Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this resolution.

The National Labor Relations Board, under President Biden, issued a final rule this past October that restores the Board's ability to consider the extent to which an employer controls the terms and conditions of someone's employment. So what does this mean?

Well, the Biden NLRB rule prevents employers from skirting accountability for complying with workplace

laws. Under the Trump administration, their NLRB 2020 rule severely hampered the American worker's ability to hold employers accountable.

I reject the characterization by the chairwoman that the Trump administration rule was pro-freedom. There is nothing pro-freedom about the Trump administration rule, except for the freedom to steal wages, to exact unfair labor practices, and other violations. That is a perversion of the word ``freedom''.

A trend called fissured work has become commonplace. What does fissured work mean? Fissured work is when a company adopts a dynamic of contracting and subcontracting. Instead of hiring the workers directly, they subcontract it out. That is how they avoid responsibility for being fair to the workers.

A prime example of this is temping. Today, roughly 3.1 million Americans are employed by a temping agency. These temporary work arrangements are characterized by their short duration, and employment can range from just a handful of days to months.

So let's say a company needs to hire a front-desk receptionist and enlists the help of a staffing agency. For an individual seeking a job opportunity who may not be able to secure full-time, long-term employment, maybe as quickly as he or she would like, a temporary staffing agency may seem very enticing.

If hired, the receptionist sent out by this staffing agency would essentially be performing work on behalf of a client company that directs the employee's work but does not receive a check signed by that client company, but, rather, the staffing agency writes the check.

This common practice is one for companies to pay employees less for work than a traditional, full-time employee would receive. In addition, many times these employees have hostile or unsafe workplaces.

Now, these fissured work arrangements at temp agencies often result in a lack of clarity regarding employer responsibilities and may become challenging for workers who are interested in organizing a union to negotiate collectively or hold employers accountable for labor standards.

For that receptionist who wants to negotiate his or her pay, the conversation with the company proves difficult to have. Who do you negotiate with: the temp agency or the company?

Fissured work is unfortunately rampant, and it is critical companies are not able to evade bargaining and responsibility of workers. This is the problem that the Biden NLRB joint employer rule seeks to fix.

If a company maintains its right to control how much a worker earns and how many hours they work a week and whether they can organize, then it also must maintain its responsibility for complying with the laws that protect workers. This is common sense. This rule helps workers and protects small businesses that follow the rules.

This rule would upend the dynamic of allowing big companies to shield themselves from labor negotiations. Companies that engage in fissured employee arrangements would no longer be able to evade such responsibilities.

All companies should be held accountable irrespective of how many workers or geographically where employers are stationed.

The final rule is expected to take effect February 2024.

Madam Speaker, I wish that my Republican colleagues were more focused on helping and empowering workers.

I urge opposition to the joint resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Taylor Doggett and her tremendous work as my Communications Director. In her time in my office, she has been an outstanding leader, mentor, and colleague. It is with gratitude that I thank her for her work and her talents.

From day one, Taylor has been dedicated to ensuring that the constituents of my district felt connected to my work, both at home and in Washington. She developed a streamlined process for expanding and managing contact with constituents on the issues that matter most to them. Under her leadership, we were able to expand our subscriber base significantly and provide accessible channels for the people of the 39th District to feel connected to their Member of Congress and this legislative body.

Taylor proved to be a strong advocate and valuable voice for our most important legislative priorities. She steered our communications team through some of our greatest legislative accomplishments, including the introduction of the Equality Act and the passage of the Korean Valor Act into law. Despite the challenges of being in the minority, her innovative vision for our social media stood out. To the members of her communications team, she has been a mentor and a model of running an effective, relationship-based comms shop.

Above all, Taylor has been a joyful presence in my office. She is cheerful, sharp, and quick-witted, and her jokes often make it to my social media pages. She is known for always being good for a laugh or a heart-to-heart chat among my staff. Wherever she may go down the road, she will always be a member of Team Takano.

I am enormously grateful to Taylor for her contributions. She will be dearly missed, and I wish her luck in her next adventure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication and advocacy of Lisa Roybal, and congratulate her as she embarks on a well- deserved retirement from VA Loma Linda Healthcare System. Lisa is a true champion for women veterans in California's 39th Congressional District, the Inland Empire, and beyond.

Lisa has a long history of public service, first serving in the United States Navy for 20 years before joining the staff of VA Loma Linda. As a Nurse Practitioner and the Women Veteran Program Manager for the newly established Women's Health Center at VA Loma Linda, Lisa championed the well-being of veterans throughout her career.

In 2006 at the beginning of Lisa's civilian career at VA Loma Linda, women veterans' enrollment constituted roughly 2,500 patients. Under Lisa's direction, this number has increased remarkably with more than 10,000 women veterans enrolled this year. The development of the Women's Health Center at VA Loma Linda, from its inception at the Redlands Based Outpatient Clinic, its relocation to the Juliet clinic, and its current establishment as a stand-alone fully operational clinic reflects Lisa's unwavering commitment to expanding accessibility to meet the evolving needs of women veterans.

