Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 which would extend the presumption of exposure to herbicides to veterans who served in the offshore waters of Vietnam.

I want to thank Chairman Takano for reintroducing this legislation and for working with me to get this bill to the House floor.

It is no surprise that the fight for our blue water Navy Vietnam veterans to receive the benefits they deserve is near and dear to me. Last Congress, I was heartened by the overwhelming support for these veterans when the House passed H.R. 299 by a vote of 382-0.

To say the least, I was very disappointed that last year's bill stalled in the Senate, and never made it to the President's desk. However, with 333 cosponsors, it is my hope this legislation passes the House with the same bipartisan support as last year's package, and the Senate takes it up quickly. I know that is an oxymoron in the Senate, but quickly.

As many of you know, Agent Orange was used in Vietnam to defoliate areas in the jungle where enemy forces would ambush our troops. When Vietnam veterans began developing diseases as a result of their contact with Agent Orange, Congress legislated the Agent Orange presumption to streamline benefits for affected veterans.

Unfortunately, the Department of Veterans Affairs' longstanding practice was to limit the presumption to veterans who set foot, boots on the ground, in Vietnam or served in inland waterways or brown water.

The blue water Navy Vietnam veterans were excluded from the presumption because VA claims there was not enough information to determine whether they came into contact with herbicides. As a result, blue water Navy Vietnam veterans must provide evidence that they were actually harmed by herbicides.

I understand how incredibly difficult this must be for veterans who try to find any records for potential exposure. I served in the United States 2nd Infantry Division in Korea near the DMZ, and I have no way to prove where I walked there 40-something years ago. There is just no way to prove that.

But right now, these veterans are suffering from conditions that are known to be associated with exposure to Agent Orange, and I believe Congress must act to resolve this issue definitively.

The recent court decision in Procopio was a huge victory for our blue water Navy Vietnam veterans. However, it is unclear how VA plans to implement the court's holdings. Congress should not wait for this issue to work itself out by VA or the courts.

These veterans have waited long enough to receive acknowledgment from VA that their illnesses may have been caused by their military service.

Mr. Speaker, 523 Vietnam veterans are dying each day. So, if the VA and this government waits long enough, we will all die. We need to get this done.

We must pass H.R. 299, as amended, so that our blue water Vietnam Navy veterans can qualify for the same benefits as their boots-on-the- ground and brown-water Navy comrades.

Moreover, H.R. 299 not only addresses the concerns of blue water Navy Vietnam veterans, but also includes provisions that would: one, extend the presumption to veterans who served in or near the Korean DMZ on September 1, 1967; provide benefits to certain children of Thailand veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange; and require VA to identify the U.S. military bases located in Thailand where Agent Orange was used and when it was used.

Mr. Speaker, one of my best friends I will ever have in my life who served on one of those air bases died of a very rare lymphoma. The perimeter was sprayed with Agent Orange, and he died about 4 years ago.

H.R. 299 also provides an update on current research on their potential or in-service toxic exposures of the Gulf War veterans.

Finally, this bill would make several improvements to the VA home loan program, including: changing VA's home appraisal system so that veterans can close on their homes quicker and more seamlessly; eliminating the conforming home loan limit to allow veterans to use their earned VA loan benefits in more expensive areas; extending the waiver of home loan funding fees to recipients of the Purple Heart who are still serving on Active Duty; and temporarily increasing VA's home loan funding fees for nondisabled veterans, which would offset the cost of the bill.

I would be remiss if I did not thank veteran service organizations for their unwavering support on this issue. I am particularly grateful to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, The American Legion, the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Military Officers Association of America, AMVETS, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart for their hard work on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I just read a study that was published yesterday that the United States is going into Vietnam and providing some benefits for some of the people there whose offspring were damaged. We are also doing mega-site cleanups. We are spending tens of millions of dollars to clean up Da Nang and Bien Hoa, the two major air bases where this Agent Orange was used.

It is time we did the same thing for America's veterans here in the United States. That is the right thing to do there. It is the right thing to do here.

I think I can speak for all of us today when I say that H.R. 299, as amended, does the right thing for our veterans.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 299, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), who was the previous chairman of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee and is now ranking member.

Mr. Mike Bost is a marine veteran who also led a bill that we passed 2 years ago, the appeals modernization bill, a bill that has helped so many disabled veterans get their claims adjudicated more quickly.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser). Dan Meuser is a new and very dedicated member of our committee.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the chairman. I know Walter's family appreciates that. He served this House, this Chamber, honorably for so many years and was an incredible supporter of our Nation's veterans. I know his family and I certainly appreciate the chairman's acknowledging his service and his dedication to our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin). I have been to his district, and there is no better and more fervent supporter of our Nation's veterans.

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

Mr. Speaker, we all know why dioxin, or Agent Orange, was sprayed in Vietnam. At the time we thought, our government thought, that we were protecting our troops by spraying this defoliant to expose the hiding places where they were being ambushed. We understand that. I get that.

Mr. Speaker, if you were at an air base in Thailand and you were being attacked on the perimeter, I understand why it was being done. It turns out it was a horrific mistake, and it is costing lives now.

It is time to do the right thing, and the right thing with 523 of us dying each day is to pass this bill, H.R. 299, and get it to the Senate. I believe the chairman and I would like to challenge the Senate to start hearing this and perhaps even vote on it before Memorial Day. That would be the right thing to do.

Also, I want to thank Congressman David Valadao, who is no longer here, along with my good friend Mr. Walz, who is now the Governor of Minnesota. Congressman Valadao was very helpful. There was not a day on the House floor that I was down here that David was not asking me: When are we going to get the Blue Water Navy bill passed? When are we going to pass this bill?

Mr. Speaker, it is time to stop talking about it, and it is time to do something about it. The reason that it is important to not let the courts decide is another court may decide just like 1997, when they changed what the VA was doing. So it is time to put this in the footprint of the law so that there is no question about what we do.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman. I want to thank him for when he was a member of the committee when I was chairman of the last Congress, how hard we all worked in a bipartisan way to get this done.

