Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to instruct and yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, while I can appreciate the work that has been done on the other side of this building over in the Senate, I would remind the House that it has been the House committee that has conducted the oversight that has brought this issue to light. The corruption and the arrogance that has taken root at the Department of Veterans Affairs did not, as my colleagues say, did not happen overnight.

But I just want to tell my colleagues a little of the history about what brings us here today. From the 9th of June to July 24, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs will have held 12 full committee hearings highlighting the problems that exist at the Department of Veterans Affairs. But beginning with the 112th Congress, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has held 196 hearings, of which 126 were oversight hearings, and in the 113th Congress alone, we have held 96 hearings to date. We are doing our work.

As a result of our work, both the House and the Senate correctly moved to address the problems that exist at the Department. And as is often the case, the bills we pushed through have reflected our good intentions, but there has been a vacuum while waiting for the CBO to score the bills.

It is important to remember that the current scandal at VA really entails two issues: timely access to the health care that veterans have earned, and accountability because of the culture of corruption that exists among far too many senior leaders who have put their own welfare ahead of those they are supposed to be serving.

The CBO finally provided us with a formal score on the Senate amendment on the 17th of July. Since that time, and even prior to that time, my staff has been in daily contact with our Senate counterparts, and we are making progress on the conference report.

There are differences of opinion as to what the final conference report, in fact, is going to say. That is the nature of our work. But to my knowledge, there is no impasse that has been reached at this point. Now, I am confident that the good will on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Hill will present a report that both the House and the Senate can pass before the August recess, so it really makes no sense to take the Senate position on the leases at this time. In fact, some of the provisions in the Senate version are similar to the House bills that have been waiting in the Senate for months, and they could have been sent--any one of them--on to the President for his signature.

That brings me to the specifics of the motion to instruct today. On December 10, 2013, the House passed H.R. 3521 by a vote of 346-1. That bill contained provisions to authorize 27 VA community-based outpatient clinics. It includes the Tulsa, Oklahoma, clinic that my colleague referred to as not being in the Senate bill. And like nearly a dozen other House bills passed in a bipartisan fashion, they are stalled in the Senate. The Senate could pass and send the 27-clinic bill that we sent over to them in December today.

Mr. Speaker, I must point out that on a total of six different occasions, Senator Vitter from Louisiana and others, both Republican and Democrat, have gone to the Senate floor to request a vote on H.R. 3521 and have been blocked by the Democrats in the Senate. Perhaps the motion to instruct today should be revised to instruct the majority leader of the Senate or others in the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Again, Mr. Speaker, we are making progress on the conference report, and to recede at this point to the Senate position would be premature at best.

Now, let me spend a few moments talking about the VA budget needs. In each of our annual budget hearings, Members have repeatedly asked the Secretary of the VA: Do you have the resources that you need to get the job done? And every single time, the Secretary has said ``yes.'' And now today, suddenly because of the oversight of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Acting Secretary Gibson testified before the Senate that they will need approximately $17.6 billion in additional resources to meet current demand for the remainder of this year and into 2017.

In his testimony, Acting Secretary Gibson stated that about $10 billion of this money would go to purchase care and to hire 10,000 new clinical staff. He further stated that the purchased care would decline over time with a gradual shift back to reliance on internal VA care. He also said about $6 billion would be spent on new infrastructure.

So, what the Acting Secretary is saying is, give us billions of more tax dollars to continue reliance upon care that will continue to force veterans to drive, as my colleague has said, in far too many cases hundreds of miles for the care that they have earned, and, oh, by the way, give us billions of more dollars to dump into our construction program that has been shown to be so ineptly managed to result in major projects being on average 35 months--not days--35 months behind schedule and at least $366 million over cost.

Now, again, Mr. Speaker, why would we automatically stand up, salute, and write a check when the inspector general and the GAO have both said we cannot trust VA's numbers on multiple occasions? So the Department, which Rob Nabors describes as having a ``corrosive culture,'' now asks for nearly $18 billion.

Look, we can't allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue to consider itself a sacred cow above serious oversight on how the already significant resources we provide to the Department have been spent. Decades of a kid-glove approach by Congress to holding VA accountable has led us to the issues that confront us today. So I would urge my colleagues to oppose the motion to instruct.

