Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Dorcas R. Hardy, who, among her many noteworthy accomplishments, served as the Chairman of the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Task Force.

In May 2003, VA Secretary Anthony Principi established the Task Force to give the VR&E program ``an unvarnished, top-to-bottom independent examination, evaluation, and analysis.'' Chairman Hardy fulfilled the challenge with an extensive testimony before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee on the operations, findings, and recommendations to improve the VR&E program.

Included among the Task Force's 100-plus recommendations is a new, five-track employment process aimed at assisting veterans with finding and retaining employment. The report also includes recommendations focusing on four categories: programs, organizations, work processes, and integrating capacities. Ms. Hardy summarized the recommendations best by saying that they are necessary for the program ``to be effective in the 21st Century'' and they will help ``to communicate to veterans and partners that the purpose of the program is employment.'' Indeed, long-term sustained employment should be the goal of every vocational rehabilitation participant.

Ms. Hardy received her B.A. from Connecticut College, her M.B.A. from Pepperdine University, and completed the Executive Program in Health Policy and Financial Management at Harvard University.

Ms. Hardy is also the President of Dorcas R. Hardy & Associates, a government relations and public policy firm serving a diverse portfolio of clients in the health services, insurance, financial and associated industries. She has a distinguished record of public service culminating with her appointment in 1986 by the late President Ronald Reagan as the Commissioner of Social Security.

With Ms. Hardy's continued dedication to public service, America and her veterans benefit. For this, I pay her tribute.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Lay Khin Kay, co-founder and chief medical director of QTC Medical Services, Inc., for dedicating the past 23 years of her career to the development of medical claims technology.

Dr. Kay's career began in Burma when she obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from the prestigious Rangoon Institute of Medicine. She came to the United States to further her education and obtain certification as a Board Certified Internal and Occupational Specialist. Dr. Kay devoted years of service performing disability evaluations at the Social Security Administration where she identified a major disconnect between traditional medical evidence development and rating requirements. The medical evidence collected by an evaluating physician rarely met the expectations of ratings requirements; consequently, long delays and appealed cases increased.

In 1981, Dr. Kay co-founded QTC Medical Services to develop a rating- driven disability evaluation protocol, and worked to educate thousands of evaluating physicians. As technology progressed, Dr. Kay continued to develop new techniques to improve the evaluation process. She created QTC's Medical Knowledge Library, which serves as the main database for KMEP (Dr. Kay's Medical Evaluation Protocol), a web-based application designed to help physicians generate disability medical examination content. Instead of using a standardized physician examination guide, KMEP software produces claimant-specific, protocol- based, field-level evaluation worksheets. These worksheets ensure that each physician will completely and accurately address every medical issue of the claimant according to the corresponding disability program's standards.

In 1997, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded its first performance-based contract to QTC to conduct a pilot program that was established by Congress to perform compensation and pension examinations (C&P) for veterans filing disability claims through VA. QTC now performs about 50 percent of the VA's C&P exams through 10 of its regional offices. In 2003, the KMEP application aided the QTC examining physicians in the production of over 69,000 disability exam reports with near-perfect adequacy ratings.

Dr. Kay's efforts have given disabled veterans a simplified evaluation process, which eliminates the need for retraining, costs less money, and produces timelier quality reports. Thank you, Dr. Kay, for your innovative and cost-effective contributions to the veterans' claims disability process.

Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am pleased to introduce H.R. 4659, the ``USERRA Health Care Coverage Extension Act of 2004.'' I introduce this measure jointly with Representative Michael Michaud, ranking member of the Benefits Subcommittee.

The bill would increase to 24 months, up from 18 months, the maximum period of employer-provided health care coverage that an employee covered by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) may elect to continue to receive while mobilized as a reservist or Guard member. This legislation would also reinstate reporting requirements for the Department of Labor in consultation with the Office of Special Counsel and the Department of Justice on USERRA cases.

