Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 407) to increase, effective as of December 1, 2009, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, this is the last week before the July 4 break, and we have a series of bills to suitably commemorate July 4 with bills that will really aid our veterans who have made July 4 possible.

I rise in support of the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009, S. 407, which is a companion to the House bill, H.R. 1533, which was introduced by one of our new members on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and sure to be one of our body's most productive members, Mrs. Kirkpatrick of Arizona. I thank the gentlelady for her leadership on this important bill.

The House leadership demonstrated its commitment to our Nation's veterans, their families, and their survivors by getting this bill to the floor, after reporting from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and by getting this companion bill, sponsored by Senator Akaka, to the floor shortly after receipt in the House.

As it has done every year since 1976, Congress, with the passage of this measure, directs the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs to increase the rates of basic compensation for disabled veterans and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation, DIC, to their survivors and dependents along with other benefits in order to keep pace with the rising cost of living.

This disability COLA would become effective on December 1 of this year and will be equal to that provided on an annual basis to Social Security recipients. Last year, the COLA was set at 5.8 percent, an increase we all agree was direly needed, as the financial crush of the recession closed in on many of our disabled veterans' households.

While it is likely to be a lesser percentage of an increase this year, the measure will now move to the President's desk for his signature. Enactment ensures that veterans get a matching increase to the Social Security COLA on that date.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will benefit each of the nearly 3 million disabled veterans and their survivors, whether they are from the World War I era through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We would be derelict in our duty if we failed to guarantee that those who sacrificed so much for this country receive benefits and services that keep pace with their needs. We fund the war; let's make sure that we fund the warrior and his or her families and their survivors.

I urge my colleagues to support passage of the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, S. 407, without delay.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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 S. 407.

I urge my colleagues to unanimously support S. 407.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1172) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include on the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a list of organizations that provide scholarships to veterans and their survivors, as amended.

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

I thank the Speaker and also I thank my distinguished colleague from Arkansas, Congressman Boozman, for introducing this bill, H.R. 1172, and for his bipartisan leadership working as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity with Chair Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota. That committee is, I think, a model of bipartisan cooperation and we thank the gentleman from Arkansas for his efforts in that regard.

As many veterans service organizations have testified to our committee, the lack of program awareness continues to be a major barrier preventing veterans from accessing the benefits they have earned. The same is also true for non-VA related education assistance such as grants and scholarships. This legislation provides a commonsense solution to provide useful scholarship information to our Nation's veterans and their dependents. Providing a list of all available scholarships on the VA Web site will allow veteran advocates to reach a larger population and simplify the search for veterans and their families.

I am confident our Internet savvy veterans will come to rely on this tool to obtain up-to-date information on how to supplement their education benefits administered by the VA. Again I thank Congressman Boozman for introducing this bill. I urge all my colleagues to join us.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I would like to recognize the gentlelady from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth Sandlin) for as much time as she may consume, but I also want to thank her for her incredible leadership as Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. Lots of bills have come forward from this committee and will continue to do so, and we thank her for her leadership.

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 H.R. 1172, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1172, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1016) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide advance appropriations authority for certain medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is undoubtedly one of the most significant bills that this Congress will pass in this or any other session. The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act was introduced in February, and this bipartisan measure is a response to years of chronic underfunding of the VA medical care system.

During the last two decades, the VA budget has been in place at the start of the fiscal year barely four times. We all know that this delay in providing vital funding puts the provision of health care to veterans at a risk and hampers the VA's ability to plan its health care expenditures, hire needed health care professionals, and plan needed construction.

In an unprecedented step, nine veterans groups formed the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform. These groups, including The American Legion, AMVETS, Blinded Veterans Association, Disabled American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Vietnam Veterans of America, formed to advocate for a VA health care budget that is sufficient, timely, and predictable.

These groups put forward the idea that resources for VA health care should be provided through advanced appropriations so that when the fiscal year starts on October 1, the VA will know what its budget is a year in advance. That is what will happen when H.R. 1016 passes. It will ensure the VA can best plan and utilize taxpayer dollars to provide veterans with the health care they have earned and deserved. It provides the framework with which we can realize advanced appropriations for VA medical care accounts.

As part of the annual budget submission, the President will be required to submit a request for certain VA accounts for the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted. As part of the administration's FY 2011 budget, the President will include budget estimates for VA medical care, information technology, and medical and prosthetic research accounts for FY 2012. The VA will be required to provide detailed estimates in the budget documents it submits annually to Congress.

