Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my respect and appreciation for Congressman John Dingell and his 59 years of service in the United States House of Representatives. Congressman Dingell served with honor, dignity, and distinction, fighting each and every day for his home state of Michigan and for our entire country. While Mr. Dingell is retiring, Debbie Dingell was elected this year to represent Michigan's 12th Congressional District in the next Congress. Like her husband, I know she will make the people of Michigan proud, and I look forward to working with her.

As a veteran of World War II and the longest-serving Member of Congress, Mr. Dingell understands the meaning of service. He devoted himself to expanding opportunities for all Americans and to helping more families achieve the American Dream. He was a leader in the fight to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and helped create Medicare in 1965. An advocate for public safety, Mr. Dingell wrote

the 1990 Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, protecting the health of Americans and the environment.

Mr. Dingell's tireless efforts will leave an indelible mark on our country and in Congress. I am thankful for his service and proud to call him a colleague and a friend. While we will miss his leadership, we can follow Mr. Dingell's example and honor his legacy by putting aside our differences and working together to tackle our nation's challenges.

I wish Mr. Dingell and his family all the best.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Girls Cross Country Team of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the Thunder. On November 8, 2014, the team won the Division One State Championship in Cross Country, and the team's captain, Senior Dani Jones, set a new course record for Arizona.

This year, for the first time in Desert Vista High School history, the team qualified for the Nike Cross Nationals, a meet that brings together the fastest high school cross country teams and individuals from around the country. On Saturday December 6, 2014, the team took 5th place at this meet, and Dani Jones took 3rd place in the individual category.

This past year, I have had the great honor of running with the team during their early morning practices. The focus, dedication and spirit of these exceptional young women are inspiring.

Congratulations to the Desert Vista High School Girls Cross Country Team, to Team Captain Dani Jones, and to Head Coach Jeff Messer and his dedicated coaching staff. This amazing team consists of exceptional young female athletes, dedicated coaches, and supportive parents.

I am very proud to represent the students and families of Desert Vista High School, and I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the accomplishments of these remarkable young women.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time for our Nation to raise awareness about the persistent scourge of suicide.

Tens of thousands of Americans die each year purposefully by their own actions. They are our neighbors and our friends, our sons and our daughters, and too often they are the men and women who have served our country honorably in the United States military. An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide every day in our country. That is one life lost every 65 minutes.

One year ago, we came together in this Chamber during a special bipartisan order to send a clear message that this epidemic of veteran suicide must end. Now, 1 year later, the fight isn't over and more work needs to be done.

Tonight we demonstrate our ongoing support for the individuals, organizations, and agencies devoted to preventing the epidemic of veteran suicide, and we challenge the VA, the Department of Defense, and our fellow lawmakers to do more. We are failing in our obligation to do right by those who have served so honorably.

Finally, we send a message to military families who have experienced this tragedy: Your family's loss is not forgotten. We will work to stop this epidemic. We work for the memory of your loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend and colleague from Florida, Representative Yoho.

Thank you, Representative Yoho, for your leadership and, in particular, thank you for sharing the story of a veteran that your office helped.

We hear countless stories from Members of Congress in this very body of veterans who reach out to our offices, sometime as a last resort as they are facing or contemplating suicide. I am proud to say that many Members of this body have done what it has taken to help those individuals recover and stay in touch.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to turn the time over to my colleague from Arizona, Mr. Ron Barber, for his remarks.

Thank you, Mr. Barber, for your commitment to supporting veterans in Arizona.

Last year, I shared with you the story of a young veteran in my district, Sergeant Daniel Somers. Sergeant Somers was an Army veteran of two tours in Iraq. Diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and PTSD, Sergeant Somers ultimately took his own

life after struggling with the VA bureaucracy and not getting the help he needed in time.

Together with the Somers family, we have worked to prevent veteran suicide and improve much-needed access to mental health care for our veterans.

We have recently developed the Classified Veterans Access to Care Act to ensure that all veterans, including those with classified experiences, get immediate access to mental health services in the appropriate care setting.

The House Veterans' Affairs Committee included this legislation in a larger veterans package, and we expect it to be on the floor before the end of the year.

While this is an important step in supporting our veterans, we have much more work to do.

