Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5044) to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the treatment of certain surviving spouses under the contracting goals and preferences of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5044.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5044, Service-Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act.

Current law authorizes a special set-aside program at the Department of Veterans Affairs for veteran-owned small businesses and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses called Vets First Program. This program has been highly successful in providing VOSBs and SDVOSBs more opportunities, so much so that VA spent almost 20 percent of all contracting dollars with these firms in 2017.

While we should all laud the success of the program, there has been concern that current law did not appropriately address concerns of what happens to awards and contracts of VOSB and SDVOSB when the veteran owner dies.

The sudden death of a veteran could bring significant upheaval for a small business as they lose their VA contracts, which can impact not only the veteran's family, but employees as well.

H.R. 5044 would clarify and authorize the spouses of veterans who died with less than a 100-percent disability rating to maintain VOSB and SDVOSB status for up to 3 years following the veteran's death.

I believe this change to current law is an appropriate way to continue the success of the Vets First Program without hurting other veteran firms.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Chairman Chabot, for introducing this bill, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5044, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot). This is his piece of legislation. I appreciate him being here on the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 5044, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1282) to redesignate certain clinics of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Montana.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material on S. 1282.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1282, to designate certain clinics

in the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Montana. This bill is sponsored by Senator Daines from Montana, and I am grateful to him for introducing this legislation in honor of three American heroes.

The first is Sergeant David J. Thatcher, who was born in Bridger, Montana, and joined the U.S. Army in 1940. Following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Sergeant Thatcher volunteered for a secret mission, the Doolittle Raid. He was the engineer and tail gunner for crew number 7, the Ruptured Duck.

The crew successfully carried out the mission and attempted to fly to China. The aircraft ran out of fuel and was forced to make an emergency landing on a beach. The violent landing caused serious injury to all crew members besides Sergeant Thatcher. Thankfully, he was able to drag his men from the wreckage and lead them to safety after avoiding several Japanese patrols.

For his bravery in saving the lives of his crew, Thatcher was awarded the Silver Star. His other decorations included the Distinguished Flying Cross; Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters; and the Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A, First Grade.

S. 1282, would further honor him by naming the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs, located at 2687 Palmer Street in Missoula, Montana, the David J. Thatcher Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic. I can think of no better name after reading that.

The second American hero who would be honored by this bill is Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, who was born on the Crow Indian Reservation near Lodge Grass, Montana. Dr. Medicine Crow went on to get his bachelor's degree from Linfield College and master's degree in anthropology from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in 1939. He was the first member of the Crow Tribe to obtain a master's degree.

After the war broke out, Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow joined the Army and became a scout in the 103rd Infantry Division. While at war, he completed all four tasks required to become a war chief: touching an enemy without killing him, taking an enemy's weapon, leading a successful war party, and stealing an enemy's horse. He is the last member of the Crow Tribe to become a war chief.

After serving in the Army, Dr. Medicine Crow returned to the Crow Agency and was appointed Tribal historian and anthropologist. He was appointed the keeper of memories of his Tribe and published many historical books. Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow continued to write and lecture at universities and public institutions until his passing at the young age of 102.

I am truly honored to rename the VA clinic located 1775 Spring Creek Lane in Billings, Montana, the Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.

The final hero to be recognized by this bill is Ben Steele. Mr. Steele was born in Billings, Montana, and graduated from Billings Senior High School.

In 1941, Mr. Steele enlisted in the Army Air Corps, where he was assigned to the 7th Material Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group. His group was assigned to the Philippine Islands, and during the ensuing Japanese invasion, Mr. Steele fought to defend his base on Bataan. After his capture, Mr. Steele was forced to endure the horrendous Bataan Death March and was a Japanese prisoner of war for 3\1/2\ years.

After the war, Mr. Steele was a true renaissance man, consulting for the Department of Defense, serving as the crafts director of the Military District of Washington, D.C., chairing the art department of Eastern Montana College, and giving workshops, demonstrations, and lectures at museums, schools, and civic centers.

As a survivor of the Bataan Death March, Mr. Steele was devoted to his Creator, his family, his country, and his art. In his memory, I am privileged to support this bill to rename the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1766 Majestic Lane in Billings, Montana, the Benjamin Charles Steele Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.

This legislation satisfies all of the committee's naming criteria, is cosponsored by the entire Montana congressional delegation, and is supported by many VSOs. I am proud to support it as well, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me.

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

Mr. Speaker, as I close, I can't encourage my Members enough to vote for this.

My history professor in college was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. He wrote a book, ``Apocalypse Undone: My Survival of Japanese Imprisonment During World War II,'' and told me he had never slept through the night until he wrote that book.

I wonder if these two gentlemen, Mr. Steele and my professor, knew each other. I hope they did. They both lived to have successful lives, and this truly was and is the Greatest Generation. There is no question about what these men did when they returned home.

