Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2201, the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act, as amended.

I think we can all agree that no one should ever, ever be subject to sexual violence while serving in the military. It is truly a tragedy that it happens at all, but sadly, it does.

Unfortunately, it occurs to many men and women in our military ranks at a rate likely greater than that of the general public. That means that among some of the best people our country has, there are far too many who have been violated in the most personal of ways.

Far too often, sexual assault in the military is perpetrated by those in positions of power, and far too often, these assaults are swept under the rug by the chain of command with the poor excuse that this is being done to avoid disrupting unit cohesion. This means that the victims of sexual assault are left to serve with and under their assailants, watching them go unpunished for their crimes. This is a double indignity that no one should ever have to suffer.

Sexual trauma is unlike any other trauma. It has the ability to separate someone from their own body. It can make someone feel like they are a stranger in that body. It can make them feel unsafe in their own skin.

The effects of this trauma are heartbreaking and can be lasting. Asking victims of sexual violence to speak about it or provide physical evidence relating to it can be retraumatizing.

Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs requires that personnel managing claims of this type receive training on the subject every 5 years. That seems like a long time between training for such a sensitive subject and a unique type of concern, especially as the study and treatment of these issues evolves rapidly and new best practices are developed and implemented.

When it comes to the treatment of military sexual trauma compensation claims, I think it is worth revisiting training annually to ensure that we are giving these veterans proper care and treatment.

H.R. 2201 is an effort to add a little more care and compassion to the process of disability claims of this nature. We routinely advocate for veterans and their well-being in our committee, and this bill does just that.

By mandating that providers have more frequent and updated training, we can ensure better outcomes for the veteran. It is something we must keep pushing for. Every day, we must work to build a better veterans' experience, and providing training more frequently can help us accomplish that goal.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2201 and to continue to press for better care for veterans.

Mr. Speaker, for the victims of sexual assault out there who may be listening right now, they should know that they are seen and heard. I will continue to push for accountability for those who perpetrated the assaults, and I will push even harder to ensure these veterans get the compassionate care that they have earned and deserve.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Budzinski), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization and my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 2201, the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act of 2025, as amended.

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. 1364, the Automotive Support Services to Improve Safe Transportation Act, or ASSIST Act, of 2025, as amended.

For disabled veterans, attending a medical appointment is often not a routine drive but, rather, can be a logistical and physical challenge. That is why Representatives Levin and

Fletcher led the passage of the Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022 into law.

This law allowed veterans to upgrade their vehicles every 10 years and authorized the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer mobility improvements to vehicles for the purposes of attending medical appointments. However, now that this landmark law has been implemented, oversight has led to the identification of some gaps in the types of mobility services currently authorized by law.

This is where the ASSIST Act comes in. This legislation, led by Representative Barrett and co-led by Representatives Maggie Goodlander, Susie Lee, Jason Crow, and Eugene Vindman, expands the types of equipment and services that VA is authorized to provide.

These are benefits and services these veterans have earned, and it is our duty in Congress to ensure veterans don't have to worry about how they will access the care they have earned through their service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Goodlander), my good friend and cosponsor of H.R. 1364.

She currently serves on the House Committee on Armed Services and the Small Business Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1364, the ASSIST Act of 2025, as amended.

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 strong support of H.R. 1578, the Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025, as amended.

Obtaining veterans benefits can be confusing. The process can be cumbersome. Because of the complexity and scope of the VA and its programs, some veterans take to an internet search to figure out how to get their claims approved.

It seems certain actors have figured out that in the confusion of the process, they can make a profit or, with claims specifically, hundreds of millions of dollars in profits.

Oftentimes, when veterans log on and search how to get their claims submitted, they are greeted by a clickbait ad for claim sharks. These are the people who charge exorbitant fees, while assisting veterans in the preparation of their claims.

Current law mandates that VA has a duty to assist in the initial claims preparation process. This duty exists to ensure that there are no financial barriers to veterans in having their claims prepared and adjudicated and that veterans experience a nonadversarial process.

Moreover, there are thousands of veterans service organizations around the country who are willing and able to assist veterans for free. Those service officers have been vetted by VA, both for their character and competence.

In the spirit of ensuring that veterans are made aware that they are entitled to this preparation assistance, the Veterans Claims Education Act mandates that VA websites prominently give veterans notice that they are entitled to free assistance from an accredited representative and how to find that assistance.