At this time, I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Jolly).

Mr. Speaker, who has the right to close?

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

It is curious to me that my colleague talks about not waiting, not waiting, not waiting--manana.

The House passed a bill in December--in December. How much longer do veterans have to wait before the bill that resides in the Senate is passed? That is what we have been waiting for.

I cannot figure out what my colleague has against the veterans in Tulsa, Oklahoma, because that is the clinic that is missing out of the bill that he is wanting to instruct us to accept. Why would we not give access for care to the veterans in Oklahoma? It doesn't make any sense.

So when my colleague says manana, saying that, for some reason, we are trying to delay access to care, I say, oh, no--oh, no. What this bill actually does is it expands care way beyond what VA has ever purported to be able to do.

The clinics that we are talking about authorizing may not even be necessary in future years--I am not talking about these specific clinics--because veterans will be able to go out into the private sector.

No longer will there be a bottleneck within the Department of Veterans Affairs providing access to care for the veterans. You see, that is what has happened with VA really since the 1940s.

They have been trying to force veterans to drive for hours to facilities to get their care in places that they don't want to have to get their care at, to get their care when VA says they will get their care, not when the veteran says they want their care, so let's change the formula a little bit. Let's give veterans their care where they want to get it and when they want to get it.

So I say to my friend that if we truly want to service the most veterans, you have got to ask the Senate to pass the bill that we passed in December because, for some reason, the Senate doesn't want to put a clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Mr. Speaker, we have no additional speakers at this time, and I urge my colleagues to oppose the motion to instruct.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Will the gentleman yield?

It is not a House bill or a Senate bill question because this is a House bill that the Senate amended, so it is not a matter of whether it is a House bill, House resolution, Senate bill, Senate resolution, it is a House bill that the Senate has amended.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Will the gentleman yield again?

Thank you very much.

The problem we are going to have is that a conference report is a privileged report. It is not amendable. So you will not be able to add an additional clinic in the conference report.

Even if we recede to the Senate position, we will be stuck with 26 clinics. That is why it is critical that the House bill that has been languishing for 7 months that is over there be passed and sent to the President today.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great gratitude and respect that I rise to recognize Mr. Harry White upon the occasion of his retirement after a remarkable career of dedicated military and public service to our great Nation.

Born on October 22, 1942 in Robertsdale, Alabama, Harry enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1963. He excelled in his 21-year Air Force career, developing training and educational curricula for all USAF Veterinary Services. He later served as Superintendent of Training for the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine and as Senior Enlisted Advisor for Veterinary Services at Royal Air Force Base, Lakenheath, England in 1979. Harry retired from the Air Force in 1984 at the rank of Chief Master Sergeant.

After a full career of service in the Air Force, Harry joined the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce. Serving as Executive Vice President, he executed an industrial development program for the tri- city area in Alabama, developing and executing numerous programs to help support the local community. After five years with the Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce, Harry became the Director of Media Relations for Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Throughout the 25 years since, which he refers to as some of the best times in his life, Harry executed public affairs for the installation and proved to be a vital liaison between the military and civilian community. Harry prepared thousands of news releases to help translate issues of importance to the local communities; coordinated media relations for dignitaries, filmmakers, and writers; and served as an anchor for the community during emergencies, relaying critical information to the public during the aftermaths of Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and the September 11, 2001 attack on our homeland.

I have enjoyed having the opportunity to with Harry in his capacity as Public Affairs Officer and come to know him very well. Without question, Harry, always with his family and country at heart, has played an integral role in the continued development of Naval Air Station Pensacola. Looking back on his nearly five decades of service, Harry's unwavering devotion to duty, his timeless energy, and his extensive expertise will surely be missed. I am honored to call Harry my friend and I would like to thank his wife Wilma Jean, children, and grandchildren for supporting him throughout his exemplary service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all of Northwest Florida, I would like to thank Harry White for a five-decade job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Lieutenant General Charles R. ``C.R.'' Davis upon the occasion of his retirement after 35 years of honorable service to our great Nation in the United States Air Force.