Mr. Speaker, due to the technical nature of this bill, I have kept it in draft form until now. This approach has afforded the Committee on Veterans' Affairs the opportunity to take testimony on the bill, today in fact, as part of a hearing titled, ``Protecting the Rights of Those Who Protect Us: Public Sector Compliance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and Improvements to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).'' I am grateful to Chairman Christopher Smith and ranking member Lane Evans for convening today's hearing because America has mobilized 387,986 reserve and Guard members in support of Operation

Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. We need to continue to assist these selfless individuals. About 153,000 of them are still mobilized.

At today's hearing on the draft legislation, six Administration officials testified to the overall support of the bill. Craig Duehring, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, stated in his testimony that, ``Increasing from 18 months to 24 months the maximum period of employer-provided health care plan coverage that an employee covered by USERRA may elect to continue is an important amendment that will align this coverage period with the length of time for which reservists can be mobilized under the current mobilization authority.''

The extension of health care coverage will be especially helpful to federal government employees. Dan Blair, Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management, informed the Committee this morning that, ``Last year, we asked agencies how much of the Federal Employees Health Benefits they pay for these reservists. I am pleased to report most agencies pay both shares. Of the 114 agencies surveyed, 96 pay the full premium.'' The ``full premium'' means the employer-employee share. The federal government needs to be the model employer when it comes to reserve and Guard members.

With regard to reinstating the reporting requirements for the Department of Labor, Office of Special Counsel, and Department of Justice, all three supported this measure. In fact, Mr. Charles Ciccolella, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training at the Department of Labor, stated in his testimony that, ``In the past, the Department found this requirement to be useful.''

With the documented support of the ``USERRA Health Care: Coverage Extension Act of 2004,'' I encourage my colleagues to add their names in support of this timely legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4345) to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum amount of home loan guaranty available under the home loan guaranty program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4345. This bill would provide the largest increase in the VA home loan guaranty since 1978, increasing the maximum home purchase guaranty from $240,000 to $333,700. That is a 39 percent increase.

Additionally, this measure would provide for annual increases in the home loan guaranty to match rising housing prices. It would do so by linking the VA loan limit with the conforming loan rate of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. Not only would this measure assist our veterans, but it would ensure that our courageous servicemembers fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the world, along with their families, can take part in the American dream of homeownership.

In fiscal year 2003, the VA guaranteed 419,717 home loans for veterans and 57,129 home loans for active duty servicemembers. Since the program's inception in 1944, the VA has guaranteed more than 17.5 million home loans, thus providing homeownership opportunities to millions of veterans and their families.

This is a good bill; and I thank my colleagues, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis), for their bipartisan cooperation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to commend the continued cooperation which has been so evident in the work of the Subcommittee on Benefits and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4345.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 4345.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I welcome Pastor Greg Surratt of the Seacoast Church of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, to Washington, D.C.

Pastor Surratt is the founder and senior pastor of Seacoast Christian Community Church, which began in February 1988 with approximately 65 members meeting in an apartment. Seacoast Church has blossomed into nine campuses and over 7,000 attendees around the State of South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia.

Pastor Surratt and his wife, Debbie, dreamed of building a church that would speak the language of the modern culture and encourage nonbelievers to investigate Christianity at their own pace, free from traditional trappings of religion that tends to turn them away. That dream is now a reality. At Seacoast, you can be sure to find a special place just for you. Whether you are a child, student, married or single, Seacoast is a program with your needs in mind.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Greg on the fine job he is doing for so many people at Seacoast Church, and thank him on behalf of the people of the First Congressional District of South Carolina for coming to Washington and sharing his time and prayers with us. I ask him to please continue to keep this body in his prayers daily. May God bless him and the entire Seacoast family.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 260) recognizing and honoring the service of those who volunteer their time to participate in funeral honor guards at the interment or memorialization of deceased veterans of the uniformed services of the United States at national cemeteries across the country.

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. Con. Res. 260.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 260, to recognize and honor the service of those who volunteer their time to represent the military at veterans' funerals.

Approximately 1,800 veterans of our Armed Forces die every day. Eleven hundred of them are World War II veterans. An average of 236 burials take place each weekday at the various VA national cemeteries located throughout the country. The families of many of these veterans request that their military service be recognized as they are laid to rest.