Not only does it alert the veteran that they are entitled to assistance in their claims preparation at no cost but it also provides guidance on reporting bad actors like unaccredited claim sharks.

The VA's accreditation process serves to protect our Nation's veterans from financial exploitation so that veterans are less likely to be at risk of incurring outrageous debts, as well as losing out on months of their benefits.

Mr. Speaker, few people would think there is value in letting someone take 5 months of our paychecks just for reviewing our resume, right? Then why would we ever, ever be even remotely comfortable with someone taking 5 months of earned benefits away from our veterans?

I strongly support this bipartisan bill as it would promote those actors who are doing claims preparation and processing the right way, not the ones who pay to be the first result on an internet search.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Peters for introducing this legislation. This bill allows us to direct veterans to representatives who have the skills, knowledge, and accreditation to help them, not to take advantage of them during the initial claims process.

Mr. Speaker, today, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1578 and not just to stop there. I also urge them to continue to push back against claim sharks and to support legislation that reinstates the penalties that were in place to hold accountable bad actors who took advantage of veterans for years.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters), the author of H.R. 1578.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1578, the Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Ms. Stevens and Mr. Subramanyam, for hosting this Special Order hour. Their leadership is much needed, and I appreciate them.

Madam Speaker, I rise today because something is deeply wrong. The Trump administration is gutting our Nation's scientific infrastructure and doing it with purpose. This isn't some misunderstanding or clerical error. It is an attack on research, on truth, and on the people who have dedicated their lives to making our country stronger, smarter, and healthier.

Thousands of scientists have been laid off. Grants approved by Congress are being withheld. Whole labs are shutting down. Now, the administration wants to slash funding for the NIH, the CDC, the Department of Energy's labs, and the university partnerships that have built the modern American economy.

They call this reform. It is not reform. It is a dagger to the heart of American innovation.

Let's be honest about what's going on here. Elon Musk and the so- called Department of Government Efficiency are using the Federal Government to settle scores: cancer trials, nonessential; national science databases, too expensive. That is not policy. It is a crusade against expertise.

Last month, I sat down with five undergraduate researchers at UC Riverside. They are doing remarkable work on everything from climate change to biomedical engineering. Their students are bright; their ideas are bold; and their funding is suddenly at risk, not because the science failed but because politics did.

While we fire researchers, other countries are sending job offers. France, Germany, Canada, and Australia are rolling out the red carpet for the scientists we are pushing out the door.

While we make it harder for international students, researchers, and the greatest minds around the world to come, to bring their talent, other countries are offering funding, housing, and guaranteed lab space.

One institute called it a ``once-in-a-century brain gain opportunity,'' a once-in-a-century brain gain opportunity for other countries. This is what it looks like when a country values science. Meanwhile, we are bleeding talent.

As ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I need to speak plainly: Our veterans are being hurt, too.

In Pennsylvania, doctors at VA hospitals warned that lifesaving cancer trials were being shut down. I was told by the Secretary--I rushed from that hearing--that they really weren't being shut down, but there are a lot of questions around the status of these trials.

More than 1,000 veterans are at risk of losing access to treatments for head and neck cancer, kidney disease, and traumatic brain injuries. Some of these trials have not been restarted.

In Pittsburgh, a study for veterans struggling with opioid addiction stalled out when a hiring freeze hit.

In Los Angeles, all chemotherapy treatments almost stopped entirely before the VA reversed course.

These are not just numbers. These are people. These are veterans who stepped up for this country, who are now wondering why the country will not step up for them.

We passed the PACT Act to expand care to those exposed to burn pits and other toxins. It was the largest expansion of veterans' care in generations, making good on a promise to help those who served our Nation. Now, it is being broken.

While all of this is happening, China is investing billions in biotech, AI, and clean energy. They are not just competing with us; they are outpacing us because they are not undermining their own scientists.

While we fire, they fund. While we second-guess researchers, they fast-track them.

We are not losing this race because we Americans are not capable. We are losing because we are allowing our government to sabotage them.

Today, some of the National Science Foundation scientists who were fired may be watching from the gallery, others--grad students, post- docs, public health experts--are tuning in from their labs and classrooms across the country.

