Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dale E. Demers on the occasion of his retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office at Togus, Maine after more than 30 years of dedicated service. Dale will be greatly missed, and I join his many friends, co-workers and the veterans he served in wishing him the best of luck in the next phase of his life.

Dale's service to our country began in 1968, when he joined the U.S. Air Force. He began his VA career at the Togus Regional office in 1972 as a GS-1 Clerk. Dale has held several positions at Togus including Adjudicator, Supervisory Adjudicator, Assistant Service Center Manager, Service Center Manager, Assistant Center Director for Regional Office Activities, and most recently as the Director for the Regional Office.

While working full time at Togus, Dale went back to school and in 1977 received a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Maine.

During Dale's career, he has been involved in many VBA initiatives. He was instrumental in Togus being chosen as a resource center site. The Togus Resource Center has been a huge success and has exceeded its goal every month since its inception. Dale was also extremely involved in the development of the current Claims Processing Improvement (CPI) Initiative, which has assisted VBA national in reducing both the duration of the response and backlog of claims processing.

Dale will be missed for his dedication and for his compassion by the veterans of Maine. I am pleased to join his colleagues, his family, and his friends in congratulating Dale on this milestone. I wish him a rewarding and enjoyable retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6342. I commend Chairman Buyer and the ranking member, Mr. Filner, and my colleagues on the committee and in the Senate for their work on this legislation. This bill does deserve bipartisan support.

H.R. 6342 includes a number of must-pass provisions. It also improves education assistance for severely disabled service personnel. It is important that we do all that we can to help the individuals and their families to regain their independence and economic security.

This legislation also puts VA specialized programs for homeless veterans on a more secure footing. I am proud that this Congress is acting to extend the

soon-to-expire authorization of VA's grants and per diem program for homeless veterans. Extending these authorizations until the end of 2007 is an important step, but is not enough.

Last year, VA's health care program for homeless veterans served nearly 600 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. It is shameful that any veteran spends a night on the street. We cannot leave those homeless veterans and those with psychiatric wounds behind.

In this Congress, I introduced legislation to improve VA's capacity to help homeless veterans recover, rehabilitate and return to a full life in our society. I am glad that some of the key expiring provisions to help homeless veterans from my bill are in the legislation that we are considering now. I plan to reintroduce the bill in the next Congress to help homeless veterans, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to address this issue.

It is right that we are permanently establishing the six VA Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Care Centers along with VA's two MS Centers of Excellence. These centers are shining examples of how VA could help veterans with other chronic and debilitating diseases and injuries, such as traumatic brain injury. These centers have led the way in state-of-the-art research and clinical care. This bill sends a clear message to VA to keep supporting the clinical, research and educational work of these centers.

Today is a bittersweet day because it may mark the end of an era. This may be the last veterans bill that the House will consider which has Ranking Member Lane Evans as an original cosponsor. I know this will not be the last bill to reflect his advocacy and passion for veterans and their families. Lane has been a great leader and mentor to so many of us on the committee and in Congress. His legacy is measured in the millions of veterans and their families who have benefited from his determination, compassion, and wisdom. I will deeply miss him, and I know this institution will miss him as well.

It is my understanding that there may be also an opportunity for an omnibus veterans package on the floor tomorrow. I am glad that we may be able to move more legislation before the end of year, but it is unfortunate that we have waited until the last days of Congress to pass these provisions.

The fact remains as we come to an end of the 109th Congress, we must be honest with the American people: We have much more work to do. We have not yet passed a funding bill for VA. It is simply unacceptable for Congress to tell VA you need to put a hold on hiring needed staff because we cannot and will not pass a budget in a timely manner.

It is troubling that some 73,000 of our returning veterans who have come home to VA for medical care have received an initial diagnosis of a mental health disorder, and I am concerned that VA appears to want to deny that its veterans centers and medical facilities are straining to meet the needs of these veterans. Many are calling traumatic brain injury the signature wound of this war. Veterans with TBI and their families deserve state-of-the-art care from the VA.

For service members, the transition from the military's health care system to enrollment in the VA health care system is far from seamless. For many of our returning National Guard members and reservists, the Montgomery GI bill does not meet their needs. Education benefits of the GI bill must be revamped and updated to meet the needs of current veterans.

