Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as a veteran and member of both the Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs Committees, assisting those in uniform as they transition from military service into civilian life and VA care is one of my top priorities.

Too often we see veterans get lost in the cracks of bureaucracy, and they fail to receive the healthcare they deserve through the VA or are facing unfair penalties while attempting to navigate life after their military service.

While we have made tremendous strides to improve veteran access to healthcare through the VA Community Care program, significant coverage gaps remain, and more improvements must be made by Congress.

Under current law, a veteran must have received health services at a VA facility within the past 2 years to be approved for retroactive coverage for emergency treatment through the Community Care program. This ignores the reality that it often takes more than a month for veterans to complete their first appointment at a VA facility following their enrollment in VA health.

This creates a gap in coverage that can force crippling debt onto a recently separated servicemember who is seeking emergency care. No veteran should have to second-guess whether they should go to the emergency room due to bureaucratic mismanagement of their care coverage.

The bipartisan RELIEVE Act would address this gap in coverage by giving veterans a 60-day grace period after they are enrolled in VA health to complete their first doctor's appointment. During those 60 days, veterans will still be covered for emergency care at non-VA facilities, eliminating the gap, and ensuring veterans can receive the care they need without the worry of surprise bills.

I am proud to join Representatives McMorris Rodgers and Pappas in introducing this important and commonsense legislation again this Congress. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 94.

Mr. Chair, I am recorded as voting ``nay'' on rollcall No. 64, an amendment offered by Mr. Schneider that would prohibit the leasing plan from including the Great Lakes. I misrecorded this vote. I duly intended to vote ``aye'' on rollcall No. 64.

Amendment No. 59 Offered by Mr. Magaziner

Mr. Chair, please accept this personal explanation as I was unexpectedly detained during vote proceedings. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 65.

Amendment No. 58 Offered by Mr. Magaziner

Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 66.

Amendment No. 74 Offered by Ms. Ocasio-Cortez

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for taking leadership on this; and I have to just correct one thing for the Record. I was born in Minnesota, but now I represent Michigan; and that is okay. I have roots in both because I was raised by a Minnesota farm girl, and now I am married to an Iowa farm girl. So now if we can get Iowa in there at some point, we will be in good shape. I will be happy at home.

When I just referenced my mom and my wife, my dad was in World War II. My father-in-law was in World War II. When we think about the sacrifices everyone in our country made, it was really the families that sacrificed on the front end to ensure that their loved ones, servicemembers deployed around the world to end the tyranny of World War II, that the family members at home sacrificed to ensure their servicemembers could fight the fight.

I think, today, it is true, and still is true, that when you talk about TRICARE and all the services that it provides, it is not about the servicemember, it is about the servicemember and their family because without the comfort of knowing that the family is being taken care of by the TRICARE system; that it is a system that does not institute change for the wrong reasons.

What we are hearing today, this is change for profit's sake, and that is the wrong reason.

So when you think about, what is readiness? Our troops have to be trained and ready to deploy at a moment's notice to protect our national security. That readiness includes family readiness.

Family readiness includes the availability of TRICARE, the availability of prescriptions, especially in my district, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and northern and lower Michigan, where we have a lot of rural and remote families that can't get to the pharmacy every day; that cannot--whether it is snowstorm, whether it is age, whatever it is, we need to ensure that our TRICARE system is robust, it is complete, it is fair pricing to make sure that, in the end, everybody wins, not just a couple.

We have got roughly--the Department of Defense requirements--TRICARE supports about 9.4 million servicemembers, retirees, and their families around the world. That doesn't seem like much in a Nation of 330 billion. But guess what? It means everything to that 9.4 million servicemembers and their families.

The comprehensive nature of TRICARE, as we saw during the COVID time, advancement of telehealth, the advancement of diagnosis, the advancement of treatments, prescriptions, and all of that, it all blends the work going forward and what we need to do to support our servicemembers and their families.

It is incumbent upon us, as Members of the House of Representatives, and the Senate, and the President, to ensure that no policy is put into place that gives any entity an unfair advantage when it comes to their priorities versus the needs and the priorities that we have and our commitment to our members of the Armed Forces.

So with that, we know this is ongoing; and I can tell you one thing, as a member of the VA Health Subcommittee, and on the Committee on Armed Services, I look at this issue from the front end of recruiting and enlistment standards, to retention, to retirement, to going into the VA system, all the way along in that servicemember's life and their family's life, and we are committed here to doing the right thing for those folks because they did the right thing for our country.