Just so the public knows, last week, we passed 18 bills--this is one of them--out of our committee in a bipartisan way on a voice vote. Congress can work. This is one of the ways it does work very well. Again, I want to thank my staff and the majority staff for their help with this.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, if this unanimous consent request cannot be entertained, I urge the Speaker and the majority leader to immediately schedule the Born Alive bill, so we can stand up and protect the----

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1381, the Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act.

This bill is sponsored by Dr. Raul Ruiz of California and Dr. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio. Dr. Ruiz and Dr. Wenstrup are medical professionals, former members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and co-chairs of the

House Burn Pits Caucus. I am grateful to them both for their efforts with respect to this legislation and for their continued dedication to serving our Nation's veterans on a bipartisan basis.

In response to growing fears about the long-term health effects of burn pit exposure, Congress required the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, to create the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, the registry, in 2013.

The registry was intended to provide a forum for servicemembers and veterans to document the toxic exposures they experienced in service to our country and report health issues they believe may be connected to those exposures to VA to assist in research regarding toxic exposure impacts and treatments.

While the registry continues to be an important tool for those worried about burn pits and other toxic environmental exposures, advocates have expressed concern over the years that the registry is not being used to its greatest potential.

During a hearing before the Subcommittee on Health last June, two important stakeholder groups, Burn Pit 360 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, or VFW, recommended that the registry be improved by allowing family members to update the registry in the event of a death of a servicemember or veteran listed on it.

Accordingly, the Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act would, on the death of a servicemember or a veteran listed in the registry, allow an immediate family member or other designated individual to report that servicemember's or veteran's death to the registry and list his or her cause of death in the registry.

According to Burn Pits 360, without tracking the mortality rate through methods such as allowing a surviving family member to report deaths and the cause of death, the registry's ability to establish mortality rates related to conditions and diseases associated with toxic exposure will be precluded.

Mr. Speaker, I agree, which is why I am pleased to support this bill today. That said, I do regret that it did not move through regular order. Had it been subject to a committee hearing and markup, it surely would have benefited from a robust debate and discussion by committee members, by VA, and by veteran service organizations and other interested parties and perhaps made even stronger. I look forward to continued committee work on this important subject.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), a very active member and Marine Corps veteran on the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), a Congressman, colonel, doctor, former member of the committee, and incredible veterans advocate.

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

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank Dr. Ruiz, who was a very active member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I really hated to see him leave our committee. He was a tremendous asset to the committee and, as you can see, continues to be that asset.

I think one of the things, Mr. Speaker, that this registry does is it also shows us on the committee how important it is to get our electronic health records done, so that an Active Duty military recruit can go in at 18 years of age and have a virtual lifetime record so that we will have a treasure trove of data there 30 or 40 years later, as we are doing right now in trying to figure out what to do with Agent Orange.

If we do this correctly, we will be able to not make these mistakes in the future. We will be able to go ahead and rapidly make these claims, adjudicate these claims, so that veterans are treated properly and get the medical care they need.

I strongly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1271, the Veterans- Specific Education for Tomorrow's Health Professionals--or Vet HP--Act. The bill would create a pilot program to provide undergraduate students with a clinical observation experience at Department of Veterans Affairs' medical centers.

This bill is sponsored by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of Ohio. I appreciate her efforts to support aspiring medical students by giving them a window into the healthcare profession. This bill would further VA's mission to educate the Nation's future clinicians by giving those who have expressed interest in the medical field an early introduction to the VA healthcare system.

It is my sincere hope that, if enacted, this pilot program would inspire the students it serves to pursue careers serving veteran patients. While this bill did not move through regular order in the committee this Congress, it did move through regular order last Congress where it was supported by various veteran service organizations.

Mr. Speaker, I was proud to work with my Democratic colleagues to get this bill passed through the House last year, and I am pleased to do so again here today. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I strongly support this bill. I have spent much of my time over the years mentoring students both in high school, college, and in medical school. I have taught on the clinical faculty at East Tennessee State University College of Medicine.

I tell the students: Look, you really need to think about going into medicine if you like to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

That is not usually how I start the conversation. But I look back as a young man when I started, and I ask myself, having now been serving in the U.S. Congress, what would I do if I had those choices all over again?

Unequivocally, I would go back to the examining room and back to the operating room and take care of patients. It is a phenomenal way to help people. I think we have to share that.

I am a first-generation college graduate in my family, as many of us are who serve in this body, and I want to thank both the chairman for his tremendous support for medical education in the Choice bill that we passed--it is hard to believe--5 years ago, Mr. Speaker, when the scandal in Phoenix occurred. We put in that bill 1,500 residency slots at VAs in primary care so that we would encourage those young doctors to stay where they are training. Many of us will do that; we will stay where we have done our training.

So I want to thank Congresswoman Kaptur for her interest in this. I thank the students she brought up. Those are the future doctors who are going to be caring for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill, I urge my colleagues to, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 49, a bill to designate the outstation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center in North Ogden, Utah, as the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center Outstation.

This bill is sponsored by Senator Mike Lee of Utah and is a companion bill to H.R. 54, which is sponsored by Congressman Rob Bishop, also of Utah. I thank both of them for working to honor Major Taylor in this way.

Having lost friends and classmates in Vietnam, I know the loss that this family is suffering is incalculable. Family, friends, community, State, and Nation mourn his loss.

Major Taylor's life was characterized by service both in and out of uniform, and I am pleased to strongly support this bill in his memory. Major Taylor represents all that is right and good in America.

My colleague, Congressman Chris Stewart of Utah, is here today to speak in support of this bill as well, as he has a personal connection to the Taylor family.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart) to detail the incredible life that Major Taylor led and the legacy that he leaves behind.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is one of the more difficult things that we do. Obviously, to see a beautiful family like this, whose dad and whose husband has made the ultimate sacrifice, it is difficult for me to stand here and understand the pain that they have. I sometimes read Revelation 21:4; that may help just a little bit.