Each July, the VA will be required to report to Congress if it has the resources it needs for the upcoming fiscal year in order for the Congress to address any funding imbalances. This will help to safeguard against the VA facing budget shortfalls such as it did just a few years ago.

H.R. 1016 provides the framework for advanced appropriations, and we look to our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to provide the dollars. I want to express our thanks to our colleague, Chet Edwards, who chairs the Military Construction/VA Subcommittee, for providing advanced funding for the VA medical care accounts for 2011, providing for an 8 percent increase for fiscal year 2011 above the historic fiscal year 2010 levels.

I want to thank also Chairman Obey for supporting advanced appropriations and Chairman Spratt of the Budget Committee for including advanced appropriations language in his budget resolution.

All of us, working together, have succeeded in providing veterans with their top legislative priority. They spoke and we listened. I ask the rest of the House to join us in support of this bill, H.R. 1016, which passed unanimously from the Veterans' Affairs Committee last week.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Halvorson). She is a new member of our committee and of this Congress, but she has added a dynamic element to our deliberations, and we thank her for her commitment to veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I would yield 3 minutes to another new Member from New Mexico (Mr. Teague). He's also on a committee that has half of our committee's new members. They have added a real element of dynamism. We thank Mr. Teague for his commitment to veterans also.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Hare of Illinois came to us as the successor of a legendary member of our committee, Mr. Lane Evans, who worked so hard for veterans during his whole career, and our thoughts are with him as he faces his disease. Mr. Hare was on our committee. He had to go off this year, but we miss him greatly, and he's one of the strongest leaders for veterans in our Nation. I yield to him such time as he may consume.

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 H.R. 1016, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I think as we approach the July 4 holiday, this is an appropriate way to say thank you to our Nation's veterans. As I said earlier, this is one of the most significant steps, if not a revolutionary step, taken for veterans in the budgeting process. This will assure that one of the largest health systems in the world, if not the largest, will have, in fact, funding available on time and in the need that is required for our Nation's veterans.

So I urge my colleagues to unanimously support this bill, H.R. 1016, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill is a critical piece of legislation which expands and improves health care services available for women veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The bill will be explained in greater detail by the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Ms. Herseth Sandlin, as the person who introduced the bill and we thank her for her steadfast commitment to helping women veterans.

Mr. Speaker, we had a roundtable at our full committee, where we had representatives and women veterans from all around the country. It was searing testimony which revealed serious weaknesses in the culture of the VA.

The VA health care system, after all, was built to accommodate the war-related illnesses and injuries of male veterans. The increased percentage of female veterans that has been occurring, especially with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, has led many women veterans to say that we need some changes in the culture of the VA. Women walk through the lobbies of VA hospitals and are given catcalls. There are not sufficient women doctors available for the women who want them. The male doctors don't yet seem to have the respect for the sacrifice of women veterans.

There was one woman who testified who had an amputation of one arm from combat. When she showed up at the doctor's office, he just assumed that it was lost from something else like cancer. He didn't even think that this could be a combat-related injury. And we can go on and on, but we need to change the culture and change the resources and change behavior, and that's what this bill by Ms. Herseth Sandlin starts to do.

There are about 1.8 million women veterans today, or 7 percent of the nearly 24 million veterans that we serve. Assuming that the current enrollments remain the same, the number of female veterans who use the VA system will double in the next 5 years, making female veterans one of the fastest growing subgroups of veterans. In this environment of organizational transformation and changing demographics, H.R. 1211 has the potential to lay the foundation for improved health care services for our women veterans.

I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I am proud to recognize the gentlelady from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth Sandlin) for as much time as she may consume. She is the author of this very, very important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlelady from Illinois (Mrs. Halvorson).

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 H.R. 1211, as amended.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I was listening to Ms. Herseth Sandlin talk about the need for pilot programs for child care. We've had testimony that if a woman veteran showed up with her child or children, they would be denied their appointment and sent home. I mean this is a way that the culture just must change, which this bill is the first step toward that change.

So I would urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1211, as amended.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1211. This piece of legislation will assist our women veterans in obtaining better health care.

First, I'd like to commend the chief sponsor of this resolution, Ms. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. I would also like to recognize my other colleagues for their strong support and co-sponsorship of this piece of legislation.

Currently, there are an approximated 200,000 female troops in our Armed Forces serving to help protect our Nation. It is not only an important issue but a matter of responsibility that we ensure the fair and first-rate treatment of our brave female troops when they return and/or retire from the Armed Forces.

