleges across the state has won a statewide award for helping students earn college degrees. Students save money by completing their first two years at the community college tuition rate.

The Personalized Learning program that launched last year is now at the forefront of the emerging competency-based movement.

Under Dr. Haeger's leadership, he helped NAU in the resurgence of athletics by hiring its first vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics. His bold leadership was critical to the effort to re- energize Lumberjack pride and draw more fans to athletic events. Fan support is at an all-time high, and a new athletics branding effort puts the focus on such ideals as strength, pride, heroism, determination and hard work.

In this effort to improve athletics, NAU has impressive standards for its student-athletes: succeed in the classroom, contribute to the community and win. NAU Athletics has twice under Haeger's leadership been honored with the prestigious Big Sky Conference Presidents' Cup, recognizing overall athletic success in competition and in academics.

Finally, from his first days leading the University, President Haeger was committed to diversity, first-generation students and student success. His Student Success Initiative ambitiously implemented a number of programs to increase freshman retention and, ultimately, the percentage of students who complete their degrees. The First-Year Learning Initiative is an extensive effort to boost the effectiveness of first-year courses by creating an environment that supports student effort. One of the greatest strides in this area has been the launch of University College, which brought about curricular change at the first- year level as well as a culture change to provide new students with the framework they need to thrive academically. It's a giant leap in efforts to retain students at a higher level from their freshman to sophomore years, and from there to help them graduate on time.

The Lumberjack Mathematics Center combines the sophisticated technology with enhanced personal contact from their instructors. Governor Brewer called NAU ``a true pioneer of education innovation'' and called the center an example of its ``steadfast commitment to its students.''

A tangible representation of NAU's commitment to serving Arizona tribes, the Native American Cultural Center connects students to their culture and supports them through mentoring and advising. The center also directly supports Native student organizations, recruitment and retention efforts. NAU has earned a welcome place among the best colleges in the nation for Native Americans.

NAU's Center for Military and Veteran Student Center reflects President Haeger's commitment to our veterans and active-duty soldiers. The center has earned recognition for its efforts, including `Military Times' Best for Vets designation in the Southwest region and a military-friendly designation from `GI Jobs.' The Veteran Student Center in the business college ranked No. 6 among public business schools, No. 10 overall and is the top business school for military veterans in Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, as you can see, President Haeger's contribution to NAU is lasting. NAU, and the Flagstaff community, will miss him but we are better for having him. His commitment to education is unheralded, yet his legacy will endure. I'm proud to call you a friend, Dr. Haeger. Thank you for your service to NAU and to providing a bold vision for our future generation of leaders.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4841, the bill I introduced to overhaul the VA. The Senate has passed this legislation, and now, we must act swiftly and pass the Veterans' Access to Care Through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014 without delay.

Over the past several weeks, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee has held hearing after hearing on the multitude of issues that plague the VA. These hearings have covered everything from the gaming strategies to hide long patient wait times and bonuses received by VA executives, to capacity problems in the VA health system, and outdated appointment scheduling software.

These hearings clearly demonstrate that the VA needs an overhaul, and H.R. 4841 seeks to accomplish this. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for us. We have a moral obligation to ensure that sweeping reforms are implemented across the VA, making it an organization that exists with one purpose: to serve our veterans.

As lawmakers, we cannot address these multiple issues through piecemeal legislation. We must pass legislation that addresses the patient access crisis, manages patient care, and holds employees accountable.

H.R. 4841 addresses patient access by expediting the hiring of more VA health care providers and authorizes leases for 26 more health care facilities. It allows our rural veterans who have waited too long for appointments to see a doctor in their community.

It improves access to mobile vet centers for our rural veterans and expands access to survivors of military sexual assault. It strengthens partnerships between the VA and the Indian Health Services, an arrangement that is successfully working on the Navajo Nation in my district.

This bill addresses the VA's outdated appointment scheduling system and outdated IT infrastructure through a technology task force. It prohibits the

falsification of data to report patient wait times and mandates transparency by requiring the VA to publish patient wait times and data that measures the quality of care at all VA medical facilities.

It holds employees accountable by giving the Secretary the authority to immediately fire senior executives who fail to serve veterans.

This bill even helps our student veterans receive instate tuition at public colleges and universities and extends GI benefits to surviving spouses.

This bill is truly an overhaul of the way our veterans access care, of the way the VA manages care, and of the VA culture.

I will fight for the provisions in H.R. 4841 in the conference committee that convenes later today. However, a conference committee is not needed if the House passes this bill.

The Senate overwhelmingly agreed that these reforms are necessary, and now, the House must act without delay to make these sweeping reforms law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the motion to instruct the conferees and ask that the conferees agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 3230, the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014.