A native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, General Davis' career in the Air Force began in 1979 after receiving his commission through the Air Force Academy. Throughout his decorated career and myriad assignments ranging from flying test aircraft to setting acquisition plans and policy, General Davis' commitment to service never wavered. As a testament to his dedication, General Davis was a distinguished graduate from every school he attended, as well as a First Assignment Instructor Pilot. As all great leaders do, General Davis led from the front by setting the example that others should follow.

In his final assignment as the Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, General Davis was responsible for the research and development, test, production, and modernization of all Air Force programs, an annual combined worth of $40 billion. Other career highlights include Senior Acquisition Executive for the Air Force, where he was responsible for the award of over 260 major contracts that directly preserved and enhanced over 250 mobility, fighter/attack, bomber, and other weapons systems and Commander, Air Armament Center and the Air Force Program Executive Officer for Weapons, Air Force Material Command at Eglin Air Force Base in my district, where he oversaw the development, acquisition, testing, deployment and sustainment of all air-delivered weapons.

Having flown over 3,400 hours in 53 different types of aircraft, General Davis has either been protecting our Nation's skies in fighter jets or ensuring that our Nation's skies remain protected by testing or procuring our Nation's latest technology. While he has had to make tough decisions to achieve cost savings, he also contributed to the Secretary of Defense's initiative to rebuild the acquisition workforce, resulting in 1,465 new positions. Whether instructor pilot, fighter pilot, test pilot, squadron commander, system program office director, wing commander, program executive officer, or center commander, General Davis always exemplified the Air Force core value of exuding excellence in everything he did.

Mr. Speaker, General Davis leaves a legacy of integrity, selfless service, and an excellence that is unparalleled. He consistently conducted himself in a professional manner, which brought great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. His exemplary character and years of service has helped shape Air Force acquisitions, while ensuring the tip of the spear is always sharp and that our Nation's Air Force was equipped to remain the greatest in the world. Without question, he concludes a career of which he and his family can be very proud. On behalf of the entire United States Congress, it is a privilege to honor the career and service of Lieutenant General C.R. Davis. My wife Vicki and I congratulate him and wish him, his wife Susan, and their family all the best.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Arc Gateway. For more than six decades, The Arc Gateway and its dedicated staff have served those in Northwest Florida with developmental disabilities, providing them with increased opportunities and numerous first-class facilities to learn, work, play, and reach their full potential.

Like so many great organizations in this country, The Arc Gateway started out as a grassroots movement to address an unmet community need. Pearl Nelson--whose son, Chris, has Down Syndrome--sought resources to help her son and family, but found that no such organization existed in Northwest Florida. So, she placed an advertisement in the paper to find parents of children with special needs and form a support group. Thus, The Arc Gateway was born. Together, these parents drafted a constitution, opened a one-room school house, and became members of the state and national Arc.

Over the years, The Arc Gateway saw the changing needs of the local community and responded with a number of new programs to meet a range of important priorities. From this environment, the Pollak Activity Center and Pollak Rehabilitation Workshop were created to give adults with developmental disabilities places to continue to learn and grow. The Arc Gateway also realized the necessity of early intervention for children and, in 1974, began the Infant Stimulation Program. Three years later, the Pearl Nelson Center expanded to become the Pearl Nelson Preschool for children ages two through five. Another critical need that arose in the community was residential support programs, and The Arc Gateway, once again, stepped up to meet these needs and established the Women's Residential Training Center.

Today, The Arc Gateway has grown from its humble beginnings to serve nearly 1,000 children and adults. They also provide an extremely impressive array of services to the community, including: the Pearl Nelson Child Development Center, which provides early intervention and pediatric services; the Pollak Training Center, where adults can participate in education classes, computer courses, and art instruction, in addition to job training; community based employment opportunities and services that connect people with local job options where they can succeed and enrich their lives; the Senior Adult Program at Bayview Senior Center, where senior citizens with developmental disabilities can access health, social, and leisure activities; as well as supported living and in-home support services to help individuals function in their own homes, and group homes that provide a great environment for support and companionship.