This resolution will benefit our women veterans by providing graduate education for them. I believe education is a keystone for every U.S. citizen and our government should provide the right to an education for our valiant troops returning home. This gives the opportunity for women veterans who enlisted right after high school to continue on with their education at higher levels.

This legislation will also train and certify mental health professionals so we can aid any of our veterans who are in need of help. It is imperative that we service our veterans in the best way we can. On a day-to-day basis, thousands of veterans suffer from conditions such as sexual trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. The number of female veterans that tested positive for military sexual trauma was 8,705 and this was a climb in number. It is crucial that we take care of our female troops especially because around 20 percent of female veterans test positive for sexual trauma while only 1.8 percent of male veterans test positive.

The resolution is also beneficial to our veterans due to the fact that this piece of legislation provides for the study and analysis of any current problems that our women veterans face in the current state of our system. It will help us make amends and additions to the structure of health care for our female veterans.

Another important piece of this legislation that will help Veterans Affairs greatly is including recently discharged women veterans in the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans and the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans. This will only add more experience to the current committee because having recently discharged troops is important in knowing what health care issues recently discharged female military personal need.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that we take care of our veterans. These veterans put their life on the line to help protect all of us that live in this great Nation. It is of the essence to provide easy access to health care and to a better current health care system for our women veterans.

Again, I would like to thank my colleague Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin for being the chief sponsor of this key resolution in aiding our women veterans. I strongly urge my other colleagues to support this resolution as well.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, today I introduce the ``Veterans Nonprofit Research and Education Corporations Enhancement Act of 2009''.

As the nation's largest healthcare provider network and the custodian of our veterans' health, the Department of Veterans Affairs has an important role to play in the development of innovative new healthcare technologies, medication, and practices.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Veterans Affairs research program is well respected within the research community. The program focuses on research that concerns the special health care needs of veterans especially war related injuries and illnesses.

Some recent successes of the program include neuromotor prosthesis for paralyzed patients, development of an artificial retina for veterans who have lost vision due to retinal damage, and the use of a generic drug (prazosin) for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Importantly, this research program does not just benefit veterans but also American citizens as a whole. Years ago, this program was responsible for bringing to the medical community the pacemaker.

Nonprofit Research Corporations were authorized by Congress in 1988. The intent of these Corporations was to provide a flexible funding mechanism to conduct research and education at VA medical centers. Today, there are 82 independent, state-chartered corporations.

Nonprofit research corporations are a critical component of the overall VA research program. In Fiscal Year 2007 alone, nonprofits were responsible for securing $250 million from the private sector and non- VA public funding to support over 4,000 research and education programs at the VA. This includes providing nearly 2,500 without compensation research employees who work side-by-side with VA-salaried employees.

This legislation authorizes the creation of multi-medical center research corporations that would allow two or more VA medical centers to share one Nonprofit Research Corporation. VA facilities with small research programs may join with larger ones. Additionally, smaller ones will be allowed to pool resources to support a Corporation.

It also clarifies the purpose of the corporation by enabling Nonprofit Research Corporations to support functions related to the conduct of research and education.

Additionally, this legislation will broaden the qualifications for the two mandatory non-VA board members beyond familiarity with medical research and education to acquire those with legal and financial expertise for sound governance and financial management. This provision would also remove the overly strict language prohibiting non-VA board members from having any financial relationship, current or past with a for-profit entity which funds VA research or education. This change would be consistent with the rules applied to federal employees in dealing with conflict of interest by allowing for means of recusal.

This legislation further clarifies the powers of corporations. Some of the key authorities provided by this provision include allowing the Corporations to charge registration fees for education and training programs and to use such funds to offset program expenses or for future educational purposes.

It will allow the VA to reimburse Nonprofit Research Corporations for the salary and benefits of NPC employees loaned to VA under Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments.

Finally this legislation will improve accountability and oversight of corporations by requiring each Nonprofit Research Corporation to submit an annual report to the Secretary of the VA on operations, activities, and accomplishments. It would also require Nonprofit Research Corporations with revenues in excess of $300,000 in any given year to obtain an audit.

I urge your support.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 466) to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit discrimination and acts of reprisal against persons who receive treatment for illnesses, injuries, and disabilities incurred in or aggravated by service in the uniformed services, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, I have been honored to bring bill after bill that says ``thank you'' to our Nation's veterans, and this is another bill that will in fact do that, to say thank you to those who have served our Nation.

My distinguished colleague from Texas, Mr. Doggett, has introduced H.R. 466, the Wounded Veteran Job Security Act. His steadfast commitment to our men and women in uniform and this Nation's veterans is to be commended.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to Mr. Doggett to explain the bill.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers.

