Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1171) to amend title 38, United States Code, to reauthorize the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program for fiscal years 2010 through 2014, as amended.

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

I would like to thank my distinguished colleague, Congressman John Boozman of Arkansas, for crafting H.R. 1171, the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, to help our Nation's veterans overcome the barriers of homelessness. I would also like to thank Chairman Bob Filner and the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairwoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota for the strong bipartisan leadership she demonstrated in working on this legislation.

H.R. 1171, as amended, would augment current Federal programs by reauthorization of the Labor Department's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program through fiscal year 2014.

Specifically, this program would allocate grants for State and local workforce investment boards, local public agencies, nonprofit and community organizations to provide employment assistance and supportive services, such as transportation assistance in finding housing and referral for mental health treatment or substance abuse counseling.

Furthermore, this legislation would authorize $10 million for fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to expand the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program to address the unique needs of homeless women veterans and veterans with children.

While the exact number of homeless veterans is unknown, the VA estimates that approximately 154,000 veterans were homeless across the country during the last week of January 2007. These homeless veterans will benefit from organizations like the Volunteers of America in Illinois, Medical Professionals for Home Health Care, and the Inner Voice, Incorporated, which currently participate in the homeless veterans reintegration program in my State of Illinois.

Providing these organizations the resources to improve preventive measures and address the unique health and mental illness needs of veterans will help ensure our homeless veterans succeed in life after their service to our country. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in reaffirming our Nation's commitment to care for our servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents by supporting H.R. 1171.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1171, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 1171, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1377) to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

I rise in strong support of H.R. 1377, as amended, which would expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a nondepartment facility. This legislation would assist veterans who get hurt while they are off duty and require emergency care in a non-VA medical facility.

These veterans do not currently receive any reimbursement from the VA if they have third-party insurance that pays either full or a portion of the emergency care. This creates an inequity that penalizes veterans with insurance, including auto insurance, which is oftentimes mandated by law.

A veteran with an insurance policy which covers any portion of the cost for emergency treatment would be burdened with the remaining amount not covered by insurance. This unfair policy has caused many veterans undue stress and has placed them in unnecessary financial hardship. H.R. 1377, as amended, eliminates this inequity by requiring the VA to pay for emergency care in a non-VA facility, even if the veteran holds a policy that will pay for any portion of their care.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Ranking Member Buyer and the Health Subcommittee chairman, Mr. Michaud, for their contributions to this bill as well as the staff.

I urge your support in passing H.R. 1377, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1377, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I also want to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for working so hard together to make sure that these wonderful Veterans Affairs issues come before the body. No matter what rumor has ever come up that might come from the administration, the Veterans Committee has always made sure that the veterans are first and foremost in all of our minds.

I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 1377, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1513) to increase, effective as of December 1, 2009, the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of passage of the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009, H.R. 1513, which was introduced by one of the newer members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and sure to be one of our body's most dynamic Members, Mrs. Kirkpatrick from Arizona. And I thank you for your leadership on the bill.

I also want to thank the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Mr. Buyer, who has been supportive of this noncontroversial bill and helped with its unanimous passage from our committee to allow consideration by the full House. The fact that we were able to get this bill to the floor within nearly a month of its introduction shows the House leadership's commitment to our Nation's veterans, their families, and their survivors.

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

The disability COLA would become effective December 1, 2009, and will be equal to that provided on an annual basis to Social Security recipients. Last year, the COLA was set at 5.8 percent, an increase direly needed, as the financial crush of the recession from the previous administration closed in on many of our disabled veterans' households.

Madam Speaker, this bill will benefit each disabled veteran and their survivors from the World War I era through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Many of the nearly 3 million veterans who receive these benefits depend upon these tax-free payments, not only to provide for their own basic needs, but for those of their spouses, children and parents as well. Without an annual COLA increase, these veterans and their families would see the value of their hard-earned benefits slowly erode. We would be derelict in our duty if we failed to guarantee that those who sacrifice so much for our country receive benefits and services that keep pace with their needs.