To all of them, I say this: We see you. We value you. We are not giving up on you. This is not about science; it is about who we are as a country.

Do we invest in the people solving cancer, or do we dismiss them as expendable?

Do we stand by our veterans mid-treatment, or do we tell them to wait until the budget looks better?

Do we fight to stay at the forefront of discovery and innovation, or do we hand the future to someone else?

Madam Speaker, I represent a region full of young people who believe they can cure disease, fight climate change, and explore the stars. What message are we sending them right now?

We should be investing in their future, not pulling the rug out from underneath them.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject these cuts, reject this anti-science, anti-veteran agenda. Let us fight for the truth for our researchers, for our vets, and for the country we still have a chance to become.

Mr. Speaker, we gather on the floor of the House of Representatives to pay tribute to two United States marines who died in service to our Nation. Lance Corporal Albert A. Aguilera of Riverside and Lance Corporal Marcelino M. Gamino of Fresno were both killed in a tragic vehicle accident while on deployment as part of Joint Task Force-Southern Border.

Both were combat engineers with the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, and both were far too young to be taken from their families, friends, and fellow marines.

It is a terrible grief that these families now carry, and it is incumbent on all of us as a Nation to remember the sacrifice of these young men.

I ask all my colleagues to join us in a moment of silence in memory of Lance Corporal Aguilera and Lance Corporal Gamino.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Kim A. Wilcox on his tenure as the ninth chancellor of UC Riverside. Since 2013, he has led the university through a remarkable transformation, turning UCR into a national model for student success and social mobility.

Dr. Wilcox's vision brought bold expansion in research, enrollment, graduation rates, and campus development. He guided the creation of the Schools of Medicine and Public Policy, grew enrollment by over 25 percent, and championed faculty diversity. His efforts resulted in over 2 million square feet of new academic, residential, and dining space.

A passionate advocate for access and equity, Chancellor Wilcox has made UC Riverside a hub of scientific innovation and has brought future innovators to the Inland Empire.

Chancellor Wilcox has been a partner and friend to my office during his tenure, and I am proud to have partnered with him to secure grants to further the reach and impact of UC Riverside. We have collaborated to bring grant money from the National Science Foundation, funds from the Chips and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act back to UC Riverside. While we will miss his unwavering commitment to academic excellence and thoughtful stewardship, perhaps what many of us will miss most is the sound of his truly infectious laugh echoing throughout the room. It always had a way of brightening even the toughest days.

Happy retirement to Chancellor Wilcox and go Highlanders.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House for a Special Order hour with my Congressional Progressive Caucus colleagues. I do so on the 100th day of the Trump administration, and I note that this is a day when we received the news that our economy has contracted and that we are witnessing confusion, chaos in our markets, and uncertainty about our economic future.

We can also mark this day by stating that our country is in the midst of a constitutional crisis.

The administration is disappearing individuals without due process in defiance of court orders. They are ripping people from their homes and communities, putting them on secretive flights, and sending them overseas, including more than 280 individuals sent to the brutal CECOT prison in El Salvador without so much as a hearing.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the administration must facilitate the return of one such man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father, but the executive branch has ignored the highest Court in the land, saying that their own views matter more.

Just last night, the President of the United States admitted in a public interview that he could return Mr. Abrego Garcia if he wanted to, but he is choosing not to. He has openly mused about sending American citizens to El Salvador next because it always starts with those without power, the most vulnerable, but it never ends there, and that should terrify every American.

I want to take the opportunity to draw attention to another case that has captured the public conscience, that of Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, a 31-year-old gay Venezuelan makeup artist and asylum seeker who was forcibly disappeared without due process.

Andry entered the United States legally, fleeing persecution for his sexual orientation and political beliefs. He passed an initial asylum screening and had no criminal record. Yet, without warning or due process, he was forcibly removed to El Salvador and imprisoned in the notorious CECOT facility.

What is the evidence against him? A couple of crown tattoos above the names ``Mom'' and ``Dad,'' symbols of his love for his hometown's Three Kings Day celebrations.

Andry's case exemplifies the dangers of unchecked executive power and what happens when the rule of law is pushed aside.

I call on President Trump to free Andry.

There are so many others to talk about: students who have been snatched off the streets, young American citizens kicked out without so much as a hearing, and the list goes on and on.