I would like to take a moment to yield the floor to the gentleman from California, Representative LaMalfa, my friend and colleague.

Thank you, Representative LaMalfa, for your commitment to veterans. Your comment and your message to veterans of don't give up is one that I think we must all repeat every day, not just in words, but in our actions as Members of Congress to continue to reform the VA system and send a clear message to veterans that we won't give up either in reforming the system and taking care of them.

Earlier this evening, I shared the story of Sergeant Daniel Somers. The VA failed Sergeant Somers. We have since learned that the VA has failed thousands of other veterans through gross mismanagement and delays in access to care.

Veterans at the Phoenix VA and VA facilities across the country were placed on secret lists and had to wait months before seeing a doctor.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General's final report on the Phoenix VA Health Care System, which was released last month, confirms that the Phoenix VA, housed in my district, left 3,500 veterans at risk of never receiving care. Additionally, 1,400 veterans on the official electronic waiting list were left waiting for unacceptably long periods of care. At least 20 veterans who failed to receive timely or appropriate care passed away.

Mr. Speaker, this is immoral, un-American, and it puts our veterans at risk. But in Arizona, we are not idly waiting for Washington to take action, we are taking action ourselves.

In Phoenix, we have established a working group of community providers, veterans service organizations, and the local VA to work together to improve access to services. We also recently cohosted our first Veterans First Clinic, which brought together community providers, the Phoenix VA, and over 20 veteran-serving organizations to help veterans in a variety of ways. Approximately 400 veterans and their families attended and got the care that they earned and that they deserve.

These are examples of the good that results when we set aside partisanship and focus instead on putting veterans first to help meet their needs.

Mr. Speaker, I want to share a story from my district. Last month, a local veteran, Peter, came to our district office. He came to ask for help with his claims and for help navigating the VA.

After meeting with my social work staff for 2 hours, Peter told one of my caseworkers that he had thoughts of suicide and he had the ability to carry out those thoughts. In fact, he said, the only thing keeping him from doing so was his daughters.

Our office met with Peter for an additional 2 hours, listening to him share his feelings and focusing on solutions and next steps. We shared with him our veterans resource guide, which let him know about available community programs and organizations dedicated to supporting veterans with services that range from mental health treatment to financial assistance.

Peter told us he had no idea there were so many organizations that support local veterans, and he left our office that day feeling better than when he had arrived.

Mr. Speaker, I spoke with him personally just a few days later. He told me he had never heard of an office that would respond and care about his suicidal ideation, his depression, and his needs. I am grateful that Peter came to our office. I am even more grateful that we were able to help him.

Since meeting with Peter and other veterans in our district, we have released a veterans resource guide for the Ninth Congressional District in Arizona, a comprehensive 27-page document that provides local veterans with detailed information about community resources that are available to them. We hope that this resource guide will be replicated in districts across the country.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of veteran suicide and the systemic problems in the VA system require a substantial local and national effort. My colleagues here today believe, as I believe, that no one who comes home after serving our country should ever feel like he or she has nowhere to turn.

In response to the VA crisis, Congress recently passed and the President signed into law the Veterans Access to Care Through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act. This legislation makes needed reforms to the VA health care system and will ensure that Arizona veterans get access to the care that they have earned.

The Veterans Access to Care Through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act builds on our work to address the crisis in Phoenix by allowing veterans who have been waiting for medical care for more than 30 days to receive care from non-VA doctors.

It authorizes the VA to fire senior managers who knew about these coverups across the country. It reviews scheduling systems and technology so that fewer veterans slip through the cracks when seeking care.

It provides resources for more physicians and medical staff to work in VA hospitals around the country; also, it creates an independent commission to investigate the Veterans Administration to find out what went wrong and evaluate access to care throughout the VA health care system.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation was an important step forward, but more action is required. The first step is speedy and effective implementation of this important bill. I urge the VA and agencies locally who are working with

the VA to speed the implementation of this important legislation and show a change of culture at the VA. We all believe that veterans deserve the best possible care.

Carl McLaughlin, a 38-year-old Army veteran, committed suicide on December 19, 2013. He had been stationed in Bosnia, and he was released from the Army on a medical discharge in 2004.