I am not sure whether the previous speaker supported or opposed the bill. I guess he opposes any help for health care for our citizens, any help for job security for our citizens, any help for the environmental protection of our citizens, any help for education for our citizens, any help for housing for our citizens. I still don't know where he stands on this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam 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. 466, as amended.

I urge all of my colleagues to join us in reaffirming our Nation's commitment to care for our servicemembers, veterans and their dependents, unanimously supporting H.R. 466, as amended.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today on a motion offered pursuant to this order, it adjourn to meet at 3 p.m. on Monday, May 25, 2009, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its concurrence in House Concurrent Resolution 133, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

Madam Speaker, May is Huntington's Disease Awareness Month. I rise today with my colleague from San Diego, Congressman Bilbray, in support of the 250,000 Americans affected by or who are at risk for developing Huntington's disease.

This disease is a degenerative brain disorder for which there is no effective treatment or cure. HD slowly diminishes the affected individual's ability to walk, think, talk, and to reason. Eventually, a person with HD becomes totally dependent upon others for care. Because it is a genetic disorder, Huntington's disease profoundly affects the lives of entire families--emotionally, socially and financially.

Over the last few months, several families in our San Diego area affected by HD have contacted us about the constant struggles they face. For example, Misty Oto lost her mother several years ago to HD. Her 40-year-old brother is now showing signs of the disease. Misty is also at risk for developing the condition as are her children.

If that weren't bad enough, Misty and her family and countless others affected by HD are unable to receive the medical treatment and care they need. People with Huntington's disease are continually denied disability Social Security benefits because of outdated medical guidelines. Once people with HD begin to receive disability benefits, they still must wait 2 years before they qualify for Medicare. As a result, thousands of families affected by HD are unable to receive the treatment and care they desperately need. Many wind up losing everything they own in simply trying to survive.

That is why Congressman Bilbray and I have introduced H.R. 678, the Huntington's Disease Parity Act of 2009. The bill directs the Social Security Administration to revise its criteria for determining disability, thereby making it easier for people with Huntington's disease to collect disability benefits.

Mr. Bilbray, I appreciate our joined support. I would yield to the gentleman.

Reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman from San Diego. When we were both in local government, we worked together on numerous issues in San Diego, and I'm so glad we are working together here in the Congress.

As we said, there are two major parts of H.R. 678. Number one, the Social Security Administration must revise its criteria for determining disability to make it easier for people with Huntington's disease to collect their benefits. It also removes the 2-year waiting period between receiving Social Security disability payments and their Medicare benefits. This will allow HD patients to get the treatment they need at the onset of the disease, when it's most important.

This is not without precedence, Madam Speaker. In 2000, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services waived this waiting period for those suffering from ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. Huntington's disease is tragic, but our bill, H.R. 678, will help those who suffer from this disease.

We urge the support of our colleagues for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1170) to amend chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, to establish a grant program to encourage the development of new assistive technologies for specially adapted housing, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1170, as amended.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in about a week, on Monday, May 25, our country will mark the 38th year in which Congress has formally recognized the last Monday of May as Memorial Day in honor of our brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation, so I stand before you today with a series of bills to honor our fallen men and women and our current veterans and those on current active duty with deeds and not just with words that we speak on Memorial Day. So we want to honor the legacy of our fallen servicemembers. We look forward to ensuring that our veterans are cared for at the same level of dedication and service that they have provided while in service to our country.

The bills before you today have all come through our Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, chaired by Ms. Herseth Sandlin from South Dakota and with her ranking member, Mr. Boozman from Arkansas. They have proven to be a formidable team, a team which works well together, which brings our committee together and which brings us bills that are very important to our veterans today. So I thank both the Chair and her ranking member for all of the good work that they do with our committee.

I think I will yield to Ms. Herseth Sandlin to explain the bills because she has played such an important role in them. I will yield to her such time as she may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to conclude by telling the House that, recently, we had a committee meeting to learn more about how new technologies can augment the VA's ability to efficiently meet the adaptive needs of our veterans and improve the healing process. We have a new Secretary of the VA, who has committed himself to transformation. We have a new Deputy Secretary, Mr. Gould, who comes from IBM and who understands how a big organization can innovate. That's going to be an important part of the VA's moving into the 21st century. This is a part of that.

I thank Mr. Boozman for introducing it. I thank Chair Herseth Sandlin for working with him to move this along. I recommend that everybody vote for H.R. 1170.