I want to be clear that this is not just about immigrants. This is bigger than that. If the government can violate the Constitution with impunity in these cases, then it can do so anywhere to anyone.

To the Americans listening at home, I ask you: How would you feel if masked men grabbed you in broad daylight and refused to show their ID? I know I would be terrified, and I bet you would be, too.

Today, we will hear from a number of my Congressional Progressive Caucus colleagues as we bring a spotlight to these injustices.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Escobar).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Escobar for her comments.

I am outraged to hear that Republicans on the Judiciary Committee would not protect citizens from deportation. We are talking about citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Ramirez for standing up for the rule of law.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter.)

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for his principled remarks about the importance of the rule of law in our country and his enunciating that political dissent in our country is not a crime.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Ansari).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Ansari. I want to thank her for traveling with three other of our colleagues to El Salvador last week. I know that she traveled at her own expense. I am very proud that we have members of this caucus who care so deeply about people who have been treated so unjustly. Nobody should be disappeared out of our country without habeas corpus hearings.

I also thank Representative Carter for his efforts, along with, I believe, other Members of Congress to visit the graduate students held in a New Orleans jail.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Omar).

Mr. Speaker, the sign behind me says ``9-0.'' ``9-0'' is the order of the Supreme Court. They ruled 9-0 that Kilmar Abrego Garcia must be brought back or must be facilitated back into the country. This 9-0 Supreme Court order is being defied by the President. No one in our country, no person, no man, is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Randall).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Rivas).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Rivas for her comments and bringing to light the tragic stories of children who are citizens with cancer being deported from our country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Tonko for his comments. I agree with the gentleman. This is a red line that cannot be crossed. We cannot permit a President to defy a 9-0 order of the Supreme Court. No person and no man is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman), my tremendous colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Watson Coleman for informing the Nation about what happened earlier today with that family in Oklahoma.

It strikes me that we are witnessing this evolution of this administration's policies that began with: We are just going to deport criminals.

It then evolved into disappearing people without hearings and claiming that the people they were disappearing were criminals, dangerous criminals, members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

They admitted that there were mistakes made, but now we are seeing actual children who are citizens being spirited out of the country. This ought to be concerning to all Americans. It is not about them anymore. It is about us. It is about every single person who is in danger of being treated in such a way that you have no way to say to a judge: I am a citizen.

How can you say to a judge that you are a citizen or not a criminal when you are not even allowed to have that hearing?

Mr. Speaker, I will now move on and yield to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for standing up for the rule of law.

Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleagues that, in this country, under our Constitution, no one is above the law, not even the President. Our President, at this very moment, is defying a 9-0 Supreme Court decision.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda), my colleague from the Aloha State.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Tokuda for her comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), my fellow colleague from southern California and good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Chu for bringing to light the story of an individual who has contributed much to his community. I am very disappointed, alarmed, and, frankly, terrified by the actions of this administration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia), also a fellow Californian, a longtime friend of mine, and somebody who I admire for his courage and initiative in leading a recent delegation of four Members of Congress to the country of El Salvador.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Representative Garcia, I had not heard the story about your request to the Ambassador to do a welfare check.

This is one picture of Andry Hernandez. I have seen other pictures of him, other photographs. It is hard for, I think, anyone who looks at these photographs to believe that Andry is a dangerous member of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang.

Here is the other fact that was just mentioned. He has never once been at large in the U.S. territory, any part of the U.S. Government, or the Continental United States. From the very beginning, when he crossed the border, he was in custody. He has never been out of custody. He has never once posed any danger. He arrived with papers that show, from his native Venezuela, that he has no criminal record.

My understanding not only was that he was seeking asylum from Venezuela because of his sexual orientation but also because he would not comply with the authoritarian regime there.

Is that your understanding, as well?

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Garcia for traveling to El Salvador on his own resources and to our colleagues who spent their own resources

because this House of Representatives will not do oversight over the overreach of this administration, will not do oversight over the dereliction of constitutional responsibility of this administration, an administration that was defying a 9-0 Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

There is another compelling case we have before us. The 280 other individuals who are in CECOT prison, the government has kept those names secret. The press and others have had to do a lot of sleuthing to identify individuals who have been sent down there. For all we know, there could be citizens among those folks. We don't know because they have never been able to talk to a judge.