I thank that family for their service and wish them nothing but Godspeed going forward. They will have some tough days, I know, ahead of them, but this is a grateful Nation. We very much appreciate his service to our great country. Our country is not better for this loss.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Chair, I rise today to fight for the rights of the brave men and women who have risked their lives fighting for our rights.

The bill we are debating, H.R. 1112, would have a significant impact on veterans' Second Amendment rights. A little-known and poorly understood provision of H.R. 1112 would amend the law to make it unlawful for an individual who has been ``adjudicated with mental illness, severe developmental disability, or severe emotional instability'' to purchase, to possess a firearm. It would make it illegal to sell a firearm to such an individual.

Let's put this in perspective. There are over 1.6 million disabled veterans with service-connected adjudication by VA of mental illness, including 1 million veterans with PTSD. H.R. 1112 has the potential to add all those names of veterans to the FBI NICS list and prevent those veterans from being able to purchase or possess a firearm.

Now, I know that may not have been the intent of the author of this bill, but that is a lot of veterans who will be impacted if this becomes law.

I offered an amendment at the Rules Committee to clarify that veterans with VA PTSD, diagnosed mental illness, and other affected adjudications would be exempted from the bill's standards, but it was ruled out of order.

VA already sends the names of veterans who have a VA fiduciary for inclusion on the NICS list--not because there is a concern that the veteran might be a harm to themselves or others, but because the VA has determined that the veteran needs assistance handling his or her financial benefits.

I am concerned that the expanded definition proposed in H.R. 1112 would infringe on the Second Amendment rights of over 1 million veterans solely because they receive benefits from VA that they have rightly earned through their service to our great country.

The last thing any of us in this room want to do is to discourage veterans from seeking VA benefits and treatment because they are afraid it might cost them a constitutional right. Think about that.

Although there may not have been a finding by a judicial authority that a veteran poses a danger to themselves or society, these veterans will be told that they were good enough to use a firearm to fight for our freedoms, but they are not good enough to have the freedom to bear arms as a civilian.

That is wrong, Madam Chair. Even criminals must be convicted in a court of law before their names are added to the NICS list.

Of all Americans who deserve their constitutional rights, the most deserving are those who fought for our country. Madam Chair, that is why I strongly oppose H.R. 1112, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Representatives Allred, Sherrill, and Torres' amendment that would require the VA to ensure that eligible veterans are made aware of childcare assistance available to them through this program via outreach and publicly available information made easily accessible on VA's website.

This program would be no good to any veteran if they don't know that it exists and could potentially serve them. This is a commonsense proposition and I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it.

On a related note, I understand that Representative Allred recently left D.C. to return to Dallas for the birth of his son, which is further proof of how disruptive children can be to a working parent's schedule and why this bill is so needed.

I wish Congressman Allred and his family my hearty congratulations and send them my best wishes during this joyous occasion.

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

Mr. Chairman, I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Congresswoman Moore's amendment to require annual reports on the participation and funding requirements associated with childcare assistance, as well as biannual reports on other remaining challenges regarding childcare services and recommendations for improvement.

If we are going to create a new program like this one, we have an obligation to ensure that it is serving the people it is supposed to be serving, and providing good value for our taxpayers.

I am happy to support this amendment to ensure that this program is closely monitored by VA, and that Congress is able to use these reports to conduct appropriate oversight of it.

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

Mr. Chair, I strongly support Congresswoman Moore's amendment, and urge my colleagues to support it also.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment sponsored by Congresswoman Kuster to require VA to establish criteria for childcare assistance for veterans who experience unusual or excessive burdens when trying to access those childcare services.

Approximately 40 percent of veteran patients live in rural or highly rural areas. Those veterans have unique barriers both to healthcare and to childcare, and VA must take those barriers into consideration when it is designing this program.

I thank my good friend, Congresswoman Kuster, who is a tireless advocate for veterans in New Hampshire. Congresswoman Kuster and I spent Thanksgiving a couple years ago in Afghanistan, visiting our troops. I know her love for veterans and her commitment to that and her work on this amendment. I am pleased to join her in supporting it.

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

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Congressman Delgado and Congresswoman Lawrence's amendment to expand the definition of childcare services to include extended daycare programs.

Many schools offer childcare in the morning or evening hours to accommodate the busy schedules of working parents. If those programs are a better fit for the children of veterans seeking childcare assistance under this bill, it only makes sense for VA to have the flexibility to use them.

That said, I have questions about this amendment that I believe could have been addressed had this bill gone through regular order. For example, would this amendment permit veterans whose children are already involved in these programs to deduct a portion of the cost when they are seeking care, or does this only cover drop-in care?

I am grateful to Congressman Delgado for his work on this amendment, and I hope that we can work with Chairman Takano to address these questions.

Mr. Chairman, I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I think we have these two amendments reversed.

Yes, I do.

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

Mr. Chairman, I would like to engage in a colloquy with Chairman Takano.

I think we have these two amendments reversed.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

We voted on 15, and now we are going to 16.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Representatives Delgado, Harder, and Stefanik's amendment to include emergency mental healthcare under the definition of a covered health service.

It is a tragedy and a tragic fact that approximately 20 veterans die every day by suicide. We have perhaps no greater calling on the Veterans' Affairs Committee than doing all we can do to lower and eliminate that number.

A veteran in crisis must have the benefit of every available support to get them through that crisis and on a path to healing. This amendment will ensure that the lack of childcare won't be a barrier to care for a veteran in crisis.

Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Congressman Golden and Congresswoman Kuster's amendment to expand the healthcare services under which a veteran would be eligible to receive childcare assistance to include readjustment counseling.

The readjustment counseling provided through vet centers is an important component of VA's mental healthcare system of care. I commend Congressman Golden and Congresswoman Kuster for making sure that veterans in need of childcare assistance so that they can attend appointments at vet centers are able to receive that assistance.