On behalf of the United States Congress, it is an honor for me to recognize the tremendous success of The Arc Gateway over its 60-year history. Thanks to the tireless efforts of its staff, volunteers, and parents, The Arc Gateway has grown from a small support group to an irreplaceable community staple. It is a shining example of what can be achieved when a community comes together to meet unaddressed needs. My wife Vicki and I congratulate The Arc Gateway on 60 incredibly successful years and wish them all the best as they continue to serve the Northwest Florida community for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life and dedicated service of DeFuniak Springs, Florida's beloved Mr. Thomas E. Martin, who passed away on June 16, 2014. Thomas Martin was a veteran, successful business owner, committed public servant, and loving family man. The entire Northwest Florida community mourns the loss of a great and compassionate man.

Born on July 27, 1927, to J.D. and Evie Jones Martin, Mr. Martin served our Nation as a member of the U.S. Army during WWII before enjoying a long and successful career as a civil servant. He retired after 30 years as the Plumbing Shop Supervisor at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Mr. Martin was also a successful small business owner, running Martin's Tire Company in his hometown of DeFuniak Springs. He took great pride in employing his neighbors, and he was also known for traveling through town to search for folks looking to work on the weekends at his small farm to help give them a small paycheck and the satisfaction that comes with a good day's work.

Mr. Martin was also an avid sports fan and a talented athlete in his own right who played professional baseball in the minor leagues before forming the town's first semi-pro baseball team, the DeFuniak Indians, where he was both a player and manager. Thanks to his wife and three daughters, Mr. Martin was also a softball fan, and he formed the town's first girls' and women's softball leagues. His passion for the game coupled with his tireless work supporting local leagues, he was nominated by his daughter, Cindy, for Major League Baseball's ``Most Valuable Dad'' award, and he was selected as the ``Most Valuable Dad'' for the Atlanta Braves organization.

In addition to his successful careers and immense leadership in his community, Mr. Martin was also a member of First United Methodist Church of DeFuniak and greatly enjoyed the hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreational activities in and around his hometown. He was known for leading hunting trips for dignitaries and was also a great friend to all manner of animals. He often took in disadvantaged animals to provide for them a good home. To some, Mr. Martin will be remembered as a dedicated public servant and a man full of integrity and kindness. To his family and friends, he will always be remembered as a loving and devoted family man with a heart of gold.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, it is a privilege for me to honor the life and dedicated service of Mr. Thomas E. Martin. My wife Vicki and I extend our prayers and sincere condolences to his wife of over 65 years, Sabra; daughters, Susan, Cindy, and Toma; brother, Frank; grandchildren, Lindsey, Kyle, Tiffany, Matt, Briana, Brent, and Troy; great-grandchildren, Gunnar, Erilyn, Ashton, Loren, River, Caden, Hadley, and Zoey (grandchild-to-be); and the entire Martin family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the remarkable military service of retired Marine Corporal William ``Kyle'' Carpenter, and former Defense Fellow with the House Veterans Affairs Committee, as earlier today he became the latest and youngest recipient of our Nation's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor.

Born in Flowood, Mississippi on October 17, 1989, Corporal Carpenter enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in February 2009. Upon completion of Recruit Training at Parris Island, South Carolina, then Private First Class Carpenter was assigned to Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines as a Squad Automatic Weapon gunner. In July 2010, Corporal Carpenter deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Later that year, his life would change forever in an instant.

On November 21, 2010, Lance Corporal Carpenter and Lance Corporal Nicholas Eufrazio were providing overwatch on the rooftop of a makeshift operation center in Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when his unit took small arms fire from enemy forces. A live grenade landed next to both men and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, Lance Corporal Carpenter leaped onto the grenade to save the life of his brother-in-arms. His subsequent injuries were so extensive that the medical team of a nearby facility labeled him ``Expired on Arrival''.

Thanks to the remarkable efforts of his medical team, Corporal Carpenter stabilized. In the following two and a half years, Corporal Carpenter would undergo more than forty surgeries to fix a skull fracture, punctured lung, thirty fractures to his right arm, a fractured jaw, ruptured ear drums, and subsequently lost his right eye. All the while, the Marine Corps and Department of the Navy had been conducting an investigation into the incident and found that Corporal Carpenter's actions proved worthy of the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity.