We fund the war. Let's fund the warrior and his family and survivors by ensuring that their benefits keep pace with their living expenses. Let's ensure that their benefits make ends meet at the end of the month.

Madam Speaker, as we approach our country's 141st Memorial Day commemoration, I ask my colleagues to support this bill and send a clear message to support our troops. ``You will be taken care of when you return. We will not forget your sacrifice.''

Just like our military men and women did not hesitate to offer to lay down their lives to defend our freedom and the way of life that we cherish, we will not hesitate to defend the funds they need to support themselves and their families.

I urge my colleagues to support passage of the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009, H.R. 1513, without delay. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1513.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1513.

Madam Speaker, I too want to thank my fellow freshman colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) for his help today, as well as Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for the wonderful work we've been able to do this year.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 1513.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 234) expressing support for designation of a ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day''.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 234. This resolution before us today establishes March 30, 2009, as a day to honor and recognize the contributions of veterans of the Vietnam War.

As a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, I have had the opportunity to hear the accounts of many Vietnam veterans. I hear the pride that came with the duty of defending their country, and I hear the anguish that they felt coming home to a country that confused the war and the warrior.

I encourage all Americans to reach out to veterans, especially our Vietnam veterans. Thank them and their families for their amazing sacrifice, understand more about their great contributions to our country, and gain the wisdom of their personal stories of our Nation's history.

There are more than 24 million veterans living in this country today, including 8.2 million veterans that served during the Vietnam War. Of these veterans, 2.6 million served in country.

More than 58,000 members in our military lost their lives in Vietnam. Tragically, American casualties continued to climb after the war, as a result of suicides, substance abuse, and homelessness among these veterans and their families.

More than 300,000 members of the Armed Forces were reported wounded as a result of the Vietnam War. Today, this number also continues to grow, as more and more of our Vietnam veterans are feeling the effects of Agent Orange.

Approximately 20 million gallons of herbicides were used in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971 to remove unwanted vegetation that provided cover for enemy forces during the war. Shortly following their military services in Vietnam, some veterans reported a variety of health problems and concerns due to exposure to Agent Orange. Modern science clearly establishes that the symptoms of many degenerative diseases can take decades to onset.

Too many Vietnam veterans are suffering from conditions that resulted from their service to our country, yet are not considered service- connected by our government. Time is running out for many of our Vietnam veterans. Many have already lost the battle. And those who remain, along with their families, are fighting for their lives every day.

The Vietnam War was a very divisive time, and too many Americans, myself included, confused the war and the warrior. We did not provide the support, the care, the compassion, and the love that our dedicated servicemembers earned and deserved.

Many of our finest leaders, both military and political, have been quoted as saying that they did not believe that the men who served in uniform in Vietnam were given the credit they deserve.

In that spirit, the House of Representatives takes this step to recognize the contributions of brave veterans who served in Vietnam and the continued importance of helping Vietnam-era veterans readjust to civilian life.

So I ask my colleagues to join me in showing our gratitude to those brave men and women who served during the Vietnam War. Mr. Speaker, I urge strong support for House Resolution 234.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California, the sponsor of this resolution, Ms. Sanchez.

The gentlelady is granted an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

I would like to know if there are any further speakers.

Then we reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Resolution 234.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support House Resolution 234.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Reverend Isaac Singleton's retirement after 47 years with the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Joliet, Illinois. Reverend Singleton earned his recognition as a south suburban icon many years ago. After working on a plantation in Louisiana with his father, he joined the Army Air Force during World War II. He later settled in Joliet, where he has enjoyed a 60 year marriage with his wife Pearl. He is known locally as a symbol of the civil rights movement for marching alongside the great Martin Luther King, Jr. in Montgomery, Alabama and is featured in both ``Who's Who Among Black Americans'' and the Joliet Will County Hall of Pride.

As pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Reverend Singleton saw the congregation grow from an intimate 100 members to the ever faithful, flourishing parish of 2,000 members it is currently. Reverend Singleton's influence is seen all over Joliet, from the 28,000 square foot presence of Mount Zion Baptist church to the street named after him to the Family Life Center he founded. He is respected internationally as well, having preached in five different continents and having built churches in Africa.