I thank Congressman Golden for his service to our great country. I think we owe the gentleman a great debt of gratitude and welcome him here to the House floor.

Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I support this amendment; I encourage my colleagues to support it; and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Congressmen Golden and Brindisi's amendment requiring a report regarding the accessibility and effectiveness of the childcare assistance program for veterans living in rural and highly rural areas.

As I said earlier this morning when discussing Congresswoman Kuster's amendment, approximately 40 percent of veterans live in rural or highly rural areas. Those veterans have unique access needs, and VA must be mindful when creating this program.

Mr. Chair, I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I support this amendment; I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment; and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Congresswoman Sherrill's amendment, which would prohibit childcare providers from providing childcare assistance under this program if they employ an individual convicted of a sex crime, an offense involving a child victim, a violent crime, or a drug felony.

It would also stipulate that the requirements in this bill are not intended to lower any Federal, State, or local standards for hiring or screening childcare centers.

I thank Congresswoman Sherrill for introducing this thoughtful amendment that recognizes that the children of veterans accessing childcare assistance under this bill must be cared for in the safest environment possible.

This amendment is a no-brainer, and I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it.

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

Mr. Chair, I support this commonsense amendment and encourage my colleagues to do so also.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Congresswomen Sherrill, Kuster, and Moore's amendment to include mental healthcare provided for the treatment of military sexual trauma, MST, under the definition of a ``covered health service.''

Sexual trauma can have wide-ranging implications on a person's physical and mental health. I am grateful to the sponsors of this amendment for making sure that MST is specifically included in this legislation so that veterans who have suffered this terrible crime will face one less barrier to obtaining care. I am happy to support this amendment

and urge all of my colleagues to join me.

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

Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Congresswoman Slotkin's amendment to authorize consultation between the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans' Affairs in the implementation of this childcare assistance program.

Ensuring greater collaboration between VA and DOD has long been a priority of mine, so I am pleased to support this amendment today.

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

Mr. Chair, I support this commonsense amendment and encourage my colleagues to do so.

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

Madam Chair, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 840, the Veterans' Access to Child Care Act, and I acknowledge the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley), the chairwoman and sponsor of this legislation, for her hard work and leadership on this issue.

As a father of three and a grandfather of three more, I know firsthand how important affordable, accessible, and safe childcare is and how difficult it can be for busy parents to find.

I never want a veteran, particularly one struggling with a mental health condition that requires regular ongoing treatment to manage, to be unable to get the care they need because of a lack of childcare.

The Veterans' Access to Child Care Act would prevent that by authorizing the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide childcare assistance to veterans who are receiving mental health or certain other intensive healthcare services.

Since 2011, VA has been providing childcare assistance to eligible veterans in select sites through a pilot program that has been extended by Congress on a consistent basis. This bill would permanently authorize that program and expand it across the VA healthcare system.

I was proud to support this bill last Congress as it passed the House with unanimous bipartisan support, and I am proud to support it today. However, my support is not without some reservations.

When we passed this bill last Congress, it had been reported out of the committee fully offset with a mandatory pay-for that, again, passed the House with unanimous bipartisan support.

An amendment offered by Congressman Gus Bilirakis of Florida that would use the same pay-for to offset the cost of this bill, which has increased from $96 million 2 years ago to an estimated $120 million today, was ruled not in order by the Rules Committee yesterday. That is a shame.

As chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee in the previous Congress, I entertained frequent objections to other good policies from my friends on the other side of the aisle due to concerns about how improvements to the VA healthcare system would be accounted for under discretionary caps. It appears those concerns have suddenly disappeared.

Yesterday afternoon, Chairman Takano noted that no offset was provided for this bill because the House Democrats have no requirement for discretionary costs to be offset, and it would be up to the appropriators to provide the funding VA needs to implement this program.

The Democrats' lack of a rule promoting fiscal discipline does not mean that we should not aspire to be good stewards of taxpayer money. The American taxpayer should expect and certainly deserve more from their elected officials than literally passing of the buck.

I also have reservations about this bill because it failed to move through

regular order, which it most certainly would have benefited from.

I commend my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for offering a number of thoughtful amendments to this legislation. I look forward to considering a number of those later today.

That said, we do not know what the Department thinks of them. We do not know what veterans service organizations think of them. We are blind to the second and third order implications they will undoubtedly have on this program and its cost. What is more, not all of the thoughtful amendments that were offered to this bill were ruled in order or will be up for debate.

I offered an amendment that would have provided the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission greater flexibility by removing a prohibition against the Commission meeting in any calendar year except 2022 and 2023.

The AIR Commission is an objective, data-driven, transparent process that will consider VA's real property portfolio as a whole and determine how it will be realigned and brought into the 21st century to continue providing the high-quality care that our veterans require in future years.

The bill we are considering today could result in the repurposing of existing space or creation of new space to be used to provide childcare services. Decisions about how limited VA medical facility space will be used must not be made in a vacuum, especially when Congress has already established a process for how those decisions should be made. I fail to see how my amendment doesn't apply here, and it is a shame that we didn't have an opportunity to have a robust debate on that in committee or on the floor.

Another good government amendment that was, unfortunately, ruled out of order was offered by Congressman Jodey Arrington of Texas. Congressman Arrington's amendment would have prohibited any employee who is hired by VA to provide childcare pursuant to this bill from spending their time on taxpayer-funded union activities rather than performing the childcare duties they were hired to perform.

I agree that government employees should be doing the job for which they are hired and receive a taxpayer-funded paycheck to do, and do nothing else.

Again, it is a shame we won't be able to discuss or debate that amendment. Despite these issues, I do find the underlying bill to be a worthy one, and I will be supporting it today.

