Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the decades of dedicated service that the Honorable Mark E. Johnson has given not only to his country, but to his community.

Johnson spent 28 years of his life in the United States Army, rising through the ranks due to his impeccable service and endless perseverance. In this period, Johnson received an astonishing 30 awards and decorations, including the Combat Action Badge and Bronze Star.

After retiring at the rank of Colonel, Johnson embarked upon a new challenge, bringing his love of public service to the legal profession. Johnson worked in the private sector and as a Deputy Public Defender for the Riverside County Public Defender's Office to ensure everyone had access to a vigorous defense.

He went on to serve as a judge for the Riverside County Superior Court, ruling thoughtfully in over 200 jury trials and presiding over many of the most significant cases in our community.

Above all, Johnson worked at every point in his storied career to serve other veterans. Johnson labored endlessly to ensure no one who sacrificed for our nation would fall through the cracks. He developed the Riverside County Veterans Treatment Court to help address the service-related health issues too many of our veterans face.

The Honorable Mark E. Johnson has done more for our veterans, our communities, and our Nation than can ever be repaid. I stand today to ensure his work is never forgotten.

Madam Speaker, I pay tribute today to an outstanding public servant, Justin Maturo, who is ending his nearly 6-year tenure as my legislative director.

He joined my team in 2018, and I quickly came to trust Justin's analytic mind to sort through the myriad of bills going to the floor each day as well as his political judgment and prudence. He has helped me secure important legislative wins as that was part of his job, but his service was always connected to the success of our Nation, not just to the success of his boss.

While my heart is heavy upon the loss of my highly valued lieutenant, our country is the richer as Justin assumes a role as special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs.

I wish him well in his new position and thank him for the service he has rendered to me, my constituents, and our Nation. In turn, all I ask him to do is continue to do great things for us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Professor Barry Barish of University of California, Riverside, for receiving the National Medal of Science from President Biden in honor of his great achievements and invaluable contributions to the field of particle physics.

The citation for his award reads ``For exemplary service to science, including groundbreaking research on sub-atomic particles. His leadership of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory led to the first detection of gravitational waves from merging black holes, confirming a key part of Einstein's Theory of Relativity. He has broadened our understanding of the universe and our Nation's sense of wonder and discovery.''

In addition, Professor Barish was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in physics in recognition of his leadership in the discovery of gravitational waves--first predicted by Einstein a

century earlier. Professor Barish is currently faculty at University of California, Riverside, in the Department of Physics and Astronomy where he was instrumental in recruiting and developing a new group of faculty focused on the broad field of experimental cosmology.

These young faculty are conducting cutting edge research exploring the universe using gravitational waves, searching for dark matter, using the smallest known particles to probe the origin of matter in the universe, and studying the earliest light leftover from the big bang to understand how the universe formed. This group now plays leading roles in international experiments exploring this groundbreaking science and is developing novel instruments that will lead the way for future scientific endeavors for years to come. This research group is also training the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The skills that students learn will prepare them to be future leaders in research and industry alike, becoming experts in emerging technologies like semiconductors and quantum sensors, and they will be prepared to grow these vital industries.

I commend Professor Barish for his remarkable achievements in science and teaching and his work training the next generation of scientists at University of California, Riverside. May their work continue to illuminate the mysteries of the universe and inspire us all to reach for the stars.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 3738, as amended, a bill that would establish a new administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs. We have passed similar versions of this bill in the last several Congresses, and I thank Dr. Wenstrup for his continued work on this, as well

as that of current Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Ranking Member Levin.

The VA administers major programs like the GI Bill, Veteran Readiness & Employment, or VR&E, and the VA Home Loan program. However, these programs must compete for attention and oversight within the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Often, there is a lack of attention from VBA on critical benefits, since a majority of the staff and resources are dedicated to the administration of disability compensation and pension claims.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 3738, urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 5914, as amended, the Veterans Education Transparency and Training Act, or VETT Act.

This bill makes changes to student veteran rules and regulations, intending to make it easier for veterans to participate in commercial driver certification programs.

The bill also makes improvements to the shopping sheet that is offered to student veterans when they are applying to institutions of higher learning.