I also ask that the conferees work with urgency to resolve the differences between the House and Senate bills. Veterans cannot continue to wait. They have already waited too long. We have a duty to do our job and act now.

I introduced H.R. 4841, the companion legislation to the Senate- passed legislation, because it addresses several of the issues that currently plague the VA health care system.

This bill, sponsored by Senators Sanders and McCain, is good for veterans in my district, in Arizona, and veterans across this country. It contains provisions that are nearly identical to the House-passed legislation that I supported, including the expansion of non-VA care to veterans that cannot get timely appointment and granting the VA Secretary the authority to immediately fire high-level officials who are not doing their jobs.

H.R. 4841 does more. It will provide for an expedited hiring of more doctors, nurses, and medical staff at understaffed VA medical hospitals and clinics across the country. It will allow the VA to lease 26 new medical facilities.

It calls for an independent commission that will work to improve appointment scheduling, and it will improve access to health care for military sexual assault survivors. These additional measures are vital to address the access to care crisis in the VA health care system.

In addition to addressing the VA's access to care crisis, Sanders- McCain ensures that veterans using their post-9/11 GI Bill benefits receive instate tuition at public colleges and universities, and it extends post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to surviving spouses.

Comprehensive legislation is needed to help our veterans. I think we can all agree that we must do everything we can to help those who have fought and sacrificed for us. Let's work together to get this legislation to the President as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize the life and service of Guadalupe Lopez: veteran of the 158th Infantry Regiment of the Arizona National Guard, recipient of the Silver Star Medal, and my constituent.

Mr. Lopez served his country bravely during World War II in the 158th Infantry Regiment of the Arizona National Guard, better known as the ``Bushmasters''. The Bushmasters, whose nickname comes from a deadly jungle snake, have a distinguished history that stretches over a hundred years, both in Arizona and throughout the world. They are known for their expertise in jungle warfare and skill in knife fighting and hand-to-hand combat techniques. General MacArthur himself extolled the Bushmasters: ``No greater fighting combat team has ever deployed for battle''.

Mr. Lopez was drafted in 1940, and in 1941 was sent to Panama for jungle training and to protect the Panama Canal. Between 1942-1945, his company regiment was sent to battle in Australia, the Netherlands, New Guinea, and the Philippines. Mr. Lopez was released from service in 1945, after his brother was killed in the war.

Mr. Lopez is an American hero, and we are proud to call him an Arizonan.

Cuidado, Mr. Lopez.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4810, the Veterans Access to Care Act. This common-sense bill will help the veterans in my district get access to the care they deserve.

As many of you may know, my district is mostly rural. Many of the veterans in Arizona's district one wait too long to receive care, and they drive over 200 miles one way for an appointment.

This is difficult not only for the veterans, but for their families-- and it's unrealistic for veterans requiring frequent treatment for things like mental health services or post-traumatic stress.

This bill helps our rural veterans by giving them a choice. Veterans will now be able to see a healthcare provider outside of the VA system if they live at least 40 miles from the closest VA medical facility and cannot get an appointment with a VA provider within a reasonable period of time.

This choice works for the veterans in my district. On the Navajo Nation, we realized that it was too difficult for our veterans to travel great distances to VA providers--and we pushed for a partnership with the Indian Health Service.

Now veterans on the Navajo Nation have the option of seeing a provider at the Indian Health Service without having to wait an unreasonable amount of time or travel great distances.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4810 so that veterans in rural communities in Arizona and across the country can go to a local doctor, clinic or hospital when the VA wait time is just too long.

Our veterans deserve timely care, and this will address one part of the VA access problem.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize a constituent of mine, Dr. Angela Golden, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP, of Munds Park, Arizona, for her service in the last 2 years as president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Dr. Golden has more than 34 years of nursing experience. She received her BSN from Ball State University in 1977, a Master's in Nursing Education from the University of Phoenix in 1996 and a Master's in Science from Northern Arizona University in 1998. Additionally, she completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice at Arizona State University in December 2008.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners is a national professional membership organization representing 189,000 NPs nationally. Under Dr. Golden's tenure, AANP membership has grown to more than 50,000 members, making AANP the largest NP organization in the world. Dr. Golden has helped lead NPs in transforming patient- centered health care and has made tremendous strides in ensuring that policymakers and the public understand the care NPs provide to millions of Americans each year.

In addition to her duties as AANP President, Dr. Golden serves as an Assistant Professor at Northern Arizona University, teaching in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Golden owns a family primary care practice, NP from Home, LLC, where she provides primary care to my constituents of northern Arizona and my fellow Arizonans in the urgent care setting in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

I want to congratulate Dr. Golden on a successful term as AANP president and thank her on behalf of my constituents in Arizona's First District for the excellent care she has provided to her patients.