They have never been able to defend themselves against charges that they are Tren de Aragua criminals or otherwise dangerous criminals.

This is a travesty. I think all Americans should be outraged. All Americans should be afraid for themselves. We have now seen, in just recent days, that we have moved from noncitizens to citizens being sent out of this country.

Mr. Speaker, I want to say that, over the last hour, the American public has heard directly as Members of Congress came to this hallowed floor to talk plainly about the grave constitutional crisis unfolding in our country. We have heard the names Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Andry Hernandez Romero. We have spoken of students taken off streets, court orders cast aside, and a supermax prison that now holds victims of abuse.

These are not isolated incidents. They are evidence of a pattern, a government operating outside the law, outside the Constitution, outside the decision of a Supreme Court that has ruled 9-0 that this administration must facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a government that believes that it can disappear people without charges, ignore the judiciary, and turn the Constitution into a suggestion rather than a safeguard.

Mr. Speaker, this body must exert its collective conscience. This is not who we are, and it must not be who we become. The American people are beginning to wake up. They are hungry for accountability from our government and courage from Congress.

I promise this. This is not the end of our voices. It is only the beginning.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 45 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 9 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to serve as the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Today, I rise to recognize one veteran in particular, my great uncle, Manzo Takahashi.

Uncle Mon served in the legendary 442nd Infantry Battalion and gave his life in service to our Nation on this very day 80 years ago. He gave the last full measure of devotion while his family, my grandparents and parents, were incarcerated in camps simply because they were Japanese Americans.

Uncle Mon's story is just one of nearly 18,000 Japanese-American soldiers who embodied the motto Go for Broke. They risked everything for a country that had denied them so much because they believed in the promise of America.

Yet, that promise is fragile. The Trump administration erased the story of the 442nd from the Army's website and now seeks to gut the care that our veterans have earned.

We cannot let that happen. To truly honor our veterans, we must defend their legacy, protect their stories, and uphold the Nation that they fought to build.

Mr. Speaker, that is the debt we owe them.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 981, the Veterans Education Transparency and Training Act, or VETT Act, introduced by Representative Van Orden.

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

These Shopping Sheets give student veterans more information about the schools they are considering before they take the major step of enrollment.

This legislation improves student Shopping Sheets for enrollments at colleges and universities. The Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act, authored by Representative Mike Levin, created these Shopping Sheets, benefiting student veterans around the country who now know more about what a school offers and charges.

This legislation further refines the sheets so that they can be better tailored for specific school programs and student needs. This is a welcome improvement that ensures we won't waste time on paperwork that doesn't benefit student veterans.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats in the House have continued to advocate for increased transparency and quality of education for student veterans. Transparency and accountability in education are under assault with the dismantling of the Department of Education, which leaves student veterans and their hard-earned benefits at risk of exploitation and fraud.

We must do everything possible to ensure that student veterans are able to access their educational benefits and that they can get the quality education they deserve so that they can have a better chance of success after they transition from military service.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 981 and urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 981, the VETT Act, 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. 983, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2025.

This bill mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs to deny courses that do not charge in-State tuition rates to veterans using certain educational assistance under title 10. The VA already has the authority to disapprove courses at higher education institutions that do not offer in-State tuition rates for other GI Bill beneficiaries.

Mandating in-State tuition rates is good policy. It ensures that only schools who prioritize quality education at a fair price participate in the programs. It preserves the GI Bill benefits for student veterans, and it makes the entire GI Bill program more solvent and sustainable so that the GI Bill stays available for veterans for generations into the future.

Mr. Speaker, it is also crucial to ensure that selected reservists receive the same benefits as their Active-Duty counterparts by ensuring that in-State tuition is granted regardless of their residency.

This bill will expand educational opportunities by providing them with more affordable education options. Their dedication to serving our country deserves nothing less.

We passed this bill last Congress, but, unfortunately, the Senate did not consider it in time. I hope we finish this work in this Congress, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, while the House debates various veterans-related legislation today, none are more urgent than the legislation I am introducing to stop thousands of veterans from losing their homes.

Last Thursday, Secretary Doug Collins and President Trump announced the abrupt termination of the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program, known as VASP.