Mr. Speaker, it's my honor to recognize Alisa Korn on her retirement from the Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation Commission, where she has served as the President and board member for almost 12 years. Alisa's continued effort to improve communities in Northern Michigan deserves unwavering praise and recognition.

Moving from Florida to Michigan during high school, Alisa graduated from Traverse City Central High School and soon began her service to her community through the Grand Traverse County Parks & Recreation Commission. Throughout her distinguished career, Alisa has held both elected and appointed positions in Traverse City's local government-- from County Commissioner to Grand Traverse

County Delegate. Her effort to create lasting change in her community led her to become a valued member of the Traverse City Housing Authority, where she has been Program Manager and Family Self- Sufficiency Manager since 2016.

Throughout Alisa's career, she has been at the forefront of expanding the Traverse City Housing Authority's reach and impact within the community. Contributing to plans for future developments like the East Bay Flats community, and providing the necessary resources to ensure past developments, such as the Orchardview Townhomes, are efficiently run and operated to best serve the community. Her efforts throughout her career have created lasting change in the Grand Traverse area, providing the necessary resources to families and residents while ensuring the community's self-sufficiency.

Mr. Speaker, it's my honor to recognize Alisa Korn for her continued service to the Traverse City community. On behalf of Michigan's First District, I extend my gratitude to Alisa and her family and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, it's my honor to recognize Joel Franck for his retirement after 5 decades of work in radio broadcasting, including 26 years as the News Director at WTCM in Traverse City, Michigan. Throughout his distinguished career, Joel's professional demeanor and contagious attitude while on air made him a staple of Northern Michigan and a cherished part of the Traverse City community.

Joel started his illustrious broadcasting career in 1969, acting as a sports broadcaster for local high schools in his hometown. Joel soon moved to Portland, Oregon, where he continued his play-by-play analysis of local high school sports and minor league baseball. After 13 years in Portland, Joel moved to the Wisconsin-Michigan area where he found a home at WTCM Radio in 1996. Remaining with WTCM until his retirement on December 9, 2022, Joel became a familiar and trusted source of information for all in the Traverse City area.

Joel Franck was a true professional in an everchanging and evolving field of work with extremely high turnover rates. His 26 years spent with WTCM Radio is an amazing accomplishment in the broadcasting industry and displays the value Joel added to the station on a daily basis. His infectious laugh, genuine personality, and professionalism while on air, made him an integral part of thousands of commuter's treks into work. News of Joel Franck's retirement has saddened the Traverse City area and all who listen to him. His familiar and trusted way of evaluating the news will be missed and his impact on all communities he broadcasted to is immeasurable.

Mr. Speaker, it's my honor to recognize Joel Franck for his decades of service in Michigan's radio broadcasting industry. On behalf of Michigan's First District, I extend my gratitude to Joel, his family, and the entire WTCM Radio Team, and I wish them the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, it's my honor to recognize Dale Clarmont for his 35 years of service in the Cheboygan County Sheriffs Department. Over his time working for the people of North Michigan, including more than 2 decades as Sheriff, Dale has shown considerable poise and professionalism while working to make his community a safer place.

Upon graduating high school in 1979, Sheriff Clarmont started his 8- year military career with the United States Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician, later returning to the Cheboygan area to raise his family. Dale soon started his time in the Cheboygan County Sheriffs Department as a dispatcher in 1987, quickly cementing himself as a key part of the department and an ideal candidate for county Sheriff in 2000. He would go on to hold this position for 22 years, until announcing his upcoming retirement in January of 2023.

Throughout his distinguished career, Sheriff Clarmont prioritized his community's safety and well-being above all else. Dale's longtime devotion to our country is commendable, and the impact of his work on his fellow officers and the people of the Cheboygan cannot be overstated. We owe Dale our utmost gratitude for his continued effort to better himself, his colleagues, and the community he has served for the past 35 years.

Mr. Speaker, it's my honor to recognize Dale Clarmont for his decades of combined service to the United States Navy and the Cheboygan County Sheriff's his local Sherriff's Department. On behalf of Michigan's First District, I extend my gratitude to Dale and his family and wish them the best in their future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in defense of the most vulnerable population, the unborn.

As we consider the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and the concurrent resolution to condemn attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers, I hope that it is those innocent lives on our hearts and minds.

I implore my colleagues to stand with me in pursuit of doing what is

right by, as I say, those voiceless and vulnerable and to consider the divine worth of every human life that we have taken an oath to serve, from womb to tomb.

It is written in Psalm 139: ``For You created my innermost being; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.''

We should do all in our power to stand for life and to ensure that the unborn get to live out each of the days that God ordained for them before one ever came to be.