So once again, I encourage everyone to support this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3663) to designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Huntington, West Virginia, as the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams VA Medical Center.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3663, to designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans

Affairs in Huntington, West Virginia, as the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams VA Medical Center.

This bill is sponsored by my friend and colleague Evan Jenkins, and I am grateful to him for introducing this legislation in honor of an American hero.

Hershel ``Woody'' Williams enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 26, 1943, in Charleston, West Virginia. Following his training, Corporal Williams was deployed to participate in the invasion of Iwo Jima. On February 23, 1945, a system of enemy pill boxes pinned down his unit.

With a 70-pound flamethrower and covering fire from only four riflemen, Corporal Williams braved the viscous barrage and charged forward alone. He fought 4 hours, successfully destroying several enemy strongholds and saving the lives of countless marines.

Corporal Williams fought the entirety of the 5-week battle for the island despite suffering a wound for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. For his actions and his heroism in the face of brutal combat, President Truman awarded Corporal Williams a Medal of Honor on October 5, 1945.

After 20 years of service, he retired from the Marine Corps Reserve and worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Now he serves on the Governor's West Virginia Military Advisory Board and runs the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams Medal of Honor Foundation, a not-for-profit that erects monuments to honor Gold Star families and provides scholarships to eligible Gold Star children.

Today, Corporal Williams is the only surviving marine to have received the Medal of Honor during the Second World War, and I am privileged to support H.R. 3663 in his honor.

This legislation satisfies all of the committee's naming criteria and is sponsored by the entire West Virginia congressional delegation, and is supported by many VSOs.

As an aside, Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of attending an event in Kingsport, Tennessee, where Corporal Williams was the sponsor for our memorial that is there in Kingsport, Tennessee.

I want to thank my West Virginia colleagues for bringing this up. I thank Congressman Evan Jenkins for introducing this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley), who is my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte), who is my good friend.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' What I say to Woody is: thank you, thank you, thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4451) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a five-year extension to the homeless veterans reintegration programs and to provide clarification regarding eligibility for services under such programs, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 4451, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4451, as amended. This bill would reauthorize the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program, known as HVRP, and Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans With Children Reintegration Grant Program, through fiscal year 2022.

These are grant programs managed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service. Grants are made generally to nonprofit, community-based organizations to fund efforts to train and place homeless veterans in jobs.

This has been a highly successful program that puts homeless veterans back on the path to self-reliance and sustainability and is worthy of Congress' continued support and funding.

This bill would also clarify that homeless veterans who are eligible for other federally funded homeless veteran programs are also eligible to receive training and employment services provided by grantees through HVRP and HVRP-W.

I believe that expanding eligibility for HVRP and HVRP-W will provide participants in these programs better access to job training programs that can help homeless veterans on their path to sustainable employment and positive outcomes. This expansion would also occur without impacting current authorization levels for this program.

I want to thank Congressman Wenstrup and Congresswoman Brownley for introducing this must-pass bill, which has my full support.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4451, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), who is my Health Subcommittee chair.

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

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

I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this piece of legislation.

When I came to Congress in 2009, there were over 100,0000 homeless veterans in the United States. General Shinseki, our Secretary at that time, set out to eliminate veteran homelessness in the next 6 or 7 years. It was a very ambitious task. Great progress has been made.

I have visited the West L.A. campus and seen what they are doing in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. As my good friend, Tim Walz, said, one homeless veteran is one too many.

For people who may be watching this today, we as a country are providing HUD-VASH vouchers for veterans who can use these, along with a case manager. But that is only part of it. Many of these veterans have many other issues and there are other programs that need to be available for these men

and women who find themselves in this situation. This is one of them where you can access job training so you can get a meaningful job and take care of yourself. Actually, I think this program and the other one end up paying for themselves over time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4334) to provide for certain reporting requirements relating to medical care for women veterans provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and through contracts entered into by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with non-Department medical providers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 4334, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4334, as amended, Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act of 2018.

While VA has vastly improved its capacity to care for gender-specific needs of women veterans, many are still referred to the community when VA cannot provide the appropriate services.

Mr. Speaker, last week, the House overwhelmingly approved the VA MISSION Act by a vote of 347-70. The MISSION Act will, among other things, improve the ability for eligible veterans to seek care from community providers when VA cannot meet strict access standards.

With more veterans becoming eligible to seek care in the community, it is incumbent upon us as members of the House VA Committee to provide oversight over the care delivered within the community as well.

This bill, offered by my friend and fellow committee member from California (Mr. Correa), would help us do just that. H.R. 4334 would require VA medical centers to report to the Secretary on the compliance of contracted community providers with standards of care for women veterans, as established by VA.

