Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1066, the VA Management Alignment Act of 2017, as introduced by my colleague from Washington, the most excellent Representative, Derek Kilmer. His advocacy and hard work on behalf of veterans is commendable.

This bipartisan measure will require the VA Secretary to report to Congress on the roles, responsibilities, and accountability of employees within VA.

This oversight is sorely needed. Last Congress, in testimony before the Veterans' Affairs Committee, the bipartisan co-chairs of the Commission on Care both highlighted how little attention is paid to the VA's human resources to ensure the Department is functioning efficiently. Representative Kilmer's legislation will help lead to a VA that more effectively meets veterans' needs.

I have enjoyed working with Representative Kilmer to advance this legislation through committee and truly appreciate his work on this issue.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1066, the VA Management Alignment Act of 2017.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3122, as amended, the Veterans Care Financial Protection Act of 2017, and thank the bill's sponsor, the congressman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), for introducing it.

Veterans who served during wartime, and their spouses, may be eligible to receive pension benefits if they meet certain income and other eligibility requirements. Such veterans and survivors may also be eligible for additional financial benefits, known as Aid and Attendance, if the applicant needs assistance performing personal functions required in everyday living such as bathing, feeding, and dressing.

Now, VA does not charge veterans and their families to apply for Aid and Attendance benefits. In addition, veterans service organizations, such as The American Legion and VFW, offer free assistance to veterans and their families who wish to apply for this benefit.

Yet, in all parts of the country, some individuals attempt to charge fees for helping veterans apply for Aid and Attendance benefits. According to organizations, such as AARP and the Federal Trade Commission, senior veterans have increasingly become subject to scams involving insurance agents and financial planners trying to convince veterans to make quick decisions about pursuing Aid and Attendance in addition to their pension incomes. Some scammers use false representations such as suggesting automatic entitlement to benefits.

Of greater concern, though, are those who help the veteran restructure financial assets in order to qualify for pension and/or Aid and Attendance. For example, moving financial assets into a pooled- asset irrevocable trust might render a veteran eligible for pension and Aid and Attendance, despite having assets in excess of the qualifying income thresholds.

While it appears that this would benefit the veteran, what these salesmen do not tell them is that this type of restructuring might preclude them from Medicaid eligibility because of rules such as a 5- year look-back period, which considers whether one has moved substantial assets at less than market value.

H.R. 3122, as amended, would require that VA post warnings on its website about dishonest individuals who would charge fees to this very vulnerable group of veterans and their families to help beneficiaries apply for pension with Aid and Attendance benefits.

Now, this bill would also require GAO to submit a report to Congress on the types of standards used by Federal and State agencies intended to protect vulnerable populations from financial exploitation, an analysis of the types of financial exploitation facing veterans who are eligible for Aid and Attendance benefits, and any other gaps and efforts to address these issues.

H.R. 3122, the Veterans Care Financial Protection Act, enjoys broad bipartisan support in the House of Representatives as well as from our veterans service organizations. I want to also acknowledge the work of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Chairman Mike Bost and Ranking Member Elizabeth Esty for their efforts to protect veterans.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and again, I strongly support H.R. 3122, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3656, as amended, which resolves an inconsistency in the eligibility for nonveteran spouses and children receiving memorial headstones. The legislation ensures a consistent applicability date for memorial headstones and markers for eligible nonveteran individuals whose remains are not available.

Under current law, a surviving spouse who dies on or after November 11, 1998, is eligible for a headstone or marker. But for dependent children who pass away, the date of eligibility for a headstone or marker does not occur until December 22, 2006.

This arbitrary difference causes situations in which VA can provide a marker for the parent, but not the dependent child. Clearly, this change would make it easier for surviving family members to make funeral and burial plans.

H.R. 3656, as amended, is supported by the major veteran service organizations and enjoys bipartisan support in the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 3656, as amended, and I urge my colleagues in the House to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. Again, I strongly support H.R. 3656, as amended, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3657, as amended, which would authorize VA to provide headstones and markers for the graves of spouses and children of veterans who are buried in Tribal cemeteries.

VA currently provides a headstone or a marker for eligible spouses or dependent children who are buried or interred in a national, military post, or State veterans cemetery. However, spouses and dependents are not eligible for a government-furnished headstone or marker if they are buried in a private or Tribal cemetery.