I thank Congresswoman Brownley, again, and Chairman Takano for bringing this bill to the floor today, and I look forward to working with them in the next 2 years on these and other important issues of our Nation's veterans.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I have no further speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, just to, I guess, retort to my friend, the chairman, if a program costs money, the money has to come from somewhere. We have programs right now, and the appropriators are going to have to decide, if this program costs a lot of money, to take it away from some other VA program, whereas, we had the extra revenue to pay for this program. That is all we are talking about.

Every single one of us in this Chamber last Congress agreed to pay for it. So now something has changed. I have no further speakers on the bill, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

First of all, I thank Ms. Brownley for her leadership on this. I, too, have been, at one point in my life, a single parent. I am a veteran, and I certainly understand the difficulty in childbearing and child-rearing from my previous life as an OB/GYN doctor. I delivered a lot of babies and took care of a lot of parents who were single parents, who struggled to not only make ends meet, but to get the healthcare they need.

I think this is a great bill. I think it should be supported unanimously in this Congress.

Our American heroes who have served this country can come get the care they need. We know that, in this country, 20 veterans commit suicide each day, and 14 of them have never gotten into VA care. We don't know what the reason for some of those are, but, hopefully, it is not a barrier of childcare.

Madam Chair, I encourage all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support unanimously H.R. 840, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, though I am not opposed to it.

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

Madam Chair, I rise in support of Congressman Brindisi and former member of the committee Congresswoman Kuster's amendment that would clarify that veterans receiving intensive mental health or other qualifying treatment from community-based outpatient clinics, CBOCs, are also eligible for childcare assistance from the VA.

CBOCs are an important access point for many veterans, and healthcare continues to transition away from inpatient hospitals and will form the basis of future care. Madam Chair, we have over 800 of these CBOCs in the country, so it makes care much more available to our veterans in their home communities.

Childcare burdens are no less a factor for veterans who receive care in a CBOC than it is for veterans who seek care in a VA medical center. This amendment rightly recognizes that fact and ensures that we don't inadvertently create a disparity for veterans with the same conditions seeking the same treatments who happen to use different VA medical facilities.

Madam Chair, I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment, and I thank Congressman Brindisi and Congresswoman Kuster for submitting that, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I strongly support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I thank Mrs. Radewagen, who is a tireless advocate for veterans issues, for bringing this up. She travels, I guess, about as far as anybody, 24 hours in the air to get here, so she is a tireless advocate for our Nation's heroes, and I thank her for that.

Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of this amendment that would clarify that childcare assistance is intended for veterans while they are attending a VA appointment or traveling to and from a VA appointment, but not at any other time.

This amendment is in line with the intent of the underlying bill, which is to provide access to childcare services so that veterans who would otherwise be burdened with childcare responsibilities can have easier access to the care that they need.

By clarifying when VA-provided childcare assistance will be provided, this amendment will help ensure that this program is sustainable, is not unintentionally abused, and will help the greatest number of veterans in need.

Congresswoman Radewagen is a valuable member, as I have stated, of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and I thank her for bringing this commonsense, good-government amendment forward today.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.

Will the gentleman yield?

Madam Chair, Mr. Sablan and I have worked together on these unique issues about where he is in American Samoa. That is one of the reasons I wish we had had regular order. We could have brought this up, because the gentleman does have unique circumstances because of long travel distances, and I think that is something else we need to look at in the committee.

I will pledge myself to work with you on this issue as ranking member.

Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

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

Madam Chair, I rise in support of Congressman Rose's amendment to include substance abuse or drug abuse counseling under the definition of a covered health service, and I thank him for his service to our great country.

Unfortunately, our veterans are not immune to the scourge of addiction that has tragically impacted far too many of our communities for far too long, particularly in the last few years of the opioid crisis. Veterans seeking substance abuse treatment from VA should certainly have access to childcare assistance if they require it, and I am grateful to Congressman Rose for sponsoring this amendment to make sure that they are specifically included in this bill. I hope that I am joined by all my colleagues in supporting this needed amendment today.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I urge support of Congressman Rose's amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of this amendment to prohibit VA from constructing new structures to be used as childcare centers.

Mr. Chair, the VA has over 6,000 pieces of property, and 1,100 of them are either not utilized or underutilized. We on the committee, including the chairman, have just witnessed a $600 million hospital in Denver, Colorado, explode into a $2 billion--I didn't say that wrong, two thousand million dollars--project.

Both General Bergman's amendment and mine, which would have provided greater flexibility to the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission, recognized that VA's vast and, in most cases, outdated, misaligned, and prohibitively-expensive-to-maintain infrastructure must be dealt with holistically.

I regret that my amendment was not made in order today, but I am glad that General Bergman's was. Where VA has existing space that is not needed for veteran patients, VA could and should consider repurposing that space to provide childcare assistance, and where existing space is not available, VA should use the authorities provided in this bill to provide childcare assistance.

Where existing space is not available, VA should use the authorities provided in this bill to provide childcare assistance off VA property--either through leases, sharing agreements, and other means--rather than investing in costly new buildings.

Mr. Chair, what happens? If we build a childcare facility and the demographics change and it is no longer needed, we have got an empty building. If we lease that building, which this gives us the authority to do, we can let the lease expire, and the VA can go on and use their moneys for something else.

General Bergman is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and I thank him today, as always, for his leadership and vision on behalf of his fellow veterans.

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to support this amendment today, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in support.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the amendment sponsored by Congresswoman Lee and Congresswoman Lesko to provide for childcare assistance to veterans receiving readjustment counseling in a vet center.

The work done in vet centers is critical to veterans who are struggling to readjust to civilian life following their military service. I am glad that this amendment will make it easier for veterans who lack childcare to seek the support they need in vet centers, and I will be supporting this amendment.

That being said, expanding childcare assistance to include the hundreds of vet centers across the country is a costly prospect. Unfortunately, because the bill did not go through regular order, we do not know just how costly this project will be.

I wish that we could have received reviews and cost estimates on this proposal prior to voting on it and hope that, moving forward, bills will have the benefit of work in committee before being moved onto the floor.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko).

Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close and urge support of this bipartisan amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky, my next-door neighbor, for doing this. We are really pleased to have him on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Mr. Chair.

I rise in support of this amendment to require VA to study how the provision of childcare assistance impacts access to and compliance with care.

It is important that we closely monitor any taxpayer-funded program to ensure that it is meeting its intended objectives, and I am grateful for Congressman Barr's foresight in ensuring that we do this for this program as well.

Congressman Barr has long been a strong supporter of our Nation's veterans, and I am pleased to welcome him, as stated, to the Veterans' Affairs Committee this Congress. I thank him for his leadership on this amendment and hope that all of my colleagues will join me in supporting this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to rise in opposition, although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Congressman Cisneros' and Congressman Welch's amendment to require VA to conduct a study to assess the feasibility of VA-provided childcare assistance for veterans receiving community care. This is a critically important amendment.

For decades, VA has had the authority to refer patients to community providers when veterans are unable to get the care they need in VA medical facilities for various reasons. Last year, almost 40 percent of appointments in the VA healthcare system occurred in the community.

Clearly, VA cannot meet every need of every veteran patient in every community across this country without the assistance of community partners. That is not the fault of the VA healthcare system. It is a strength.

Veterans in need of childcare assistance should not be denied such assistance when they are referred to a VA community partner rather than a VA provider.

I am disappointed that another amendment offered by Congressman Case, that would have simply lifted this barrier to care for those veterans who must seek care through community partners, was not accepted. However, I am encouraged that the issue will be reexamined through this study.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment today.

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

Mr. Chair, I strongly support Congressman Cisneros' amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed.

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

Mr. Chair, I share the gentleman's concern. I have been on the 405, and I certainly understand that trip.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Congressman Cisneros' amendment to include physical therapy for service-connected disabilities under the definition of ``covered health service.''

Caring for service-connected conditions is the reason the VA healthcare system exists. Service-connected conditions should always take priority. I thank Congressman Cisneros for recognizing this with his amendment. I am proud to join him in supporting it.

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

Mr. Chair, caring for service- connected conditions is the reason the VA healthcare system exists. I strongly support Congressman Cisneros' amendment and encourage my colleagues to support it also.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I want to thank Congressman Rodney Davis, first of all, for his commitment to our Nation's heroes.

I was able and privileged to be in his district last year. I saw his commitment to that and the respect that they have for him, and I want to thank him for bringing this up. He does a terrific job for our Nation's heroes in his district, and it was a privilege to be there.

I rise in support of Congressman Davis' and Congressman Panetta's commonsense amendment. The bill we are considering today defines a veteran who is eligible for childcare assistance as a veteran who is ``the'' primary caretaker of a child or children. However, this amendment rightly recognizes that most children have two parents and either of them could be considered ``a'' primary caretaker of that child.

I thank Congressman Davis and Congressman Panetta for that clarification, and I am happy to support this amendment today.

Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to rise

in opposition, although I am not opposed.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Congressman Sablan's amendment to include mental healthcare provided via telemedicine under the definition of a ``covered health service.''

The VA healthcare system is an industry leader in telemedicine and should be commended in using it to increase access to care for veterans who would otherwise have to travel great distances on a regular basis to receive the care they need.

I want to thank my good friend, Congressman Sablan, who is a tireless advocate in the Marianas. He has been an amazing supporter of the veterans there who really have very limited services. I thank him for introducing this amendment to make sure that veterans accessing tele- healthcare are also eligible for childcare assistance, if needed.

I am pleased to join him in supporting this.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment to require an annual report on the processing of claims for childcare assistance.

VA has made improvements in recent years in the speed at which community providers are being reimbursed for the services they provide to veteran patients, however, claims processing remains an area where VA struggles; to be kind to them, struggles.

We must take steps to ensure that veterans and childcare providers who are awaiting reimbursement pursuant to this bill are not left waiting like many veterans and community providers have been previously.

Mr. Chair, I am grateful to Congressman Cloud for his leadership and sponsoring this amendment and I look forward to joining him in its support.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) for the work he has done as our past chairman of the Republican Study Committee and now in leadership and our Conference, and I appreciate the opportunity to be here tonight.

I remember, about 2 years ago, I was up late at night watching the election returns, and then-President-elect Trump announced his acceptance speech. He was not 3 minutes into his speech when he said that he wanted to help our Nation's veterans.

It was very near and dear to my heart because I am a generation of veterans. That was during the Vietnam war, and we were not so much appreciated and treated rather shabbily by our country.

So I knew what was in President Trump's heart, and I wish he were here tonight to be able to express that. Because every time I have been in the room with him, he has appreciated the service of our Nation's 21 million living veterans.

Madam Speaker, 2 years ago, we had an opportunity to do something about it, and, in a bipartisan way--and I do want to give thanks to both sides of the aisle. This would not have happened without their help. We started on a mission to really reform the way the VA provides healthcare.

For those out there who don't know about our VA system, there are over 150 VA medical centers, over 800 outpatient clinics that we have.

The VA is divided into, actually, three parts: It is healthcare, and it is benefits, and it is cemeteries.

If you haven't visited a VA cemetery, you should, because it will really make your heart feel good to see how we treat our Nation's heroes.

We started, 2 years ago, with the idea that not all employees at work at the VA are good employees and should be there. When I got to Congress in 2010--I have been here, now, 10 years--there were 250,000 employees at the VA.

Now, the VA employs almost 370,000 people. But there were some egregious acts that some of these folks had carried out, and they could not be fired.

We passed a bill in a bipartisan way that allows us to terminate poorly performing employees while maintaining the rights of those employees who are there, 99.9 percent of whom are doing a great job for our Nation's heroes.

The second thing most of us Congressmen hear about is disability claims. When I got to Congress in 2009, there were a million backlogged disability claims, veterans sometimes waiting until they died to get their disability claim adjudicated. That number now is down to around 350,000--far too many.

