Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced the Homebuyer Tax Credit Renewal Act of 2011 (H.R. 330), which will reinstate both the $8000 first-time homebuyer credit and the $6500 long-time homebuyer credit for a period of 1 year.

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 479,622 homebuyers claimed the credit in 2009. While the numbers for 2010 are not yet available, there is no doubt that the tax credit was instrumental in helping many first-time buyers achieve the American dream of homeownership by increasing down-payments and lowering monthly mortgage payments.

Homeownership is one of the best ways for working Americans to accumulate assets for retirement and to ensure neighborhoods are stable and well-maintained. Homeowners are also able to benefit from tax deductions like the mortgage interest and property tax deductions.

Homeownership also benefits children in numerous ways. Children of homeowners score better on academic tests, graduate at a higher rate, have fewer behavioral problems, and enjoy a better social environment. Living in an owned home is also a predictor of future success, as homeowners' children earn more than renters' children, are less likely to be on welfare, and are more likely to become homeowners themselves.

I hope that my colleagues will join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation

Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced a private bill (H.R. 354) on behalf of a remarkable young man, Lauli'i Matu'u.

Lauli'i was born deaf and was abandoned by his birth-family in Western Samoa. Lauli'i lived on the streets until age 10 when Greg Lewis, a U.S. citizen, took him in, taught him sign language, and cared for his medical needs. In 1992, Mr. Lewis was appointed as legal guardian to Lauli'i, but it took 14 years before Greg was finally able to bring Lauli'i to the U.S. Lauli'i is in danger of being deported because his humanitarian visa has expired. Lauli'i has no family or ties to Western Samoa, deporting Lauli'i would be a travesty of justice! My bill will grant Lauli'i permanent U.S. residence.

Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced the Fair Taxes for Seniors Act (H.R. 331), which will provide a one-time increase in the capital gains tax exemption on the sale of a home for citizens who are 50 years of age or older. Passing this bill will give many seniors the additional money they need for nursing home care, medical costs, and other retirement expenses.

The Fair Taxes for Seniors Act doubles the current exemption by providing a one-time increase to $500,000 for a single person and $1 million for a couple that can be excluded from the sale of a principal residence for taxpayers who have reached the age of 50. Because they will be able to keep more, an added benefit is that family members and perhaps the government will be relieved of the burden of caring for these individuals as they grow older.

I hope that my colleagues will join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced the Safety, Efficiency and Accountability in Transportation Projects through Public Inspection Act of 2011 (H.R. 328) to require public employees to perform the inspection and related essential public functions on all state and local transportation projects. My bill is intended to ensure that public safety is protected, transportation funds are not wasted and projects are delivered in a timely manner.

On transportation projects, the construction inspector is the eyes, ears and voice of the public. Inspectors ensure that construction and seismic standards are met, that projects meet safety requirements and that the materials used will stand the test of time. In short, inspectors are there to ensure that the motoring public gets what they pay for and public safety and the public interest are protected.

When the construction inspection function is outsourced to a private company, there is no longer a representative of the public on the job site. In this circumstance, one private company is charged with the task of inspecting the work of another private company. This creates multiple conflicts for the private inspector. First, the private inspectors' primary obligation and responsibility is not to the public, but to the success and profitability of his company. Because the private construction company whose work they are inspecting on one project may be a business partner on a future project, private inspectors may also feel pressure from the private contractor to take steps that ensure larger profits for both firms. I am concerned that these conflicts have led private inspectors to cut corners and overlook problems that threaten public safety, increase costs and delay projects.

There are many examples in which public safety has been threatened by the use of private inspectors, including Boston's ``Big Dig'' (where a concrete slab from a tunnel ceiling fell and killed a woman), the L.A. Redline subway (Hollywood Blvd. collapsed), the 8-805 Interchange in San Diego (10,000 defective welds on a seismic retrofit), the Connecticut I-84 project (hundreds of drains that lead nowhere).

Contracting out public inspection work also does not save money! Defective work requires extensive repairs, and inevitably, the taxpayer gets stuck with the bill. Comparative studies have also found that contracting-out engineering, design, and inspection costs more than to do this work in-house, and none of these studies found that consultant engineers were less expensive. Factors that contribute to consultants' excessive costs include the lack of competitive bidding, cost-plus provisions in contracts, salary differentials between the private and public sectors, profit margins of from 10% to 15%, and additional costs connected with selecting and supervising consultants.