The Secretary would also be required to report to Congress on the accessibility of gender-specific medical care for women with community providers, as well as to develop a plan to strengthen standards of care within the facilities.

Mr. Speaker, as we await Senate passage of the VA MISSION Act, I urge

my colleagues to support this complementary piece of legislation, H.R. 4334, as amended, Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Correa's legislation. I, too, was, an OB/GYN physician who saw VA patients. I would like to think that Mr. Correa had all these ideas himself, but I have had the opportunity to find out that he definitely married above himself. His wife is an OB/ GYN, so I think he probably got most of those ideas from her.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I also concur with my colleague: I urge support of H.R. 4334. I just want to say, right before Memorial Day, it is obviously next week, and many people will go home to picnics and families. We have just heard this afternoon on the House floor the sacrifice of many, many of our veterans and really amazing people that live in our country.

In the past week, the Veterans' Affairs Committee--and I want to thank members on both sides of the aisle--have put together 15 bills: one was a major bill, the VA MISSION Act, which will be taken up by the Senate this week, and 14 bills this afternoon to improve both the care and services provided to our Nation's heroes.

For me, it is a true privilege to get up every day and come to this House, to this body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and to advocate for those men and women that I have so much respect for.

And with that, Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy Memorial Day to everyone, and I encourage everyone to vote for this today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an exchange of letters in connection with S. 2372, the VA MISSION Act.

Committee on Rules,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, May 10, 2018.

Hon. Phil Roe,

Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Roe: On May 8, 2018, the Committee on

Veterans' Affairs ordered reported H.R. 5674, the VA MISSION

Act of 2018. As you know, the Committee on Rules was granted

an additional referral upon the bill's introduction pursuant

to the Committee's jurisdiction under rule X of the Rules of

the House of Representatives over rules and joint rules of

the House.

Because of your willingness to consult with my committee

and make necessary changes to the legislation regarding this

matter, I will waive consideration of the bill by the Rules

Committee. By agreeing to waive its consideration of the

bill, the Rules Committee does not waive its jurisdiction

over H.R. 5674. In addition, the Committee on Rules reserves

its authority to seek conferees on any provisions of the bill

that are within its jurisdiction during any House-Senate

conference that may be convened on this legislation. I ask

your commitment to support any request by the Committee on

Rules for conferees on H.R. 5674 or related legislation.

I also request that you include this letter and your

response as part of your committee's report on the bill and

in the Congressional Record during consideration of the

legislation on the House floor. Thank you for your attention

to these matters.

Sincerely,

Pete Sessions,

Chairman, House Committee on Rules.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 891, I call up the bill (S. 2372) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide outer burial receptacles for remains buried in National Parks, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on S. 2372, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the John S. McCain III; the Daniel K. Akaka; and with great honor, the Samuel R. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018, or the VA MISSION Act.

This bill exemplifies exactly how Congress should work. It is a bipartisan, bicameral compromise agreement between the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees that was crafted over the last year and a half through regular order and in close coordination with stakeholders and advocates in VA, the White House, the military and veterans service organizations, and the broader health community.

It is also aptly named after Senator McCain, late Senator Akaka, and Congressman Sam Johnson, three great Americans whose lives and work exemplify service and statesmanship. The MISSION Act is also aptly named in that it would address and reaffirm Congress' commitment to VA's core and most important mission: caring for, as President Lincoln said, those who have borne the battle.

There are five main components of the MISSION Act. Each of these components on their own would be noteworthy and significant. Together, they are transformational.

The first component of the MISSION Act would consolidate and improve VA's community care programs. VA uses several different methods to refer veterans to community providers today. The most recent and notable method is the Choice Program, which Congress created following the nationwide access and accountability crisis in 2014. All of those methods serve different purposes and employ different business processes, reimbursement rates, and eligibility criteria. That creates a tremendous and increasing amount of confusion and consternation from VA employees, community providers, and VA patients.

The MISSION Act would consolidate all of those methods into a single, streamlined VA community care program that is easier to understand, administer, and deliver to veterans who need it. This would increase access to timely quality care in every community across the country and, in doing so, expand VA's reach and veterans' choice. It would also return all VA community care funding to the discretionary side of the ledger, thereby increasing transparency and accountability for the hard-earned taxpayer dollars that VA receives.

The second component of the MISSION Act would address the pending shortfall in the Choice fund. When Congress created the Choice Program 4 years ago, it also created the Choice fund and stipulated that the program would end when the fund ran dry. Congress has acted time and time again to prevent that from happening in recognition of the millions of veterans who rely on the Choice Program despite its imperfections.