Starting in 2006, Carl was treated at the Phoenix VA, but, as time went on, it became increasingly difficult for Carl to see his doctor. According to Carl's mother, Terry, at the time of his death, Carl was waiting to hear back from the Phoenix VA to have his medications adjusted and to see his doctor.

Carl suffered from recurring pain caused by shoulder injury, severe hearing loss, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. His depression worsened over time.

Terry, Carl's mom, told us:

The last time I saw Carl was a few days before his death.

He looked really depressed, and I asked him if he had a

doctor's appointment scheduled because I know he had been

waiting over 4 weeks for a call back from the doctor's

office. He said, no, he was still waiting.

He called them the next day, six times, and left three

messages. He was put on hold and hung up on the other three

times. This problem of calling and being hung up on and not

getting calls back had been going on for over 1 to 2 years.

Terry asked us to share her son's story in the hope that his tragedy doesn't happen to another family.

Recently, I cosponsored legislation called the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. This bill reviews mental health staffing requirements and increases the ability of the VA to recruit and train psychiatrists. Congress should pass this legislation this year to make it easy for veterans like Carl to see a behavioral health specialist.

Mr. Speaker and Members, I want to thank my colleagues who joined me this evening. Our thoughts are with the families who have lost a loved one. Each of us can do something to raise awareness, to be that light for a struggling veteran in our community.

Businesses can display signs to let veterans know that help is always available to them. Mental health professionals can volunteer with organizations like Give an Hour to provide free counseling to veterans, their family members, and active duty members and their families.

We can all learn to recognize the signs of crisis by visiting veteranscrisisline.net and then reaching out to the veterans in our lives.

Here in Congress, we can do more. We need a VA that provides real and meaningful help to veterans in need and that puts veterans first and works aggressively with community providers to improve the quality and accessibility of care. We need a VA that is transparent and open to restore the trust and credibility it has lost.

We who enjoy our freedom every day, thanks to the sacrifices of our military servicemembers, must all step up to end the epidemic of veteran suicide.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today I, along with Mr. Valadao of California, introduced the bipartisan Startup Act of 2014. The Startup Act provides immigrant entrepreneurs and foreign graduates of U.S. universities with the opportunity to appeal and extend their visa by two years on the condition that they secure financing from a U.S. investor and demonstrate the ability to create jobs and bolster the U.S. economy.

If they are able to demonstrate success, by securing additional funding, generating revenue and creating jobs, they would be eligible for legal permanent residency, enabling them to continue to create more American jobs, expand and improve their business, and reinvigorate the United States as the land of opportunity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Our history as a nation has been defined by immigrant innovators, pioneers, and entrepreneurs. Many of the world's best and brightest minds come to this country seeking the freedom and resources necessary to turn their ideas into successful businesses. Transformative U.S. companies including Google, Yahoo, Pfizer, Intel and eBay all began as startups founded by immigrants.

Today, foreign born entrepreneurs come to the United States, graduate from our universities and start businesses on our soil, only to find that our country's archaic, complex visa restrictions make it difficult for them to stay in this country and continue to develop their business, contribute to our economy, and create American jobs.

This places us at a competitive disadvantage at a time when our foreign competitors are catching up. For example, in 2009 foreign innovators were awarded more patents than U.S. inventors for the first time; whereas a decade ago the U.S. held 57 percent of all patents worldwide.

With two Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, it's easy to see the benefits of immigrant innovators in my home state. Freeport-McMoRan is a leading natural resource company which employs thousands of Arizonans. Avnet Inc. is another innovative Phoenix based company and one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products, and embedded technology.

We also have a multitude of smaller startups founded by foreign entrepreneurs.

Sumiko Glenn emigrated from Japan and after graduating from Texas Tech University, founded her own tax consulting firm, Glenn Consulting LLC, in Mesa, Arizona. Gelie Akhenblit left Moldova with her family to come to Arizona, where her later studies in Communication at Arizona State University led her to launch NetworkingPhoenix.com as a way to fill the advertising needs of our state through social media. In the state of Arizona, immigrants make up 13.4 percent of population; own 19.6 percent of businesses, and start 31.5 percent of new businesses.