H.R. 3657, as amended, would resolve this inequity by ensuring that veterans' spouses and children who are buried at Tribal veterans cemeteries are provided government-furnished headstones or markers, which would be the same treatment family members buried at national and State veterans cemeteries receive.

H.R. 3657, as amended, enjoys broad, bipartisan support among the Members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and I wish to thank the bill's sponsor, Representative Bruce Poliquin, for his sponsorship and the work of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee for bringing it to the floor.

Native-American veterans have earned, and deserve, the same rights, privileges, and honors that other veterans receive. For this reason, I strongly support H.R. 3657, as amended, and I urge my colleagues to join me.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.

Again, I strongly support H.R. 3657, as amended, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 40th anniversary of AMRO Fabricating Corporation, whose Riverside manufacturing facility is adjacent to the March Air Reserve Base in my district.

AMRO is a small business manufacturer that plays an important role in supporting NASA, the Department of Defense, and our community.

Under the guidance of CEO Michael E. Riley, the grandson of founders Michael K. and Thora A. Riley, this family company is helping to develop a strong and skilled workforce in southern California.

AMRO is partnering with the State and Federal Government on projects that place high school and college students in internships and apprenticeships, which prepare them for a successful future and support our local economy.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the AMRO team on this milestone, and I am proud to represent this terrific small business that is doing such great work for our community and for our Nation.

Madam Speaker, Delila is a graduate student at the University of California, Riverside, who exemplifies the American spirit. As a young woman, she worked two and three jobs to support her family and help her father, who was their sole provider.

Three years ago, when her father suffered a stroke, Delila stepped up and kept the family afloat while he recovered. She went on to take a full-time position as a sexual assault advocate in our community. Delila says that job allowed her to help those who live in fear and live without hope.

This year, she will graduate with a master's degree, and there is no question that she is destined to accomplish great things. The only question is where she will accomplish them.

Delila is a DREAMer, and her future in this country depends on whether we pass the Dream Act. Once again, I am asking my colleagues to do the right thing. Pass the Dream Act so people like Delila can continue to make our communities proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 3819, which reauthorizes several essential veterans' programs that support the men and women who have served our Nation. These programs include assistance and support services for caregivers who so often make profound sacrifices to support their loved ones, grants to our vital veterans service organizations so they can continue providing transportation for rural veterans to help connect them with the services they need, and programs to reintegrate homeless veterans which offer opportunities for meaningful employment and address the complex challenges they face.

This bill reauthorizes specialized counseling for women veterans. This is particularly important in light of the stunning VA report released this month which showed that female veterans are six times more likely to die by suicide than any other women.

These programs are fundamental to the well-being of our veterans and their families, and they are a reflection of our gratitude to those who serve.

In addition, this legislation makes important technical changes that will allow us to follow through on the promises of the new GI Bill, which we passed unanimously earlier this year. Specifically, H.R. 3819 allows us to correct the perverse incentives that discourage veterans from attending local community colleges and universities, which is a provision I worked on with my Republican colleague, Congressman Paul Cook.

It also allows for the restoration of benefits for veterans left stranded by the abrupt closure of for-profit colleges, which I championed with Republican Luke Messer.

After the closures of ITT Tech and Corinthian Colleges, student veterans in my district and across the country were left with nontransferable credits, depleted benefits, and none of the job opportunities that they were promised. By restoring their tuition and housing benefits, we are restoring a measure of justice for these veterans and restoring their opportunity to get the education they deserve and earned.

Taken together, the reauthorization of vital programs and the technical fixes included in this bill should earn the support of every Member.

I want to thank Chairman Roe, Ranking Member Walz, and my colleagues on the Veterans' Affairs Committee for ensuring that veterans can continue to rely on these critical programs, and I am once again grateful for the bipartisanship that has defined our work on behalf of America's veterans.

In closing, I want to note that yesterday was Gold Star Mothers and Families Day, and while today we are taking action to support our veterans, we must also remember the men and women who never made it home.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to support this must-pass legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise to remind my colleagues that we have just 4 days to authorize mandatory funding for our Nation's Community Health Centers.

If Congress fails to act before September 30, the Community Health Center program will suffer a 70 percent cut to its funding. Our constituents and our economy will suffer the consequences.

Without this funding, an estimated 2,800 health center facilities will be forced to close, 51,000 medical professionals will lose their jobs, and 9 million patients will lose access to the care they rely on.