I do not believe Corporal Carpenter's actions that day occurred in a vacuum; selflessness and heroism of that magnitude do not simply happen overnight, and it serves as a testament to the moral character he had developed every single day leading up to that fateful event. The true grit, determination, and never-give-up attitude he has demonstrated through his extensive rehabilitation these past few years since serve us all as an example of the best this Nation has to offer. While the duration of his official military service was cut short, the example he left will motivate and inspire not just those within our military ranks, but our entire Nation for generations to come.

I wish Kyle all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for his selfless service and sacrifice. Semper Fi, Corporal Carpenter.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 628, I call up the bill (H.R. 3230) making continuing appropriations during a government shutdown to provide pay and allowances to members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who perform inactive-duty training during such period, with the Senate amendments thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

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

Mr. Speaker, this motion is to help us go to conference and to quickly work out the differences between the House and Senate bills that would provide meaningful reform to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This motion also ensures that the House has a position from which to begin negotiations with the Senate in a conference.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 628, I offer a motion.

Mr. Speaker, this motion is to authorize a conference to combine our two bills into something that is focused on the access and accountability crisis that exists at VA.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the motion.

The previous question was ordered.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to instruct.

As our committee works in a bipartisan fashion in an ongoing investigation of the Department of Veterans Affairs, we have continued to work and will continue to work in that bipartisan manner through legislation and aggressive oversight.

Veterans are not a partisan issue and must remain as such. That is why I am a little bit confused about the motion to instruct that has been offered by my colleagues across the aisle today.

With the vote that was just held to authorize us to go to conference, it would really not be prudent to prematurely direct our conferees to already recede to the Senate position before we even sit down and discuss whatever the matter that we may have with the Senate is.

The House amendment contains the text of H.R. 4810 and H.R. 4031, which have both passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan majorities and could be taken up right now by the Senate and sent to the President today.

Since it is clear that the Senate doesn't intend to do that, our only option is to go to conference so that both Chambers--the House and the Senate--can work together to smooth out the differences.

I want to caution my colleagues that what we are dealing with right now is a very technical provision, a provision that will have a long- lasting effect on VA and the manner in which veterans throughout the country receive the needed care that they have earned.

The gravity of the issues before us and the differences in how we solve them does require that the House Members be given an opportunity to sit down face to face with our Senate colleagues, so that we might make sure that we get this right for our veterans and their families.

I agree with a lot of the intent of many of the provisions in the legislation, but I do have some concerns. First, as the Senate bill is currently written, it provides an expedited appeal right for Senior Executive Service employees at VA who are fired by the new removal authority that is authorized by this bill.

The House has already passed similar provisions in H.R. 4031, with appeal rights that follow exactly what we, as Members of Congress, have in regards to our congressional staff. While I am open to discussing appeal rights, I am concerned that the Senate bill really doesn't change the status quo and could, in fact, limit the Secretary's authority to remove poor-performing employees. In short, without accountability, reform will not be possible.

Secondly, another major provision of the Senate bill would be to provide the authority for VA to hire additional doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel to provide and improve access.

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has heard multiple times, during the course of our investigation, that one issue with VA's current policy on capacity and scheduling is that VA doctors do not see nearly enough patients in one day compared to doctors in the private sector.

We need to ensure that VA health care staff and technology are used efficiently first, then address new hiring. Therefore, before Congress authorizes new funding for a whole new slew of medical personnel, I believe that VA managers must reexamine their current policies and see if they can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the personnel that are already in place.

Finally, the Senate bill essentially gives the VA a blank check to fund the requirements of this bill. Again, in hearing after hearing, the committee heard from VA about their wasteful spending on IT programs, poorly managed contracts, large bonuses, extravagant conferences, and bloated bureaucracy.

In short, this is not an agency for which Congress should be cutting a no-strings-attached blank check. It is imperative that Congress follow a more methodical, yet quick approach to funding new requirements which preserves Congress' oversight responsibility to protect taxpayer resources provided on behalf of America's veterans. This is the House position, and we ought to fight for it.

Now, look, I don't doubt my colleague's sincerity to quickly and efficiently pass legislation to help address the countless issues that are facing the Department of Veterans Affairs today. However, the best way to do this and to ensure that all of the issues are on the table to work out our differences with the Senate is with a conference committee.