If we are going to protect America's position as the global leader in innovation, we must ensure that tomorrow's entrepreneurs have every opportunity to build and develop their ideas on American soil. The Startup Act of 2014 will create high-wage jobs here in the United States, spur private investment and economic growth, and help ensure that America remains globally competitive. I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank because helping Arizona businesses expand their manufacturing capacity and exporting ability creates jobs and grows our economy.

The Export-Import Bank fills gaps in private financing, stepping up where the private sector can't or won't.

Last year, Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg visited my district to help small and growing businesses increase their global exports right from our own backyard. From Fiscal Year 2007 to Fiscal Year 2014 the agency supported $176 million in exports from AZ-09 companies.

One of those companies, MarTek Inc. of Tempe, Arizona, was reluctant to sell their semiconductor equipment to customers in

Asia. They were concerned that once the equipment left their building, there was no guarantee they would get paid.

Because of the large price associated with the equipment, their customers were unwilling to pay for the equipment in advance with the same fears that the equipment would not ship or be a quality product.

The Export-Import Bank offered MarTek a solution. The bank issued an insurance policy so MarTek could make sales and have some guarantee they would be paid. Thanks to the Export-Import Bank MarTek now exports to companies in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Another business in my district that benefits from the Export-Import Bank is Ulthera, Inc. of Mesa, Arizona, which manufactures medical devices. Thanks to the Export-Import Bank Ulthera was able to access additional debt financing at a critical point in their business. It's now one of the fastest growing companies in Arizona with sales in over 30 countries outside the U.S.

As we all know, the Export-Import Bank's current charter is set to expire at the end of September. A lapse in authorization would threaten the competitiveness of these and many other Arizona businesses. I am a co-sponsor of legislation to extend the Export-Import Bank's authorization and will continue to work to reauthorize this important investment in American jobs.

Mr. Speaker, today Dr. Dan Benishek and I will introduce the VA Bonus Accountability Act. This bipartisan legislation claws back bonuses fraudulently paid to VA employees who manipulated wait times data.

The revelations that veterans at the Phoenix VA, and veterans at other VA facilities across the country, were placed on secret lists and had to wait months before seeing a doctor are immoral and un-American. That veterans who served our country honorably may have died while waiting for care is unconscionable. Those responsible for this disaster must be held accountable.

Ongoing audits by the VA and the VA Office of Inspector General reveal systemic problems with wait times, with the scheduling process, and with the honesty and integrity of the system. Evidence from multiple VA facilities shows intentional and systemic manipulation occurred to cover up long wait times and veteran deaths. Despite this misconduct and administrative failures, thousands of VA employees received bonuses for their performance.

In 2013, the VA awarded more than $380,000 in bonuses to executives and directors at 38 VA hospitals where investigations were ongoing regarding increased delays in patient care and potential falsification of appointment records. Last year in total, the VA gave out $2.7 million in extra pay to its top ranking officials.

Over the last three years, the Phoenix VA, ground zero for the VA scandal, paid out almost $10 million in bonuses to its employees. All of this as patient wait times increased, data was intentionally manipulated, and whistleblowers were ignored or punished.

Our legislation requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, based on the findings of the VA Office of Inspector General and after notice and opportunity for a hearing, to order employees who contributed to the purposeful omission of veterans from electronic wait lists, and received a bonus in part because of such omission, to repay the bonus.

The first priority of the VA and Congress must be providing our veterans the care they need. Many dedicated VA employees, many of them veterans themselves, work tirelessly to provide the best care to our veterans, but they are limited by this broken system, which is failing millions of our veterans.

If we are going to change the culture at the VA so that veterans truly come first, we must also hold accountable those who intentionally manipulated wait times data and received bonuses based on this fraudulent data.

We urge our colleagues to cosponsor our legislation to bring accountability and change the corrosive culture at the VA.

Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Miller, and Representative Bonamici for working together to find common ground on this bipartisan legislation, and I rise in support of H.R. 4984.

This legislation enacts commonsense safeguards and reforms to make financial counseling more effective for students and their families. Specifically, this legislation ensures that student loan recipients receive comprehensive information on an annual basis, detailing the terms and conditions, as well as the individual responsibilities throughout the life of their loans.