I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1088) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a one-year period for the training of new disabled veterans' outreach program specialists and local veterans' employment representatives by National Veterans' Employment and Training Services Institute.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1088.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation was introduced by Ms. Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota. She has demonstrated her commitment to our Nation's veterans for many, many years. Her work as Chair of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, with Mr. Boozman, always bears fruit. H.R. 1088 is one of those bills.

I yield to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth Sandlin) as much time as she may consume to explain the bill.

I, again, thank the chair and the ranking member, and I urge all of my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 1088, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1089) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the enforcement through the Office of Special Counsel of the employment and unemployment rights of veterans and members of the Armed Forces employed by Federal executive agencies, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I would yield myself such time as I may consume and again thank our dynamic duo on the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee for bringing us another bill which will protect the rights of our veterans and especially in job opportunities.

I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth Sandlin).

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 H.R. 1089, as amended.

I ask my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 1089, as amended, 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 agree to the resolution (H. Res. 360) urging all Americans and people of all nationalities to visit the national cemeteries, memorials, and markers on Memorial Day.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume

I think it is only appropriate, Mr. Speaker, that we bring this resolution to the floor as we approach Memorial Day. The resolution encourages people to visit the cemeteries, memorials, and markers overseen by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Now, that is a commission that I am sure many people have not heard of.

What is the American Battle Monuments Commission, and what do they

do? Back in 1923, Congress created this commission to control the construction of military cemeteries, monuments, and markers erected to honor American servicemembers killed on foreign soil. Host countries provide the necessary lands for the sites to the United States in perpetuity and free of charge.

The commission cares for 24 military cemeteries, 25 memorials, monuments and markers in 15 countries around the world. These sites serve as the final resting place for almost 125,000 Americans who fought in the Mexican-American War, World War I and World War II. The commission takes special care that all cemeteries under its supervision are maintained to the highest standard attainable. The commission extends an open invitation for all to visit these magnificent shrines and to go beyond the most well known, like Normandy, and venture into others.

Each site has its own sense of history, sacrifice and beauty, and each offers a unique experience. For example, no two have the same guard nor architecture. Perhaps only the spiritual qualities are similar. In less than a month from now, on June 6, the commission will commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the D-day landing by opening a new Normandy-American cemetery visitors center. This center, which has been under construction since 2002, will tell the story of the American soldiers memorialized at Normandy.

I encourage all to visit this new D-day center and any of the sites under the jurisdiction of the commission. Overseas cemeteries are the lasting reminders of America's willingness to come to the defense of others. These tangible symbols of American values endure long after the fighting is over.

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

I continue to reserve.

Does the gentleman have further speakers?

I think this may be the first time in American history that a Roe is followed by a Poe, but that's just the way it is. I would reserve the balance of our time.

I continue to reserve.

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 House Resolution 360.

Mr. Speaker, the United States has fought wars throughout our history to restore both freedom and dignity inside of its own borders, as well as around the world. We have shed our blood and spent our national treasure fighting these wars. On Memorial Day, the Nation is reminded of the phrase spoken constantly, that freedom is not free.

These wonderful commemorative sites that we spoke of today inspire patriotism, invoke gratitude, serve as a permanent and lasting reminder of the sacrifices made by the men and women of the United States military. They are reminders of America's willingness to come to the defense of others, to protect the freedom and liberty of its people, and ensure the prosperity of our Republic.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support House Resolution 360.

Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 360, a bill encouraging all Americans to honor our veterans by visiting national cemeteries and memorials this Memorial Day.

Since 1862, more than three million burials have been made in VA national cemeteries.

National cemeteries are the testimony of a grateful nation to appropriately commemorate the Americans who have served our nation in the armed forces.

My home state of Colorado has a population of over 427,000 veterans.

I am proud to represent a district that is home to almost 70,000 veterans.

As a veteran myself, I know how much of an honor it was to serve my country during the Vietnam era.

My father, Henry Salazar, was a staff sergeant in the Army during World War II.

Two years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, my father came down to breakfast one morning and told us that he wanted to be buried in his uniform.

As I held my father just before he passed away he told me that he loved me and his last word was ``Uniform.''

Throughout the four years that my father lived with Alzheimer's, the two things he never forgot were how much he loved his family and how proud he was to serve his country.

It is this dedication to duty and unyielding commitment that have ensured our freedom and our way of life even in our nation's most troubled times.

The courage and sacrifices of our veterans set a necessary example to our youth and all Americans.

Their stories are important chapters in the history of our nation.

That is why I am working with members of the Colorado delegation to bring a national veterans cemetery to southern Colorado.

Current standards place many VA cemeteries closer to large metropolitan areas.