Lisa's resolute leadership has played a pivotal role in establishing an inclusive and supportive environment for all women veterans. Her efforts have not only broadened access to VA services but also cultivated a deeper sense of community and belonging for all who have served our nation. Lisa is undoubtedly a champion for women veterans throughout our community, and a true hometown hero who utilized her experience in the U.S. Navy and applied it for the well-being of her peers. I commend Lisa for her tireless commitment, perseverance in providing healthcare for women veterans, and her courageous service to our Nation; I wish Lisa a well-deserved and happy retirement.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise with a heavy heart to honor the memory of Air Force Major Luke Unrath. Just days ago, Major Unrath lost his life when the CV-22B Osprey he piloted crashed during a training exercise off the coast of Japan. He was just 34 years old.

Major Unrath's journey of service began in Riverside in my district where he graduated from Martin Luther King High School. His commitment to a life of purpose and selflessness was evident early.

Described by his comrades as a natural leader, Major Unrath's cool demeanor, high standards, and quick wit left a mark on all who had the privilege of serving alongside him.

Today, we remember and honor a beloved husband, brother, and son. Major Unrath's legacy is one of sacrifice, dedication, and exemplary service to our great Nation.

Madam Speaker, may Major Luke Unrath rest in peace and may his memory inspire future generations to uphold the values of service, integrity, and courage that he so nobly embodied. I extend my deepest condolences to the Unrath family.

Madam Speaker, today, along with my Riverside County colleague Representative Ken Calvert, I rise with a heavy heart to honor the memory of a true American hero, Air Force Major Luke Unrath. Just days ago, on November 29, Maj. Unrath lost his life in service to our nation when the CV-22B Osprey he piloted crashed during a training exercise off the coast of Japan. He was just 34 years old.

Maj. Unrath's journey of service began in Riverside, where he graduated from Martin Luther King High School, embodying the spirit of his alma mater. His commitment to a life of purpose and selflessness was evident from the beginning of his life.

Born and raised in Riverside, Maj. Unrath's family, including parents Gregg and Nora, and siblings Ashley, Scott, and Carly witnessed his unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on the world.

Commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Cal Poly Pomona, Maj. Unrath earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering in 2013. Embarking on his Air Force career on January 31, 2014, he initially served as a developmental and astronautical engineer at Vandenberg Air Force Base. In 2019, he transitioned to become a pilot, showcasing his commitment to continuous learning and growth.

Maj. Unrath's leadership, intelligence, and work ethic did not go unnoticed. He played a pivotal role as an officer in charge for squadron communications and later as a flight commander. His impact extended far beyond the borders of our nation, as he coordinated and executed numerous operations in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.

Described by his comrades as a natural leader, Maj. Unrath's cool demeanor, high standards, and quick wit left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of serving alongside him. He loved to fly, and his steady hands and quick thinking earned him the trust and respect of his peers.

Today, we remember and honor a beloved husband, brother, son, and an incredible leader. Maj. Unrath's legacy is one of sacrifice, dedication, and exemplary service to our great nation. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, and we express our gratitude for the profound impact he had on the lives of those he touched.

May Major Luke Unrath rest in peace, and may his memory inspire future generations to uphold the values of service, integrity, and courage that he so nobly embodied.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 4468, House Republican's latest attempt to undermine climate change action taken by the Biden administration and dismiss the high risks presented by air pollution for communities like mine.

My district falls within the South Coast Air Basin, which has the worst air pollution in the entire country. Inland Empire residents have higher levels of cardiovascular disease, childhood asthma, and other respiratory diseases compared to the national average as a result.

The EPA's proposed rule, which this bill would inhibit, reduces car emissions, drives innovation of clean technologies, and improves public health in my district and across the country.

My constituents deserve to breathe clean air and live healthy lives. We should all support EPA's efforts to address health disparities and combat climate change.

Mr. Speaker, I implore my colleagues to vote against this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 3848, as amended, the Housing our Military Veterans Effectively, or HOME Act.

I have conflicting emotions as I finally stand here advocating for the

passage of the HOME Act. On one hand, I am elated to finally see this language move forward that will ultimately get more veterans off the street and into housing. That is my goal here, to end veteran homelessness. On the other hand, I remain frustrated with the length of time it took this body to take up this bill and the fact that I will have to be back on the floor next year advocating for the same authorities here to be extended yet again since most of this bill expires on September 30, 2024.

Last week, VA announced they met their goal to house 38,000 veterans this calendar year several months early. I am very proud of this accomplishment, but unfortunately, this does not reflect the full picture of the reality we face related to veteran homelessness in our country.

HUD's 2023 Point-in-Time Count will be released soon. Based on initial reports from communities across the country, it will likely show a dramatic increase in veteran homelessness. We are losing ground. The VA is doing incredible work to get veterans into housing, but when one veteran gets housed, another is falling into homelessness.

We need to bolster the prevention tools the VA and providers have to quickly address a veteran's housing insecurity the moment it occurs. The Democratic-led authorities in the HOME Act are those very tools.

This bill, which includes two Democratic bills, from Congresswomen Cherfilus-McCormick and Williams, gives the VA and its community providers the flexibilities and resources they need to effectively house veterans experiencing homelessness and at risk of becoming homeless.

However, the bill before us today isn't perfect. It has technical flaws that we quickly brought to the attention of our Republican colleagues, but they refused to fix it. If we send the language we are considering today over to the Senate, the Senate will have to amend the language, pass it, and send it back to the House for final passage, leaving more time that the VA and providers operate without these authorities, more time that homeless veterans go without, and more time that homeless veterans spend on the street.