This program was designed to prevent foreclosures for veterans with VA home loans who had exhausted every other option. With no notice, no replacement, and no plan, the Trump administration decided that these veterans are on their own.

The decision came down just hours after the new Trump tariffs sent our economy reeling, plunging the stock market, increasing job insecurity, and deepening financial strain on working families, including veterans.

It is hard to imagine a starker representation of their values. At the very moment veterans are needing stability, the administration chose to take it away. They did it while Republicans in Congress are pushing massive tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.

The Republicans are pushing for massive tax cuts for billionaires while forcing veterans into foreclosures. Veterans who served this Nation are now calling our offices, panicked and unsure if they will lose their homes. They don't know what is next, and the truth is neither does VA.

Secretary Collins has provided no answers and no alternatives to VASP. Ending this critical support without a clear plan is not just reckless, but it is cruel. That is why I am introducing the Foreclosure Assistance Immediately Reinstated, or FAIR Act, to reinstate the VASP program and make it clear that VA's job is to help veterans stay in their homes, not push them into homelessness.

The VA Home Loan Program has been a pillar of the American middle class since the original GI Bill. It helped returning World War II veterans achieve economic security through homeownership. Yet, today's veterans, facing high costs, low wages, and an unstable economy, need that same promise fulfilled.

Let me be very clear. This is not a handout. These are earned benefits. Veterans stepped up to defend our country, our Nation, and they deserve more than empty slogans and broken promises in return.

VA had the tools, and has the responsibility, to intervene when veterans faced foreclosure. VASP was working. It had already helped over 15,000 veterans keep their homes with tens of thousands more eligible.

Ending it based on the false narrative that veterans would game the system is an insult to their service and sacrifices. This decision abandons our values. It punishes the very people who kept their promise to America.

Mr. Speaker, it is our turn to keep our promise to them. I urge my colleagues to support the FAIR Act and send a clear message: We don't let veterans fall through the cracks. Not on our watch.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 983, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act, 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. 1228, the Prioritizing Veterans' Survivors Act.

The bill requires the VA to move the Office of Survivors Assistance, or OSA, to a position directly reporting to the Office of the VA Secretary.

The Office of Survivors Assistance was established by statute in 2008 to serve as a resource regarding all benefits and services furnished by the Department to survivors and dependents of deceased veterans and members of the Armed Forces.

OSA also serves as a principal adviser to the Secretary and promotes the use of VA benefits, programs, and services to survivors. VA moved the supervision of OSA from the Office of Outreach, Transition and Economic Development to VBA's Pension and Fiduciary Service.

The VA made this move with the idea that it would increase emphasis on the office and oversight of OSA as VBA has more capacity to properly oversee the function.

However, the survivors' community has been critical of this move, characterizing it as a downgrade of the function and a diminishing of the importance of survivors in the VA's mission. H.R. 1228 is responsive to those concerns.

Now, historically, there has been a lack of resources dedicated to the mission of serving survivors. For example, there are only four employees in the Office of Survivors Assistance to serve over 450,000 potentially eligible beneficiaries. By the way, Secretary Collins actually fired one of those four people.

We also see a lack of awareness of who is part of the survivors' community, where the community is, and a lack of direct and targeted outreach. That is why I am deeply concerned by all of the DOGE cuts to the VA's outreach efforts.

Overall, we have seen an underutilization of survivors' benefits, so we must do whatever we can to remedy that situation. This bill is a small but important step in that process.

I would be remiss, however, if I didn't also point to other legislation that we can and should be taking up to improve benefits for survivors. I have introduced H.R. 2278, the Survivor Benefits Delivery Improvement Act, a bill that puts new tools in the VA's hands to aid in reaching survivors where they are and better inform them of the benefits they have earned.

We have Members, like Representative Julia Brownley, who have introduced legislation to extend CHAMPVA eligibility. Representative Jahana Hayes has introduced legislation to raise the levels of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits to be on par with other Federal survivors' programs.

We have Republican Members like Richard Hudson, who has introduced the Love Lives On Act, with Veterans' Affairs Committee member Representative Kelly Morrison, that would repeal the ridiculous penalties survivors face when they choose to remarry.

My hope is that we can consider those bills soon.

In the meantime, however, I do support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support it, as well.