We passed a bill at that point, about 18 months ago, the appeals reform bill, and it has been piloted--called the RAMP program--which has sped up.

Last Friday, I was in Nashville, Tennessee, going to our regional office to

see how they were doing, and I ran into a gentleman who was using the VA--just happened to be there, a veteran, about my age. He said: ``I have been trying for 7 years to get my claim adjudicated, get taken care of.'' In 90 days, with the new RAMP program--he had waited 7 years. In 90 days, it was solved.

That program goes live next month. The Secretary has approved it, and, hopefully, now we can speed the claims and appeals process up.

A third bill that we passed, that I used in 1975 when I got out of the Army and came back stateside from the Southeast Asia, is called the GI bill. For those out there, it is an education bill, and it was written, initially, by a World War II vet Harry G. Colmery. Mr. Colmery wrote a bill and thought that we could really change our Nation by educating veterans who were getting out of the military; and we did just that, and it changed our Nation.

I am still appreciative, to this day, of the $300 a month that my country invested in me when I had a young family, when I went back to finish my education at the University of Tennessee, College of Medicine. I was able to use that money to help me finish my training and my education. But that terminated at 10 years. If I didn't use it within 10 years, it went away.

Today, we passed a bill, fully paid for, that allows a veteran to use their GI bill the rest of their life. And we know if someone is 23 when they get out, when they are 40, maybe they might need retraining. Well, now, they can get that.

The second thing we did in that bill--again, very personal to me--is some veterans hadn't served long enough. If they earned a Purple Heart, they didn't get the full benefit because they hadn't served enough time. Now, if you shed blood for this Nation, you get the full GI bill, and it should be that.

We also improved payment for our Gold Star families and others, and we have added time for technical training. We know those courses sometimes take longer.

We also funded, what is called the Veterans Choice Program three times during the last Congress, and that is how veterans get care outside the VA. We know that most VA hospitals can't provide everything to everybody, and many veterans have to travel long, long distances to see a doctor, to see a specialist.

I was visiting Oregon a couple years ago and found out that one congressional district in Oregon had more square miles than the State of Tennessee did. We had to develop a bill that allowed veterans in rural areas to see a doctor and veterans in urban areas to do so.

We passed the VA MISSION Act, which was signed into law, appropriately, on June the 6th of 2018, 74 years after D-day.

What this bill will do is the following. It will revise how veterans get their care outside the VA. It has a second very important part called the VA caregiver bill. Catastrophically injured, post-9/11 GIs who were injured in battle now can have a caregiver given a stipend to stay home so that they can stay out of the hospital.

But that did not apply to pre-9/11 veterans, Vietnam-era veterans like I am, Korea, and World War II. We now provide that benefit for those veterans.

Thirdly, we are looking at what is called an asset review of the VA. This is something that really surprised me when I looked at the data. The actual number of patients in hospital beds peaked in 1981. The population has grown 40 percent, and we actually have 10 percent fewer people in hospital beds than we did almost 40 years ago.

So medicine is changing, and the VA needs to change. It needs to go through a self-evaluation, get right-sized, and get the VA healthcare out where the patients live, where the veterans are.

We know that patients are moving, veterans are moving, from the Northeast to the South and West, so we need to put those assets there. That is what the VA bill will do.

There are a few other small things, Madam Speaker, that we did that might not be big to some people but were huge to me, because my Scoutmaster was killed in 1965 in Vietnam. His name was Thomas E. Thayer. He was a first sergeant in the 101st Airborne Division, a great man with four children.

When we have Gold Star families that sign a lease, let's say--and we had this happen where they signed a lease. One was in North Carolina, and the person would not release that woman from her lease, and she had to pay that.

Now, if you lose your husband or your wife in combat, you can get out of those. We also did the same thing for cable TV, for internet, and for cell phones. If you are deployed, you can't use those things, so you can get out of those long-term contracts.

The Veterans' Affairs Committee passed over 80 bills. Almost 50 of them were signed into law to help our Nation's veterans.

We did have one very disappointing failure to me, and I have already dropped a bill this term. It is called the blue water Navy bill. Just to let our audience out there, the folks viewing this, know what it is, there are veterans who served on surface ships in the territorial waters just off Vietnam, off the coast. Actually, Agent Orange was used in Korea, where I was. If you put your boots on the ground, then you are given the presumption for certain diseases for disability benefits. That does not occur for those men and women who served on surface ships.

We passed it 382-0 in the House and could not get it moved in the Senate. We are going to give them an opportunity to do the right thing this next Congress.

Madam Speaker, it has been a privilege for me to serve for 10 years on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and we are committed in that committee to continuing to serve our Nation's heroes and to give them the benefits they have earned that allow us to be free.

I thank Mr. Walker for allowing me a few minutes to come down and share these few things we did for our Nation's heroes.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Dr. C.H. Charlton, affectionately known to all of us at home as ``Rev,'' for his 43 years of faithful service as pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Johnson City, Tennessee.

A native of southwest Virginia, Dr. Charlton was previously pastor of several Baptist congregations near his hometown of Radford, later moving to Johnson City, where he found his home at Friendship Baptist Church.

Dr. Charlton is also a dedicated public servant. He served as the first African American mayor in southwest Virginia and is recognized by the Virginia Historical Society as contributing significantly to the State's history.

Dr. Charlton continued to serve in Johnson City by sitting on the city's Regional Planning Commission and Board of Education while working as a professor at Northeast State Community College.

Furthermore, I am proud to have served with him on the City Commission, where he served 2 years as vice mayor of Johnson City.

Rev is a shining star on the hill. For nearly six decades, Dr. Charlton has dedicated himself to serving the Lord, his wife, his family, and his community.

I wish my friend the best in his retirement.

Madam Speaker, today I join in paying tribute to the sesquicentennial of my hometown of Johnson city, Tennessee.

The City of Johnson City was founded in Northeast Tennessee, where three railroads--East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad, Clinchfield Railroad, and Southern Railway--converged, holding its first election on Jan. 3, 1870, with 60 registered voters.