However, Acting VA Secretary Wilkie sent a letter just last week declaring that the remaining funds in the Choice fund will be exhausted as early as May 31, just 2 weeks from today. The consequences of that have the potential to be catastrophic for veterans, with Acting Secretary Wilkie warning that wait times will increase, access to care will decrease, continuity of care will be disrupted, and valuable community partnerships will be damaged.

To prevent that, the MISSION Act would authorize and appropriate $5.2 billion to the Choice fund. This would prevent an access-to-care crisis from occurring in the immediate future and provide sufficient funding to allow the Choice Program to continue serving veteran patients over the next year until the new, consolidated community care program is implemented.

The third component of the MISSION Act would address VA's massive and misaligned physical footprint. VA is one of the largest property- holding entities in the Federal Government with a capital asset portfolio that includes thousands of medical facilities spanning hundreds of millions of square feet.

The average VA medical facility building is more than five times older than the average building in the not-for-profit system in this country, with some VA facilities being much older than that. For example, the VA medical center in my hometown of Johnson City, Tennessee, was built in 1903 to care for Civil War veterans. It is still seeing patients today.

Since being named chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs a year and a half ago, I have made it a priority to travel to VA facilities across the country. While many of them are doing great work, they are operating out of facilities that were designed and built to meet antiquated healthcare needs and delivery models.

Those facilities are increasingly impossible to manage and maintain in accordance with modern standards and the ever-changing shifts in the veteran population, not to mention that demand for care is growing progressively more costly and complex in Tennessee and across the country.

The Asset and Infrastructure Review, or AIR, Act process that the MISSION Act would create is based on a recommendation from the bipartisan Commission on Care that was put together by President Obama. It would create an open, objective, politically insulated process to recommend how VA's massive physical footprint can be realigned and brought up to date. This would transform the VA healthcare system that we know today into one that is stronger, more efficient, and better able to meet the healthcare needs of veterans, now and for generations of veterans to come.

None of us who are lucky enough to have a VA facility in their backyard, as I do, want to contemplate a future where that facility may change or disappear. But without action as bold, brave, and potentially transformative as the AIR Act is, the long-term success and sustainability of the VA healthcare system is in serious question, and veterans will suffer the consequences.

I want to assure those who may still be concerned about AIR that they will have nothing to fear from it. I worked closely with a wide variety of veteran service organizations to ensure that the AIR process takes and includes a high level of veteran, VSO, stakeholder, and community involvement--both locally and nationally--and to make sure no AIR recommendation would occur behind closed doors without an open discussion and a review of all the relevant facts, with every option and opportunity left on the table.

It is my firm belief that AIR will result in a modern, streamlined VA healthcare system but not necessarily a markedly smaller one. VA is going to remain a presence in communities large and small, and no facility that is needed to care for veteran patients or that has a worthy service to provide them will be negatively impacted.

The fourth component of the MISSION Act will be to expand the Family Caregiver Program to the caregivers of pre-9/11 veterans. Congress created the Family Caregiver Program in 2010 to provide services and supports, including a monthly stipend payment and healthcare coverage, if needed, to caregivers of post-9/11 veterans.

Caregivers provide an invaluable service, often at great personal sacrifice, to those veterans who have been seriously injured in the line of duty. Caregivers know no age or era, but for far too long the Family Caregiver Program has been restricted to an inequality based on era of service. The MISSION Act would correct that serious inequity and finally give pre-9/11 caregivers the recognition they deserve.

The fifth and the final component of the MISSION Act would be to enhance the internal capacity of the VA healthcare system to care for veteran patients internally. Opponents of this bill will tell you falsely that it is aimed at eventual privatization of the VA healthcare system. That misconception is based on nothing but fear and rhetoric, I think.

The MISSION Act contains numerous provisions that would make it easier for VA to attract high-quality commissions and other professionals and put them to work in VA medical facilities, just as I have done. It also contains numerous provisions that would make it easier for the providers already working in VA hospitals and clinics to see more veteran patients and to be recognized and rewarded for their great work.

Together, these provisions would fortify the VA healthcare system and make sure it stays strong and able to provide the care that it is meant to provide.

Before closing, I want to take a moment to recognize some people: Chairman Johnny Isakson and Ranking Member Tester of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Chairman Isakson and Ranking Member Tester have been steadfast partners over the last year and over the last several weeks, in particular. The MISSION Act would not be a reality without their good-faith efforts to work hand in hand with me and with our veteran service organization partners to overcome our differences and craft a bipartisan, bicameral compromise bill that veterans and their families can be proud of. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank them for their leadership and for their friendship.

I am also grateful for the many members of the committee from both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol, including Ranking Member Walz, and to our VSO partners in the community, the VA, and in the White House who have worked hard over the last year and a half to craft and consider many of the provisions that make up the MISSION Act.

