Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as my time as a Member of Congress is coming to an end, I want to thank the people of Maine's Second District for allowing me the privilege of representing them here in the People's House.

From Fort Kent to Lewiston and Franklin County to Washington County, Mainers have shared with me their lives, their hopes and their concerns. We have worked together to improve our transportation infrastructure--which is pretty important when you represent the largest geographic district east of the Mississippi. We've worked together to stop bad trade deals from taking away good jobs; and to attract new businesses to Maine's increasingly diverse and innovative economy. I've been down on the clam flats, hiked our new and growing recreational trails and walked the floors of our mills. I couldn't have asked for better ``bosses'' than the men and women of the Second District.

I'm proud of everything we have accomplished together. We've helped support innovative small businesses across Maine through the Northern Border Regional Commission. We've protected and created new jobs in places like DFAS at Limestone. We've expanded access to affordable quality healthcare. We've taken steps to strengthen manufacturing in Maine by ensuring that our service members wear American-made footwear.

I'm particularly honored by the work I've been able to do with our veterans. During my time in Congress and with the support of our local veterans' organizations, we expanded access to care--making it easier for veterans in the County to get care at Cary Medical Center, so they don't have to take time off from their jobs and travel hundreds of miles, round-trip, to Togus. Working together, we ensured that aging veterans could always access affordable and quality healthcare at state veterans homes. We secured additional resources to confront the very serious problem of veterans' homelessness. We strengthened the GI Bill, making it easier for veterans to access important education and training opportunities.

I'd like to thank my fellow delegation members--Representative Chellie Pingree, and Senators Angus King and Susan Collins. It's been a pleasure partnering with them over the years on a number of issues critical to Mainers. I'd also like to thank my staff, who have helped me always meet the needs of my constituents. They include Peter Chandler, John Graham, Diane Smith, Jane Calderwood,

Gene Allen, Dan Rafter, Daniel Walls, Ben Goodman, Mac Routh, Andrea Quaid, Chris Winstead, Matt Dubois, Barbara Hayslett, Susan Cerini, Brandon Smith, Rachel Smith, Cassie Doyle, Rosemary Winslow, Brian Zimmerman, Nora Todd, Ed Gilman, Kim Glas, Monica Castellanos, Nancy Dolan, and the staff on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. I'd also like to thank all of those who have been on my staff in the past, and who worked so hard for the residents of the Second District.

Despite the partisan gridlock we see all too often here in Washington, Mainers are known for our tenacity and our willingness to roll up our sleeves and get things done. We have a proud history of well-respected lawmakers who have done just that, from Margaret Chase Smith to George Mitchell to Olympia Snowe. I am confident that if Maine's representatives continue to be guided by a commitment to partnership over partisanship, we can continue to achieve great things.

I return home honored by the time I spent serving the Second District in Congress, grateful for the people I met and the experiences I had, and optimistic for our future. Working together, we've made Maine a better place.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5059, the Clay Hunt SAV Act, which was introduced in July of this year. It has 134 cosponsors, including myself, Chairman Miller, and the chairman and ranking member of the Health Care Subcommittee. Congressman Walz is the primary sponsor of this very important piece of legislation.

Over the years, the Veterans Affairs' Committee has taken steps to address the rise of suicide among veterans. In the 110th Congress we enacted the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act.

Earlier in this Congress we reported H.R. 4971, which included a measure sponsored by our colleague, Representative Sinema, that would protect veterans who have worked in classified environments by ensuring that appropriate mental health care treatment options exist for them.

Today, we are acting again, by considering H.R. 5059, the Clay Hunt SAV Act. There are no easy answers or quick fixes to addressing veterans suicide. It will take a concerted effort for all of us in Congress, the White House, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense to work together to find real solutions. Veterans support groups, community employers, and families are part of the solution too.

H.R. 5059 takes a number of steps toward that goal. It will improve the safety net for at-risk veterans, while introducing some accountability into the Department of Veterans Affairs mental health care and suicide prevention programs, using a third-party evaluation.

It will provide veterans with a Web site that will serve as a centralized source of information on mental health services.

H.R. 5059 initiates a program to help address some of the glaring mental health personnel shortages at the Department of Veterans Affairs. While the incentives in this bill are limited to the psychiatric field, I would like to see this effort expanded in the future to all mental health professional shortfalls.