The critical role Community Health Centers have in serving patients is beyond dispute, and it should be beyond partisanship.

While our Senate colleagues are scrambling to meet a self-imposed deadline, they are ignoring real deadlines that we must meet. We must fund these health centers this week, or we will be responsible for the economic and human cost of our inaction.

Mr. Speaker, last week I visited Norte Vista High School and stood before a room of DREAMers who were desperate to know if they have a future in America, the only country they have ever called home. I had to look each student in the eye and say: I can't make any promises.

The question is not whether we have enough votes in Congress to pass the Dream Act. We all know that we do. The question is not whether passing the Dream Act is the right thing to do. We all know that it is.

The question before this Congress is whether we have the political courage and the basic decency to reject our worst impulses, and protect the most vulnerable members of our society.

In a few months, I hope I can stand before that same room of DREAMers

and tell them that the answer is, yes; yes, America can be a fair and a compassionate nation, and, yes, they are free to realize the promise of this great country.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect California's DREAMers like Luceyda, who at age 31 hasn't been home to Mexico in 27 years because this is her home.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for mentioning that so that it doesn't detract from my time. But please visit California, especially Riverside, California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 114, which prevents a funding lapse in the VA Choice Program while making critical investments to strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This legislation is a significant improvement over the bill we considered earlier this week. It now includes leasing authorizations for VA medical facilities in 17 States across the country, and it includes several provisions that I introduced that will help address the VA's workforce shortages. This is what I hope to be the first step in providing the VA the tools it needs to meet its internal workforce challenges.

As I have often said, the VA's ability to provide quality and timely care to our Nation's veterans will be determined by who it hires.

There are nearly 50,000 vacancies at the VA that need to be filled. This bill strengthens and streamlines the VA's ability to recruit, hire, and retain talented and dedicated individuals. But more needs to be done to expand the VA's own internal capacity to provide care for our veterans.

The VA Choice Program is a well-intentioned program, but it has not delivered on its promise to consistently cut wait times or improve care. We do not want to be back here in January passing another short- term fix.

Starting today, we have 6 months to come together and develop a more efficient and effective system to connect veterans with the care they need.

Earlier this week, I expressed my desire to vote for a bill that avoids a funding gap in the Choice Program, while also recognizing the importance of a strong and sustainable VA. This legislation meets that standard, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, late last night, Senate Republicans failed in their latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but today is not a day for celebration. It is a day for solutions.

Over the past 7 years, the Affordable Care Act has expanded access to healthcare for millions of Americans; but the law's imperfections, combined with politically motivated opposition, have created a system that falls short of the goals we all share.

In many communities across the country, there is not enough competition in the individual marketplaces, there is not enough support for middle class families and small businesses, and there is not nearly enough being done to curb the prescription drug prices that are swallowing family budgets.

The good news is that we know how to solve these challenges. Now is the time for us to work together, Democrats and Republicans, to build a healthcare system that is worthy of this great Nation.

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

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment, which would restore funding to the Office of Technology Assessment, or otherwise known as OTA. I would like to thank my cosponsors, Representatives Esty, Foster, Langevin, Lieu, and Lujan.

The foundation for good policy is accurate and objective analysis, and, for more than two decades, the OTA set that foundation by providing relevant, unbiased technical and scientific assessments for Members of Congress and staff.

But in 1995, the OTA was defunded, stripping Congress of a valuable resource to understand both emerging technologies as well as the nuances of the legislative process. In its absence, the need for OTA has only grown. Many of the issues OTA studied 20 years ago are even more pressing today.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria, electronic surveillance in the digital age, and testing in America's schools, these are the complex challenges our Nation will continue to face, and Congress should have access to the thorough and insightful analysis OTA can provide.

Investing in the OTA now will actually save us money in the future. In the last year it operated, the OTA's budget was $23 million, but its studies on the synthetic fuels corporation saved taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. Our amendment restores a modest $2.5 million to the OTA account for salaries and expenses to begin rebuilding the office.

The cost is offset by a reduction to the Architect of the Capitol's construction and operations account. This administrative account will not take resources from specific construction projects.

Mr. Chair, a great surgeon does not operate without modern tools, a master chef does not cook without fresh ingredients, and Members of Congress should not make policy decisions without relevant and unbiased information.

And with that in mind, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment, to restore funding to the Office of Technology Assessment.