All of these issues, and more, require greater oversight and perhaps legislative solutions for us in the next Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the subcommittee chairmen that I have worked with for the last two Congresses, Chairman Henry Brown, for working in a bipartisan manner, but also the staff of both the Republican side and the Democratic side for all of their hard work in getting these pieces of legislation to the floor. I would also like to thank Chairman Buyer for all his work. I also want to thank Mr. Filner for his leadership on this legislation and the committee as well. I look forward to working with Mr. Filner in the 110th Congress on matters important to America's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill and I urge my colleagues to support

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his time. I also want to thank Mr. Bilirakis for his time here working in a strong bipartisan manner on veterans issues.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6314. I commend the chairman of the committee, Steve Buyer, for his work on this legislation. This bill does deserve bipartisan support.

As a member of this committee and as citizens, we are united in our dedication to address the needs of veterans and their families. Ensuring that the Department of Veterans Affairs has the authority and resources to provide veterans with the medical care and benefits they have earned is a mission that we will continue in the next Congress.

H.R. 6314 is an important bill with a number of must-pass provisions. This legislation improves transition assistance for severely disabled service personnel. It is important that we do all we can to help the individuals and their families to regain their independence and economic security. This legislation also puts VA's specialized programs for homeless veterans on a more secure footing.

I am proud that this Congress is acting to extend the soon-to-expire authorization of VA's grant and per diem program for homeless veterans. I am glad that we are extending the authorization for VA's treatment of severely mentally ill veterans. By acting to reauthorize these fundamental VA programs, we give veterans and their families hope for recovery and having a better life.

Extending the authorization for these programs until the end of 2007 is an important first step, but it is not enough. In our great Nation, it is unacceptable that even one veteran should be homeless or go hungry. I am shocked that last year the VA's health care program for homeless veterans served nearly 600 veterans who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. It is troubling that more than one in three returning veterans who come home to the VA for medical care has received an initial diagnosis for a mental health disorder. Homeless veterans and those with psychological wounds should not be left behind. They have served our Nation and deserve a rich and full life. In this Congress I introduced legislation to improve VA's capacity to help homeless veterans recover, rehabilitate, and return to a full life in our society. I plan to reintroduce my bill in the next Congress to help homeless veterans. We must keep the faith that we can end homelessness among veterans.

This September, the Health Care Subcommittee heard about how posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries are emerging concerns for veterans from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I support H.R. 6314 because it helps keep our promise to veterans with these injuries. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs and this Congress must continue to address veterans' mental health care needs in the future. Next Congress I plan to reintroduce an updated version of Ranking Member Lane Evans' comprehensive bill on mental health. Lane Evans has been a great leader and mentor. His legacy is measured in the millions of veterans and their families who have benefited from his determination to fight for the needs of veterans. I will deeply miss him and so will this institution.

I also want to thank Chairman Brown for his work in a bipartisan manner on issues dealing with veterans affairs. I enjoyed his service and will look forward to working with him in the upcoming Congress.

Madam Speaker, this is a good bill. I want to thank Mr. Filner for his leadership on this legislation as well.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6314.

Mr. Speaker, the final language for the bill was brought to the floor quickly and without thorough review by the House. I believe that it is important to have a system to try accused terrorists for their war crimes in a quick and fair way. In my original review of the bill, I believed that it took steps to protect fundamental human rights, prevent torture and provide for a fair legal process.

As I have heard from more and more legal experts and from my constituents, it is clear that this bill does not create a system that meets our high American standards for a fair trial and human rights.

Make no mistake; I believe that convicted terrorists must be punished for their war crimes. But it must be done in such a way that the American people are confident that our values are upheld. I do not believe that this bill makes this clear to the American people or to the international community that looks to us as a place of human rights and fairness.

Some people may question me for changing my vote. I believe that elected officials must have the strength to recognize new information and to take it into account to make the right decision. I wish President Bush would do the same thing with our policies in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5835, the Veterans Identity and Credit Security Act.

Earlier this year, VA experienced a major breach in the data security of millions of veterans. Their very identities and financial lives were put at risk. Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement, and a great deal of luck, this breach did not turn into a disaster.