Let us unite as a legislature to determine that, in the United States, we will preserve the most basic right to life and the ability of good-willed Americans to provide life-affirming care in pursuit of that cause.

Madam Speaker, it is my great honor to recognize Robert E. Salzman. A lifelong resident or the Menominee area, Robert Salzman was a retired U.S. Army Veteran of World War II and served a remarkable 44-year career with the L.E. Jones Company. His passing at the age of 99 on September 6. 2022, has greatly affected the communities of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the impact of his life cannot be overstated.

Robert Salzman lived a life of commitment to his community and his peers. First starting his time with the L.E. Jones Company in 1942, Robert soon enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943, where he was assigned to the 602nd Army Engineers Battalion in Europe. Shortly after his military career, he returned to the L.E. Jones Company. During his 44- year career, Salzman worked as a machinist in the company's engineering department, and later served in the sales department until his retirement in 1986. Continually contributing to the company, he served a pivotal role in the company's success and longevity. Accompanying his achievements in his professional career and as a soldier, Robert was a respected and beloved father. His legacy lives on among his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize Robert Salzman for his lifelong commitment to our country and his community. On behalf of Michigan's First District, I extend my condolences to Robert's family and wish them best in their future endeavors. Michigan's First District is saddened by the passing of Robert and offer our prayers to his family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, please accept this personal explanation as I was unexpectedly detained during vote proceedings. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 512.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Axne (Pappas)

Baird (Bucshon)

Bass (Cicilline)

Beatty (Neguse)

Brooks (Fleischmann)

Brown (MD) (Beyer)

DeFazio (Pallone)

Doyle, Michael F. (Pallone)

Duncan (Norman)

Dunn (Salazar)

Evans (Beyer)

Gosar (Weber (TX))

Grijalva (Neguse)

Hayes (Neguse)

Herrera Beutler (Stewart)

Hice (GA) (Boebert)

Huffman (Levin (CA))

Jacobs (NY) (Sempolinski)

Johnson (TX) (Pallone)

Kahele (Correa)

Kildee (Pappas)

Kirkpatrick (Pallone)

Lawrence (Garcia (TX))

Lawson (FL) (Wasserman Schultz)

Lieu (Beyer)

Malliotakis (Gimenez)

Maloney, Sean P. (Pappas)

Mfume (Beyer)

Napolitano (Correa)

Neal (Beyer)

Newman (Correa)

O'Halleran (Pappas)

Palazzo (Fleischmann)

Pascrell (Pallone)

Payne (Pallone)

Pressley (Neguse)

Roybal-Allard (Correa)

Ruppersberger (Sarbanes)

Rush (Beyer)

Simpson (Fulcher)

Sires (Pallone)

Swalwell (Correa)

Titus (Pallone)

Torres (NY) (Pappas)

Wagner (Fleischmann)

Welch (Pallone)

Wenstrup (LaHood)

Yarmuth (Beyer)

Mr. Speaker, Please accept this personal explanation as I was unexpectedly detained during vote proceedings. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 501.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Baird (Bucshon)

Bass (Cicilline)

Beatty (Neguse)

Brooks (Fleischmann)

Cole (Lucas)

Cooper (Beyer)

Cuellar (Correa)

DeFazio (Pallone)

Demings (Blunt Rochester)

Doyle, Michael F. (Pallone)

Dunn (Cammack)

Frankel, Lois (Meng)

Gallego (Cicilline)

Gosar (Weber (TX))

Grijalva (Neguse)

Johnson (TX) (Pallone)

Kildee (Pappas)

Kind (Beyer)

Kirkpatrick (Pallone)

Lieu (Beyer)

Long (Fleischmann)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

Malliotakis (Gimenez)

Moore (Beyer)

Newman (Correa)

O'Halleran (Pappas)

Palazzo (Fleischmann)

Payne (Pallone)

Pressley (Neguse)

Roybal-Allard (Correa)

Ruppersberger (Sarbanes)

Ryan (OH) (Correa)

Simpson (Fulcher)

Sires (Pallone)

Stanton (Huffman)

Steube (Franklin, C. Scott)

Titus (Pallone)

Van Drew (Tenney)

Waters (Garcia (TX))

Welch (Pallone)

Madam Speaker, it is my great honor to recognize Shriners International. Their continued commitment to their fraternity members and for those they provide services for is immeasurable, and Ahmed Shriners has become an indispensable part of Michigan's First District.