Failure to have public construction inspectors has also delayed projects in the past and will undoubtedly do so in the future. One such example is the privately inspected $12 million carpool bridge connecting the San Diego (405) and the Costa Mesa (55) Freeways. The project was to have been completed in April 2003. However, work was halted in August 2002 when chunks of concrete were falling from the structure and many cracks were noticed. Contractor and private inspector errors were later discovered and the carpool ramp did not open until January 2005.

The public and the federal government understand what's at stake. In a 2006 California public opinion poll, 71% of those surveyed said they want state engineers to inspect the construction of state highways; only 20% found private firms acceptable for the task. David M. Walker, the Comptroller General of the United States, stated: ``There's something civil servants have that the private sector doesn't, and that is the duty of loyalty to the greater good--the duty of loyalty to the collective best interest of all rather than the interest of a few. Companies have duties of loyalty to their shareholders, not to the country.''

I hope my colleagues will join me in protecting the public good by co-sponsoring this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced the Department of Defense and Civilian Law Enforcement Coordination Act of 2011 (H.R. 324). My bill would amend federal law to permit Department of Defense law enforcement officers to better coordinate and cooperate with civilian law enforcement agencies. I drafted this legislation in cooperation with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) because many DOD law enforcement officers in my district have informed me that they are prohibited from basic coordination and cooperation with civilian agencies near DOD facilities. We need to ensure that federal, state, and local law enforcement are able to work together to apprehend criminals and to prevent and solve crimes. I hope that my colleagues will join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall 12, I was unable to vote because of airline delays. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to correct an injustice that has been inflicted upon a group of World War II veterans, the World War II United States Merchant Mariners.

World War II Merchant Mariners suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the branches of service while they delivered troops, tanks, food, airplanes, fuel, and other needed supplies to every theater of the war.

Compared to the large number of men and women serving in World War II, the numbers of the Merchant Mariners were small, but their chance of dying during service was extremely high. Enemy forces sank over 800 ships between 1941 and 1944 alone.

Unfortunately, this group of brave men was denied their rights under the G.I. Bill of Rights that Congress enacted in 1945. All those who served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard were recipients of benefits under the G.I. Bill. The United States Merchant Marine was not included.

The Merchant Marine became the forgotten service. For four decades, no effort was made to recognize the contribution made by this branch of the Armed Services. The fact that Merchant Seamen had borne arms during wartime in the defense of their country seemed not to matter.

No legislation to benefit Merchant Seamen was passed by Congress until 1988 when the Seaman Acts of 1988 finally granted them a ``watered down'' G.I. Bill of Rights. Some portions of the G.I. Bill have never been made available to veterans of the Merchant Marine.

In addition, they still have not received proper recognition as veterans for Social Security purposes. If they had the ``veteran'' designation, their Social Security would be calculated as if they had earned $160 more a month than they did earn during their time in service in the Merchant Marines. Of course, what this means is a smaller Social Security check, now that they are retired.

While it is impossible to make up for over 40 years of unpaid benefits, I propose a bill that will acknowledge the service of the veterans of the Merchant Marine and offer compensation for years and years of lost benefits. H.R. 23, the ``Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2011,'' will pay each eligible veteran a monthly benefit of $1000, and that payment would also go to their surviving spouses. It will also give them the Social Security that they are due by providing them with the status of ``veteran'' under the Social Security Act.

The average WWII-era Merchant Marine is now well into his 80s. Many have outlived their savings. An increase in their Social Security and a monthly benefit to compensate for the loss of nearly a lifetime of ineligibility for the G.I. Bill would be of comfort and would provide some measure of security for veterans of the Merchant Marine.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting and co-sponsoring this legislation. We can fix the injustices endured by our Nation's Merchant Marines by passing H.R. 23 as quickly as possible.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall 664, I was away from the Capitol. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I'd like to thank Senator Feinstein, the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, Chairman Conyers, and Chairwoman Lofgren for their leadership in the passage of S. 4010, a bill for the relief of Shigeru Yamada, an extraordinary young man who is in danger of being deported back to Japan, despite living here for most of his life. Shigeru came to the U.S. legally in 1992 at the age of 10 with his mother and two younger sisters. In 1995, when Yamada was 13 years old, his mother was tragically killed in a car accident. Yamada and his sisters were suddenly orphaned, and due to a change in immigration laws, were stripped of their legal status. Notwithstanding personal adversities, Yamada excelled in high school where he was active in sports, student government, and the community, while maintaining almost a 4.00 GPA. Yamada has attended Southwestern College and is a model member of the Chula Vista, California community. His two younger sisters were able to become citizens. One married a U.S. citizen and the other one was adopted by family members. The family tried to adopt Shigeru, but they were not successful. Yamada does not have any family or home in Japan. His mother's side of the family is Korean which makes it extremely difficult for him to integrate into Japanese society. He would be virtually unemployable in Japan because he does not speak, read, or write Japanese. His situation shows that he would suffer extreme hardship if forced to return to Japan. The passage of this bill brings justice one step closer to Yamada. We want and need more people like Shigeru in our country and he deserves the opportunity to become a permanent U.S. citizen. Once again, I'd like to thank the leadership for passage of this critical bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3860) to require reports on the management of Arlington National Cemetery.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, the systemic and long-standing problems at Arlington National Cemetery have become well-known and are a national tragedy. Arlington National Cemetery is our most hallowed ground, the final resting place of many of our heroes. Every year, nearly 4 million people visit this cemetery. Because of the importance of Arlington to our national memory, the American people expect Arlington to be run reverently and meticulously, but as we all know now, this has not been the case.