A grateful Nation has assigned the Department of Defense the responsibility for responding to those family requests through its military funeral honors program. However, because active duty service members are not always available, the Department must rely on volunteers to provide the appropriate honors in about one-third of the requests. The remainder are performed by active duty and reserve service members of the five military branches or National Guard members.

Since 2001, the law has required that at least two members of the funeral honors detail be members of the Armed Forces, and at least one of them be a member of the branch of service in which the deceased veteran served. The remainder of the honor guard may consist of members of the Armed Forces or members of veterans organizations or other organizations approved by the Secretary of Defense. At a minimum, the honor detail performs a ceremony that includes the folding and presenting of the American flag to the veteran's next of kin and the playing of Taps.

Mr. Speaker, according to the Department of Defense, the number of volunteers who participate with the military in performing military funeral honors at both national and private cemeteries increased from 27,767 in 2000, to 51,688 in 2003. Given the demands being placed on those currently serving on active duty, this increased volunteer participation is indispensable to meeting our obligation to honor the service of each deceased veteran.

Thus, it is an appropriate time that we recognize and thank those volunteers. They are indeed proud and patriotic veterans who selflessly give back to their comrades and provide comfort to the veteran's family and friends. As any veteran will tell you, their allegiance to the military and its service members does not end when they are discharged from service. This is a bond that lasts for a lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono) for introducing concurrent resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 260.

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

Mr. Speaker, like so many Americans, President Reagan was not only my President, but also my inspiration. My own calling to public service in 1981 was in no small part as a result of President Reagan's example. Without his leadership and passion for our great Nation, I would not be standing in this great Chamber before Members today.

He was a shining light and a beacon of hope not only for our Nation, but also for the world. At a time in history when it was desperately needed, he sought peace in our world and was a champion of democracy and freedom. We are all better as a result of his contributions, and his legacy will live forever.

If I had to describe President Reagan with just one adjective, it would not be courageous, optimistic or kind, or any number of other fitting adjectives for such a great man, it would be American. Above all things, President Reagan was an American. He so embodied the spirit, courage and hope of America that he was able to reach out and touch his fellow citizens. He trusted the American people to be able to make decisions for themselves, and in turn they trusted him. He had a dream to make America stronger by putting more responsibility back into the hands of the people. He understood that Americans could manage their hard-earned dollars better than any government agency. He empowered the citizens to work harder and to improve our Nation from the ground up.

I am proud to model my views on government after one of our great Presidents, President Reagan. Even those who have never met him or who disagree with him politically felt a special connection with President Reagan. He was a people's President, arguably unlike any others before or after.

He invigorated and inspired those young men for the battle ahead, just as he invigorated and inspired a Nation while he was in office. President Reagan always celebrated life, and he loved every day of it. I am honored to be celebrating the life of such a great American with Members today. We were blessed and honored as a Nation to have President Reagan as both our leader and as our friend.

Mr. President, you were not just marking time. You made a tremendous difference in the lives of all Americans. You made the Nation stronger and the world a safer place for democracy. Today we still enjoy the fruits of the Reagan revolution. You fought for freedom, and today it does not waver. You were the inspiration of so many, including myself, and today we remember and say thanks to you. On behalf of the entire First Congressional District of South Carolina, a grateful Nation and myself, thank you, Mr. President, and may God bless you and your family.

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud that this is the fourth straight week that this House is bringing important tax relief legislation to the floor.

The Child Tax Credit Preservation and Expansion Act of 2004 is another step in the right direction to improve the Tax Code for the benefit of hard-working American families. By making the $1,000 child tax credit permanent, we are sending the right message that we want to help out all taxpayers with the burden of providing for their families and ensuring that they maintain their quality of life.

Last year, the President signed the Jobs and Growth Tax Act into law. Our ailing economy needed bold and decisive action, and this plan was precisely what we needed to make a difference for this Nation. Since the law went into effect last June, the economy has expanded at an average quarterly rate of some 5.5 percent, and we are continuing to see positive signs from the job market.