Shriners International fraternity was founded 150 years ago with the goal of providing the tools and sense of fellowship to men of good character across the country. With the establishment of the Shriners Children's health care system in 1922, Shriners International has continually supported our most vulnerable communities. Extending across our Nation's borders and into both Canada and Mexico, Shriners International has become a staunch supporter of healthcare facilities across North America by offering specialty services and care to children, regardless of their family's ability to pay. Shriners International has had the privilege to help countless individuals while expecting nothing in return. This fraternity has had a direct impact on the communities they serve, making it appropriate to acknowledge their continued effort to the communities in the Upper Peninsula. The work and passion of Ahmed Shriners, Potentate Sir. Travis Freeman, as well as all who contribute to make Shriners International the communal asset it is today deserve our praise.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize Shriners International in their effort to continually provide service to children and their families. On behalf of Michigan's First District, I wish all fraternity members and staff of Ahmed Shriners and Shriners International the best in their future endeavors. Michigan's First District commends their continued support of the Upper Peninsula and thanks them for their work in ensuring a healthy community both socially and medically.

Madam Speaker, it is my great honor to recognize the staff of the Escanaba Vet Center. Their continued commitment to Veterans and their families throughout the pandemic is immeasurable, and they have become an indispensable part of Michigan's First District.

The Escanaba Vet Center specializes in confidential services, offering counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder to services for general depression. By focusing on mental health and specializing in issues the public often does not see, the Escanaba Vet Center has had a direct impact on the lives of all those who utilize their services. Providing impactful and personable counseling services is the core mission of the Escanaba Vet Center--ensuring our Nation's Veterans are cared for in times of need. The individuals responsible for providing care to our Veterans deserve our unwavering gratitude.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on our country and drastically limited the ability for service providers to offer safe care to Veteran communities across the country. The drive and determination of the Escanaba Vet Center's staff is steadfast and laudable. Their work throughout the pandemic has allowed thousands of Veterans to receive the necessary assistance they need and deserve. They have given our Veterans in the state of Michigan a chance to heal and reshape their lives outside of military service.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the staff of the Escanaba Vet Center in their fight to continually provide services to our Veterans. On behalf of Michigan's First District, I wish all staff members of the Escanaba Vet Center the best in their future endeavors. Michigan's First District commends their continued support of our Nation's Veterans and thanks them for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan, it is my honor to recognize the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkiye. For nearly a century, Turkiye and the Turkish people have served as a beacon of cooperation, democratic ideals, and good citizenship.

Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to travel to Turkey, meet with Turkish leaders, and get to know the Turkish-American community in Michigan. Turkish Republic Day is an annual milestone and has been celebrated with great pride and joy since the republic's founding on October 29, 1923, by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. By replacing an aging empire with a vibrant democratic republic, Turkiye facilitated its own modernization and established itself on the national stage, including by being an important member of NATO for 70 years. Today, Turkiye remains a vital ally--from our work together against terrorist organizations, to countering international adversaries like Russia.

In Michigan, the Turkish diaspora community and those of Turkish descent have had a lasting impact on our state's culture, economic development, and education system, and have personified Michigan's ideal citizen. This especially includes the Turkish-American Cultural Association of Michigan, which has worked to promote Turkish culture and support programs benefitting the welfare of citizens throughout the state. The impact of their work on the people and communities of Michigan cannot be understated.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize Turkish Republic Day and the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkiye. I join with my constituents in celebration with the Turkish people, and wish them the best as they venture into the future.

Madam Speaker, as we come together to celebrate Veterans Day, it is my great honor to recognize the veterans, their families, and staff of the Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti.

Michigan Veteran Homes have served our Nation's heroes for 135 years. Offering services and nursing to our veterans across the Upper Peninsula, Michigan Veteran Homes' D.J. Jacobetti location was first established in 1981. Named after D.J. Jacobetti, Michigan's longest- serving state legislator in our state's history, this location combines state-of-the-art care and a compassionate staff to form a welcoming and proactive system of support for our local veterans. The staff and support system have rightfully earned high praise for their continued effort to care for our Nation's greatest asset.

The veterans of Jacobetti deserve our utmost respect and gratitude. The occasion of Veterans Day gives us the perfect opportunity to come together in celebration and thanks for those who have sacrificed to ensure our safety and freedom is protected at all costs. Their health, safety, and well-being must continue to be among our highest priorities--no one is more worthy of recognition and support than those who have served in our Nation's military.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the veterans, their families, and staff of Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti for their service to our country and the sacrifices they have made. They have all played an important part in safeguarding our Nation's security and the safety of millions of American citizens. On behalf of Michigan's First District, I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.