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

Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster), a member of the Science Committee and also a physicist.

Mr. Chair, I reiterate my support for the Office of Technology Assessment. Congress does not suffer from a lack of information, but it does suffer from a lack of trusted information to help make wise policy decisions.

Today, we do need the Office of Technology Assessment more than ever. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment which ensures that the Department of Energy continues to fund Energy Innovation Hubs in the Offices of Science, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, and Nuclear Energy.

The current report language accompanying H.R. 3266, which is the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, directs the DOE not to fund these centers.

By passing this amendment, we will clearly express Congress' intent to continue funding these innovation hubs and request that the final report language be edited to reflect our intent.

The four existing innovation hubs conduct critical research across energy fields including nuclear, solar, advanced storage, and energy supply chains. These hubs are modeled off of the iconic Bell Laboratories, but private industry no longer sustains this type of research due to increasing pressure to make short-term profits.

That is why it is essential that the government conduct this research.

Mr. Chairman, I encourage my colleagues to support the en bloc and amend the final report language so these vital innovation hubs continue to receive funding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly oppose this CRA opposition, which rolls back critical protections for American consumers.

Passing this resolution would set a nearly irreversible policy that allows Wall Street companies to commit pervasive fraud while avoiding the accountability that comes with a class action lawsuit.

Access to our courts and the transparency and fairness they provide is a fundamental right enshrined in our Constitution. It is a sad irony that many of those that would be denied their constitutional rights through this resolution are the servicemembers and veterans who have risked their lives to protect those rights.

When the American consumer takes on a Wall Street corporation, it is already a David versus Goliath situation. Now Republicans want to steal David's slingshot. Mr. Speaker, don't let them steal David's slingshot. Don't let them steal America's slingshot.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to reject this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose S. 114.

A strong and sustainable Veterans Health Administration is critical to providing America's veterans with the care they deserve. By funding the Choice exception without investing in the VA itself, this legislation explicitly prioritizes the private sector at the VA's expense. This is not an acceptable way forward.

Care in the community has always been and will always be important in ensuring veterans have access to care, the care that they have earned, but it would be a profound mistake to funnel billions of dollars into private care while neglecting the VA and the millions of veterans it serves every year, and that is exactly what this bill does.

Veterans service organizations are speaking out, because they know what is at stake. They understand the bigger policy implications of today's vote.

This legislation is a referendum on the mistaken belief that the private sector is better equipped to care for our Nation's veterans than specialized VA doctors.

I have a statement from eight VSOs that echo these concerns, and I include it in the Record.

Leading Veterans Organizations Call on Members of Congress To Defeat

Unacceptable Choice Funding Legislation

Urge House to Work with Senate to Reach a Bipartisan, Bicameral

Agreement

(Joint Statement from AMVETS, DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Iraq

and Afghanistan Veterans Association (IAVA), Military Officers

Association of America (MOAA), Military Order of the Purple Heart

(MOPH), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Vietnam Veterans of America

(VVA), and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP))

As organizations who represent and support the interests of

America's 21 million veterans, and in fulfillment of our

mandate to ensure that the men and women who served are able

to receive the health care and benefits they need and

deserve, we are calling on Members of Congress to defeat the

House vote on unacceptable choice funding legislation (S.

114, with amendments) scheduled for Monday, July 24, and

instead work with the Senate to reach a bipartisan, bicameral

agreement.

As we have repeatedly told House leaders in person this

week, and in a jointly-signed letter on June 28, we oppose

legislation that includes funding only for the ``choice''

program which provides additional community care options, but

makes no investment in VA and uses ``savings'' from other

veterans benefits or services to ``pay'' for the ``choice''

program.

Veterans health care benefits have already been ``paid

for'' through the service and sacrifice of the men and women

who wore our nation's uniform, millions of whom suffered

injuries, illnesses and lifelong disabilities.

In order to ensure that veterans can receive necessary care

without interruption, we call on House leaders to take the

time necessary to work together with Senate leaders to

develop acceptable ``choice'' funding legislation that not

only fills the current funding gap, but also addresses urgent

VA infrastructure and resource needs that led to creation of

the ``choice'' program in the first place.

All of our organizations are committed to building a future

veterans health care system that modernizes VA and integrates

community care whenever needed so that enrolled veterans have

seamless access to timely, quality care. However, if new

funding is directed only or primarily to private sector

``choice'' care without any adequate investment to modernize

VA, the viability of the entire system will soon be in

danger.