I need not say to all in this Chamber that we know that December is upon us. I spoke in the Chamber just a few weeks ago about the fact that winter was upon us and yet we had not passed the HOME Act.

I am really disappointed by this unforced error of being in a position where we find ourselves here on the floor to pass an empty gesture. We reported this bill out to the House in July. As happens, there have been additional changes that needed to be made. We had agreement with the Senate on these changes, yet the majority chose not to proceed with the agreement. We are here on a bill that is not going anywhere any time soon.

The reality of this situation is that Republicans are playing games and using homeless veterans as their pawns. Homeless veterans do not have time for games. Maybe it seems easy because these most vulnerable veterans don't have lobbyists stating their case or advocating their case. Every night they spend on the street is a night this Congress could have prevented. These are our most vulnerable veterans, in the most vulnerable situations, and we owe it to them to keep our word to send the VA the resources they need to help them.

For some homeless veterans, this is literally a matter of life or death.

At the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity legislative hearing on this bill earlier this year, we heard directly from the VA about a homeless veteran who was imminently considering taking his life by suicide before the VA intervened and got him the help he needed using the authorities this bill would reauthorize.

The VA's recent Suicide Prevention Report indicated that homeless veterans are 186 percent more likely to die by suicide than any other veteran. These Democratic-led provisions are suicide prevention tools. They are lifesaving. In only 12 days from when the authorities in this bill lapsed at the end of the public health emergency, between May 11, 2023, and May 23, 2023, the VA was forced to cancel over 42,000 rides that supported over 18,000 veterans to attend 10,000 medical appointments. Just 12 days caused that big of an impact. Here we are, 207 days later, and I can barely fathom how many homeless veterans went without in that period.

If we are going to help homeless veterans, we need a hotline-ready bill to send to the Senate. By hotline, we are talking about the Senate hotline for House bills that have been passed and are ready to pass the Senate because they have no flaws, no substantive flaws.

Why aren't we sending to the Senate hotline-ready bills from the House of Representatives when we know the language that needs to be put in those bills has all been agreed to by the four corners? Senators Tester and Schumer both assured me last week that if we sent the Senate both of the four-corners agreed-upon language for this bill and for the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act, they would get these bills onto the Senate hotline so that they have a chance of getting to the President's desk by Christmas.

As we enter the holiday season and a cold winter, we should take our duty to help homeless veterans as seriously as possible. We must do all we can to get these veterans housed and off the streets during the coldest months of the year. We did have a choice here. We had a choice.

Instead, we have before us here a flawed bill that the Senate will have to amend and send back to us. We can end veteran homelessness. It is a choice that Congress can make to fully fund the resources and authorities that the VA and its partners need to get veterans into stable permanent housing.

We saw proof of this during the pandemic, one of the most difficult times in our country's recent history, when we actually reduced veteran homelessness by 11 percent. We know what works. We know that the Democratic-led flexibilities and authorities included in the HOME Act will reduce homelessness.

I must register my disagreement with what my colleague from Wisconsin has claimed, that the grant and per diem rates were adequate. They were never adequate. It was because of the flexibilities we included during the health emergency that we were able to address the always inadequate levels of funding. It is a falsehood to try to claim that it was about inflation. No, these program per diem rates for the many, many organizations out there that help our veterans across the country were never adequate.

We had an opportunity to move forward a compromise today, but a different choice was made. I am going to hope against hope that somehow this bill does get to the President before the end of the year and that we don't have it on our conscience that we made homeless veterans suffer any more than they already have.

I will ask my colleagues to support H.R. 3848, as amended, today, and I will also say a prayer that we see through to doing the right thing.

I would submit to my colleagues on the other side, after all, isn't that why we are here, to do the right thing?

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I wish that we could be sending over to the Senate today a hotline-ready bill.

We knew what we had to put into this bill. The majority knew what corrections needed to be made. By tradition, subsequent to the vote that we took today, we could have done those corrections and had a bill that could have gone on the Senate hotline. Absent any Senator's objection, it could have been sent to the President's desk for sure by the Christmas holiday.

By some miracle something could happen. There could be a heating of the conscience. There is a conscious choice being made today to not send the Senate a bill that is substantively freed from the flaws that we could have fixed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I hope against hope that we still can get this done by the end of the year.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 542, as amended, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act of 2023.

This bill, introduced by Representative Brownley and Representative Bergman and reported out of committee with unanimous support in July, is truly landmark legislation.

It would require VA to provide access to all home-and community-based services, such as home health aides, home-based primary care, and respite care to all veterans and caregivers who need them.

Currently, elderly and disabled veterans only have access to important home- and community-based services if their VA medical centers have chosen to offer these services.

This bill is named for a person, who in her personal life and in public service, has dedicated herself to caring for others: Senator Elizabeth Dole. Tomorrow will mark the second anniversary of the passing of Senator Bob Dole, an Army veteran who had a dedicated caregiver in the other Senator Dole.

This legislation will enable veterans to remain at home, safely age in place, and avoid or delay admission to nursing homes and other costly institutional settings of care. It will also help connect veterans' caregivers to respite care and other supportive services that help them care for veterans at home and improve VA's coordination with other Federal long-term care programs that promote aging at home.