Voters elected entrepreneur Henry Johnson, owner of Johnson's Depot, to serve as the City's first mayor. The City charter defined the city limits as being the area within a half-mile radius of Johnson's Depot, the city's first commercial business. Johnson's Depot operated as a railway depot, freight station, and post office, and also served as a hotel, restaurant, and store.

The Watauga Tannery, the city's first major industry, was established in November 1883 covering 130 acres and employing as many as 300 men. Today, Johnson City boasts a diverse economy led by healthcare and education.

The Mountain Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers opened in 1903. Now known as the James H. Quillen VA

Medical Center, it serves more than 170,000 veterans living in a 41- county area of Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky.

The City's first professional hospital, Appalachian Hospital and School of Nursing, opened in 1921 with the support of citizens who funded half the cost of the facility. Johnson City has become home to three major hospitals--Johnson City Medical Center, Franklin Woods Community Hospital, and Niswonger Children's Hospital.

In 1911, the teacher-training institute known as East Tennessee State Normal School, predecessor of East Tennessee State University, was founded. Today, as the fourth largest university in the State of Tennessee, ETSU also includes the highly regarded Quillen College of Medicine and Gatton College of Pharmacy.

In 1939 the Johnson City Board of Commissioners adopted the charter that established the council-manager form of government, under which it operates today. Through a collaborative process of elected officials working closely with citizens, Johnson City has created a city recognized by a variety of publications as a great place to live.

Johnson City has operated its own Transit System since 1979 and established Tennessee's first citywide curbside recycling program in 1989. Additionally, the city has 18 parks, 40 athletic fields and a host of multi-use trails. Johnson City is also home to Freedom Hall Civic Center, Memorial Park Community Center, a large public library and a robust senior services program.

Although Johnson City's local economy includes national and regional companies, it also embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of Henry Johnson, supporting countless small business owners who operate in city limits, particularly the downtown area.

The City of Johnson City, which kicked off its Sesquicentennial on Jan. 3, 2019, has become a thriving community of more than 66,000 residents with city limits expanded to 43.3 square miles. I look forward to what the next 150 years holds for Johnson City.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to celebrate and pay tribute to my hometown of Johnson City, Tennessee, for its sesquicentennial.

In 1856, entrepreneur Henry Johnson opened a railroad station and a commercial business, Johnson's Depot. Just 13 years later, in 1869, Johnson City was founded, holding its first election on January 3, 1870, when voters elected Mr. Johnson as the city's first mayor.

Today, Johnson City boasts a diverse economy, attracting national and regional companies while also supporting countless small business owners. The city is home to three major hospitals; to the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, which serves more than 170,000 veterans; and to East Tennessee State University, recognized for the highly regarded Quillen College of Medicine and Gatton College of Pharmacy.

The city has become a thriving community of more than 66,000 residents, and I look forward to what is in store for Johnson City over the next 150 years. I doubt that I will be there.

Madam Speaker, I will include in the Record a more complete statement of Johnson City's history.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to title III of the Democratic rules package, which will allow House Democrats to file a motion in Texas v. United States defending the constitutionality of the ACA.

This lawsuit, which was filed by more than 20 State Attorneys General, is about individual liberty and whether the Federal Government can force individuals to purchase a product.

When the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the ACA 6 years ago, it did so under the logic that the individual mandate was a tax. I disagreed with that rule then, but because we now have repealed the tax, the Supreme Court's rationale for upholding the law was applied by the district court when it found the mandate inseverable from the law and struck it down.

The promise of the ACA, which we can all agree on, was to increase access to, and lower the cost of, healthcare. In my State of Tennessee alone, the average premium prices have gone up 176 percent in 8 years, with deductible levels that are nothing more than the equivalent to catastrophic coverage.

Let me give you an example, Madam Speaker. The majority of the uncollectible debt in the hospital where I work are people with insurance, not without insurance. Giving people access to a card does not necessarily equal coverage. That is why, in my district alone, you had nearly the same number of people who paid the tax that actually got the benefit.

In the ruling in Texas v. U.S. the courts are giving Congress an opportunity for a much-needed do-over. I spent over 30 years of my life taking care of patients, and in that time I never saw a Republican or Democratic disease. Preexisting conditions can affect anyone. All of us in the House want to ensure those affected by serious illnesses can access affordable care.

Rather than keeping the cost burden on the middle class, let's work together to protect those with preexisting conditions while also trusting Americans to make their own decisions when buying coverage that best fits the needs of their family.

How can we find common ground?

Well, if you have ever received your health insurance from an employer in the private sector, you were covered by ERISA and its updates under HIPAA, which protect people with preexisting conditions from being denied coverage. Unfortunately, the rules weren't the same for the individual and small-group markets, and that is where the problem arose.

A simple solution to this problem is to apply those large-group ERISA protections to individual and small-group markets and the preexisting coverage question is solved.

Whether you are for or against the passage of the ACA, it should be clear that the law is broken. Instead of continuing to support a law that clearly isn't working, why don't we come together and enact a real patient-centered, free-market healthcare system that treats individuals and small groups like big corporations.

The bottom line is that the ACA has failed, at least in my State. The House of Representatives has more important work to focus on than getting involved in litigation to resuscitate a law that is broken and is causing problems for many individuals and families across America.

If we defeat title III of the Democratic rules package, I am hopeful this will be the first step in agreeing that we should be focusing on bipartisan reforms to our healthcare system, instead of wasting our time on litigation. I urge opposition to the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6418) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study regarding the accessibility of websites of the Department of Veterans Affairs to individuals with disabilities, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6418, as amended, the VA Website Accessibility Act of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, in the interest of time, I will allow Vice Ranking Member Takano to discuss the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3444) to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Lake Charles, Louisiana, as the ``Douglas Fournet Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic''.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins) to discuss this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this legislation for an American hero, First Lieutenant Douglas Fournet. It is a privilege to recommend this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.