While for many, this breach came as a surprise, the reality is that VA leadership has been warned repeatedly that VA's information security program is weak and could be compromised. The Veterans Affairs Committee has been calling on the VA to make changes. The VA's Inspector General and the GAO have issued report after report raising significant concerns about weaknesses in the security of VA's data and information systems. The sad reality is that this data breach, while larger than any other, was not unique.

We do a disservice to the men and women who have served our Nation and their families if we allow VA's information security policies and practices to continue as the status quo.

H.R. 5835 moves the VA toward greater IT security. It will create a clear line of responsibility through the Office of the Under Secretary for Information Security. It will put in place policies to improve IT security, notification and remediation. In cases of identity theft, this bill will help veterans recover their identities and their lives.

I also believe that the provisions in this bill supporting further education in IT security are innovative and extremely important for addressing this challenge in the future.

I want to congratulate the members of the Veterans Affairs Committee, especially Chairman Buyer and Mr. Filner, for working quickly to move this important legislation forward.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, each night nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless. They live on the streets, in alleys, in cars, in barns and under bridges. Many other veterans are just one paycheck away from being homeless.

The Government Accountability Office has just reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs' largest program to provide homeless

veterans with safe shelter has a shortfall of nearly 10,000 beds.

While VA and community providers try to do right by homeless veterans, the GAO report found that the capacity is not there to meet demand.

The situation will get worse because recent combat veterans are already homeless. Just last year, VA served nearly 600 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan in its Health Care for Homeless Veterans program.

On September 30th, the authorization for two key programs for homeless veterans--the VA Grant and Per Diem program and the Homeless Providers Technical Assistance Grant program--is set to expire.

If we fail to reauthorize these programs, we will be leaving homeless veterans behind. Homelessness is a problem that we can solve.

I urge my colleagues to enact H.R. 5960, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2006, which reauthorizes key programs for homeless veterans and fortifies VA's efforts to prevent and end homelessness among veterans.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H.R. 5815. This legislation will authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs major medical facility projects and leases for fiscal year 2006 and 2007. I wish to commend my good friend and colleague, the chairman of the committee, Chairman Buyer, for his willingness to bring this legislation forward to the House. It is an excellent piece of legislation. I want to commend also a good friend and colleague, the chairman of the Health Subcommittee, Henry Brown of South Carolina, for his work on this legislation as well.

It is a good bill. It is long overdue that the Committee on Veterans Affairs and this Congress get back to our job of authorizing construction of veterans medical facilities. This bill takes important steps forward in rebuilding the VA's presence in New Orleans and Mississippi. It is important that we do all that we can to help our veterans in the Gulf region. This bill also authorizes many of the VA's most urgent projects, projects whose authorization expires at the end of the month.

I am eagerly awaiting further study and discussion of possible collaborative efforts of the VA that may result in both enhanced care for patients and savings for our taxpayers. Although I am excited about these possibilities, we must also make sure that the needs of veterans are fully met and that the veterans health care system retains its distinct identity as a health care system dedicated to the unique needs of our veterans.

If this health care system is to maintain its position at the forefront of American medicine, then we must make prudent investments in the infrastructure that will enable this care to take place. We must modernize these facilities that are antiquated, we must build new facilities in areas that are seeing increased numbers of veterans and we must take steps to ensure that the underserved areas do not remain underserved for long.

I would like to thank the staff of both sides of the aisle for their hard work on this legislation. They put a lot of time and effort in this legislation.

This is a good, bipartisan bill, and I hope our committee can bring more good bills like this one to the floor before the end of the year. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5815.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the good gentleman from California, Bob Filner

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman and fighter for veterans issues from the great State of Florida, Corrine Brown.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada who has been a true advocate for veterans health care, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley.

Mr. Speaker, once again I would like to thank the good chairman of the committee, Chairman Buyer, and chairman of the House Subcommittee, Henry Brown, for their hard work that they have done on this legislation, really making it a concerted effort to bringing on board today so that we can vote on this legislation. But, once again, the staff. I know this is not an easy process. The staff on both sides of the aisle have worked very diligently in this effort. So I do want to commend the staff on both sides of the aisle, and I really appreciate the chairman's strong advocacy for veterans and veterans issues, and enjoyed working with him on this legislation.