I urge my colleagues to oppose the motion to instruct, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I think the question that needs to be asked is why in the world, with an almost $160 billion budget, would there be two nonfunctioning machines inside a VA medical center? It just goes to show the incapability for the current bureaucracy that exists out there to do what they need to do.

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

Mr. Speaker, I think what is very curious is that if people would look at the bill that they are referring to today, that 80 percent of the text in that bill is already House-passed language. The Senate could pass that--could have passed that some time ago--and they have refused to do so. And now, all of a sudden, because it is wrapped up with a tiny little bow, it is the perfect piece of legislation.

I don't believe that my colleagues are trying to imply that the bickering that takes place is not supporting the veterans. The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has held 90 hearings in the 113th Congress. Over 50 of those are oversight hearings. The Senate has only held six oversight hearings. The House has been doing their job and has been doing it in a bipartisan fashion.

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

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to remind the Members here on the floor that H.R. 357, the in-State tuition and bonus elimination bill, passed the House by 390-0; H.R. 4031, the VA accountability bill, passed this House in a wide, bipartisan fashion, 390-33; H.R. 4810, the access to care bill, passed this House unanimously, 400--we are hearing about 93-3? How about 426-0? Why don't we fight for what the House believes in once in a while around here instead of giving up to the Senate? H.R. 3521, the VA clinics--27 clinics are authorized in our bill. That was a 347-1 vote.

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

Mr. Speaker, I remind my fellow colleagues in the Chamber today that there are 12 pieces of legislation that have passed our committee and this full House that await action in the United States Senate, and they continue to languish.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I remind my friends here that the whims of the Congress to not pass appropriation bills blows very strong over on the Senate side because the House passes its Military Construction-VA bill year in and year out. It was the Senate that chose not to pass any appropriation bills last year.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank all Members who have come to speak on this very important matter. This should be a bipartisan matter, and it has been in our committee and certainly in this entire House.

I am still wondering why in the world we would just now vote to go to conference with the Senate on 80 percent of the bills that have already passed the House, and then we would turn around, and we would have a motion to instruct the conferees to just forget what the House said, take up the Senate bill.

It doesn't make sense that we would do that. In a normal course of legislative business, this is the way the process works: the House, the Senate get together, and we work out the issues that concern all of us.

I would ask the minority--or I would request the minority to not use this motion to instruct in one single political ad. I hope that I don't see this vote used in any political ads because our committee does things in a bipartisan fashion. Congressman Michaud and I have worked together diligently to keep the votes from becoming partisan.

I cannot see any other reason to have the vote today on the motion to instruct conferees to accept the Senate-

passed legislation after we have done the same thing in the House, passed the same bills in the House that they could take up on our side, yet we are going to cede to the Senate position.

With that, I urge defeat of the motion to instruct.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a cosponsor from H.R. 2377.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4810) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts for the provision of hospital care and medical services at non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities for Department of Veterans Affairs patients with extended waiting times for appointments at Department facilities, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks H.R. 4810.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today amidst a growing crisis amongst America's veterans. Just over 2 months ago, at a committee oversight hearing, we disclosed that the committee investigation had in fact uncovered evidence suggesting that at least 40 veterans had died while waiting for care at the Phoenix Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. We now know, and VA has in fact confirmed, that almost 60 veterans have died while facing delays in care at Phoenix and other locations, and that the data manipulation efforts that the committee has uncovered are in fact systemic throughout the entire Department.

I cannot state it strongly enough, Mr. Speaker, this is a national disgrace. For our veterans, it is something more. It is a national emergency.

An internal audit that was released just yesterday found that more than 57,000 veterans had been waiting for care, for their first medical appointment, and an additional 64,000 veterans who have enrolled in the health care system over the last 10 years never received the appointment that they requested.

Now, correcting the many failures of the VA health care system is going to take diligent and focused work for a long time to come. This committee, both Republicans and Democrats, is committed to seeing this through. However, our first priority must be making sure that those 121,000 veterans--and the thousands more I fear that are out there that have yet to be identified--receive the long overdue care that they need without any further delay.