Finally, I want to thank President Trump for his leadership and steadfast commitment to veterans since taking office. This bill would not have been possible without his vocal leadership. This may well be the most impactful vote that any of us will ever take for our Nation's veterans.

And before I finish, I also want to thank the staffs on both sides of the aisle, both in the Senate and in the House, both Republican and Democrat, for their incredible hard work, the many hours behind the scenes that you never see, that the public never sees, that I certainly appreciate and I believe Ranking Member Walz does too, the hard work of our staffs.

A ``yes'' vote is a vote for access, for quality, for choice, for the long-term success and sustainability of the VA healthcare system, for caregivers and for veterans. And for that I would recommend a positive ``yes'' vote.

The MISSION Act is supported by every major military and veteran service organization that rightfully recognizes this as a monumental and historic opportunity to support a bill that will positively impact the daily lives and well-being of millions of veterans and their families and fundamentally shape and improve the second largest agency in the Federal Government.

I urge every single one of my colleagues to stand today with me and

these organizations dedicated to the service of veterans, servicemembers, and their families, and, most importantly, our Nation's veterans, and support the VA MISSION Act.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the VSO in support of the MISSION Act.

May 7, 2018.

Hon. Phil Roe,

Chairman, House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Washington, DC.

Hon. Johnny Isakson,

Chairman, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Washington, DC.

Hon. Tim Walz,

Ranking Member, House Veterans' Affairs Committee,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Jon Tester,

Ranking Member, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Roe, Ranking Member Walz, Chairman Isakson

and Ranking Member Tester: On behalf of the millions of

veterans, service members and family members we represent and

advocate for, we offer our strong support for the ``VA

Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated

Outside Networks Act of 2018,'' also known as the ``VA

MISSION Act of 2018.'' This historic veterans legislation

would consolidate and reform VA's community care programs;

extend funding for the current Veterans Choice Program for

one year; strengthen VA's ability to recruit, hire and retain

quality medical personnel; review, realign and modernize VA's

health care infrastructure; and extend eligibility to VA's

comprehensive caregiver assistance program to aging and

disabled veterans injured before September 11, 2001.

Our organizations strongly support expanding eligibility

for VA's comprehensive caregiver program to all generations

of seriously disabled veterans, while maintaining the

caregiver benefits that are currently available. Today, this

program provides full comprehensive caregiver assistance only

to veterans injured on or after September 11, 2001, leaving

family caregivers and veterans injured during World War II,

the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars ineligible for this

critical support. The legislation will help to correct this

injustice and we--along with millions of members in our

organizations--applaud you for taking this action and look

forward to working in the future to ensure that both injured

and ill veterans from all eras are eligible for this benefit.

The legislation would consolidate VA's community care

programs and develop integrated networks of VA and community

providers to supplement, not supplant VA health care, so that

all enrolled veterans have timely access to quality medical

care. The bill includes funding to continue the current

Choice Program for an additional year until the new community

care program is implemented as well as important workforce

improvement provisions to strengthen VA's internal capacity

to delivery care. This carefully crafted compromise

represents a balanced approach to ensuring timely access to

care while continuing to strengthen the VA health care system

that millions of veterans choose and rely on.

The legislation also includes a new Asset and

Infrastructure Review (AIR) process intended to design and

implement a comprehensive plan to optimize and modernize VA's

medical care facilities. The AIR process would provide

meaningful stakeholder involvement, transparency and other

safeguards during the review process to help ensure the final

result leads to a stronger and better aligned VA

infrastructure able to deliver care to veterans when and

where they need it.

Since the access and waiting list crisis exploded in 2014,

Congress, VA and veterans leaders have debated how best to

strengthen and reform the delivery of veterans health care to

ensure timely and seamless access for enrolled veterans. The

legislation before the Committee would take a major step

towards that goal by making improvements to and investments

in the VA health care system, creating integrated networks so

that veterans have access to care when and where they need

it, and providing the further recognition and assistance to

family caregivers of severely disabled veterans deserve.

As leaders of the nation's veterans and military service

organizations, we thank you for your steadfast leadership in

crafting this important bipartisan bill and call on all

members of Congress to seize this historic opportunity to

improve the lives of veterans, their families and caregivers

by swiftly passing the ``VA MISSION Act of 2018.'' The men

and women who have served, are serving and will serve in the

future are counting on Congress' support.

Respectfully,

Garry J. Augustine, Washington Executive Director, DAV

(Disabled American Veterans); Verna L Jones, Executive

Director, The American Legion; Joseph R. Chenelly,

Executive Director, AMVETS; Dana T. Atkins, Lieutenant

General, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), President, Military

Officers Association of America; Robert E. Wallace,

Executive Director, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the

United States; Carl Blake, Executive Director,

Paralyzed Veterans of America; Rick Weidman, Executive

Director of Policy, Vietnam Veterans of America; Rene

Bardof, Senior Vice President, Government & Community

Relations, Wounded warrior Project; Paul Rieckhoff,

Founder and CEO, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of

America; Joseph C. Bogart MA, Executive Director,

Blinded Veterans Association; Thomas J. Snee, National

Executive Director, Fleet Reserve Association; Kristina

Kaufmann, Executive director, Code of Support

Foundation.