We all know that families are very busy in today's society with both parents often working to take care of their families, paying for daycare, making mortgage payments in an historically high housing market and trying to make ends meet. This bill, along with all of the other tax cuts that we have provided, will help keep families strong. With traditional marriage and families under attack from so many different sources, including the courts, the entertainment industry and the media, our tax system should not feed them any further.

H.R. 4359 makes sure that the child tax credit does not drop from $1,000 per child to $700 next year, and to $500 by the year 2011. In other words, if this bill is not passed, taxes will increase on children by $300 next year and by $500 per child after 2010. How can we penalize so many American families across this Nation for having children? Shame on every Member of this House if we allow this to happen.

I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter), for introducing this legislation, and the gentleman from California (Chairman Thomas) and the Republican leadership for making sure that we do everything in our power to reduce the tax burden on American families.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 4359 and to continue to fight for hard-working American taxpayers.

On May 3, 2004, constituents of the First Congressional District of South Carolina began signing up for their new Medicare discount card. The enrollment fee for the discount card will range from zero to $30 per eligible person.

The discount card will save the seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries of my district between 10 and 25 percent off the retail price of most drugs. In addition to the discounts, seniors whose income is below $12,569 for individuals and $16,862 for married couples may qualify for an additional $600 credit to cover the full cost of their prescription.

Military retirees can now enroll in Medicare Part B without a late enrollment penalty through December 31, 2004.

Many seniors and disabled Medicare recipients have been waiting a long time for Medicare prescription drug coverage. I am proud that this Congress has answered their call.

This discount card is just the beginning of more health care options and a greater quality of life for our seniors.

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, a constituent of mine, Mr. Daniel Parker, was struck down during his service in Iraq.

Mr. Parker, a dedicated Halliburton employee and retired teacher at a Border Patrol Academy in Charleston, was en route to Baghdad International Airport in a military convoy when an improvised explosive detonated near his vehicle.

Dan, a veteran of two tours in Vietnam, selflessly braved the perilous environment of a war zone and helped establish a peaceful and productive democracy in the Middle East. Civilian workers like Dan are the unsung heroes in pursuit of stability in Iraq.

With the deaths this past week of Dan and other civilians, we have been tragically exposed to the deadly hazards that these courageous American employees encounter during their daily work abroad.

Working alongside coalition troops and the Iraqi people, civilian contractors work tirelessly to improve the quality of life of strangers by helping to provide the simple resources that we in America most often take for granted: electric power, clean water, and public schools.

Dan Parker was an innocent victim of the treacherous conditions that Americans continue to endure in Iraq. His sacrifice and the sacrifice of others like him will not soon be forgotten.

My thoughts and prayers are with Dan and his family.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4275 because I know how important this bill is to our recovering economy to nearly 73 million of America's hard-working families. This Congress must act now to extend and to make permanent the 10 percent tax bracket.

Last year, the President signed the Jobs and Growth Tax Act into law. Our ailing economy needed bold and decisive action; and this plan was precisely that, the right recipe at the right time. Since the law went into effect last June, the economy has expanded at an average quarterly rate of 5.5 percent.

This bill accelerated the reduction of individual tax rates and allowed for the expansion of the 10 percent bracket, which grows the paychecks of all Americans. An increase in disposable income, or simply put, more money in the pockets of all Americans, has contributed to a growth in consumer spending. This is critical to my district in South Carolina because it helps tourists from all over America visit our coastal areas and spend money to enjoy our attractions and Southern hospitality. And this is happening all over America.

Benefits of the Jobs and Growth Tax Act are long term as well. In addition

to the short-term boost from the passage of this bill, making all of the tax cuts permanent will lead to a significant increase in investments, job creation, and wages paid to workers. In fact, more than 1.1 million jobs have been created nationwide since last August. For all of these reasons, I cannot overestimate how important it is for Congress to permanently provide the tax relief that the 10 percent bracket affords.