I extend a special thanks to the survivors who may be listening today and those who are with us only in spirit. Your stories demonstrate bravery and courage, and you deserve every ounce of our effort in creating a VA that is welcoming and accessible, and every dollar of benefits we can muster on your behalf.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I will return back to the issue of VASP and read aloud a letter that I am circulating to my colleagues for a signature to the Secretary, and it begins with:

``Dear Secretary Collins: On April 3, 2025, you abruptly announced the closure of the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program (VASP), leaving tens of thousands of veterans at risk of foreclosure. These actions were taken unilaterally, leaving veterans, veterans service organizations, and mortgage services unsure how the closure would be administered, and what would happen to veterans that are already reeling from this administration's assault on veterans and our economy. We write today to urge you to immediately reverse this decision, and avoid foreclosing on veterans who simply wish to keep paying their mortgage and keep their home.

``Since the inception of the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program (VASP) in May 2024, over 17,000 veterans have been able to avoid foreclosure and remain in their homes.''

This represents 0.46 percent of the 3.7 million total loans under the VA home loan program.

``VASP was established as a last resort option within VA's Home Retention Waterfall to help veterans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this emergency, Congress and the VA rightfully allowed borrowers to request forbearance and allowed missed payments to be added to the end of the loan term.

``Upon expiration of this pandemic program, VA used this authority to end borrowers' ability to push missed payments to the end of the loan term and created VASP to help up to 80,000 veterans at risk of foreclosure. Now VA is taking a misstep that will push thousands of veterans into foreclosure. This is cruel, wrong, and runs counter to the benefits earned by the veterans as led by the VA Loan Guaranty Office, which always seeks to use foreclosures as an absolute last resort.

``Furthermore, with the rising costs of housing and overall inflation, VA must ask itself: Is it more cost effective to allow veterans to lose their homes or help them? VA leaders, veterans service organizations, and housing organizations have all recently shared with Congress their concerns about ending VASP too soon. All have testified that VASP is the only program of its kind that currently exists as the last resort for veterans facing foreclosure.

``Critics of VASP, who believe the program will incentivize veterans to purposely default on their loans to get a lower mortgage rate, grossly misunderstand and mischaracterize the sacrifices veterans and their loved ones have made in service to our Nation. The VA should learn from its past, when in the 1990s, GAO found that VA- insured homes foreclosed upon was the most expensive option, costing VA an average of $25,387, which is the equivalent of $65,038 today. While past policies have assumed that veterans have been financially irresponsible for assuming mortgages they can't afford, today's financial and housing market puts veterans at risk of losing their homes in a much more vulnerable situation.

``Even a straightforward solution, such as forcing veterans to sell their homes to cover their arrears, would not leave the veteran better off precisely because the cost of housing has increased dramatically in the past 5 years. Until better policy solutions are in place that provide for stronger underwriting, ending the VASP program abruptly will only harm veterans and their families.

``Congress, VA, and other stakeholders must work together to offer practical, cost-effective solutions that better serve veterans. Our veterans earned their home loan guarantee benefit, and they deserve a viable option to get back on track with payments and keep their homes.

``Secretary Collins, you have repeatedly stated that the mission of VA is to serve veterans and that no benefits would be cut. We call on you now to follow your words.''

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1228, the Prioritizing Veterans' Survivors Act, 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. 586, the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, as amended.

Liver fluke is a serious parasitic infection that is a well- recognized risk factor for the development of bile duct cancer.

H.R. 586, as amended, would require VA, in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to commence an epidemiological study on the prevalence of bile duct cancer in veterans who served in the Vietnam war versus their nonveteran U.S. resident counterparts.

This legislation requires VA to submit a report with the results of the study broken out by age, gender, race, ethnicity, and geographic location.

I certainly understand why Vietnam war veterans would be concerned about their exposure to this disease and believe we should do everything possible to ensure veterans have access to care and treatment for diseases they may have been exposed to as a part of their service. However, I must note that the context in which we are considering this legislation is vastly different than the last time the bill was considered by the House just under 7 months ago.

In fact, under Secretary Kennedy's leadership in the past week, the CDC, or Centers for Disease Control, has cut 18 percent of its workforce. Many of these roles have been in global and environmental health roles, which means the individuals in offices best suited to assist with the requirements of this bill may no longer even exist at the CDC.