As an adjunct professor at Arizona State University, I frequently hear from my students about how difficult it is to effectively manage their student loans. One year ago, I brought stories from my own Arizona State University students to the House floor to demonstrate how student debt impacts their futures and our community.

One former student in my district, Brandy, faces over $100,000 in student debt. While this legislation will make it easier for her to understand the terms of her loan, we shouldn't fool ourselves, because this legislation will not make repaying her loan any easier, it won't provide relief from rising interest rates, and it doesn't take meaningful steps to address the skyrocketing cost of higher education. So together, we must do more here in Congress to create quality, higher education opportunities for America's students.

So while this legislation is no substitute for a full reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, it is a good step forward. It doesn't yet provide a meaningful solution that addresses the rising cost of college, but it is very important that we stand today and make the important start to ensure students are fully informed about their loans and student debt.

I relied on Pell grants, academic scholarships, and Federal loans all through my schooling, just like my Arizona State University students do today. I know that students need guidance and assistance to manage their student debt.

I talk to young people who are excited to share their ideas and thoughts with me about how to solve some of our world's biggest problems, but it concerns me when I see these same young students are daunted by the prospect of an expensive education that they want but fear they can't afford.

Rising college costs are putting higher education and the American dream out of reach for too many hardworking American families. Education is the key to economic growth, job creation, and for many, a clear pathway out of poverty. I know this because education was the key to my own path from poverty to the middle class. So I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation and continue working together to make college affordable for Arizona students.

I thank the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for yielding and for her hard work.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am opposed.

Mr. Speaker, this motion to recommit is the final amendment to the bill. It will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If this amendment is adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

This motion is straightforward and common sense. It directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide students with the information they need to compare the costs of student loans.

In providing information on tax credits, the Treasury Secretary must publish a table showing the amount of savings that a student would achieve on a monthly basis under different student loan rates. Students should be provided this important information before they take on debt.

Mr. Speaker, our country has a student debt crisis. As an adjunct professor at Arizona State University, I frequently hear from my students about how difficult it is to effectively manage their student loans.

Angela Schultz, Brian Garcia, Iliamari Vazquez, Brandie Reiner, Jack Welty, Andy Albright, Diego Soto, Anthony Carly, Ellen Hamilton, Ariel Carlos, Kent Fogg, Joe Slaven, Brandy Pantilione, Gary Brewer, and Christopher Valles are only a few of the young college graduates from Arizona State University, my alma mater, who shared their stories with me.

Some of these young people are my students at Arizona State University. Some are recent graduates. Some of them are thinking of starting a family, while others are working hard to care for the families they already have.

What do these graduates want? They just want a fair shot. They want to know that their hard work in college mattered, that it led to the promise that their parents made to them when they were little--the promise we all believe in: if you work hard and play by the rules, you can succeed.

Essentially, they want what each one of us has wanted for ourselves, what we want for our own kids, and what we are working for in our districts. They want a shot at the American Dream.

Angela graduated from Arizona State University in 2012. She now faces the biggest financial hurdle of her life. She doesn't face massive medical bills or an expensive car loan. It is not rent or mortgage payments. It is a bill for over $85,000 in student loans. Iliamari will graduate in 2015. When she does, she will have over $64,000 in student loans.

Nationally, outstanding student loans now total more than $1.2 trillion, surpassing total credit card debt, and every year, students are taking on more. An estimated 71 percent of college seniors had debt in 2012, with an average outstanding balance of $29,400 for those who borrowed to get a bachelor's degree.

Young people are foregoing long-term job opportunities and home ownership in order to meet the urgent demands of their large student loan payments.

I relied on Pell grants, academic scholarships, and Federal loans all through school, just like my Arizona State students do today. I know students need guidance and assistance to manage their student debt.

I talk to young people who are excited to share their ideas and thoughts with me about how to solve some of the world's biggest problems. However, it concerns me that these same young people are daunted by the prospect of an expensive education that they want, but fear they cannot afford.

Rising college costs are putting higher education and the American Dream out of reach for too many hardworking Arizona families. Education is key to economic growth and job creation and, for many, it is a clear pathway out of poverty. I know this because education was the key to my own path out of poverty and to the middle class.