This is why we have introduced H.R. 4810, the Veteran Access to Care Act. This bill would require VA to provide non-VA care authorization to any enrolled veteran who resides more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility and has waited longer than VA's stated wait time goals for a medical appointment, or has been notified by the Department of Veterans Affairs that an appointment is not available within the stated wait time goals.

Now, to ensure continuity of care, the bill would require VA to utilize existing contracts to the greatest extent possible. It would also ensure that the non-VA care authorization encompasses the entire episode of care needed by the veteran during a 60-day period.

To ensure providers are willing to accept veteran patients, the bill requires the Department to reimburse non-VA providers at the greater of the following rates: the rate of reimbursement under VA, the rate of reimbursement under Medicare, or the rate of reimbursement under TRICARE. These authorities would remain in place for 2 years.

To ensure that we are addressing both the short-term access challenges facing our veterans as well as the long-term need for a proactive solution, H.R. 4810 would further require the VA to enter into a contract with an independent entity or entities to conduct an assessment of the health care provided by the VA medical facilities and to submit its findings and recommendations of the assessment as well as an action plan and a timeline for full implementation to the Congress.

Importantly, the bill would also eliminate bonuses and performance awards for all VA employees for fiscal years 2014 through 2016 and require the Office of Management and Budget to transmit to Congress an estimate of the authority's budgetary effects, to include any transfer authority needed to utilize savings and, if necessary, a request for additional budgetary resources. Our latest estimate suggests that a temporary elimination of bonuses and other incentives will free up roughly $400 million per year that can be immediately utilized for the expanded patient choice options under this bill.

VA has a well-established authority to send veterans outside of the VA health care system to receive care through non-VA providers. However, right now, the decision of if and when a veteran is sent to non-VA care lies with a VA bureaucrat.

H.R. 4810 would require that the VA use the authority the Department has been given to assure that veterans waiting for an appointment or residing far from VA medical facilities are left in the control of their own care and able to choose for themselves where, when, and how they receive the care that the veteran themselves need. This authority would ensure that no veteran waiting for an appointment today would receive what one veteran, during a recent committee hearing, determined ``a death sentence.''

Mr. Barry Coates is a gulf war era veteran who waited almost a year in increasing pain to receive a colonoscopy from the Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina.

That colonoscopy revealed that Mr. Coates had stage IV colon cancer that had metastasized to his lungs and his liver. Members, he is terminally ill today. Mr. Coates called his experience attempting to access care through the Department long, painful, emotional, and unnecessary. He testified:

I am here to speak for those to come so that they might be

spared the pain I have already endured and know that I have

yet to face.

Mr. Speaker, the problems the Department of Veterans Affairs is now facing represents failure on at least two fronts: failure of accountability and failure of access. Over the last several weeks, the House has addressed VA's lack of accountability through the passage of two pieces of legislation: H.R. 4031, the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act, and H.R. 2072, the Demanding Accountability for Veterans Act.

Today, with the passage of H.R. 4810, we will address the Department's access failures for Barry Coates and, as he so eloquently said, for all those veterans still yet to come.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn), who has been at the forefront of the investigation on this scandal.

Mr. Speaker, I understand Ms. Brownley's concern, and I have heard that from Members on our side of the aisle as well.

At this point, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the vice chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, a stalwart supporter of our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the First District of Tennessee, Dr. Roe, a veteran himself.

Mr. Speaker, many Members have been very involved in this issue. Certainly the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health has been at the forefront. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan, Dr. Benishek.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Huelskamp).

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers at this time so we are prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, without a doubt there are thousands of veterans across this country that are waiting for care that VA should be providing for them today. That is a national disgrace.

It is a national crisis when veterans die, as VA has already admitted: 23 preventable deaths due to delayed care, and maybe more on the way.

Let me assure the Members of this body, this will not end here. There are problems, systemic problems, throughout the entire Department of Veterans Affairs. We will work day and night, as we did last night, going until 11:30 p.m., making sure that VA tells this Congress, a coequal branch of this Federal Government, the truth.

With that, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 4810, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am humbled to recognize Sergeant Chris Huffman upon the occasion of his retirement from the Pensacola Police Department on May 31, 2014. For more than three decades, Sergeant Huffman dedicated his life to protecting and defending the lives of those around him, and I join citizens throughout Florida's Gulf Coast and across the Nation in extending my deepest appreciation for his faithful service.