I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

And, likewise, it has been a real treat. And even though I do not represent the State of Florida, there are a lot of snow birds from the State of Maine, veterans that go to Florida. So I have heard from my veterans as well as far as the facilities in Florida. I really appreciate your comments, Mr. Chairman.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the terrible events of September 11, 2001. On that day, murderers hijacked four planes. They flew two into the World Trade Center and one into the Pentagon. Only the heroic actions of the passengers of United Flight 93 prevented the fourth from reaching its destructive destination in Washington, DC. Nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives in these senseless acts of violence.

Today, I stand with all America, and much of the world, to mourn and remember that terrible day. We mourn our loved ones who are no longer with us, but we remember the courage of the firefighters, police officers and other first responders who rushed into burning buildings to save lives. We mourn our lost innocence and sense of security, but we remember the resolve of our Nation and the strength of our spirit. I stand with all America looking to the future for a united strategy to ensure the safety of our country and defeat of violent, radical ideologies that threaten our way of life.

At this moment, we should be working together. We should be searching for the unity that we felt after September 11th. Unfortunately, and unlike the Senate which earlier this week passed a bipartisan resolution that I support, the House Leadership decided to turn this most solemn of moments into a bid to score partisan points.

This resolution is a disappointing attempt to justify failed foreign policies that have not made our country safer. Five years later, world opinion towards us is overwhelmingly negative. The war in Iraq was based on inaccurate intelligence and incorrect assumptions about how successful our exercise in democratic nation-building can be. Al-Qaeda had no presence in Iraq before our invasion. The terrorist organization is now firmly entrenched carrying out murderous attacks, recruiting new members and gaining deadly combat experience. Iraq is stumbling towards civil war because of the mismanagement of the civilian leadership at the Pentagon.

We have not found Osama bin Laden and brought him to justice. Instead, our flawed foreign policy provides bin Laden and his followers with fertile ground for new terrorist recruitment and training.

We have failed to fully implement the recommendations of the bi- partisan 9/11 Commission. We have not done enough to secure our ports or major transportation networks. Thousands of tons of cargo arrive in the U.S. each day without being thoroughly examined. Our borders are porous and no real solutions to secure them have been reached.

Despite the great work and dedication of our first responders, intelligence community and military personnel, this government has failed to meet the challenges of making our nation secure. We have also not offered any help to firefighters and other first-responders, who so selflessly rushed to the aid of their fellow Americans, and now are suffering from respiratory ailments and post-traumatic stress. As Tom Kean, Co-Chair of the 9/11 Commission recently stated, ``We are not protecting our own people in our own country. The government is not doing its job.''

At such a solemn moment, we should make every effort to unite to overcome the challenges that we face from a very real and terrible enemy. The Senate drafted and unanimously supported a respectful, honest and appropriate resolution remembering one of the worst days in American history. I am disappointed that we could not do the same in this body.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send birthday wishes from the Congress to Carmen deCarlo on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Daughter of Italian immigrants Angelo and Delores, wife of her childhood sweetheart Mario, mother to Mark and Manon and adored grandmother of Alex, Jessica and Nicky, Carmen was born in New York City 90 years ago.

Her parents worked tirelessly in their grocery business to bring up Carmen with good values and in a loving environment. Carmen and her husband were always very much dedicated to making the plight of the less fortunate and disenfranchised better. She championed the rights of the poor and strove to create an even playing field.

As President of the PTA, Carmen started the first ``free milk program'' for the children of families that could not afford to provide this very basic necessity of life. Carmen has volunteered at the local schools and considers herself a surrogate grandmother to her little first and second grade students. Carmen has exemplified a love for her family and friends and must be commended for her life-long dedication to helping others.

I offer my best wishes for continued good health and good fortune for Carmen and her family and for many more gatherings such as the one to celebrate her birthday at the gazebo on Moosehead Lake.

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing H.R. 5960, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2006, to fortify our Nation's efforts to prevent and end homelessness among veterans.

Each night, as many as 200,000 male and female veterans are sleeping in a doorway, under a bridge, in an alley, box, barn, car, or homeless shelter. While the number of homeless veterans has decreased somewhat, many veterans are on the brink of homelessness. Many veterans are at high risk of homelessness because of poverty, dismal living conditions, and lack of support.