Vietnam war veterans deserve answers about their health and access to the best treatments. Under this administration's chaotic and damaging workforce cuts across all sectors of government, it will be harder than ever to get these answers.

I will support this bill today, but I urge my colleagues to consider that implementation of this bill will be harder than it needs to be in the new CDC workforce realities that we are now in. These workforce cuts have real and lasting consequences, including for our veterans.

In addition, while I support the underlying goals of this measure, I must express concern over the majority's decision to offset its cost by diverting pension payments from some of the VA's oldest and sickest veterans.

The VA pension programs exist specifically to assist our most vulnerable veterans and their survivors. Slashing these benefits, particularly when other support systems are also under threat, poses a significant risk for those who rely on them most.

I recognize that this offset has been employed historically and in some form since the 1960s. However, in light of this administration's ongoing efforts, enabled by a complacent Republican-led Congress, to systematically weaken VA, we must reevaluate whether it remains appropriate to rely on this offset. I believe it would be prudent to discuss with the Senate whether a more appropriate offset can be identified before this bill becomes law.

Mr. Speaker, with those caveats I have identified, I support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 586, the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, as amended, 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. 1039, the Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act.

When a veteran applies for benefits at VA, the agency corresponds with that veteran at multiple points in the process regarding their claim. This communication is often through letters that can be densely laden with legal jargon and confusing information, which makes it hard for the veteran to understand what is required of them or the benefits decision VA has arrived at. This can lead the veteran to miss important deadlines or fail to submit

proper documentation, which can ultimately lead to the rejection of their claims.

Under the Biden administration, VA already launched an internal review of these notice letters and had already redrafted many of them to be more direct and easier to understand, but VA could also use some outside help in reviewing the literally thousands of different possible letters they might send to a veteran.

H.R. 1039 seeks to provide that assistance. Specifically, it mandates that VA make its notice letters--documents that explain decisions on benefits--shorter, clearer, and easier for veterans and their families to understand. This bill requires the VA to contract with a third party to assess and recommend improvements to these letters, which often contain complex legal language that confuses veterans.

The bill also sets deadlines for action: The VA must contract with a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, or FFRDC, to evaluate these communications within 30 days of the bill's enactment and submit its recommendations within 90 days. This effort aims to streamline the claims process and reduce the stress and confusion many veterans face when dealing with their benefits.

Mr. Speaker, in spite of my support for the substance of this measure, I want to raise concern with the majority's choice to offset the cost of this bill by continuing to divert pension payments from the oldest and most sick veterans in VA's system. I understand that this offset has been used in the past and has existed in some form since the 1960s. However, given that this administration, with the enabling of a feckless Republican-led Congress, has been working overtime to hollow out VA, we must rethink whether or not it is appropriate to continue its use.

Aside from the moral failing of cutting one veterans' benefit to pay for another, VA's pension programs are designed specifically to support the poorest and sickest veterans and their survivors. Therefore, this continued reduction in pension payments poses real risks when the other services these veterans might need to fall back on are also being cut.

Mr. Speaker, again, I support the substance of this bill, but I think we should have a very serious conversation about the majority's choice to perpetuate cutting veterans' pensions, and I believe that we should include this item in any negotiations with the Senate before this bill becomes law.

Mr. Speaker, with those concerns in mind, I support this legislation and ask my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Budzinski), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to support this bill, 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. 877, the Deliver for Veterans Act. This bill would make it easier for disabled veterans to obtain the adaptive automobiles they are entitled to through their service-connected disability. If signed into law, this bill could save veterans tens of thousands of dollars on shipping costs of vehicles.

Two Congresses ago, we passed the Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act, a bill authored by Ranking Member Mike Levin and Representative Lizzie Fletcher, which expanded the adaptive auto benefit for veterans, allowing them to get a new vehicle if 10 years have passed since last using the benefit.

This bill from Representative Moylan builds upon that work by simplifying the process for veterans who require their adaptive vehicle to be shipped. This includes veterans who live in areas such as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Again, I support the substance of this bill, but I think we should have a very serious conversation about the majority's choice to perpetuate cutting veterans' pensions. I believe that we should include this item in any negotiations with the Senate before this bill becomes law.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 877, the Deliver for Veterans Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.