We must take action to combat this crisis. We need to give students the information they need to make smart decisions about paying for education. That is why I offered this motion to recommit today. It is why I am asking my colleagues to support this reasonable motion, and I call on Congress to do more to make the American Dream accessible and affordable for more American families.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California (Mr. Peters) for offering this motion to instruct and for his leadership and work on behalf of veteran and military families.

This motion urges House conferees to accept language in the Senate bill that ensures post-9/11 veterans receive instate tuition at colleges and universities, regardless of their home State. This concept was overwhelmingly supported by the House of Representatives when it passed the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act in February.

I am a cosponsor of the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act, authored by Chairman Miller, and I appreciate his bipartisan leadership and dedication to improving opportunities for veterans. Tuition fairness gives our veterans a better chance to achieve the American Dream.

In April of 2011, as a State senator, I authored and led the effort to pass this same law in Arizona. I am proud to now be a part of the national effort to make college more affordable for our veterans.

As David Lucier, president of the Arizona Veterans and Military Leadership Alliance, said:

This is an opportunity to create the `next greatest

generation' by investing in our veterans as they move out of

uniform--to being scholars--to becoming national and global

leaders.

I couldn't agree more. Acting on tuition fairness is the right thing to do. Acting on a VA reform bill is also the right thing for Congress to do. But in Arizona, we are not waiting for Congress to act. We are making sure that veterans receive the care they need right now.

In Phoenix, we recently cohosted the Veterans First Clinic, which brought together community providers, the Phoenix VA, and over 20 veteran-serving organizations to help veterans access services. We are leveraging community-based providers to make sure veterans receive timely access to care, and we are holding the VA accountable through monthly reporting meetings. We are moving forward while Washington drags its feet, because in Arizona we believe that veterans and their families should come first. But more action is required.

I appreciate the bipartisan work to advance a VA reform bill, especially from Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Michaud. I call on the conferees to move quickly to produce commonsense reforms that can be signed into law. By working together, we can address this crisis and create a VA system that our veterans deserve.

Again, I thank my colleague from California for offering this motion.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Arizona (Mr. Barber) for offering this motion to instruct and for his leadership and work on behalf of veteran and military families in Arizona.

This motion urges conferees to expand the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship to include spouses of fallen servicemembers. Currently, the scholarship covers the children of servicemembers who are killed in the line of duty. After their tragic loss, the surviving spouse is frequently left to provide for her or his family. It is important that Congress take action to expand this benefit to spouses and to help these military families begin to rebuild.

It is also important that Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs take action to get veterans the care they need. Veterans in my district, which is home to the Phoenix VA, are still waiting for Congress to produce a bipartisan VA reform bill to send to the President's desk. But in Arizona, we are not waiting idly for Washington to take action; we are doing it ourselves.

In Phoenix, we have established a working group of community providers, veterans service organizations, and the local VA to work together to improve access to services. We also recently cohosted our Veterans First Clinic, which brought together community providers, the Phoenix VA, and over 20 veteran-serving organizations to help veterans in a variety of ways. Approximately 400 veterans and their families attended and got the care that they earned and that they deserve.

These are examples of the good that results when we set aside partisanship and focus on putting veterans first to help meet their needs, but more action is required.

I appreciate the bipartisan leadership and work the House--especially Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Michaud--has done on this issue, and I call on the conferees to move quickly to produce a bipartisan bill and get it on the President's desk. By working together, we can address this crisis and create a VA system that our veterans deserve.

Let's get this done for our veterans.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my colleague from Arizona's motion because Arizona veterans demand immediate action.

At the Phoenix VA, managers and employees placed veterans on secret lists where they had to wait months to see a doctor. Even more horrifying are new whistleblower allegations that veterans died while waiting on these lists and that VA managers ordered the records altered to cover up these deaths.

This is not just immoral; it is criminal. Those responsible for this disaster must be prosecuted and held accountable. They should also take responsibility for what they have done to our veterans.

I call on the Phoenix VA management currently on administrative leave to resign immediately and return the bonuses they received over the past 2 years and the pay they have received while on administrative leave.

Ongoing audits by the VA and the VA Office of Inspector General reveal systemic problems with wait times, with the scheduling process, and with the honesty and integrity of the system.