The proud son of a father who was Chief of Police of the Piqua Police Department in Piqua, Ohio, Sergeant Huffman followed in his father's footsteps in pursuit of a law enforcement career. Sergeant Huffman served as a police officer in Troy, Ohio, from 1979 until 1984 when he joined the Pensacola Police Department.

Sergeant Huffman performed various roles while at the Pensacola Police Department, including Community Relations; SWAT; K-9 Unit with his partner Isia; TAC, Uniform Patrol; and DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Officer at N.B. Cook and Scenic Heights elementary schools, Episcopal Day School, Montessori, and Sacred Heart schools. In 1999, he was promoted to sergeant, and in 2002, he was honored as the Florida DARE Officer of the Year.

Throughout the course of his career, Sergeant Huffman was an inspiration to our Nation's youth and his fellow officers. There is no question that he made a significant impact in the lives of many, and the Northwest Florida community was blessed by his unwavering commitment to service. While Sergeant Huffman's retirement will signal the end of his career with the Pensacola Police Department, it is merely the beginning of the lasting legacy that he leaves behind.

On June 1, Sergeant Huffman will kick off his retirement and embark on his next journey with a 60 day, 3,785 mile bike ride to help raise awareness and support for multiple sclerosis research.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, it gives me great honor to recognize Police Sergeant Chris Huffman for his years of service and his passion for bettering the lives of others. My wife Vicki joins me in thanking Sergeant Chris Huffman for his dedication to the Northwest Florida community and wishing him; his wife of 32 years, Darla; and their two daughters, Courtney and Kelsey, all the best.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2527) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide veterans with counseling and treatment for sexual trauma that occurred during inactive duty training.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2527.

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

H.R. 2527 would extend VA's program of counseling, care, and services for veterans who experience sexual trauma during inactive duty training.

Those servicemembers and veterans who experience sexual violence during military service, regardless of where or when such violence is inflicted, should have access to the counseling, care, and treatment they need to recover.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2527, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, so I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 2527, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2942) to amend title 38, United States Code, to reestablish the Professional Certification and Licensure Advisory Committee of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members would have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2942.

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

Mr. Speaker, I do rise today in support of H.R. 2942, that amends title 38 of the United States Code, reestablishing the Professional Certification and Licensure Advisory Committee at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

I know my colleague who introduced this bill, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, will go into greater detail as to the importance of this legislation, but I do believe that this bill is another step in the right direction to assist our veterans as they look for work in the civilian sector following their service to our great Nation.

The reestablishment of the Professional Certification and Licensure Advisory Committee would improve the quality of both the Department of Veterans Affairs' and State approving agencies' licensing and certification process and will ultimately benefit our servicemembers, as well as employers, and ease the process of placing veterans in civilian careers that match their skills.

Mr. Speaker, although the unemployment rate for veterans is lower than the national average for nonveterans, getting veterans into a job must remain an issue of national importance. Reestablishing this advisory committee will be yet another tool to help veterans get into a career in a timely fashion.

We have already made the investment to train our veterans during their military service for careers in the civilian sector, and by getting advice from industry experts on how to streamline and improve licensing and credentialing, we will make it easier for veterans to find meaningful and timely employment.

So with that, Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2942, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentlelady for her fine work, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2942.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4261) to improve the research of Gulf War Illness, the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members would have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 4261.

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

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, we paused to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this great Nation, but it is also important to remember those who are still suffering as a result of their service.

It has been estimated that as many as 250,000 veterans have some form of Gulf War illness. Despite millions of dollars in government funding and years of research, it is clear that more has got to be done to better understand this disease, so we can properly care for and compensate these veterans.

The bill before us today reaffirms the essential role of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses and provides the committee with the independence that it needs, so that it can continue its vital work.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 4261.

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

Mr. Speaker, there has been a gentleman who chairs the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations who has been at the forefront of making sure that health care is provided in a timely fashion to our veterans, somebody who himself is a combat veteran. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman).

I yield the gentleman an additional 1\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 4261, and I yield back the balance of my time.