While I support the legislation, I do wish to raise a concern, which is that this legislation chooses one industry, commercial truck driving, over others for approval streamlining.

I understand that this industry is in need of workers. However, truck driving is not the ideal career choice for all, and putting one industry ahead of others doesn't necessarily benefit veterans.

Should this bill become law, we should ensure we do strong oversight of enrollments, quality of education, and earnings.

As I mentioned, the legislation also improves student shopping sheets for enrollments at colleges and universities.

This is a welcome improvement that ensures we won't waste time on paperwork that doesn't benefit students, student veterans in particular.

I thank Representative Van Orden for his work on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5914, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 5914, as amended, the VETT Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill from Representative Connolly, H.R. 4016, the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act, and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Beneficiaries in the fiduciary program are among the most vulnerable in VA's care. Because they are often elderly or mentally ill, they are at greater risk for financial abuse and theft of benefits. Unfortunately, in spite of VA's best efforts at vetting proposed fiduciaries, bad actors do arise from time to time.

When that happens, theft or misuse can have a devastating impact on the financial stability of the beneficiary. Not only that, the strain of being taken advantage of can further erode their physical and mental health, as well.

As such, I support this bill's goal of speeding restitution to those beneficiaries who may have suffered from theft or misuse of funds by a fiduciary. We must empower the VA to make these beneficiaries whole as soon as possible. It is the right thing to do.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from

Virginia (Mr. Connolly), the coauthor of this legislation who serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4016, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 1767, as amended, a bill that will help some veterans have their earned GI Bill benefits restored in cases of fraud.

The language before us is a narrower fix than our committee considered last summer, so while I will be supporting this bill, I want to send a message to some student veterans who, unfortunately, won't be helped by this legislation today. We hear them. We will not stop working on a comprehensive fix for all student veterans impacted by fraudulent actors in higher education.

I thank Representative Ramirez for her tireless efforts on behalf of student veterans. From her first days in Congress, she has put student veterans first, and it is only right that she can lead the House in restoring benefits for our student veterans.

I thank Chairman Bost for working with us on this language to get it to a place where he can support it. I look forward to working with him and his staff on improving this bill in the Senate to ensure that no student veterans are left out.

It is, frankly, quite disappointing and shocking that student veterans lack the same access to relief that student loan borrowers have generally. At a minimum, our veterans deserve the same protections that traditional student loan borrowers can receive, especially when an educational institution closes, is suspended, or has terminated a program due to a determination of fraud.

This bill does not get us all the way there, but I refuse to let perfect be the enemy of the good. This bill will help student veterans.

Madam Speaker, for that reason, I urge support, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez), who is my very good friend and a coauthor of this important piece of legislation. She also serves on the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee and the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1767, as amended, the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize a profound loss in the Japanese-American community, the passing of Sakaye Aratani.

Her death coincides with an ever-dwindling number of adult Japanese- Americans, who endured the injustice of being forcibly removed from their homes and imprisoned in World War II internment camps here in the United States.

She and her late husband, George Aratani, made a remarkable, successful post-war journey in business and became important philanthropic figures within the Japanese-American community and beyond.

Every year, I would see her at community gatherings for various Japanese-American organizations that she and her husband supported, and, every year, I was struck by her grace, elegance, and intelligence.

My heart goes out to the Aratani family, and I join with the rest of the Japanese-American community in mourning her passing.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 126.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Staff Sergeant Ysmael R. Villegas, a distinguished American hero from California's 39th Congressional District. Born in Casa Blanca in 1924, Villegas, the eldest of 13 children, exemplified the values of our diverse community.

Formerly an ``orange picker,'' Villegas answered the call to serve during WWII, displaying extraordinary bravery at the Battle of Luzon. Tragically, on March 20, 1945, one day before his 21st birthday, he made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. President Truman posthumously awarded him the Medal of Honor on October 19, 1945.

Colonel G. B. Appleman presented the medal to his widow at Camp Haan on November 1, 1945, in our very own Riverside district. The ceremony drew thousands, a testament to the profound impact of Villegas's heroism on our community.