H.R. 5059 also takes steps to temporarily expand peer support networks,

which we have heard are quite effective. I believe the reports required by this bill will confirm additional resources that should permanently be dedicated to fully utilizing peer support.

H.R. 5059 also provides an additional window of eligibility for combat veterans who may have missed the window of opportunity to sign up for VA health care. This extra time will help to ensure that veterans receive the health care, including mental health care, that they need. I would encourage my colleagues to support this piece of legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz). I want to thank Mr. Walz for his continued effort to make sure that our veterans are taken care of in this great Nation of ours.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown), the incoming ranking member for the Veterans' Affairs Committee, who has been a strong advocate for our veterans for the number of years she has been on the committee.

Mr. Speaker, how many more speakers has the gentleman from Florida?

We have one more speaker, and I believe she is on her way.

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

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

Providing sufficient and effective mental health care to our veterans is an issue that I believe we must focus on. It is an issue that I hope will bring comprehensive policies in the next Congress. Finding real solutions will require all of us working together and will require sufficient resources and dedication.

I know my colleague, the gentleman from Minnesota, will be at the forefront of this fight, joined by Chairman Miller, Ranking Member- elect Ms. Brown, and all of the Republicans and Democrats on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. But I will not be in the House of Representatives next session to join that fight.

In my years in Congress, I have worked hard toward solutions that provide modern and effective care and benefits for our veterans. I have fought against inadequate budgets and for resources necessary to do the job. I have worked hard to improve the care and benefits of our newest veterans, while never forgetting our veterans from previous conflicts.

I have been encouraged by what we have all been able to accomplish together. But there is more that we have to do, and I know my colleagues will not give up the fight until we have won that battle.

But I do want to thank Chairman Miller for his leadership, his support, and his friendship over the years. It has been an honor to work with Chairman Miller, and it has been a pleasure to serve with him as well.

I also want to thank the members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, both past and present. They have been true colleagues, mentors, and friends.

I want to wish the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown), our ranking member-elect, the best of luck, and I hope that she will enjoy her time as ranking member as much as I have enjoyed my time as ranking member.

And for the staff, both the majority and minority staff, they are the ones that make Members look good. They work very hard day and night to make sure that the policies that the members of the committee want are put into legislation.

I can say truly that the majority and minority staff in this Congress has worked very well together. They have put aside the partisanship that other committees have not. So I thank them for their hard work and dedication to making sure that we do what we are here to do, and that is to serve our veterans.

There is no more noble calling than serving those who have served this great Nation of ours.

And to my colleagues here in Congress who are veterans and to America's veterans, I will simply say, thank you. Thank you for your service to this great Nation of ours. It is because of you that we are the country that we are today. You never turned your back. You never faltered. And some of you have made the ultimate sacrifice and have given your life for this country. So thank you for your service.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support this bill and move it to the Senate.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery as it celebrates its 125th anniversary.

Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, in East Orland, Maine, is one of two Maine facilities in the National Fish Hatchery System of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I am pleased to celebrate the great contributions the hatchery has made to preserving and restoring Atlantic salmon populations in the Northeast.

Craig Brook was established in 1889 to raise Atlantic salmon for stocking Maine waters. Today, the hatchery supports two Atlantic salmon programs. The facility receives adult salmon from the Penobscot River for breeding purposes and produces up to three million eggs per year, transferring about one million to Green Lake National Fish Hatchery in Ellsworth, while the rest are raised at Craig Brook and released as fry. Craig Brook also rears salmon caught from six Maine rivers with endangered populations and releases spawn back into these same rivers.

Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, like all of our nation's fish hatcheries, does indispensable work in the preservation and restoration of endangered aquatic species. This is why I have been proud to support legislation to ensure that our nation's fish hatcheries continue to serve the public for years to come.

Craig Brook's important scientific work to preserve our region's fish embodies the environmentally conscious spirit of Maine. I am delighted to recognize the accomplishments of Craig Brook and its dedicated team and look forward to their continued success well into the future.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery on 125 years of exceptional research and conservation work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Mabel Wadsworth Center as it celebrates its 30th anniversary of providing outstanding health care and educational services to the women of Maine.