We call on leaders in both the House and Senate to work

together in good faith, and we remain committed to supporting

such efforts, in order to quickly reach an agreement that

ensures veterans health care is not interrupted in the short

term, nor threatened in the long term.

The organizations signing the statement are AMVETS; the Disabled American Veterans; Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association, IAVA; Military Officers Association of America, MOAA; Military Order of the Purple Heart; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Vietnam Veterans of America; and Wounded Warrior Project.

I would like to quote from a few of the paragraphs:

``In order to ensure that veterans can receive necessary care without interruption, we call on House leaders to take the time necessary to work together with Senate leaders to develop acceptable Choice funding legislation that not only fills the current funding gap, but also addresses urgent VA infrastructure and resource needs that led to creation of the Choice Program in the first place.

``All of our organizations are committed to building a future veterans healthcare system that modernizes VA and integrates community care whenever needed so that enrolled veterans have seamless access to timely, quality care. However, if new funding is directed only or primarily to private sector Choice care without any adequate investment to modernize VA, the viability of the entire system will soon be in danger.''

I also have letters opposing S. 114 from the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the VFW. I include these letters in opposition in the Record.

Washington, July 22, 2017.--Paralyzed Veterans of America

(Paralyzed Veterans) today weighed in on options being

considered to fund the veteran ``choice'' program, as the

House of Representatives considers a vote on a draft bill, S.

114 as amended, on Monday, July 24. Priorities for the

organization include open discussion on the best way to build

up specialized veteran-centric services offered by the

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), while expanding access

to non-specialized healthcare for veterans without cutting

critical non-healthcare VA benefits.

``The notion of streamlining VA is a necessary discussion

that must continue. The devil is in the details, though,''

said Sherman Gillums Jr., executive director of Paralyzed

Veterans of America. ``We do support the responsible `right

sizing' of VA, starting with the elimination of redundancies

and ultimately using cost savings to increase reinvestment in

VA's foundational services, such as spinal cord injury care.

Offsets, at least in part, may be necessary in order to

achieve that.''

Offsets, or program and benefit trade-offs used for

budgeting purposes, are not new to VA. Past offsets include

fees and collections related to housing loans and extensions

in the reduction of certain pensions used to pay for other

benefits. However, this is the first time Congress is

requiring VA to include deficit reduction as a component of

the agency's plan to maintain and expand the VA Choice

Program. Moreover, some veteran advocates have expressed

staunch opposition to offsets because they require VA to

employ a ``rob Peter to pay Paul'' approach to funding

programs.

``Paralyzed Veterans' main concern is that using these

offsets to pay for VA healthcare comes at the expense of

expanding non-healthcare benefits, such as disability

compensation,'' explained Gillums. ``However, we are not

prepared to simply oppose offsets because we believe VA is

open to strengthening healthcare for our most

catastrophically disabled veterans, which matters above all

else. Paralyzed Veterans leads as an expert voice on the most

complex healthcare challenges these veterans face, and we

intend to use that voice to promote new ideas and progress.''

``The bottom line is the discussion must continue with open

minds on all sides,'' concluded Gillums.

About Paralyzed Veterans

Paralyzed Veterans of America is the only congressionally

chartered veterans service organization dedicated solely for

the benefit and representation of veterans with spinal cord

injury or disease. For 70 years, we have ensured that

veterans have received the benefits earned through their

service to our nation; monitored their care in VA spinal cord

injury units; and funded research and education in the search

for a cure and improved care for individuals with paralysis.

As a partner for life, Paralyzed Veterans also develops

training and career services, works to ensure accessibility

in public buildings and spaces, provides health and

rehabilitation opportunities through sports and recreation

and advocates for veterans and all people with disabilities.

With more than 70 offices and 33 chapters, Paralyzed Veterans

serves veterans, their families and their caregivers in all

50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico

(pva.org).

Source: Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Madam Speaker, after more than 2 years and more than $10 billion, the VA Choice Program has failed to deliver on its promise of shorter wait times for veterans.

It is time for us to recognize that private care is not the panacea for the complex challenge of caring for our Nation's veterans and that the VA's role must remain foundational to veterans' care. This bill does not reflect that reality.

I urge my colleagues to reject this legislation while we continue to work toward a bipartisan, bicameral solution.