Finally, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act of 2023 will require VA to create a website where veterans and their families can more easily obtain information about VA's home- and community-based services programs and assess whether any of these programs may be right for them. The research is clear: veterans prefer to remain at home and their health outcomes are better when they do. Home care is by far the cheaper alternative to institutional settings.

Nearly every veteran will at some point face the need for additional care at home, or if they can't get it, spend their last years in a nursing home setting. This legislation is an investment in care for millions of veterans and current servicemembers who need this help now or in the future.

The Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act of 2023 has the support of every major veteran service organization, including Paralyzed Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Wounded Warrior Project, and the Military Officers Association of America.

It is also supported by AARP, the National Association of Counties, the National PACE Association, and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.

It has been these groups' number one policy priority. Shouldn't it be ours?

These groups, and dozens of others, have advocated tirelessly for passage since its introduction 2 years ago.

Despite the great need for this bill, it has been an uphill battle to get it to the floor. We have worked to get support and get the cost down. That showed when it was voted unanimously out of committee in July.

It seems the battle is not over yet because this bill cannot be taken up by the Senate as is. Since the bill was reported, we have worked with our counterparts in the Senate to ensure the bill was as near to perfect as possible. There were a few changes that were agreed upon by all four corners of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Unfortunately, instead of advancing text with full sign-off, the majority has gone back to text they know has problems in the Senate, so we will have to either await amendment by the Senate or some other legislative action before this legislation can move to President Biden's desk for signature.

The programs and services in this bill are life-changing. In the next 16 years, VA will have doubled its spending on long-term care services, nearing $15 billion, to meet these needs. While enrolled veterans have a right to institutional care, there are not enough beds or staff in institutional settings in the country to meet the projected need.

Good sense tells us that VA must move quickly to expand home- and community-based services to keep veterans safely in their homes. Providing home- and community-based services would also ensure that VA has the space and staff to care for those who truly do need institutional care.

It is disappointing that we have not gotten this bill on the fast track to signing and that disabled and elderly veterans and their caregivers will have to wait even longer for the care they deserve. This holiday season, we could have given these veterans a gift with lasting impact. The House majority instead tells us we must content ourselves to wait for the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act to be included in a larger package.

The majority has committed to moving this legislative package out of the House and the Senate with delivery to the President by the end of January. I remind everyone that there are some other big items that we have to get done in January, and I am worried about whether or not that other big item might impede our ability to get this item done.

The intention is that the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act and the HOME Act be included as key pillars of the package.

The majority has also committed in the last week to not abuse these bipartisan bills as leverage to include partisan poison pills in that package. I intend to hold my Republican colleagues to that agreement, and the stakeholders and the VSOs will, as well.

This agreement includes the fallback that if this package cannot be completed in time, then these bills should be advanced as standalone. We received a letter on Friday from a broad coalition of national organizations representing service-disabled veterans and their caregivers memorializing this agreement that said it best: ``Disabled veterans and their families cannot wait any longer.''

It was the same exact letter that was already included in the Record by my colleague from Michigan, so I don't have to include it again now.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 542, as amended, and I ask my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from the great State of California (Ms. Brownley), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health and the author of this amazing piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in support of this very important, transformational piece of legislation, H.R. 542, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3581, as amended, the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement Act, or COPE Act.

This legislation, as amended, incorporates three Republican-sponsored bills, which were marked up at the subcommittee and full committee level over the summer.

First, H.R. 3581 would create a 3-year, $50 million per year grant program to award grants to entities that will provide mental health counseling, treatment, or support to caregivers participating in VA's family caregiver program.

The VA would also be required to provide outreach to caregivers to inform them of available mental health support offered by grantees. The legislation also requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study to assess the availability and accessibility of mental health support for veterans' caregivers.

Additionally, H.R. 3581, as amended, will authorize VA to contribute to local authorities to mitigate the risk of flooding on local property adjacent to VA medical facilities. It would also authorize up to $125 million over 5 years for VA to carry out flood mitigation improvements.

Currently, the statute only allows VA to contribute to local authorities for improvements needed for safe ingress or egress; however, veterans' access to healthcare is frequently disrupted in areas that experience frequent flooding, and VA's ability to partner with local authorities on flood mitigation projects has been limited.

This legislation would also require VA to submit to Congress a report assessing the extent to which each of its medical facilities is at risk of flooding, including flooding associated with rising sea levels.

Finally, H.R. 3581, as amended, will establish a 5-year survey program to examine security and criminal activity at VA facilities, staffing of VA's police departments, and the availability and adequacy of VA police equipment and training.

After surveying all facilities, VA will be required to submit annual reports to Congress summarizing the survey results and providing action plans for addressing any identified weaknesses.

While I support the policy ideas in H.R. 3581, as amended, I know our colleagues in the Senate would like to make some changes to this legislation before it can be enacted. Just last Friday, House committee staff met with their Senate counterparts to discuss changes to the VA security reporting provisions.

Senate staff also have proposed broadening the report on VA medical facility flooding risks such that VA would be required to assess all of its mission-critical assets, including medical facilities, cemeteries, and regional offices, and their vulnerabilities to flooding, wildfire, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other disasters.