The Mabel Wadsworth Center is the only private, not-for-profit, feminist health center in the state of Maine. The center is named for Mabel Wadsworth, a pioneer in Maine for women's health, education, and reproductive justice. Since 1984, the organization has been dedicated to providing quality health care to women while empowering patients to take control of their health and their lives.

The Mabel Wadsworth Center works tirelessly to provide clinical and educational services to women regardless of their age, ability, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, or economic status. Across Maine and the region, the Center has also become an advocacy leader on issues important to women and women's health.

This year, the Mabel Wadsworth Center celebrates 30 years of promoting and protecting access to quality women's healthcare in Maine. I am delighted to recognize the accomplishments of the Center and their dedicated team and look forward to their continued success in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Mabel Wadsworth Center on three decades of exceptional care and advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Honorees of the 2014 Maine Women's Lobby Gala: The Voice of Maine Women--Loud and Clear. The Maine Women's Lobby works tirelessly to increase opportunities for women and girls in Maine and to ensure that they are protected from violence and discrimination through education and advocacy.

The Maine Women's Lobby Gala celebrates the power of Maine women and honors five inspirational female leaders in the state. These women have demonstrated a commitment to furthering the lives of Maine women through work in civil rights, economic security, health care, violence prevention, and more.

This year's award recipients are Mary J. Herman, Cheryl Miller, Maine Attorney General Janet Mills, Zam Zam Mohamud, and Abbie Strout. Mary J. Herman, one of the earliest lobbyists for the Maine Women's Lobby, is the recipient of the Liz Crandall Spirit Award for her continued volunteer work and philanthropy in the state. Cheryl Miller is the recipient of the Catalyst Award for fostering economic growth and building community as the head of the Maine Development Foundation's Leadership Maine Program. Maine Attorney General Janet Mills is the recipient of the Trailblazer Award for setting an example for women in Maine politics as the state's first female District Attorney and Attorney General. Zam Zam Mohamud will receive the Community Power Award as the first Somali woman in Maine to run for public office and for being a dedicated leader in her community. Abbie Strout is the recipient of the Spark! Award for her work as a tireless women's health activist with the Mabel Wadsworth Women's Health Center.

Through their leadership and incredible commitment to their communities, these recipients improve the lives of Maine women today and serve as inspiring role models for our young girls.

Mr. Speaker, please join me again in congratulating the honorees of the Maine Women's Lobby Gala on their outstanding service and achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 90th Anniversary of Cary Medical Center in Caribou, Maine. Nearly a century after its founding, Cary continues to serve the people of Northern Maine with the highest quality of care, all while maintaining a special commitment to our nation's veterans.

Cary Memorial Hospital first opened to the public in September of 1924. The medical center was built on land donated to the City of Caribou by the late Dr. Jefferson B. Cary for the purpose of building a hospital. Over the next 50 years, the Hospital would welcome a number of expansions, before Caribou voters welcomed a new state-of-the-art $7 million hospital in the mid-1970s.

Just as its namesake was a pioneer as one of the first medical professionals in Aroostook County, since its opening, the new Cary Medical Center has continued to lead the way in the future of healthcare. From the new private hospital rooms at its opening to the new Women's Imaging Center--offering the most advanced breast cancer diagnostic service in Northern Maine--the hospital has been a medical leader for the state and the region.

Perhaps closest to my heart, Cary Medical Center is known for its unwavering commitment to our nation's veterans. In 1988, Cary was the first hospital in the United States to open a VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic. For the last several years, Cary has offered specialty care to veterans through VA's Project ARCH (Access Received Closer to Home). I was proud to help bring this program to Maine and work closely with Cary's leadership to ensure the program will continue through the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014.

Mr. Speaker, Cary is consistently recognized as one of the top hospitals in Maine and is focused on improving the health of all Mainers. As Cary nears a century of service and caring for the community and the region, I hope that you will join me in honoring the medical professionals, hospital staff, and patients who make Cary a wonderful place to provide and receive care.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. As you heard, this legislation would allow the town of Tremont,

Maine, to continue to use public land that has been continuously maintained for more than six decades.