This is an issue that is faced by veterans in small and rural communities similar to those in the Third Congressional District of Colorado.

I look forward to continue working on issues that improve the lives of our veterans and honor their service.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 23) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States Merchant Marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II, as amended.

Madam 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 H.R. 23, as amended.

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

I rise in strong support of H. Res. 23, the Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009, a measure, frankly, whose passage is six decades overdue.

I think today we are on the verge of doing a great deed, providing a way to finally give the heroic Merchant Mariners of World War II the belated compensation they so richly deserve. Congress has a responsibility to correct the wrongs of the past, and this is one of the grave injustices that deserve rectifying.

I thank all the cosponsors of the resolution, including some 40 Republicans. I know that many of you were trying to be added as cosponsors after the report was filed. I just would like to name for the record Mr. Tierney, Mr. Meek, Ms. Jenkins and Mr. Kildee.

For the remaining Members of the House who are not cosponsors of the amended version which passed unanimously out of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, let me tell you the sad history of these forgotten heroes.

The merchant mariners of World War II traversed the dangerous U-boat- laden waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific, faced down fierce attacks from enemy aircraft, and were instrumental in every theater of war by carrying 95 percent of all the tanks, supplies, and troops during World War II.

As a result, they suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the military branches. It is indisputable that the Allied Forces would not have been able to begin, sustain, or end World War II without their valiant and selfless service. It is also indisputable that these men now are entitled to be compensated for that service. After the war, they did not receive recognition as veterans that they deserved or the benefits of the unprecedented GI Bill of 1944, which they had earned and were promised. Eight million military families were able to take advantage of that GI Bill, entering the middle class, but the merchant mariners were not.

When the GI Bill was signed in 1944, as I said, which gave unprecedented education, housing, small business loans, and health benefits to World War II servicemembers, President Roosevelt declared, after losing the fight to have the merchant mariners included in the original bill, ``I trust Congress will soon provide similar opportunities to members of the Merchant Marine who have risked their lives time and time again for the welfare of their country.'' Congress never did. My friends, promises made should be promises kept.

Their fight for equity continued for over 40 years when they finally attained veteran status after a lengthy court battle, Schumacher, Willner, et al. v. Secretary of the Air Force Edward C. Aldridge, Jr. By then, over 125,000 mariners had died. As the judge ruled in that case, the mariners had ``every reasonable expectation that they would be treated as veterans'' entitled to the benefits of the GI Bill of Rights of 1944, based on the service they performed, not happened to perform. History supports this conclusion.

I had the distinct privilege of receiving the heart-wrenching testimony, during a full committee hearing, of one of the named parties to this lawsuit, a merchant mariner named Stanley Willner. Stanley was captured, interned, beaten, starved, and tortured as a POW for 3 years. He was actually one of the unfortunate groups of Allied Forces forced to build the infamous bridge over the River Kwai. Upon release, he weighed 74 pounds, and when he returned home, even his wife did not recognize him. And neither did his country. He received just 2 weeks of medical care and little else for his service. What a miscarriage of justice.

Madam Speaker, it was only due to a sad confluence of powerful events after the war that this country did not bestow the brave men of the World War II Merchant Marine with veteran status until 1988. I think that if the mariners would be on the floor today, they would say they should not have been subject to a ``process'' to determine whether they were veterans.

The mariners and many others thought that they would get these benefits since many thought they were enlisting for duty. They were denied this status unjustly and in violation of the assurances that they would partake in the GI Bill of 1944. Their valiant service was recognized by all the leaders of the Allied Forces from Generals MacArthur to Eisenhower.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a list of quotes by President Roosevelt regarding their courageous service.

Relevant Historical Quotes on the Role of United States Merchant Marine

During World War II

Quotes from President Franklin D. Roosevelt

May, 1942: ``The war is now five months old and we have had

our answer. Two million men have been called to the colors.

In far places and near, our soldiers, our sailors, our air

pilots, the beleaguered men of the Merchant Marine, have

shown the stuff of heroes. Everything we have asked of them

they have delivered. Everything--and more.''

December 12, 1942: ``It is with a feeling of great pride

that I send my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to

the officers and men of the new U.S. Maritime Service

Training Station at Sheepshead Bay. New York. Ten thousand

apprentice seamen in training at one station is a magnificent

achievement, and the entire country joins me in wishing you

every success and in paying tribute to you men of the

Merchant Marine who are so gallantly working and fighting

side by side with our Army and Navy to defend the way of life

which is so dear to us all.''