A third of homeless men living on the street are veterans. Women veterans are up to four times more likely to become homeless when compared with their peers in the general population. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the number of women among homeless veterans is increasing, from 2 percent of the homeless veteran population in 1996 to 7 percent at the end of 2005.

About half of all homeless veterans suffer from mental illness. More than two-thirds suffer from alcohol or drug abuse problems.

Behind these disturbing statistics are real men and women who have served our nation. We must lift the veil of invisibility that conceals the reality of homeless veterans. We must take action to honor these veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs has many good programs that need Congressional reauthorization to continue. However, even with these programs, we are not meeting the demand or providing adequate support to prevent at-risk veterans from falling into homelessness.

Earlier this month the Associated Press reported that homelessness is a threat for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Herold Noel is a 26-year-old former Army private first class who served in Iraq during the beginning of the war. When he returned to New York, he could not find a job to support his wife and children. They ended up in a homeless shelter after the housing programs for veterans in the city were full. Mr. Noel is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), caused by his experience in the service. Mr. Noel, who drove a fuel-truck in Iraq, has had to deal with nightmarish images that he saw during war.

We must and can take steps to prevent homelessness among our returning troops.

My legislation recommits our nation to preventing and ending homelessness among veterans.

My legislation is the result of an ongoing dialogue with the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, information and findings from a Congressional briefing sponsored by Democratic Members of House Committee on Veterans Affairs, which heard from VA experts, community providers of care for homeless veterans and former homeless veterans, reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, and annual reports from the VA evaluating VA's health care programs for homeless veterans.

Specifically my legislation would extend expired authorization for VA's successful Homeless Veterans Grant & Per Diem Program through 2011 and reauthorizes yearly appropriations for the program at $200 million.

In fiscal year 2005, the average per day payment to community providers to provide shelter, meals and intensive supportive services to veterans was $24.16. It would be hard to find a hotel room in most cities at that rate, let alone provide a veteran with meals and supportive services, such as mental health and vocational counseling. My legislation would put the per diem rate paid to community service providers on par with the per diem rates for State Veterans Homes providing domiciliary care, which is $31.30 for 2006.

This increase will greatly improve the capacity of community providers to help homeless veterans recover, rehabilitate and reintegrate back into society.

My legislation also improves accountability and performance of the Homeless Veterans Grant & Per Diem Program by requiring the Secretary to establish performance standards to evaluate and document clinical activities and outcomes.

The legislation also would require each grant recipient to provide financial information necessary for the VA to verify that payments provide services to homeless veterans.

VA provides grants for comprehensive homeless service centers that are open to homeless veterans on an unscheduled and drop-in basis. These centers are a vital access point to homeless veterans. The legislation clarifies that funding for these drop-in service centers for homeless veterans may be used to maintain adequate staffing for services.

The authorization to treat veterans suffering from serious mental illness, including homeless veterans expires on December 12, 2006. In addition, the authority to expand and improve the provision of benefits and services to homeless veterans in the 20 largest metropolitan areas expires on December 31, 2006. The legislation extends both authorities for five years, through 2011.

The legislation also extends authorization of program in 38 U.S.C. 2041 through 2011.

At the May 18, 2005, Congressional briefing on homeless veterans, we heard from Denise Randolph, a former homeless woman veteran. She explained that when she went to the VA to stay at the domiciliary she felt unsafe because the space was not set up to house women. VA experts confirmed that many VA domiciliary programs are not equipped to handle the privacy and safety needs of female veterans, although VA is addressing this problem. Given that more women are serving in our armed forces and those women veterans are at greater risk for homelessness, we must ensure that female veterans have access to safe VA programs. The bill would require the VA to enhance its capacity to provide safe domiciliary care for women veterans.

The VA has no specific programs to help community providers who focus on homeless veterans in rural and remote locations. This legislation would authorize special grants to community providers to meet the needs of homeless rural veterans.

Dental care has consistently been identified in the top five unmet needs of homeless veterans. The legislation expands homeless veterans' eligibility for dental services and treatment.

The legislation authorizes appropriations of $1 million each year through 2011 to provide technical assistance grants to assist community providers in addressing the problems of homeless veterans.