Reverend Singleton retires this month after a fulfilling, impressive, and inspirational career. He is truly an asset to Joliet as well as the

global faith community. It is with great pride that I celebrate the career of Reverend Isaac Singleton. May his retirement be fruitful and joyous.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the one- hundredth birthday of Ms. Lucille Hart of Le Roy, Illinois. Ms. Hart joins the rank of centenarians after a fulfilling career in education and with the postal service. For fifteen years, she taught in Delavan, Illinois. She then became the school treasurer, a position she held for thirty more years. After brief positions held at Caterpillar and the local post office, she retired and became an avid gardener. She continues to tend to her flowers and plants indoors during Illinois' harsh winters. Today, she is joined by her closest friends and family to celebrate.

In the last one hundred years, Ms. Hart has seen women granted the right to vote. She witnessed the United States in World War II. She watched a man walk on the moon. She can recall the civil rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King's speeches. She was born during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt and has seen the White House change hands eighteen times. Ms. Hart knows what life was like before Blackberries, cell phones, the internet, computers, color television, microwaves, traffic lights, and bubble gum. In one hundred years, American life has changed drastically right before Ms. Hart's eyes.

Ms. Lucille Hart is an inspiration to us all. It is my honor to congratulate Ms. Hart's long life of achievement. May her health remain good and may she continue to inspire.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Joliet Park District. The park district is the 2009 recipient of the ``Salute to Accomplishment'' Award from the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce. I join the Chamber of Commerce in saluting the Joliet Park District for its long record of service to the residents of Joliet, Illinois.

For 85 years, the Joliet Park District has played an integral role in the lives of its residents. The park district has enriched the lives of residents in a variety of areas providing opportunities for fitness, entertainment, and recreation as well as serving as an example for environmental stewardship.

Partnering with Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center, the park district runs the Saint Joseph Inwood Athletic Club. The center was recognized with the Community Partnership Award for Youth Fitness from the Illinois Department of Human Services. It is also known as a state- of-the art work of architecture.

The Joliet Park District provides fun for all ages. Nearly 1,500 children participated in the district's youth soccer program. Residents may also participate in basketball, baseball, volleyball, softball, hockey, and golf. Splash Station Water Park is a place where over 300,000 persons choose to escape the heat and 2,000 persons received swimming lessons. World-class musicians have entertained young and old at the annual Taste of Joliet.

Due to its commitment to a better environment, Joliet Park District has received grants from the State of Illinois. The district received an Illinois Clean Energy Grant for an upgrade to its multi-purpose building that included energy efficient lighting. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources contributed to the completion of its Bird Haven Greenhouse.

Once again, congratulations to the Joliet Park District. I know this treasured institution will continue to prosper.

Madam Speaker, the American people have heard a lot about change these days, but exactly what will that change be and what will it mean to them?

Well, today, real change will come to Washington when this House passes an expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program. This is legislation that will have a direct impact on children in our country.

When we pass this bill today, an additional 4 million children living without health insurance will soon be able to afford seeing a doctor. Congress has worked hard to pass this legislation twice, sending it to President Bush, and both times he vetoed this bill. But now, change has come to Washington.

Today, the House will pass legislation very similar to what President Bush vetoed twice; only this time, we will reach a total of 11 million children. And President Obama is expected to sign this bill later today.

This is change we can believe in, and that's going to mean a lot to the 4 million children who will now be able to see a doctor when they are sick.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairwoman Velazquez for the opportunity to speak on this matter of utmost importance to the American people. Nothing is more critical at this moment in time than creating jobs. Days ago I learned that an important employer in my district is cutting 20,000 jobs. This is terrifying news to many of my constituents because each lost job forces a family to make difficult decisions. Health insurance becomes more difficult to maintain. College costs become more overwhelming. Mortgage payments become impossible to meet. It's clear we must act decisively, immediately, and on a scale that is bold, innovative and that will create new jobs to grow our economy.

It's critical that we invest in American infrastructure, including schools, energy, technology and small businesses. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will do exactly that.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.