In 1950, Congress transferred a parcel of land from Acadia National Park to the Town of Tremont so the town could build and maintain a school. Unfortunately, what might have been best for the Park Service and the community in 1950 might not be best for either in 2014.

Due to demographic changes, Tremont has explored the possibility of merging its elementary school with another in a neighboring town. Under the terms of the original agreement, if Tremont were to stop using the land for school purposes, the land would be transferred back to the Federal Government.

Complicating the situation is legislation passed by Congress in 1986 that established a permanent boundary for Acadia National Park. The permanent boundary did not include the tract of land containing the school. As a result, any changes in usage would require transfer to the General Services Administration.

This legislation would simply remove any restriction on the land, which would allow the community to continue utilizing the land as it sees fit. Acadia National Park supports this legislation; GSA has no objection.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank Chairmen Hastings and Bishop and Ranking Members DeFazio and Grijalva for their support for this remedy of this issue, and I would like to thank the committees on both sides of the aisle for supporting this issue.

I urge my colleagues to adopt it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the conference report to H.R. 3230, the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014.

I would like to thank Chairman Miller, Senator Sanders, Senator Burr, and the other members of the conference committee for working so diligently on this legislation.

Even when it looked like an agreement would not be possible to achieve a compromise and bring it to the House floor today, at the end of the day, we all worked together to make sure our national commitment to veterans is there. This compromise agreement can serve as a model on how Congress should look at serious problems facing our country and how to address them.

It has been a long road getting here. The House Veterans' Affairs Committee, under Chairman Miller's leadership, has held over a dozen oversight hearings in the past couple of months alone. We have heard from veterans, their families, VA employees, and veterans service organizations about what is and what isn't working within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The measure before us today isn't a long-term solution to all of the VA's problems, but it is an appropriate and well-crafted response to the immediate problems of veterans not being able to access quality health care in a timely fashion.

This bill also takes important steps to begin to address the systemic problems within the Department of Veterans Affairs that have led to this crisis: too few doctors, inadequate infrastructure, and a management culture that is asleep at the wheel. It holds those whom the Nation has entrusted with our veterans' lives and well-being responsible for the outcomes.

For the 12 years that I have been on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have fought to ensure that our veterans, especially those who are living in rural areas, have access to quality health care. I fought for the needs of veterans returning from the current conflicts, while not forgetting the sacrifices and the needs of veterans from previous conflicts.

One of the successes that you heard from Chairman Miller earlier I am most proud of is the Project ARCH. The Access Received Closer to Home project expands the opportunity for rural veterans to receive health care without long drives to a VA facility many miles away. I am pleased to see that the conference report extends and expands this important program. It is critical for the thousands of veterans who live in districts like mine. Many veterans in my district would be forced to make a nearly 600-mile round trip drive to the nearest VA facility if it weren't for ARCH.

Another important aspect of this bill not only deals with Senior Executive Service, but also the title 38 employees, which covers about 80,000 within the VA. It sets metrics and outcomes and accountability for those employees.

This bill also will address the immediate problem of long waiting times for health care, while beginning to strengthen the VA, so we are not facing the same crisis next year or the year after.

But I would also like to remind my colleagues that this bill is only the first step. After 12 years on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I am more convinced than ever that we must begin to talk about the innovative solutions that will truly modernize the Department and better meet the needs of current and future veterans.

Far too often, the good intentions underlying the laws that we passed are stymied by an organizational structure that has originated back in the seventies and eighties. Far too often, the good intentions of the Department of Veterans' Affairs employees meet the wall of bureaucratic indifference. Far too often, our veterans ask for help and there is no one there at the other end to answer for that help.

This is totally unacceptable, and it is why I believe we must begin the work of radically restructuring the Department of Veterans' Affairs. We must restructure it to better assist our veterans, to better live up to the promises we have made to them. We need to look at the fundamental business model, the processes, the organization, the technology, the data and information and the workforce capabilities.

Our work today is to pass this conference report and get it to the President's desk as quickly as possible so that we can fix the current crisis. The work for tomorrow is the work that I ask each and every one of my colleagues to continue working on: to make sure that the Department of Veterans Affairs evolves to a new, more veteran-centered Department of Veterans Affairs.