The authorization for the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans expires on December 31, 2006. This committee has been very effective in assessing the effectiveness of VA policies, organizational structures and services to assist homeless veterans. The Committee has also been pivotal in identifying gaps in programs and barriers to addressing the needs of homeless veterans. The legislation reauthorizes the Committee through September 30, 2011. The legislation also clarifies that the Executive Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, the VA Under Secretary for Health and VA Under Secretary for Benefits are ex-officio members of the Committee.

Helping transition homeless veterans is a complex and challenging effort that requires vigilance and coordination. A number of geographic regions of VA hospitals do not have full-time staff as Homeless Veterans Coordinators. My legislation requires each Veterans Integrated Service Network, known as VISNs, to have at least one full-time Homeless Veterans Coordinator.

Last August, our nation saw the destructive force of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The homeless shelters in New Orleans, like other structures, suffered damage from this disaster. The legislation would authorize the VA to make emergency grants to community shelters providing care for homeless veterans to repair or replace facilities that are damaged or destroyed by a disaster.

Homeless veterans with severe disabilities, including mental health disorders, need supportive services to maintain their functional lives. Linking permanent housing to supportive services is an effective way to end long-term homelessness for veterans who have mental health disorders, including substance abuse or other disabling conditions. According to the Corporation for Supportive Housing, providing supportive services to individuals in permanent housing reduces costly emergency room visits by 57 percent, decreases inpatient hospital days by 58 percent and reduces use of public residential mental health programs by 100 percent. The VA's research has found that homeless veterans who have housing and supportive services can revive social networks and rebuild their family relationships.

My good friend and colleague from New Hampshire, Representative Jeb Bradley, has introduced legislation to require the VA, in coordination with HUD, to provide financial assistance to non-profit organizations to coordinate the provision of supportive services for very low-income veterans residing in permanent housing. I support his bill and I have included a similar provision in my legislation.

In addition to providing the services at-risk veterans need to remain in permanent housing, we must also take steps to prevent homelessness. The legislation authorizes the VA to conduct a demonstration program, in at least three sites, to identify veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless after discharge or separation from the armed services and provide referral and counseling services to help prevent such veterans from becoming homeless.

The legislation makes permanent the successful pilot program to provide counseling and outreach to at-risk veterans who are transitioning from a penal institution or an institution that provides long-term care for mental illness.

The Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2006 has the strong support of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Corporation for Supportive Housing.

I urge my colleagues to support the Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2006.

Mr. Speaker, since the founding of our Nation, rural Americans have always answered the call to service in times of war. One in three of the patients seen at the Department of Veterans Affairs lives in a rural community. Veterans who live in rural settings are often older and have more physical and mental health diseases as compared to veterans who live in suburban or urban settings. According to the 2005 Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Rural Health, the smaller, poorer, and more isolated a rural community is, the more difficult it is to ensure the availability of high-quality health services. With some 44 percent of current military recruits coming from rural areas, we must help VA focus on meeting the pressing health care needs of rural veterans.

I have introduced H.R. 5524, the Rural Veterans Health Care Act of 2006, to take a comprehensive and practical approach towards improving care for our rural veterans by increasing community based facilities and outreach, encouraging the training and recruitment of health care professionals, focusing on research to develop innovative solutions to the challenges of delivering rural health care, and developing the information technology infrastructure we need to enhance health care services in rural areas.

Rural America has always answered the call to service. We should do everything we can to ensure that rural veterans have the same reasonable access to the high quality care available through the VA as veterans in suburban and urban areas. I urge my colleagues to support rural veterans and pass H.R. 5524.

Mr. Speaker I would like to include in the Congressional Record a letter of support for H.R. 5524, the Rural Veterans Health Care Act of 2006, from the National Rural Health Association.

National Rural Health Association,

Kansas City, MO, July 17, 2006.

Hon. Michael Michaud,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Michaud: On behalf of the National

Rural Health Association, I am writing to express our strong

support for H.R 5524, the ``Rural Veterans Health Care Act of

2006.''