In a letter to the President sent yesterday, the Office of Special Counsel revealed that the VA's procedures for responding to whistleblower disclosures are woefully inadequate. This is totally unacceptable.

VA and Congress must take action to provide our veterans the care they need now, recoup bonuses paid to VA executives who fraudulently manipulated the data, and fire VA executives responsible for these inexcusable actions.

I appreciate the bipartisan work taking place to reform the VA and to provide our veterans the care that they need. In fact, I cosponsored and voted for both House bills.

The bottom line is that there is bipartisan legislation that can help our veterans get the care they need and hold bad actors accountable right now, so that is why I support this motion to send a bill to the President's desk as quickly as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion.

Mr. Speaker, I offer this motion to instruct because veterans in Arizona and across the country need action from Congress and from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Our motion instructs House conferees to accept the bipartisan bill, drafted by Senator John McCain and Senator Bernie Sanders and overwhelmingly approved by the Senate, so that we can immediately send a bill to the President's desk that will provide relief for our Nation's veterans.

The revelations that veterans at the Phoenix VA and veterans at other VA facilities across the country were placed on secret lists and had to wait months before seeing a doctor are immoral, irresponsible, and un- American. That veterans who served our country honorably may have died while waiting for care is unconscionable.

Ongoing audits by the VA and the VA Office of Inspector General revealed systemic problems with wait times, with the scheduling process, and with the honesty and integrity of the system. Those responsible for this disaster must be held accountable.

Many dedicated VA employees, many of them veterans themselves, work tirelessly to provide the best care to our veterans, but they are limited by this broken system, which is failing millions of our veterans.

The first priority of the VA and Congress must be to provide our veterans the care they need. This challenge does not need a Democratic or a Republican response. It demands an American response, and I appreciate the bipartisan leadership and work of Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Michaud. In fact, I cosponsored and voted for both of Chairman Miller's bills.

I supported bipartisan legislation to give the Secretary of the VA a greater ability to hold underperforming senior executives accountable and to fire managers, like those in Phoenix who manipulated wait times and put veterans at risk.

I also supported bipartisan legislation directing the VA to use non- VA community providers to cut those wait times and increase the capacity and capabilities of the VA health care system.

In Phoenix, we have established a working group of community providers, veterans service organizations, and the local VA to work together to improve access to services.

We joined with the American Legion to establish a veterans crisis center to provide service to our veterans, and I would say thank you to the American Legion for moving so quickly and working with our community.

We have also started to fully utilize programs, like the Patient- Centered Community Care contract, which cuts into wait times for specialty and mental health care at the Phoenix VA. A new contract for primary care should be in place by the end of this month, but more action is required.

This conference should move quickly to accept the Senate language, which passed 93-3.

In addition to the good provisions in the House bill to improve access and accountability, the Senate language directs the VA to hire more doctors and nurses. It invests in 26 new VA facilities.

It provides for instate tuition for veterans, regardless of their home concept, a concept that the House overwhelmingly supported earlier this year. It extends post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits to surviving spouses of veterans who died in the line of duty. It improves access to health care for military sexual assault survivors. It was scored as costing less than the House bill.

Both Republicans and Democrats want to provide the best possible care for our veterans and their families, and we want to move quickly to provide this care. That is why I urge my colleagues to accept this motion to instruct, so we can move a bill to the President's desk quickly, and we can provide the care and services our veterans have earned and deserve.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague from Arizona (Mrs. Kirkpatrick).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Enyart), a veteran colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus), my colleague on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Garcia).

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Miller, just know that folks on both sides of the aisle are very, very grateful for his leadership, in particular the research that was done to uncover the tragedy that occurred in the Phoenix VA in my district. So know that folks on both sides of the aisle here in the House are very, very grateful for the bipartisan nature in which the Veterans' Affairs Committee has conducted its affairs during his tenure, and we appreciate his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), my colleague who serves on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley), my colleague who serves on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the ranking member on the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown), who serves on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, how much time remains?

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Michaud for their tremendous leadership and the work that they have done over the years to provide veterans with the best possible care, holding multiple hearings and passing a multitude of bipartisan bills. By working together, I know we can address this crisis and create a VA system that our veterans deserve.