Following a yearlong series of investigative reports published on Salon.com, the Army prompted an investigation regarding reports of unmarked, misidentified, or misplaced graves. The Army investigation identified a culture of inaction and inactivity, a failure to act and a failure to come to grips with the problems at Arlington. Unfortunately, these problems have been going on for years.

Recently, the Army opened a criminal investigation after eight urns of cremated remains were found in a grave marked ``unknown.'' Army Secretary John McHugh has taken many steps to correct the many failures at Arlington, and we applaud his efforts. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs has worked closely with our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee to get answers and find a way forward.

I agree with our esteemed chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton, who stated in a June hearing that, ``We must be prepared that a 100 percent survey of the cemetery and all of its operations, which I believe must now be undertaken, will yield a larger number of problems that must be addressed.''

A comprehensive survey may find that the burial errors at Arlington may number in the thousands, but in order to provide a concrete solution to this problem, we must first fully understand the scope.

The Senate has acted, passing S. 3860 on December 4 of this year. This measure requires reports to Congress on the management of Arlington National Cemetery, including grave site discrepancies, the management and oversight of contracts, and the implementation of recent Army directives. Passing S. 3860 is a first step but not the final answer.

In the waning days of this Congress, we have the opportunity to send to the President this important measure. We will continue to work closely with our colleagues in Armed Services, with the administration, and with our Senate colleagues in the months ahead to fix what is wrong at Arlington and to ensure that the operation of this national shrine honors the men and women who lie at rest there.

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

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

We had thought that the distinguished gentleman from Missouri, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Ike Skelton, would be here this evening. He is not. But I would like to say that this House, of course, honors his extraordinary service to his district, his State, the men and women of our armed services, and most importantly, of course, our Nation for 34 years. It has been a great experience to work with Ike Skelton closely, as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and to work with him for those who serve in active duty and those who have served and are now veterans.

President Truman, who is a hero to all of us and especially to Ike, stated that, ``It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.'' Ike Skelton has personified this wonderful saying, working tirelessly for the good of our country. He has done more than he will ever get credit for, and this House will be a poorer place without his presence.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3447) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve educational assistance for veterans who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend and include extraneous material on S. 3447.

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

I want to thank Senator Akaka, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, for introducing this bill, also known as the Post-9/ 11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010. And I want to thank my colleague, Representative Walt Minnick of Idaho, for his advocacy on behalf of our Nation's veterans and for introducing a similar bill in the House of Representatives.

My colleagues may recall that we successfully passed the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 to help pay the full cost of tuition at 4-year colleges for veterans who served after September 11, 2001. This new entitlement has provided thousands of veterans with funds to pay for tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, and a $1,000 book stipend. While this has proven to be a significant step to improve existing educational benefits for our veterans, much work remains to be done.

This bill is fully paid for, bipartisan, and seeks to rectify many of the ongoing technical concerns that were highlighted after the passage of the Post-9/11 GI bill while expanding benefits to veterans that were originally excluded from participating in this new benefit.

Current law prohibits certain individuals in the Reserve and National Guard from obtaining veterans education benefits under the Post-9/11 bill. This legislation seeks to address this inequity by allowing qualified individuals in our Reserve and National Guard to receive benefits under the Post-9/11 GI bill. The legislation would also provide veterans with a housing stipend while taking courses strictly through long distance learning, a key issue which many of us have spoken on. In addition to expanding the housing stipend, student veterans will also have the ability to use their educational benefits to pay for national tests, licensure, and certification tests.