I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) for taking the lead on this critical piece of legislature and the House leadership for continuing to make permanent tax relief a priority for this Congress. With the economy finally starting to rebound, now is not the time to raise taxes on the American people. I am proud that we have made great progress in this area, but I realize we have much work left to do.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 4275 and to continue to fight for hard-working American taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I join with the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) in asking my colleagues to support House Joint Resolution 91.

This resolution would recognize through ceremonies and other educational activities the 60th anniversary of the World War II GI Bill of Rights, probably the most successful domestic legislation this Chamber has ever written.

History tells us that much of America's post-World War II motivation was concern over another depression. When 12 million of our demobilized troops came home to an uncertain economy as the mills of war stopped grinding and the United States undertook a massive rebuilding effort in Western Europe and Japan, our great Nation showed remarkable vision.

The Congress gave veterans an opportunity to go to college, sort of an economic cubby hole for them, as we transformed our economy from one of wartime to one of peacetime focus.

Our fellow Americans who selflessly saved the world from tyranny and dictatorship excelled in college because they were already veterans of what author Michael Bennett has referred to as ``America's most demanding prep school,'' the wartime military. World war II veterans attended college and other forms of training in droves, some 7.8 million strong under the GI bill.

Disciplined by duty and enlightened by experience, World War II veterans changed America's higher education dramatically because they did something that was very unusual in an agrarian-based economy: they went to school year around. James Conant, former president of Harvard, noted that former GIs are the best students Harvard has ever had.

Veterans took our economy to new heights of prosperity. In fact, economists credit the veterans themselves with repaying the $14.5 billion cost of the World War II GI bill. By 1960, they paid it off through the additional taxes on their increased earning power as doctors, teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, civil servants and leaders of business, industry and labor.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution is about their inspiring story. I urge my colleagues to support House Joint Resolution 91.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Illinois (Mr. Weller) for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4181 because I know how critical this tax relief is to so many American married couples and hard-working families. This Congress must permanently extend the increased standard deduction and the 15 percent individual income tax bracket expansion for married taxpayers.

As a Congressman representing both Charleston and Myrtle Beach, I recognize the great impact these types of tax cuts have upon our economy, especially in keeping the travel and tourist industry alive and well. By continuing to provide this tax relief to married couples filing jointly, more American families will be able to take vacations and spend time together at our golf courses and hotels and museums and beaches and historic places.

With so many perils and stresses facing parents in today's society, it is more important than ever for families to get away and enjoy life and strengthen family bonds. Tourism is the largest industry in my area and serves as the backbone of the local economy. It grows our economy, generates jobs, and provides for capital investments in South Carolina.

Last year alone, my district hosted more than 18 million visitors, nearly a 7 percent increase over the previous year. These visitors and the businesses that caters to them, spent $5.1 billion in 2003 compared with $4.7 in 2002.

Jobs, those directly and indirectly linked to the tourism industry, grew by 8.9 percent to $93,702, while wages increased by 9.4 percent to an aggregate of $1.28 billion. I believe that all of this would not be possible without limiting the marriage penalty and putting in place the President's tax cuts that have done so much to spur the economy.

The institution of marriage is under attack from so many angles including the courts and some segments of the media and popular culture. Our tax system should not serve to weaken the bonds of marriage; instead, it should serve to strengthen this great institution by ending the marriage penalty forever. How can we tell American families that they will have to pay nearly $90 billion in new taxes over the next 10 years? Not on our watch.

Mr. Speaker, this week my friend, Andrew J. Combs, passed away. Andy was from my hometown, Hanahan, South Carolina, and our friendship spans many decades.

Mr. Speaker, many of my colleagues know his wife, Roberta Combs, President of the National Christian Coalition, whose work is widely known and appreciated by families across this Nation.

Andy was a great man, a World War II and Korean War veteran, a successful businessman and a Republican leader, and someone who devoted countless hours trying to make this world a better place. He triumphed in all of these areas while overcoming the ravages of polio contracted as an adult.

It is difficult to measure the impact that he has had on the many lives he touched. His commitment to serving others and to serving his community leaves a wonderful legacy.

Andy, my friend, you will be sorely missed, but we know that heaven has welcomed you with open arms.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in a moment of silence honoring this great American.