1943: ``The men of our American Merchant Marine have pushed

through despite the perils of the submarine, the dive bomber

and the surface raider. They have returned voluntarily to

their jobs at sea again and again, because they realized that

the life-lines to our battle fronts would be broken if they

did not carry out their vital part in this global war . . .

In their hands, our vital supply lines are expanding. Their

skill and determination will keep open the highway to victory

and unconditional surrender.''

September 19, 1944: ``It seems to me particularly

appropriate that Victory Fleet Day this year should honor the

men and management of the American Merchant Marine. The

operators in this war have written one of its most brilliant

chapters. They have delivered the goods when and where needed

in every theater of operations and across every ocean in the

biggest, the most difficult and dangerous transportation job

ever undertaken. As time goes on, there will be greater

public understanding of our merchant fleet's record during

this war.''

June 22, 1944 (during signing of GI Bill): ``I trust

Congress will soon provide similar opportunities to members

of the merchant marine who have risked their lives time and

time again during war for the welfare of their country.''

Quotes from Dwight D. Eisenhower, General of the Army

Date Unknown: ``Every man in this Allied command is quick

to express his admiration for the loyalty, courage, and

fortitude of the officers and men of the Merchant Marine. We

count upon their efficiency and their utter devotion to duty

as we do our own; they have never failed us yet and in all

the struggles yet to come we know that they will never be

deterred by any danger, hardship, or privation. When final

victory is ours there is no organization that will share its

credit more deservedly than the Merchant Marine.''

May 8, 1945 (From his Tribute on V-E Day): ``The truly

heroic man of this war is GI Joe

and his counterpart of the Air, Navy, and Merchant Marine.''

1945: ``The officers and men of the merchant marine, by

their devotion to duty in the face of enemy action, as well

as the natural dangers of the sea, have brought us the tools

to finish the job. Their contribution to final victory will

be long remembered.''

Quotes from Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army

Date Unknown: ``I wish to commend to you the valor of the

merchant seamen participating with us in the liberation of

the Philippines. With us they have shared the heaviest enemy

fire. On this island I have ordered them off their ships and

into fox holes when their ships became untenable targets of

attack. At our side they have suffered in bloodshed and in

death. The caliber of efficiency and the courage they

displayed in their part of the invasion of the Philippines

marked their conduct throughout the entire campaign in the

southwest Pacific area. They have contributed tremendously to

our success. I hold no branch in higher esteem than the

Merchant Marine.''

October 14, 1945: ``They have brought us our lifeblood and

they had paid for it with some of their own. I saw them

bombed off the Philippines and in New Guinea ports. When it

was humanly possible, when their ships were not blown out

from under them by bombs or torpedoes, they have delivered

their cargoes to us who needed them so badly. In war it is

performance that counts.''

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, U.S. Navy, Chief of Naval Operations

War Shipping Administration Press Release PR 1839, April

23, 1944: ``The Merchant Marine Service has repeatedly proved

its right to be considered as an integral part of our

fighting team. Its efforts have contributed in great part to

our success. Well done.

There is one quote that is particularly telling of the broken promise, made by then General Dwight D. Eisenhower, delivered on May 8, 1945, during his tribute on V-E Day: ``The truly heroic man of this war is GI Joe and his counterpart of the Air, Navy, and Merchant Marine.''

Madam Speaker, how do you measure the loss of the GI Bill benefits that helped build the middle class of the United States, the missed opportunities and the dreams unrealized? That is what H.R. 23 will do, create a semblance of equity for the mariners of World War II. Undo this broken promise and unmitigated travesty of justice by providing this monthly benefit to the remaining 10,000 qualifying mariners.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to one of our new Members who has been very active on our committee, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye).

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, without a doubt these men, now octogenarians, average age almost 85, fought the good fight and gave our country their all. And H.R. 23 will provide them with the compensation they earned or was promised them and has been denied for decades, not just in words but in deeds.

Madam Speaker, I ask that letters of support from the American Maritime Officers, the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, and the Seafarers International Union expressing their strong support for H.R. 23, as amended, be included in the Record.

May 5, 2009.

Hon. Bob Filner,

Chairman, House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Cannon House

Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: We are writing on behalf of the

undersigned American maritime labor organizations to express

our strong support for H.R. 23, the ``Belated Thank You to

the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009'' and to

urge your Committee to favorably report this legislation. The

organizations we represent have the privilege of including

among our retired members individuals who served our country

with honor and distinction during World War II. These World

War II merchant mariners are truly representative of the

``Greatest Generation'', and we are extremely proud of them

and the example they have set for all merchant mariners who

continue to respond to our Nation's call whenever and

wherever they are needed.