Therefore, similar to the other veterans bills we are considering on the floor today, we already know this legislation simply cannot be taken up and passed in the Senate, and future House action will be needed.

It would have been preferable if the majority had resolved these differences before bringing this bill to the floor. Nevertheless, I will support H.R. 3581, as amended, and encourage my colleagues to join me in passing it.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 3581, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary advocate for our Nation's veterans and congratulate her on her retirement.

For 28 years, Sharon Hodge has left an indelible mark on the landscape of veterans' advocacy through her work with Vietnam Veterans of America.

As Deputy Director for Policy and Government Affairs, Sharon's expertise has guided critical legislative and regulatory strategies at the national level. Her counsel to myself and my staff on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has been invaluable, shaping policies that touched the lives of countless veterans.

Through her tireless efforts, she established a robust online advocacy network. enlisting over 2000 legislative coordinators and spearheaded numerous grassroots campaigns. Sharon's work facilitating this activism was instrumental in the enactment of the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act, the Toxic Exposure Research Act, and the PACT Act.

Beyond her role at VVA, Sharon served as Commissioner for the Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs, where her work led to the establishment of a crucial VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.

Sharon Hodge's accolades are numerous, each one a testament to her compassion and tireless advocacy. From the VVA Commendation Medal to the Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Brain Trust Award, her contributions have been recognized at the highest levels.

I thank Sharon for her decades of dedicated service to Vietnam Veterans of America and to our Nation. May her legacy inspire us all to champion the causes that matter most, to stand by our veterans, and to leave no one behind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Michael D. Cole upon his retirement from the United States Department of State after 22 years of service.

Mike embarked on his foreign service journey in 2001. Since then, his service has extended from Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. to U.S. Embassies and Consulates in Abuja, Bangkok, Budapest, Mumbai, San Salvador, and Vienna.

Mike assumed the role of Director of the Los Angeles Passport Agency in September 2020, facing head-on the arduous challenges and travel restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As international travel has resumed in the years since, Mike's leadership in Los Angeles was critical in the agency's return to pre-pandemic productivity, processing passports for nearly three-quarters of a million U.S. citizens during his time as Director. In this position, Mike was a reliable, affable, and professional partner to my District Office as caseworkers processed passport casework brought to them by my constituents. Mike and his team provided prompt and satisfactory guidance in navigating these often tricky and changing requests.

Mike's dedication to public service is further exemplified by his service in the Consular Corps, where he has utilized his experience and expertise to mentor the next generation of Consular Officers. His work to assist U.S. citizens during crises, offer support in disaster relief, aid bereaved families, and protect vulnerable children stand as a testament to his commitment to the American people domestically and abroad.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to Mike for his service to our constituents of the 39th Congressional District and our country, and I wish him a well-deserved retirement.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H. Res. 848, encouraging the connecting of members of the Armed Forces in the United States to support structures necessary to transition from the battlefield.

While I support this resolution and urge my colleagues to vote in support of it, I must register my disappointment that this is one of only two veteran- or servicemember-related measures that House leadership has chosen to work on this week, the week following Veterans Day.

The resolution asks members of the public to join Congress in thanking and supporting servicemembers in their transition out of the military into civilian life. That is worthwhile, but it does not come with any concrete action.

Our committee has favorably reported several bills to help our most vulnerable veterans. Those bills are waiting for action and have been for months now. If we really wanted to honor servicemembers and veterans, we would be voting on those bills this week.

Mr. Speaker, we know that homeless veterans are eight times more likely to die by suicide, so we urgently need to get homeless veterans housed before the coldest and cruelest months of the year come upon us. Every day we fail to act, more disabled and elderly veterans are forced into the care of nursing homes and other institutional long-term care settings, even though they would prefer to be taken care of at home surrounded by their loved ones.

Let me also point out that while I find it telling that while jurisdiction over this resolution about servicemember transition lies primarily with the House Armed Services Committee, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs is here managing floor time. I am glad for this because our committee has been pushing to take primary oversight responsibility for the administration of the TAP program for years.

We hear from countless veterans that the administration of TAP by DOD falls flat. DOD is focused on readiness and making sure that servicemembers are focused on their mission of protecting our country, as they should be. Nevertheless, the bookend to that mission is helping servicemembers find success as civilians.

Because DOD has not focused on that transition, too many servicemembers separate from the military without a full picture of the earned benefits available to them as veterans, and it leaves them more vulnerable at an already stressful time.

I believe that it would make more sense for us to have primary jurisdiction over the TAP program to make sure the transition from the military to civilian life is as smooth as possible. We work with VA on healthcare and benefits delivery every single day, and we are better positioned than the Armed Services Committee to ensure veterans understand what life will look like out of the military.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to see House leadership acknowledging our leadership role in the transition of servicemembers. I will continue to advocate that TAP be included as primarily within the Veterans' Affairs Committee's jurisdiction in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Van Orden for introducing this resolution, and I hope we can continue working together on continued improvements to the TAP program.

I urge this House to bring up additional veterans bills. We should not only thank veterans and servicemembers for their service. We should be backing up those thank-yous with action.

As we face yet another threat of a shutdown, I hope this Congress can stop operating from the brink and begin to do the work that is demanded of us. It is what we owe to veterans, and we should not abide by reneging on our promises.