Paul K. Hopper, Colonel, USMC (Ret.), National President,

Marine Corps Reserve Association; James T. (Jim)

Currie, Ph.D., Colonel, USA (Ret.), Executive Director,

Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public

Health Service; Neil Van Ess, National Commander,

Military Order of the Purple Heart; Steve Schwab,

Executive Director, Elizabeth Dole Foundation; Bonnie

Carroll, President and Founder, Tragedy Assistance

Program for Survivors; Jon Ostrowski, Senior Chief

USCGR, Retired, Director, Government Affairs, Non

Commissioned Officers Association; Michael Cowan MD,

VADM USN (Ret), Executive Director, AMSUS; Randy Reid,

Executive Director, U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty

Officers, Association; Deirdre Park Holleman, Esq.

Washington Executive Director, The Retired Enlisted

Association; John H. Madigan, Jr, Vice President and

Chief Public Policy Officer, American Foundation for

Suicide Prevention; CW4 (Ret.) Jack Du Teil, Executive

Director, United States Army Warrant Officers,

Association; Jim Lorraine, President & CEO, America's

Warrior Partnership.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson), one of my personal heroes. One of the greatest privileges I have had in the 9\1/2\ years I have served in this U.S. Congress is to serve with Sam Johnson.

Mr. Speaker, just for clarification, we have been under cap since 2011. The VA budget has grown exponentially since then. We have always done the right thing for our Nation's heroes and will continue to do that.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), my good friend. He served until he recently moved to a different committee, as chairman of the Health Subcommittee. He has been an active member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and has been a very valued member.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the vice chair of the committee and a tireless worker on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to welcome Ms. Kuster back. She has been out for a little bit due to some work, and I am glad to see her back on the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Poliquin), my good friend and a very active member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Dunn), my good friend, a U.S. Army veteran, and an active member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), a very active member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman), a lieutenant general and an incredibly valued member of our committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank everyone who was involved in this process, beginning with the staff, who have been heavily involved in this. Both the Republican side and Democratic side worked for the last, really, almost 18 months.

I want to thank our Senate colleagues on the other side of this Capitol who worked very hard and the hours that went into this. The real winners here are our Nation's heroes, the veterans.

This VA MISSION Act does a community care where veterans can get high-quality care both inside the VA and out when the VA can't do that. We have heard speakers down here from areas that don't have a VA hospital. They absolutely rely on that.

I was in Oregon a few months ago and realized that some veterans had to drive 5 hours to a VA facility. They need the community care bill in their community. We provide the funding for that bill to bridge us over until the new Secretary implements that.

We have a caregiver. I am a Vietnam-era veteran, and I have seen many catastrophically injured Vietnam veterans whose families struggled for decades. 520-plus Vietnam veterans are dying every day. It is time we implement this bill and get these needed benefits to those World War II and veterans up to 9/11.

We need to rightsize the VA. Healthcare is not provided like it used to be. It has become much more sophisticated and streamlined. And outpatient, the VA needs to get to be able to do that also. That is what the AIR Act is about. We are increasing the internal capacity so we can train and get new clinicians and providers in.

The speaker, Sam Johnson, who spoke a minute ago, said it all. We should be able to look at that hero, who is a true American hero, and listen to his speech, which brought tears to my eyes, and vote for this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

The Speaker pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a concurrent resolution and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4910) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide outer burial receptacles for remains buried in National Parks, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4910, as amended.

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

I am pleased that we are considering H.R. 4910, the Veterans Cemetery Benefit Correction Act, which was introduced by Representative Scott of Georgia.

Current law requires VA to provide an outer burial receptacle for each new grave in a cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration. H.R. 4910 would extend this benefit to veterans who will be interred in cemeteries under the control of the National Park Service.

This bill only impacts two cemeteries within the National Park Service that are open to new interments. One of these cemeteries, the Andrew

Johnson National Cemetery, is in my home district in Tennessee and has a fascinating story.

Andrew Johnson served Tennessee as a Congressman, a Governor, and a Senator. He was also Abraham Lincoln's Vice President in 1865 and was sworn in as President after Lincoln's assassination. When he died in 1857, he was buried on the land that is now the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery.

The land remained in his family until the War Department acquired it in 1906. Finally, the jurisdiction of the cemetery was transferred to the National Park Service in 1942. Now the cemetery provides a final resting place for veterans who served our Nation since the Civil War, and it is still accepting new burials.