The NRHA is a national nonprofit, non partisan, membership

organization with approximately 10,000 members that provides

leadership on rural health issues. The Association's mission

is to improve the health of rural Americans and to provide

leadership on rural health issues through advocacy,

communications, education and research. The NRHA membership

consists of a diverse collection of individuals and

organizations, all of whom share the common bond of an

interest in rural health.

The NRHA members are keenly aware of the disproportionate

rates at which rural people serve in the military and the

issues our rural veterans face in obtaining health and mental

health care in rural communities. We are pleased to see so

many provisions in this legislation to address these

concerns. In particular, the provisions which call for

expansion of and improved quality of services provided by Vet

Centers, Outreach Health Centers, and CBOCs in rural areas.

These services represent approaches that greatly increase

access to quality care for these vets. Vet Centers, as is

their role, will also educate returning rural veterans to

their benefits and the services they have earned.

The bill also addresses the long term care needs of rural

vets, the use of an electronic medical record system to

enhance patient safety and improve quality of care, takes

advantage of the groundbreaking IOM report on the future of

rural health care recommendations, and provides a provision

for the training of health care professionals in rural

facilities serving veterans. All of these provisions are

included in NRHA's support. The NRHA is especially supportive

of the call for a national Advisory Committee on Rural

Veterans, and offer up any assistance we might make in

recommending members for this committee should the

legislation be successful. In addition, we are pleased that

the legislation increases the number of rural rotations for

medical residents training at the VA and takes steps to

enhance the education, training, retention, and recruitment

of health professionals in rural areas. Research has shown

that rural rotations are effective in increasing the number

of medical personnel that choose to practice in rural areas.

The NRHA is supportive and involved in the dissemination of

research and resources developed by the Department of Health

and Human Services (HHS) Rural Research Centers, therefore,

we support the provisions in the bill which would designate

at least four centers as the location for research targeted

at defining rural veteran health and mental health care

needs, and chronic disease management. NRHA is keenly aware

of the limited research on rural veterans and their families,

and this provision will begin to address the dearth of

research in this area.

The NRHA maintains a Minority and Multicultural committee

within our organization and develops many policy statements

regarding the unique needs of rural minority groups and

women. We are pleased to see the specific inclusion of Native

American, Native Hawaiian and Native Alaskan veterans in this

legislation. This legislation would expand VA's health care

presence in these rural and remote communities. The NRHA also

hopes that special consideration will also be given to the

unprecedented number of African American women and all women

serving at the highest rates ever seen in our country and the

special needs that they will bring into the VA system in just

a few short years.

The NRHA developed the first national policy paper as a

non-Veteran Service Organization on rural veterans in 2003-

2004, and we are pleased to see some of the recommendations

called for in our policy paper addressed in this legislation.

For these many reasons, the NRHA strongly supports your

efforts to urge Congress to enact the ``Rural Veterans Health

Care Act of 2006.'' Thank you for your leadership on this

issue.

Sincerely,

William Sexton,

President.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 235.

House Concurrent Resolution 235 expresses the sense of Congress that States should require candidates for driver's licenses to demonstrate an ability to exercise greater increased caution when driving in the proximity of visually impaired individuals.

More than 1 million individuals are blind in the United States. Even more are visually impaired. Many of these individuals are veterans. These individuals face many obstacles in their daily lives and travel. The white cane and the guide dogs have become means to gain greater independence and mobility. The white canes have become one of the symbols of a blind person's ability to come and go on their own.

Unfortunately, many States do not require candidates for driver's licenses to associate the use of white canes or guide dogs with potentially visually impaired individuals. Many drivers are not aware of the white cane as a symbol of a visually impaired or blind individual. And, tragically, hundreds of visually impaired individuals have had their white canes and guide dogs run over by motor vehicles and have suffered serious personal injury and death as a result of being hit by cars.

If our Nation's visually impaired are to maintain their independence, it is important that drivers understand and respect State white cane laws. With a little education by States and some extra attention paid by drivers, we can greatly improve safety along our streets for those individuals who are visually impaired. H. Con. Res. 235 will make pedestrian travel a little safer for visually impaired individuals using mobility aids.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for introducing this legislation. Mr. Evans has been a friend and mentor to me during my 10 years of serving on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

I urge my colleagues to give this resolution their full support.

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

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

As you heard, this resolution has been fully supported by major associations for the blind, principally, the American Council for the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind, and the Blinded Veterans Association.