Mr. Speaker, I support H. Res. 848, but let's act on more than the words of a resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. What I would like to do on the floor today is not more bickering and arguing. It is a plea. It is a plea to the Speaker and the leadership of this House to bring the home act to the floor. It is a Republican bill. It is a bipartisan bill. We can do more than this resolution. With all due credit to my colleague from Wisconsin for this resolution, we can do more than words on a resolution. We can take action.

We can help veterans who are going to be forced out of aging at home and into a nursing home. We can help those veterans stay in their homes with the legislation offered by my colleague from California, Julia Brownley, the Elizabeth Dole act.

Mr. Speaker, let me respond to my colleague, the chairman. I did not bring up the issue of the lost time with a Speakerless House. I would reject the suggestion that the 21 days we lost of floor time was because Democrats voted to do what they would normally do, which is they vote for their own nominee for Speaker.

I am not even arguing about lost time. I am arguing that we do have time that could be better used.

Instead of endless 2-minute votes on amendments that both sides have voted against stacked on top of each other, we could have used that time to bring the HOME Act to the floor. We could have used that time to bring the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act to the floor.

Both bills are bipartisan. Both bills have wide support by the veterans service organization community. I just say to the chairman-- and I know the chairman himself has urged the Speaker to do this--my question is, even with all of these useless votes on amendments, we had time this week. We had enough time to bring those bills to the floor. Let's bring them to the floor immediately. We need to get veterans housed before the winter sets in.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of the resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in supporting the resolution, 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. 593, a bill to rename the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Hinesville, Georgia, as the John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Clinic.

I thank Representative Carter for introducing it and the Georgia delegation for its support.

These individuals, all hailing from Liberty County, Georgia, were killed in action during the Vietnam war. Four young men who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Private First Class John Gibson, a marine, was killed by small arms fire in the Tet Offensive on February 7, 1968. He was 21 years old.

Specialist Dan James served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division and was killed on December 29, 1968. He was 20 years old.

Specialist William Sapp served in the Army's 4th Infantry Division. He was killed on June 7, 1968. He was 25 years old.

Marine Lance Corporal Frankie Smiley served in the 1st Marine Division. He was killed on August 25, 1968. He was 24 years old.

These are four names out of the 58,000 who died in the Vietnam war that we honor for their service and sacrifice. These four names will continue to be honored at the VA clinic in Liberty County as it carries on its mission to serve veterans.

The sacrifices of those who served in Vietnam and in other wars and conflicts is particularly salient as we just commemorated Veterans Day, and as we had the opportunity to reflect on the sacred obligation we owe to veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I do believe it is important to remember the service and sacrifice of servicemembers and veterans because we must keep close to mind our duty to repay that service and uphold the promises we have made to those who swore an oath to our country to protect and defend it. However, I fear that we have fallen short this year. While I do urge support for this naming bill, I am extremely disappointed that during National Veterans and Military Families Month and Warrior Care Month, and 2 days after Veterans Day, that this is the only veterans legislation the Republican majority has brought to the floor for us to consider.

These young men who lost their lives in the Vietnam war sacrificed everything they had for our country. If we really wanted to honor them and the millions of Americans who have risked their life and limb in service, we should be doing even more.

In this Congress so far, our committee has only originated three bills that have been signed into law. By comparison, in the last two Congresses, under Democratic leadership, we passed more than 70 bills to expand access to care and benefits that are now law. This inaction is unconscionable when there is such an acute need for assistance among veterans and survivors.

It is not for a lack of good ideas. There are several worthwhile bills that are ready to be voted on right now, bills that would change and improve the lives of veterans and their families across the country.

For example, H.R. 3848, the bipartisan Housing Our Military Veterans Effectively, or HOME, Act of 2023, sponsored by Republican Representative Chavez-DeRemer, would restore authorities that were essential to ensuring America's most vulnerable veterans found or stayed in housing during the pandemic.

For the period of the public health emergency, the Department of Veterans Affairs was able to provide food, clothing, bedding, hygiene items, shelter, transportation services, and communication devices to veterans experiencing homelessness. VA also had temporary authority to increase reimbursements to grant and per diem providers which ensured veterans in transitional housing received the care and services they needed. Unfortunately, these authorities and funding expired with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration in May 2023, and there has been since no congressional action to restore them.

To aid in this effort, Representative Nikema Williams introduced H.R. 491, the Return Home to Housing Act, and Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick introduced H.R. 645, the Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act. These bills are both included in the HOME Act, which was reported out of our committee by voice vote on July 26, 2023. That is right, a bill with strong unanimous support has been languishing for months for no clear reason.

Earlier this year, Chairman Bost and I were standing in these exact spots, and he made a promise to me that we would pass this legislation. I understand from staff conversations that Chairman Bost has been imploring the Speaker to schedule that bill for a vote. I, too, sent a letter to the newly elected Speaker imploring him to bring this bill to the floor.

In the book of Matthew 25:35 it says: ``For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me . . . Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?' ''

Do we not take these words as a call to action? There are homeless veterans suffering as we speak. It is our responsibility to take care of the most vulnerable veterans. Every night a veteran spends on the street is a night this Congress could have acted to shelter them. You can feel the cold setting in here in Washington, D.C.