As we commemorate what would have been his 100th birthday, let us remember Staff Sergeant Villegas's selflessness, dedication, and love for family. May his legacy inspire future generations, and the heroism of Staff Sergeant Villegas remains etched in the history and hearts of California's 39th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, it is regrettable that I must rise in opposition

to the measure before us. I am anguished over it for one simple reason: Veterans' lives are on the line.

I have the greatest respect for my colleague, the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, and I know it was a difficult road to get to this point. I also appreciate the work of our Democratic leader to try and find consensus. There are many good things in this bill, things that will benefit everyday Americans, but as ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, this bill comes at the expense of our most vulnerable veterans and, therefore, I cannot support it.

However, I will be clear that I am not asking my colleagues to oppose the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the distinguished ranking member of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), the distinguished ranking member of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the distinguished ranking member of the

Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree), the distinguished ranking member of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague and friend from the State of Texas (Mr. Roy).

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

Mr. Speaker, I need to shine a light on an ugly truth buried deep in section 413 of this bill. What is this section all about?

When a veteran applies for benefits they have earned, they are screened to make sure that they are competent to use those benefits to not take advantage of. If a veteran is determined to be mentally incompetent, they are appointed a fiduciary, and by law, they are reported to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, otherwise known as the NICS list.

A determination of mental competency is typically based on very serious mental health conditions like schizophrenia and dementia, and there are various serious reasons why a person with those conditions should not be able to purchase a firearm.

It is also the case that firearms are used in 68 percent of veterans' death by suicide. Suicide is a serious problem among veterans, and since I have had the honor to be on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have fought to prevent the scourge of veteran suicide.

So why on Earth would this Congress cede one more important safeguard against a veteran's death? I personally cannot, and that is why I cannot support this bill.

Republicans have pushed this type of provision for over a decade. I know because I have fought every year against this provision. They have done so with misinformation and fearmongering. Democrats have successfully fought this legislation in committee, which is why Republicans did not have the courage to bring this to the floor in the light of day and to have this body consider it through the normal process through regular order.

Instead, they crammed it into this must-pass bill, enacting policy through the back door of a spending bill. They have abandoned all of their other so-called priorities because they wanted this so badly. They wanted so badly to make sure that vulnerable veterans could access more firearms.

This is wrong. Lives are on the line. Veterans' lives are on the line, and I will not agree to legislation that will cause more people's lives to be lost to gun violence.

House Democrats have been working to put people over politics, but it is clear that the Republican majority is content to put politics over veterans, including prioritizing politics over veterans' lives.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 4366 and a statement from the Giffords organization, which both speak to the harm of this provision.

Statement of Administration Policy

H.R. 4366--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024--Rep. Granger, R-TX)

The Administration strongly urges swift passage of H.R.

4366, making appropriations for fiscal year 2024, and for

other purposes. This bipartisan legislation represents a

compromise and neither side got everything it wanted, but it

would prevent a damaging shutdown of several key agencies,

protect key priorities and make progress for the American

people.

H.R. 4366 includes important investments that advance a

range of key national priorities, building on the progress

that has been made over the past three years both in annual

appropriations and through legislation like the Inflation

Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The bill

fully funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for

Women, Infants, and Children, protecting essential benefits

for millions of women and children across the Nation. The

bill also maintains rental assistance for millions of

families. and expands assistance to an additional 3,000

households. The bill also sustains critical infrastructure

programs, maintains pay raises for Federal wildland fire

fighters, and fully funds veterans' medical care. In

addition, the bill also increases funding for rural housing

assistance, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Violence

Against Women Act, and science investments at the Department

of Energy.

The Administration applauds the inclusion of other key

priorities, including the Compacts of Free Association, which

represents the bedrock of America's broader strategic

interests and engagements in the Indo-Pacific. The

Administration also appreciates the extension of several

vital health care programs, including the Special Diabetes

Program, as well as a seven-year extension of the

Undetectable Firearms Act.

While the Administration is pleased that hundreds of poison

pill provisions and extreme funding cuts were rejected, the

Administration opposes the language included in the bill that

would potentially undermine the ability of the Veterans'

Affairs Department to report a beneficiary to the National

Instant Criminal Background Check System to keep guns out of

the hands of those prohibited under Federal law from

purchasing or possessing firearms. The Administration remains

committed to exploring every possible pathway to keep guns

out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them and ensure

the safety of these individuals and their communities.