Furthermore, this bill would address a major shortfall expressed by the veterans' community by those who would prefer to attend a non- college degree program that would meet their professional goals. This bill seeks to expand on the eligible programs of education to include apprenticeship and on-the-job training, in addition to flight training and non-college degree programs of education.

Finally, this bill seeks to recognize the family's role of caring for an injured veteran by extending the period that a family member can use his or her education benefits. Providing more time for a caregiver to pursue their educational goals is the least we can do for those who have taken on the responsibility to care for an injured loved one.

I would like to thank our Speaker, Ms. Pelosi, for her leadership and dedication to America's veterans. It is only fitting to note that enhancing veterans education benefits was a major focus when Democrats took control of the House 4 years ago, and remains a final priority here in the final hours of the 111th Congress. Certainly, we look forward to continuing this advocacy in the next Congress.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack), who has been a great leader on veterans issues.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. This is an important bill that extends benefits to even more of our veterans and tries to enhance the benefits for those who already are receiving them. I ask for unanimous support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, on November 16th, 2010 I held a briefing on my bill H. Res. 1431, which urges the Obama administration to remove the main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. This bill has been co-sponsored by 109 Members of the House of Representatives.

In a letter to the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on that same day, I was joined by my colleagues and brought the resolution to the attention of the Secretary and urged her to delist the PMOI. Below are the remarks that I made to the Members and Staff gathered at the briefing:

We have introduced Resolution 1431, which calls upon the

U.S. government, the President, the Secretary of State to

remove the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran . . . from

the State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations

. . . Like other parliaments around the world, we in the

United States Congress believe that this organization does

not qualify to be on the FTO list both on legal and political

grounds. Removing the MEK from the FTO list is not only the

right thing to do but sends the right message to Iran.

I would like to thank the President-elect of the National

Council of Resistance of Iran,

Mrs. Rajavi, who has not only led this fight, but has also

offered all kinds of assistance to the residents of Camp

Ashraf.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 611, I was away from the Capitol. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1622) honoring the historic contributions of veterans throughout all conflicts involving the United States.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 1622.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, as we all know, Americans came together to honor Veterans Day and pay tribute to the over 23 million veterans that have served our Nation. We have a proud legacy of appreciation and commitment to the men and women who have worn the uniform and have made great sacrifices. We know that we owe the security of this Nation to those who defended it.

This resolution before us encourages Americans to demonstrate their support for veterans also. No other group of Americans has stood stronger and braver for our democracy than our troops and our veterans.

I firmly believe that Veterans Day should not be observed for just one day a year but that our Nation's heroes must be celebrated, honored, and remembered for their service to our Nation the whole year through. So I encourage all Americans to reach out to veterans, thank them and their families for their amazing sacrifice, learn more about their great contribution to our Nation, and gain the wisdom of their personal stories of this Nation's history.

This year, like the last, our country observed Veterans Day while engaged in conflicts abroad that required the dedication of our uniformed troops. Our thoughts remain with those who are in uniform engaged in conflicts abroad.

We must be united in seeing that every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine is welcomed back with all the care and compassion that this grateful Nation can bestow. This democracy must stand together to support our veterans because our freedom and liberty depend on it. On Veterans Day and this whole year through, join me and take the time to show your gratitude to those who have answered the call to duty.

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

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support House Resolution 1622, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5953, as amended.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this bill before us is an important piece of legislation, establishing a bill of rights on the one hand for women veterans, and on the other hand for injured and amputee veterans. This has been the subject of over a year of discussion in our committee and around the country with various groups and stakeholders to try and refine the legislation to one that everyone can support.

Let me just speak on the first half, and that is women veterans. There are almost 2 million women veterans now, Mr. Speaker, and they are one of the fastest growing subgroups of veterans in our Nation. It is estimated that the number of female veterans who use the VA health care system will double, assuming that the current enrollment rates remain constant.

The VA health care system, as we know it, was built to accommodate the war-related illnesses and injuries of male veterans. It's a male institution as it was created. In fact, many of the VA providers, many of the VA customers are veterans, have little or no exposure to women veterans. As women are serving in combat conditions alongside their male counterparts, it is important that the Department embrace and recognize the needs of all veterans, both men and women alike.

Through hearings and roundtable discussions that we have held during this year, women veterans have come forward to share their personal stories. From their accounts, it is clear that while the VA has made some strides in caring for women veterans, significant gaps remain. The veterans testifying before the committee have shared stories of feeling unwelcomed, alienated, disrespected in some of our VA medical centers so that they are now reluctant to pursue the benefits and services that they have earned with service to their country.