It also has the support of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the House Transportation Committee for this resolution introduced by my good friend, Congressman Lane Evans. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 921.

We must fully and clearly condemn the attacks on sovereign, undisputed Israeli territory as the terrorist attacks that they are. The June 25th murders and kidnapping carried out by Hamas are an act of war. The July 12th murders and kidnappings carried out by Hezbollah are an act of war. As a sovereign state, Israel has the right to defend itself and its citizens from these attacks.

Hezbollah must immediately stop its attacks on innocent Israelis. All provisions of United Nations Resolution 1559 calling for the complete withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon and the dismantlement of all independent militias in Lebanon must be fully implemented. Iran and Syria must end their proxy war with Israel at the expense of the Lebanese, Israeli, and Palestinian people.

Israel has the right to defend itself from these most recent criminal attacks, but I believe Israel must show restraint and limit civilian casualties as it struggles to end the threat posed by the terrorist organization Hezbollah--an organization which is responsible for more American deaths in recent decades than any other group except Al Qaeda. The Lebanese government must be able in the future to provide security within its own country and return to the path of peace and mutual security. That is the path of hope.

We all look toward the day when a secure Israel can live in peace with its neighbors, including a sovereign democratic and peaceful Palestinian state. If we are ever going to reach that goal, a goal shared by a majority of the world, then the United States and the international community must be fully diplomatically engaged in ending the terror and violence suffered in the region. My thoughts and prayers are with the innocent Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese and foreign nationals who are all in harm's way.

I condemn this new escalation of violence and the terrorist attacks on Israel. I join my colleagues in standing with our ally Israel during this time of struggle. I call on the terrorist groups to release their hostages and turn away from the path of violence. I pray for lasting peace and mutual security and prosperity for all who suffer through this terrible conflict.

Mr. Speaker, last night several of our colleagues stood on this floor and listed all of the terrorists that are no longer threats to the United States. I couldn't be more pleased that this list of potential threats is getting shorter. So why are we going to vote today on a proposal that will add major new threats to that list?

The Oman Free Trade Agreement would require the United States to allow any Omani company to provide landside U.S. port activities if they so choose. A new CRS report confirms that fact.

We know that al Qaeda wants to launch more attacks here. Do you think that this deal presents a golden opportunity for al Qaeda to infiltrate our ports, to smuggle weapons of mass destruction into the United States?

Last year more than 11 million cargo containers entered the United States. Do you want a company in Oman managing this flow of who knows what into our borders? Would you let any company that operates in Oman run our airport security?

The Oman Free Trade Agreement hands over the keys to any company that operates in Oman. Think about it, and vote ``no'' on this stupid, ridiculous deal.

When the American people find out about the port provision of this agreement they will be outraged.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Oman Free Trade Agreement. I say to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, if we are really serious about national security, especially given the bipartisan outrage over the Dubai Ports World situation earlier this year, we must reject the Oman Free Trade Agreement.

Simply put, foreign tribunals should not determine what is, in fact, a security threat to the United States of America. This provision should not be in this trade agreement. The international trade agreement would require the United States to allow any Omani company to provide landside aspects of U.S. ports activities.

A new CRS report further confirms that a company operating in Oman could use the Oman Free Trade Agreement to obtain this new right guaranteed by the international trade agreement, Dubai-United States ports operations.

Who is to say that al Qaeda would not set up shop in Oman to gain access and control of our ports? We have already seen how they have worked this in the past. They set their men in United States soil years before the September 11 attack to take flight lessons.

They know how the system works. They are strategic in their planning. Do you really think terrorists could not take advantage of this provision? It is bad enough that we are asked to support agreements that will shift more jobs overseas, that undermine our environmental standards, and that ask us to stick our head in the sand over serious human rights violations.

But it is simply unacceptable to ask this Congress to support legislation that could potentially undermine the security of our Nation. At the very least, USTR should exclude the ports from this deal and all future deals.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot think of one Member of Congress who would support weakening our national security, and this agreement does do that. We should stand united and demand that these free trade agreements start with us negotiating for the best interests of the United States.

We will continue to see more unless we do that today. I urge my colleagues to reject this agreement.