Veterans and their family members who choose to be buried in Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, or any other National Park Service cemetery, should receive the same benefits as those who are buried in VA cemeteries.

The manager's amendment incorporates some technical changes suggested by the National Park Service and is identical to S. 2372, which was introduced by the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Isakson, and passed the Senate by unanimous consent on March 1, 2018.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop), chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources, for helping to expedite the consideration of the bill today.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4910, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC, March 27, 2018.

Hon. David P. Roe,

Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I write regarding H.R. 4910, the

Veterans Cemetery Benefit Correction Act, authored by

Congressman Austin Scott. This bill contains provisions under

the jurisdiction of the Committee on Natural Resources.

I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this bill

before the House of Representatives in an expeditious manner,

and accordingly, I will agree that the Committee on Natural

Resources be discharged from further consideration of the

bill. I do so with the understanding that this action does

not affect the jurisdiction of the Committee on Natural

Resources, and that the Committee reserves its authority to

seek conferees on any provision within its jurisdiction

during any House-Senate conference that may be convened on

this, or any similar legislation. I ask that you support any

such request.

I also ask that a copy of this letter and your response be

included in the report for the bill and in the Congressional

Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor.

Thank you for your work on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Rob Bishop,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation of Mr. Scott and Mr. Bishop, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4335) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for headstones and markers for, and interment in national cemeteries of, deceased spouses and dependent children of members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4335, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4335, the Servicemember Family Burial Act, which was introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa), a member of our committee.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation allows for a veteran's spouse, minor children, and certain other dependents to be interred in a VA national cemetery, even while the veteran is still alive. This ensures that a family may be laid to rest together if the veteran chooses to use a national cemetery.

But there is an unfortunate gap in the law that prevents Active-Duty servicemembers from burying their loved ones in a VA national cemetery. Mr. Correa's bill would extend VA burial benefits to Active-Duty servicemembers who lose their family members before they leave the military.

To comply with budgeting rules, the manager's amendment would sunset this bill on September 30, 2024.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this commonsense bill, H.R. 4335, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5447, the Music Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill that will finally update our Nation's copyright laws and correct a terrible injustice that threatens the future of quality music.

Music has changed, perhaps, more than any other industry over the past 50 years. When the Copyright Act of 1976 was signed into law, most people got their music on a vinyl record. I still like vinyl, I might add. Today, you can instantly stream music to your phone from any number of services at the touch of a button. That Copyright Act might have been what was needed at the time, but it never could have anticipated the radical shift in how music was consumed over the past, even in the last 10 years.

For far too long, hardworking songwriters have been penalized under the old system and have been paid only pennies on the dollar for their creative works, even though their songs may have been streamed millions of times every second around the world.

Garth Brooks' iconic song, ``The Dance,'' has been streamed tens of millions of times; and the songwriter, Tony Arata, who wrote that beautiful song, was paid a few hundred dollars. That is ridiculous, and it is wrong.

Under the current system, the creative geniuses that write this music won't be able to make a living doing what they love doing, which is writing great songs. The Music Modernization Act seeks to fix this discrepancy and properly recognize the hard work these songwriters put into their craft before they simply stop writing music because they can no longer earn enough money to survive.

As a musician myself, I understand what songwriters and performers go through when getting a song out for the world to hear, and it is time we recognize the contributions the songwriters make to the creative process. This bill was supported by the entire music industry: songwriters, record labels, music publishers, streaming services, just to name a few. It isn't often that we have a truly bipartisan and widely supported piece of legislation to consider, but with this bill, we have the opportunity and can change the lives of some of our Nation's most talented people for the better.

I strongly support H.R. 5447 and encourage all of my colleagues to listen to their favorite song one more time before coming to the floor and think of the person who wrote it, think about what it means, then support this bill and truly make a difference in someone's life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 2, proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States. And I want to thank Chairman Goodlatte for the incredible work he has done on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, families across America have to balance their budgets, and it is time Washington does the same thing. I was the mayor of my local city before I came here: six balanced budgets with surpluses each and every year. Forty-eight States, including my home State of Tennessee, require a balanced budget by law.

What makes Washington any different?

Members of Congress are required to balance their office budgets or pay for any overages themselves. Guess what, Mr. Speaker? 435 balanced budgets.

The rhetoric we hear from the other side is that the reason we have magic budget deficits is tax cuts. Let's talk about an inconvenient truth: revenues collected by the Federal Government have never been higher in the history of this country. Revenue has increased nearly 8 percent annually over the last 7 years. And, Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government doesn't need to spend 8 percent more revenue each and every year. What we need to do is rein in our spending. Spending is the problem.