We have heard about women veterans walking into the lobby of a medical center and having catcalls come from all corners of that lobby. We have

heard that a woman who had her arm amputated from battle in Fallujah, when she appeared before a doctor at her VA, the doctor thought she had cancer. He couldn't imagine her as having lost an arm due to combat conditions. We have had single women who have had to bring their children because they could not get child care, and doctors refusing to see them. We have got to change this institution to meet the needs, the real needs of the women veterans of our Nation.

The VA must recognize and be equipped to treat the unique medical concerns that women veterans have. They must respect privacy concerns, eliminate cultural insensitivity that may otherwise bar women from accessing the VA health care system. In most of the VA medical centers they are not even changing in privacy curtains so that women may have that deserved privacy.

We made a lot of progress this Congress in addressing the women veterans with the enactment of S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010. This bill, H.R. 5953, would bring the VA another step closer to providing equal care for women to their male counterparts.

My bill would require the VA to display in all of its facilities the 24 fundamental principles governing the treatment of women veterans, as well as require VA to widely distribute the bill of rights to women veterans.

Among the key principles of this bill of rights is the right to coordinated, comprehensive primary women's health care at every VA medical center, the right to receive care from clinicians who have special training and experience in women's health issues, and gender equity in accessing all clinical services. My hope is that this legislation will lead to bold changes that will effectively tackle the needs of our brave and honored women veterans.

This bill, as amended, mandates also another bill of rights. Let me just say one last thing, though, on the women's bill of rights. There was some concern raised in recent days about the relationship to this bill and the rights conferred on women veterans, and therefore the bringing of abortion services into the VA medical facilities. This bill did not do that. It made no reference to all the laws on the books that prevent Federal facilities from doing that. But in a discussion with the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who previously chaired this VA Committee, who is a leader of the so-called pro-life forces in this Congress, he said we can fix that for you. All you have to do is add a line that he gave us and we have put in this bill.

So nobody need be concerned that this bill somehow overrides all previous laws and mandates abortion services in the VA clinics. It says and is included in this bill by manager's amendment that nothing in this act shall be construed to establish a right to any service excluded under 38 Code of Federal Regulations 17.38, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this act.

Those are the regulations that ban abortions in Federal facilities. So just to make sure that people feel that they can vote for this without violating some other principles, this sentence is in there, and the gentleman from New Jersey feels that that adequately and definitively eliminates that problem that had been brought up in recent days.

Let me if I may, Mr. Speaker, go on to the Injured and Amputee Bill of Rights. There are not many of us who have not heard of the horrific battleground stories experienced by our young men and women who have served in Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom. These stories reveal a gruesome and difficult war in which servicemembers often sustain long-lasting emotional and physical injuries. Of these none is more disheartening than the amputations undergone by servicemembers as a direct result of the widespread use of roadside bombs, otherwise known as IEDs, Improvised Explosive Devices.

This class of injuries, which has spiked significantly since the onset of Operation New Dawn, requires special consideration within the Department of Veterans Affairs. After returning home, these individuals must embark upon a long road to recovery that includes extensive rehabilitation and specialized treatment.

This bill instructs the VA to inform veterans and educate employees at each VA prosthetics and orthotics clinic that there is an Injured and Amputee Veterans' Bill of Rights. The bill requires the VA to monitor and resolve complaints from injured and amputee veterans alleging mistreatment.

I believe that this bill will do much to protect the rights of our injured and amputee veterans, as well as bolster the consistency of prosthetic and orthotic care throughout the VA health care system.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. We have been working on these bills for a long, long time, and I am pleased that we have been allowed to bring these bills even in this lame duck session to allow the VA to move into the 21st century in terms of treatment of our women veterans and in treatment of our veterans who have undergone amputations.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I do want to assure the gentleman that, as he knows, we have had several roundtables. We call them roundtables rather than hearings, because we literally sit around the table and have discussions rather than just have people questioned. And we have had people from all over the country testify on this bill.

We have sent the bill to every single veterans service organization, to everyone who has ever asked or complained about treatment as women veterans. We have had enormous input from around the country on this, probably more than any other bill that we have done. The bill has undergone a whole lot of changes and has responded to a lot of the input that we had, including from Members of the opposite party who have been at some of the roundtable discussions.

It is time, Mr. Speaker, to move into the 21st century on this. The VA has been a male institution. We cannot keep waiting for change. It has to come. Women are performing an incredible, incredible role in the conflicts that we have ongoing. We should not say ``thank you'' by an unwelcome response to their coming to a VA facility. It's time that we had a Bill of Rights for women veterans.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5953, as amended.

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