General Colin Powell, following the Persian Gulf War, said

that: ``Since I became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,

I have come to appreciate first-hand why our Merchant Marine

has long been called our Nation's fourth arm of defense. The

American seafarer provides an essential service to the well-

being of our Nation as was demonstrated so clearly during

Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm . . . ''

We agree wholeheartedly with you that the enactment of H.R.

23 is necessary ``to correct an injustice that has been

inflicted upon a group of World War II veterans, the World

War II United States merchant mariners.'' We sincerely thank

you, Mr. Chairman, for your initiative in working to address

this injustice by sponsoring legislation to provide long-

overdue recognition and benefits to World War II merchant

mariners. We are also grateful to your colleagues who have

cosponsored H.R. 23 and for their decision to add their names

to the bipartisan supporters who are committed to working

with you and with us for the enactment of H.R. 23 this year.

There is not, nor should there be, any debate as to the

invaluable service given by American merchant mariners during

World War II. In fact, World War II merchant mariners

suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the branches of

the Armed Forces other than the United States Marine Corps,

as they delivered troops, tanks, food, fuel and other needed

equipment and material to every theater of World War II.

Enemy forces sank more than 800 merchant vessels between 1941

and 1944 alone.

As General of the Army, Allied Expeditionary Forces in

Europe, Dwight David Eisenhower stated, ``When final victory

is ours there is no organization that will share its credit,

more deservedly that the Merchant Marine.'' Fleet Admiral

Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief, Pacific Theater, said

that ``The Merchant Marine . . . has repeatedly proved its

right to be considered as an integral part of our fighting

team.''

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, speaking of the

merchant seamen who supported the liberation of the

Philippines, stated that ``With us, they have shared the

heaviest enemy fire. On these islands I have ordered them off

their ships and into foxholes when their ships became

untenable targets of attack. At our side they have suffered

in bloodshed and death . . . They have contributed

tremendously to our success. I hold no branch in higher

esteem than the Merchant Marine Service.''

Finally, President Franklin Roosevelt eloquently and

accurately summed up the contributions of World War II

merchant mariners, telling the country and the world that

they ``have written one of the most brilliant chapters. They

have delivered the goods when and where needed in every

theater of operations and across every ocean in the biggest,

the most difficult and most dangerous job ever taken.''

Yet, despite this record of exemplary, indispensable

service to America's war efforts, merchant mariners were not

given the formal recognition and benefits granted other

services by the Congress through the GI Bill of Rights in

1945. In fact, no legislation to recognize the contributions

made by World War II merchant mariners was enacted until

Congress extended limited veterans' status to these gallant

American citizens in 1988.

We believe, as you have stated Mr. Chairman, that it is

time to correct this injustice. We believe our country has an

obligation to the remaining World War II merchant mariners,

to fully acknowledge their service and to give them the

measure of benefit called for in H.R. 23. We ask you and your

Committee to take the first step in righting this wrong by

favorably reporting H.R. 23 to the House of Representatives

for its consideration.

We note that during the consideration of H.R. 23 in the

last Congress, changes were made to the legislation that

would, among other things, reduce its overall cost. For

example, it no longer provides any payment of benefits to

survivors' spouses and revised the legislation so that it is

no longer self-funded. Rather, it sets up a Merchant Mariner

Equity Compensation Fund and leaves it to Congress to later

determine funding within its spending caps. Finally, those

who have received benefits under the Servicemen's

Readjustment Act of 1944 (the GI Bill--PL 78-346) are not

eligible for benefits under H.R. 23. The bill, with these

changes, is the legislation that was adopted by the House of

Representatives on July 7, 2007 and we continue to support

H.R. 23 with these changes.

We again thank you and your colleagues for the support you

have shown for the World War II merchant mariners and we

stand ready to work with you for its enactment this year.

Sincerely,

Thomas Bethel, President, American Maritime Officers;

Timothy Brown, President, International Organization of

Masters, Mates & Pilots; Don Keefe, President, Marine

Engineers' Beneficial Association; Anthony Poplawski,

President, Marine Firemen's Union; Gunnar Lundeberg,

President, Sailors' Union of the Pacific; Michael

Sacco, President, Seafarers International Union.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Safety, Efficiency and Accountability in Transportation Projects through Public Inspection Act of 2009 (H.R. 2104).

This bill would 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 percent to 15 percent, 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; and 20% found private firms acceptable for the task. David M. Walker, the Comptroller General of the United States, said in a recent interview: ``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.''