The other point we have heard is that the recent omnibus spending bill is another sign that Congress lacks seriousness about addressing spending. Well, discretionary spending has been growing at or about 2.4 percent over the last

14 years annualized. That is a lot more than many of us would like, but we basically have held this spending in check.

The problem is our ballooning mandatory programs that account for 70 cents of every dollar we spend annually is a problem. Mandatory spending, which includes pensions, food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and others is growing at 7\1/2\ percent per year. Medicare and Social Security both face a crisis in the not-too-distant future, and Congress has to make hard choices about how to secure these programs for future generations. I am convinced, however, that the only way Congress will make those hard choices is if we are forced to.

Both parties bear responsibility for our annual budget deficits, but people have a choice here today. The last time we had a chance to vote on a similar resolution was 2011, and the only thing that has changed since then is that our debt and deficit have exploded further. It is time that we, in Congress, make the hard decision and require Washington to abide by the same budget before it is too late and we can't right the ship: the same thing that families do every single week and month of the year.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.J. Res. 2, and I encourage all of my colleagues to do the same and help start the process of bringing some fiscal responsibility back to Washington.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5247, the Right to Try Act.

I am a physician and scientist with over 40 years experience treating patients, some of whom had the dreaded diagnosis of cancer.

Six months ago, I was operated on for cancer, and I, to this day, am a cancer survivor. If needed, I would like to have the right to try.

A little over 3 years ago, my beloved wife, Pam Roe, a nurse and friend, died of stage IV colon cancer. She would have liked to have had the right to try.

Less than 2 months after that, one of the best friends I will ever have in my life, Phil Street, a Vietnam veteran, Air Force veteran, died of a cancer related to Agent Orange. Phil would have liked to have had the right to try.

My senior partner in medical practice, a year later, good friend, was diagnosed with brain cancer. Dr. Cone would have liked the right to try.

Shortly after that, Linda Baines, a scrub nurse that I have operated with hundreds of times in my medical practice, was diagnosed with cancer. Linda would have liked the right to try.

I have two dear friends at this moment who are both being treated for stage IV cancer. If those treatments don't work--and I have had to look patients in the eye and say, Mr. Speaker: ``Your life is not in my hands anymore. It is in God's hands''--they would like to have the right to try.

I tell you this: all these patients want and deserve is a right to try. Please, I am asking you to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 324) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of adult day health care services for veterans.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, before I begin today, I would like to take a moment to express my deepest sympathies to those affected by last week's tragedy in Yountville, California. I closely followed the situation. I am truly saddened by what has occurred.

All three employees who lost their lives--Christine Loeber and Jennifer Golick from the Pathway Home and Jennifer Gonzales from the Department of Veterans Affairs--were committed to helping veterans struggling with difficulties like post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental problems.

As Secretary Shulkin said: ``Caring for veterans and our employees serving them is always important. It is even more critical that we reach out to one another and provide support during painful times like these.''

I think I can speak for myself and the rest of the members on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs when I offer prayers and support during this incredibly difficult and challenging time for these families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 324, the State Veterans Home Adult Day Health Care Improvement Act of 2017. It is imperative that we ensure that VA is equipped with a variety of geriatric and long-term care programs to best meet the individual needs and goals of the increasing number of veterans who are reaching retirement age.

Current law requires VA to cover the cost of nursing home care in a State Veterans Home for any veteran in need of such care due to a service-connected disability or with a service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or more. However, veterans are increasingly seeking opportunities to get additional care they need as they age while remaining at home rather than in a nursing care facility or other institutional setting. S. 324 would help those veterans by requiring VA to enter into an agreement or a contract with the State Veterans Home to pay for adult day healthcare for veterans who are eligible but not receiving nursing home care.

Adult day healthcare programs provide companionship, peer support, recreation, certain healthcare services, case management assistance with activities of daily living, and more to veterans, and needed respite and relief to caregivers. What is more, adult day healthcare programs are a much less costly alternative to nursing home care, meaning that, with the enactment of this bill, we could grant veterans who desire to age at home the opportunity to do so without sacrificing the care and support services they may need and save taxpayer dollars.

S. 324, which is sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, is companion legislation to H.R. 1005, which is sponsored by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin) and passed the House with unanimous support earlier this year. I am grateful to both of them for their leadership on this issue, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman), from the Upper Peninsula, chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin), the author of the bill on the House side and also an Iraq war veteran.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. Speaker, unless Mr. Zeldin has talked to my doctor and knows something I don't know, I hope to be here next year. That is my plan.

I appreciate the opportunity to work on this bill with him. He has been a great advocate, as the ranking member has been. This is a bill that is long overdue, much needed, and I give my strong support along with--I think I can speak for them--the entire Veterans' Affairs Committee. We voiced this. I encourage Members to support this legislation.

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