The HOME act would fill the basic needs of veterans experiencing homelessness to help get them on a path to stable housing. Whether it be emergency shelter to escape the cold, a warm meal, or clothes to wear and a ride to a job interview, this bill allows VA to help homeless veterans in the most fundamental ways.

Veterans service organizations and advocates have called on Congress to pass legislation to continue the flexible funding and authorities for critical VA homelessness programs. These authorities resulted in a reduction in veteran homelessness by over 11 percent over the last 2 years during the pandemic. This was an amazing feat during one of the most difficult times in our recent history, and yet this House has not seen fit to bring this bill to the floor.

If the House fails to act or continues to delay action, I fear that veteran homelessness will undoubtedly increase and critical gains made during the pandemic will be lost. We are about to enter the winter months. Will this Congress allow veterans to remain on the streets or lacking access to basic necessities?

The other bill I have urged the Speaker to bring to the floor is H.R. 542, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act. This bill, introduced by Representatives Brownley and Bergman, was also reported out of committee with unanimous support in July. It would require VA to provide access to all home and community-based services, such as home health aides, home-based primary care, and respite care to all veterans and caregivers who need them. Currently, elderly and disabled veterans only have access if their VA medical centers have chosen to offer these services.

This legislation will enable veterans to remain at home, safely age in place, and avoid or delay admission to nursing homes and other costly institutional settings of care. It will also help connect veterans' caregivers to respite

care and other supportive services that help them care for veterans at home and improve VA's coordination with other Federal long-term care programs that promote aging at home.

Finally, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act will require VA to create a website where veterans and their families can more easily obtain information about VA's home- and community-based services programs and assess whether any of these programs may be right for them.

Nearly every veteran will, at some point, face the need for additional care at home or, if they can't get it, spend their last years in a nursing home setting. This legislation is an investment in care for millions of veterans and current servicemembers who need this help now or may in the future. We can afford to do this. We must do this.

Senator Elizabeth Dole, alongside all other major veterans service organizations, has spoken to several committee members and its chairman about the urgency of passing this bill this year. The health and well- being of thousands of veterans depends on it. I have heard that certain Republican Members object to the Dole act. I would ask those Members with concerns to speak to me or the bill's sponsors so that we can try to address those concerns. That would be the fair and honest thing to do, so that we can tell the advocates for this bill what the actual holdup is.

The Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act has the support of every major veterans service organization, including Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Wounded Warrior Project, and the Military Officers Association of America. It is also supported by AARP, the National Association of Counties, the National PACE Association, and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.

Democrats on the committee remain ready to help pass both of these bills and many others that have passed out of the committee with broad bipartisan support.

Weeks were spent waiting for the Republican Conference to select a new Speaker, and significant time has been wasted on partisan appropriations bills that have no chance of being signed by the President. We are here using precious floor time on poison pill amendments at worst or symbolic gestures at best, but none of these things will actually help veterans get the care and benefits they deserve.

Last year, we came together to pass the largest expansion of veterans benefits in a generation, my Honoring our PACT Act, but we cannot and should not stop there.

Every bill brought to the House floor represents a choice and makes a statement about priorities. From my experience, whenever I had a veterans bill that was ready or timely, Speaker Emerita Pelosi made way for it because for her veterans issues are sacred. They are not fodder for negotiation or collateral. I hope our current Speaker comes to that same understanding. There is always time for veterans legislation.

We ask servicemembers to leave their families to protect our country, and we have a responsibility to honor our pact with them, that we will take care of them when they come home. That includes our most vulnerable veterans, such as homeless, elderly, and disabled veterans.

We must get these bills passed and honor our commitment to veterans. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 593. I ask my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley), my friend, and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the service of one of the most effective staffers this Chamber has ever known, Elizabeth Austin-Mackenzie. As staff director of the Health Subcommittee, she shepherded many of the most significant achievements of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs over the last 6 years.

Quiet and unassuming, Elizabeth has one of the sharpest minds I have worked with. She has spent the majority of her professional life advocating for this Nation's veterans with an unflappable determination to doing right by them.

She has always advised me with a clear-eyed perspective and guided her staff with an endless capacity for kindness and a good laugh.

In 2020, when many offices struggled to find ways to work effectively from home, Elizabeth ensured the Health Subcommittee didn't miss a beat.

It is safe to say that no congressional staffer did more for veterans in 2020 than Elizabeth Mackenzie. The landmark legislation, the SAVE LIVES Act, which vaccinated tens of thousands of veterans, their spouses, and their caregivers, was made possible by her determination.

We are saddened to lose this brilliant, seemingly tireless advocate to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, but I know she will continue to do great things for veterans and this country.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to recognize Dr. Lawrence ``Larry'' T. Geraty and his esteemed wife, Gillian, for their unwavering commitment to Seventh-Day Adventist higher education. Their dedication has fostered growth and allowed the communities they have touched not only in California's 39th Congressional District, but across the globe, to flourish.

Larry and Gillian epitomize the essence of servant-leadership, serving as beacons of inspiration for all of us who aspire to elevate the quality, impact, reach, and visibility of our educational institutions. Their unwavering efforts have left an indelible mark on our schools, by raising the bar for education and cultivating an environment where students can genuinely flourish.