It is going to take a lot of work and a lot of oversight, as you heard the chairman mention earlier. Once again, I would encourage my colleagues to pass this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Kirkpatrick).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes and 35 seconds to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown).

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

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Barber).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gallego).

Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining?

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am ready to close.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support the conference report to H.R. 3230. This is a very important bill. It is a bill that we have worked long and hard over the last several months. It is one that took into consideration a lot of the concerns that Members from both sides and both bodies had, and we came together with this bill.

I do want to thank Chairman Miller for his hard work and dedication to our veterans and their families. We would not be here today if it wasn't his determination in having strong oversight hearings over the last couple of months within our committee.

I also want to thank staffs on both sides, the majority and minority staff. I know they have put in thousands of hours for oversight hearings to work on this conference report to get us where we are today. We could not have done it without our dedicated staffs on both sides of the aisle going through this document and making sure that every Member's concerns were addressed in this document.

With that, I want to once again thank the chairman for your hard work on this effort and look forward to the vote on this. I encourage all my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Aroostook Farm of Presque Isle, Maine as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Since 1914, the Aroostook Farm has served as a center for agricultural research and development, not only for Presque Isle, but for the entire state of Maine. As part of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, the Aroostook Farm works in tandem with the University of Maine as a prominent research and development facility for the Maine potato industry, a staple crop in the state's agriculture. In more recent years, the Aroostook Farm has expanded their existing research to work toward developing sustainable agricultural practices.

On Wednesday, August 13th, the Aroostook Farm will recognize 100 years of research, community involvement, and advancement in agriculture. The Aroostook Farm embodies Maine values by representing the importance of agriculture and educational advancement, practices that have taken place on the farm for the last 100 years.

It is an honor and a privilege to represent the Aroostook Farm in Congress, and I am pleased to have this opportunity to help celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Aroostook Farm and its involved community, and wishing them well on this joyous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 4812, the Honor Flight Act, which honors our World War II veterans, who have sacrificed much for this country, with a small but significant token of gratitude.

H.R. 4812 requires the Administrator of the Transportation Security Authority to ensure expedited and dignified screening for veterans travelling through airports on special chartered flights to visit war memorials built in their honor.

The Honor Flight program was created in 2005 by Earl Morse, a private pilot and former physician's assistant at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Morse realized the depth of his patients' desire to visit the newly-built World War II Memorial. However, he realized many of these patients lacked the financial resources to pay for the long trip on their own. Mr. Morse understood what seeing this memorial meant to his patients, so he found a way to facilitate them having that opportunity.

The average soldier in World War II was 26 years old, making many of them in their nineties today. Long airport lines and invasive TSA procedures are tiring for anyone. For our soldiers who fought in war 40, 50, and 60 years ago, especially those now in wheel chairs, it is arduous. Sadly, these long and frustrating security protocols often discourage veterans from making these wonderful and meaningful journeys. Mr. Speaker, our World War II veterans have done their duty. It is our duty now to reduce the hardship they might face in any way we can.

The TSA is doing a wonderful job of ensuring that our airports are secure and safe. Nothing in the Honor Flight Act would change that. The bill seeks to work entirely within their security requirements to ensure safety while minimizing the stress felt by our veterans when visiting a memorial through the Honor Flight program. It is a simple, low cost way to recognize our veterans' service.

I want to thank the Homeland Security Committee for bringing this bill before us today and offer my strong support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Loring Job Corps Center as it joins 125 other campuses across the nation in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Job Corps.

The Job Corps program was established in 1964 as the central initiative of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. The program was established to administer free-of-charge education and vocational training to youth ages 16 to 24. Providing support specifically for young unemployed men and women, the program was modeled after the highly successful Civilian Conservation Corps of the New Deal, which was discontinued after World War II. Since its inception under the Economic Opportunity Act, Job Corps has served more than two million young people, with approximately 60,000 students enrolled annually at centers throughout the country.

The U.S. Department of Labor began developing a Job Corps Center in Limestone, Maine, on the former Strategic Air Command's Loring Air Force Base in 1994. The first students to arrive at Loring in January of 1997 transferred there in order to major in the University of Maine's Outdoor Recreation Associates Degree Program. Since it was first established, Loring has offered an excellent opportunity for students to obtain their GED, receive vocational and technical training, and utilize on-the-job training to find permanent employment--all at no cost.