I urge our colleagues to support this motion to instruct, so we get a bill to the President's desk quickly. This is not the end of our work, but it is an important step forward to meet the needs of our veterans.

I trust that Chairman Miller, Ranking Member Michaud, and the members of the conference committee will represent the interests of veterans very well in our conference committee.

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

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, the amendment today is a commonsense, budget-neutral amendment that provides colleges and universities with additional resources to prevent and respond to sexual violence on campus.

This amendment increases funding for the Department of Justice's grants to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus program by $1 million and offsets this increase by reducing DOJ general administration funding by the same amount.

Madam Chair, I offer this amendment because nearly one in five female undergraduate students report being sexually assaulted in college. According to the Department of Education, 60 higher education institutions across the country--including Arizona State University, which I represent--are under investigation for their handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints. We must do more to protect students and equip universities to respond appropriately to sexual assault on campus.

This amendment will allow more institutions of higher education to implement comprehensive, coordinated responses to sexual violence through the campus grant program.

The campus grant program was created by the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 and reauthorized by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, a bill which I worked hard to pass.

Increasing funding to this vital program represents an important step in empowering victims of sexual assault and protecting both men and women on college campuses in Arizona and across the country.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Before I close, I want to thank the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Rogers, and the chairman of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, Mr. Wolf, and the ranking member, Mr. Fattah, for working with me on this issue. Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Wolf for the years he has devoted to public service over the course of his very distinguished career.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day.

Sixty-six years ago, the state of Israel celebrated its first independence day. The creation of a modern Jewish homeland is no small achievement, and I am honored to join with Israelis and millions of other people around the world to continue this celebration.

I have now been fortunate enough to visit Israel twice, most recently as part of a Congressional delegation last summer. I was again struck by the diversity that exists in such a small country and the creativity and energy that makes Israel so special.

In speaking with political, business, and social leaders, I learned so much more about what links our two countries. The similarities between Arizona and Israel, where people work hard, embrace ingenuity and creativity, and build stronger communities for their families, are also striking.

On this anniversary I reaffirm my commitment to Israel's security and to a lasting peace in the region. I am proud of the bond between our two countries, a bond built on mutual respect for human rights, democracy and freedom.

As we celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut in Israel and the United States, we can reflect on a shared past and look towards a safe and secure future.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, the Sinema-Salmon amendment is a commonsense, budget-neutral fix that helps restore our veterans' trust in the VA by transferring additional resources to the VA Office of Inspector General so that it can carry out its mission to provide oversight and accountability.

Our amendment increases funding for the VA OIG by $1 million and offsets this increase by reducing VA General Administration funding by the same amount.

I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Military Construction and VA appropriations subcommittee, Mr. Culberson and Mr. Bishop, for supporting this amendment and for working with us on this issue.

Mr. Chairman, we offer this amendment because the recent allegations of secret lists and long wait times at the Phoenix VA, which may have caused some 40 veteran deaths, require answers and action. This is immoral, unconscionable, irresponsible, and un-American.

We need answers in Phoenix. But this is not an isolated incident. A December 2012 GAO report found that Veterans Health Administration wait times are unreliable. Stories of health complications and deaths because of wait times have surfaced in other parts of the country, including South Carolina and Texas. That this is happening to the good people who have defended our flag and our freedoms is beyond the pale.

I have worked on veterans' issues for a long time, and it is wrong that it took deaths to get action--but there had better be action now. I vow to help veterans and veteran families in any way I can, and I urge families to reach out to my office so we can help.

The morning after the story was reported in Arizona, the parents of Daniel Somers, a veteran who committed suicide in my district last summer, called me, and they told me that they believe Daniel may have been one of the 40 on that list.

Our veterans and their families--families like the Somers--need answers, and we must hold accountable those responsible. That is the only way that we can restore veterans' trust and the public trust in the VA health care system.

The Sinema-Salmon amendment, which will improve oversight and accountability at the VA, is a step towards restoring that trust.

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

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chair, I just want to thank the chair of the committee, Mr. Culberson; our ranking member, Mr. Bishop; and Mr. Salmon for cosponsoring the amendment, as well as all of my colleagues from Arizona and around the country for joining together on this bipartisan amendment.