Larry and Gillian met while abroad in Beirut, Lebanon, where their families served in missionaries, and have been inseparable ever since. After returning to the States and marrying, Gillian advocated for and established the first Kindergarten program at Andrews University in Boston, Massachusetts, while Larry joined the faculty and founded the university's Institute of Archaeology.

In 1993, Larry and Gillian relocated to Riverside, California, when Larry assumed the presidency of La Sierra University. Under his leadership, La Sierra University remained true to its commitment to authenticity, embracing diversity among its student body, faculty, and staff, and resulting in its recognition as the most diverse campus in the United States. Larry tirelessly worked to enhance the university's visibility in the community, ensuring support for its developmental endeavors. These initiatives transformed the campus and its surroundings, establishing a substantial funding

source for La Sierra. Larry served as president until 2007 when he transitioned into retirement--and a fundraising role for the university's Office of Advancement.

I'd like to honor this remarkable couple on receiving the Tom and Vi Zapara School of Business Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition they truly deserve. Larry and Gillian's efforts have not only touched the lives of countless students, but have also shaped the trajectory of our educational institutions. May their journey inspire generations to come, and may their legacy continue to shape the future of education for all.

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

Mr. Speaker, I supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act when it came to the House last year, and I am glad it was indeed a bipartisan bill. It was passed in response to the horrific shootings that occurred in Uvalde, Texas, and in Buffalo, New York. However, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was negotiated in a bipartisan manner in the Senate and then it came over to the House where we voted on it with no changes and sent it to the President for his signature.

In attempting to make clear that Title IV funds provided under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act through the ESEA could not be used to arm teachers or school staff, Senate negotiators used language stating that no funds could be used to provide to any person a dangerous weapon or training in the use of a dangerous weapon.

Now, the term ``dangerous weapon'' is broadly defined. So in using this language, Senate negotiators inadvertently, I believe, precluded the use of funds by students for certain activities in school and extracurricular programs that were previously permitted prior to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

The gentleman from Wisconsin has made the claim that it is the Department of Education that is misinterpreting the law. They, in fact, are following the law to the very letter. If we want to place some scrutiny, it should be on the Senate, which I believe drafted this language imprecisely which resulted in the need for this technical fix.

H.R. 5110 is an attempt to fix that language to permit the use of such items for students in school and extracurricular activities, and I am glad that we were able to work in a bipartisan manner once again to agree on the language that we are voting on today.

As this issue has come to light, many people have targeted the Department of Education as the problem, stating that the Department has misinterpreted congressional intent in applying the law. That is absolutely incorrect. The Department has been following the law as written and passed by Congress and signed by the President. Of course, we all remember that the President takes an oath to faithfully execute the laws of our country.

Today's legislation makes clear that we are not trying to preclude the use of items by students in the pursuit of educational and extracurricular activities, and the list in the example list in the legislative text is not exhaustive.

That said, the language would preclude ESEA funding from being used to arm teachers or school staff or train teachers or school staff in the use of dangerous weapons remains intact.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I just remind the chairwoman, the gentlewoman from North Carolina, that it was Congress that sent language in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which proscribed the ability for these activities to occur in our schools, and to characterize faithfully executing the laws of our country as ``crackpot'' I think is quite off base.

The President and his administration support this technical fix that is being sought, and I support this technical fix. Congress needs to take care that we send language that reflects our intent.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle).

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

Mr. Speaker, I will just point out again that the last speaker made the claim that it was a faulty interpretation by this administration. I would argue we sent a bill to the President that had a technical error. Let's place the onus of responsibility on a situation in which we had the choice of returning the bill back to the Senate with a technical correction, risking a potential derailment of a landmark bill.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act represents a significant step forward in terms of gun safety in our country. I will remind my colleagues that this was in the wake of the Uvalde shootings in Texas and the Buffalo shootings. The American people were demanding action from this Congress.

I think the decision was made to not return the bill to the Senate with a technical fix but to send it to the President. The Senate, in my estimation, could have done a better job of making sure this language was clearer, but the administration has been enforcing the law according to the legislative text that we sent them.

I will take a moment to talk about how significant this bill has been for our kids. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act included authorization for a lot of funding to address the mental health crisis that our students are facing across the country. This is also a bipartisan concern.

I will let this body know that in my own district, I have seen the schools respond in a magnificent way. One school district has directly hired clinical social workers. Instead of having to refer students out to nonexistent therapists in the community, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is enabling us to expand this model where school districts directly hire clinical social workers. In fact, this one school district that I am talking about has a clinical social worker assigned to every school. This has made access to mental health much easier. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act has made this happen. I will speak more on this as we continue the discussion.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, I believe, passed, as the title would suggest, with bipartisan support. It was a significant step forward, although, in my estimation, not

enough in terms of addressing the gun violence issue that we have in our country.

We have seen since the Uvalde shooting and the Buffalo shooting many more mass shootings occur in our country, and I believe the American people want to see more done.

Instead of just thoughts and prayers, we did pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which came with many provisions that address gun violence in our schools. The most significant element of the bill, in my estimation, is the broad and deep support for expanding access to mental health care for our young people. This is truly a great achievement.

I am very pleased that we are addressing the technical error that Congress made in drafting this language that it sent to the President. I am glad that we are correcting that today. I will point out that the President and his administration support this technical fix.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 5110, and I yield back the balance of my time.