I am proud to recognize the Loring Job Corps Center for its years of committed service, and I look forward to its continued success in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Loring Job Corps Center as it celebrates 50 years of the Job Corps program.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlelady for yielding, and I rise in strong support of this amendment.

The Water Power Program supports critical private sector research, development, deployment, and commercialization for new American hydropower technologies and marine hydrokinetic energy. Water power research helps to reduce costs and environmental impacts of these reliable, renewable energy sources and is very critical for private sector investment.

In Maine, the Ocean Renewable Power Company has deployed our Nation's first grid-connected marine hydrokinetic energy system, the first in the country, and they are working to deploy additional units in other areas of the country. They have invested nearly $30 million in the local economy while creating or retaining over 100 quality jobs.

Countries like Japan, Chile, and Australia have shown an interest in this American technology, and it presents a great opportunity for exporting American technology. So not only will the development of new domestic water power technology create jobs and reduce the energy costs for homes and

businesses across the country, but it represents an opportunity for the U.S. to lead the world in an emerging area of renewable and abundant energy.

Now is not the time for a drastic cut in these important programs. I urge my colleagues to support this very modest amount of money while at the same time realizing that we do have fiscal constraints.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Town of Newport, Maine, as it celebrates its 200th anniversary.

Located on the western boundary of Penobscot County, Newport is a town steeped in the history of Maine and known best for the bounty of its farms and fields. First known as East Pond Plantation, Newport was settled in 1800 and incorporated as the 208th town in the District of Maine on June 14, 1814. Like many Maine towns, it grew from a small farming village into a prospering mill town by harnessing the power of the east branch of the Sebasticook River, and aided by the extension of the Maine Central Railroad.

On Monday, the people of Newport will begin a week-long celebration of the bicentennial of their town, filled with the same local spirit and sense of common purpose that filled those first residents who first petitioned to have their community recognized. The residents of Newport embody the values of the hardworking people of Maine and can take great pride in the rich heritage they have created over the past 200 years.

It is an honor and a privilege to represent the people of Newport in Congress and I am pleased to have this opportunity to help the Town celebrate its 200th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the people of Newport and wishing them well on this joyous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I was necessarily absent on Tuesday, June 17th in order to attend the funeral of a close family friend. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on H.R. 3375 (rollcall vote 313) and ``yea'' on H.R. 1671 (rollcall vote 314).

Mr. Speaker, I support the motion to concur in the Senate amendments, and a further amendment, and I support the motion to go to conference.

The crisis within the VA is of national interest and must be a congressional priority. America's veterans deserve timely access to the care and benefits they have earned. They fought for us. Now is the time that we fight for them.

But our fight should not be just about the failures in Phoenix and other facilities. The House has worked hard to develop important and much-needed legislation to address other failures within the VA. Enhanced programs ensure the VA is working on behalf of the veterans.

I am disappointed that we have not included in this amendment all relevant bills that have passed the House to ensure that these important matters are included. I am disappointed that we are not moving forward with a more comprehensive package of reforms.

I am also disappointed that the House amendment is limited to two measures we have recently passed, H.R. 4031 and H.R. 4810. Limiting ourselves

to just Republican-sponsored legislation, no matter how widely supported, runs counter to the bipartisan spirit of the committee and fails to recognize the great work of all committee Members. Republicans and Democrats have worked together to improve programs for the VA.

Finally, I am disappointed that H.R. 4399 was not included in the House amendment to H.R. 3230. Without it, we are falling short of our responsibility to hold all VA executives--I want to emphasize all VA executives--accountable for the grave failures lately.

I will work with Chairman Miller and my Senate colleagues to ensure that the final agreement we reach regarding the accountability provisions of H.R. 3230 are as comprehensive and effective as possible.

I urge all conferees, once appointed, to adopt the spirit of bipartisanship that is the tradition of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

When our servicemembers do their jobs to earn these veterans benefits, they work together in a spirit of cooperation toward a national goal. We should do no less as we move forward with legislation to address reforms within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the motion to concur with the Senate amendments with a further amendment and the motion to go to conference.

Let us work together quickly and effectively to begin to address the problems facing the VA.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.