The Administration urges the Congress to send this critical

legislation to the President's desk for signature without

delay and to quickly act on the remaining funding bills as

well as the bipartisan national security supplemental.

Mr. Speaker, I will not rest until this rider is gone from any future appropriations bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me in that effort.

For now I must oppose this bill. There are a lot of good things in this bill, and I don't ask my colleagues to join me in opposing this bill. I have a great deal of respect for my good friend, the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, Ms. DeLauro, and the significant amount of work that went into this, but I must follow my conscience because of my responsibilities to veterans.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing.

I sadly must oppose the bill, but I do not urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of a man with a big heart: Daniel Hantman.

Dan was a lawyer, leader, and tireless civic volunteer--earning him the title of ``Mr. Riverside.''

I was one of many people who knew Dan, who knew that friendly smile and his deep unshakeable desire to make his community a better place.

He embodied that commitment of ``tikkun olam,'' meaning ``repairing the world.''

He volunteered his time in so many ways: from serving on civic boards at

the Chamber of Commerce to picking up litter in a big sombrero. He made our little corner of the world a better place, and for that, I am one of many in Riverside who will miss him deeply.

My thoughts are with his family, friends, and our community. May his memory be a blessing.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 485, the so-called Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act of 2023.

I have to say that it is a bit rich to hear my colleague talk about preexisting conditions and their party's concern for it when he has been part of the party that has been completely opposed to protecting people with preexisting conditions because they have repeatedly, over and over, tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The bill before us today does almost nothing to protect healthcare for patients and, instead, would likely increase healthcare costs across the board.

As the ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I am especially alarmed at the impact this bill would potentially have on our veterans' care, and I have to say I wonder why this bill was not referred also to the Veterans' Affairs Committee, given its impact on this jurisdiction.

Under current law, multiple Federal programs like VA's have special pricing arrangements for prescription drugs that rely on up-front discounts and rebates. It is a win-win system for both taxpayers and veterans.

The VA keeps costs lower and is able to make sure veterans get access to the drugs they need. In fact, I would daresay the Department of Veterans Affairs has the most robust negotiations over the drugs on its formulary. However, this bill would upend this proven system and instead inject uncertainty into drug pricing.

That chaos has a very real cost for VA and DOD: $240 million for the 2023-2033 time period, according to the CBO. ``Other similar measures'' simply does seem to have a measurable effect for CBO, those words, ``other similar measures.'' This will diminish VA's ability to deliver care to veterans and force the Department to make cuts to services elsewhere.

Consequently, that begs the question, who benefits from this disarray? Big Pharma does. They reap the rewards and push up their profits. I have to say, their lobbyists will really have earned their outrageously large paycheck if this bill passes because it is so clearly a rip-off. Taxpayers and veterans lose, while Big Pharma wins? Give me a break.

However, House Democrats are opposed to this blatant rip-off and will fight it tooth and nail. Instead of doing Big Pharma's bidding, we are focused on lowering drug prices for Americans. House Democrats are proud to have worked with the Biden administration to deliver on capping the cost of insulin at $35 per month for seniors, finally allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, and requiring drug companies to pay rebates to Medicare if they raise prices faster than inflation.

Let me add, Democrats have also locked in $800 per year in health insurance savings for 15 million Americans.

Members should ask themselves who has more credibility on protecting Americans' healthcare and saving them money and lowering costs. I would submit the Democrats do.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. It will cost taxpayers money, it will cost the VA more money, and just give more profits to Big Pharma.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall no. 13.

personal explanation

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Ofelia Valdez-Yeager--a trailblazer for the Latino community in the Inland Empire.

She was a champion for all students, both in the classroom as a teacher and in her capacity as the first Latina to serve on the Riverside Unified School Board of Trustees.

As a founding member of LaNet, commonly referred to as the ``Latino network,'' she helped give a voice to the growing Latino population in Riverside.

Ofelia enriched our community and helped mobilize efforts that created the Cesar Chavez memorial and established The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture to downtown Riverside. I will miss her unwavering spirit and fierce advocacy dearly. My thoughts and prayers are with her family as they mourn the loss of a mother, wife, and grandmother.