Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3482) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an online program through which an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs may schedule an appointment for a covered veteran with a non- Department health care provider under the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3482, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3482, as amended, offered by my friend and colleague, Representative Tom Barrett of Michigan.

This bill would make much-needed improvements to make community care work better for our veterans. For far too long, the scheduling process has posed structural barriers that delay our veterans from accessing the timely healthcare that they have earned.

Veterans often face administrative red tape that makes getting their care difficult when they are trying to see a provider in their own community. This bill would cut through that bureaucracy by bringing the VA's scheduling into the 21st century.

This bill would authorize the External Provider Scheduling program across every VA medical center. It would equip VA employees with a modernized system to view, search, and sort real-time availability for both VA and non-VA providers. Under this bill, a VA scheduler could book an appointment and send the referral documents electronically without endless phone calls.

This would let veterans across the entire country schedule many of their community care appointments in minutes, instead of waiting days on end.

This bill would also include rigorous performance benchmarks to hold VA accountable for achieving real results to deliver better healthcare. VA would be required to track patron satisfaction and wait times so we can ensure taxpayer resources are making a real impact.

Finally, thanks to an amendment adopted in committee, the costs associated with this legislation are fully offset.

It is our duty to make sure veterans receive timely access to the healthcare they need right in the communities where they live.

I also thank the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs, Concerned Veterans for America, the National Rural Health Association, and The American Legion for their support of this truly bipartisan legislation.

This is a good, commonsense bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3482, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Barrett), who is the sponsor of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2393) to authorize a major medical facility project for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on S. 2393.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2393, the Senate companion to my bill, H.R. 6710, the Fiscal Year 2025 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, offered by Senator Moran.

For veterans in southern Illinois, the St. Louis VA Medical Center is an essential part of the VA healthcare network.

S. 2393 authorizes up to $1.76 billion to modernize and expand the St. Louis VA, including new clinical space, a bed tower, and a dedicated mental health and substance abuse clinic.

Many of the veterans I represent travel there for care, and this bill would help ensure that the campus is prepared to meet the needs of veterans across the region for years to come.

This new clinical space would give care teams more room to serve patients, while the mental health and substance abuse clinic would strengthen access to important services for veterans and their families.

Campus infrastructure improvements, including parking, utilities, and site work will also help the St. Louis VA operate more efficiently as a regional medical center.

The bill also supports the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that makes high-quality care possible, from upgraded utilities and a central utility plant to improved parking, security entrances, water systems, administrative space, and service facilities.

These investments would expand capacity, support specialized care, and improve the overall experience for veterans, caregivers, providers, and staff.

I am proud to support this bill because it is a practical, forward- looking investment in the veterans who depend on the St. Louis VA. This will help modernize care, improve access, and better serve veterans in my district and veterans across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2393, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2954) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to approve multi-State apprenticeship programs for purposes of veterans educational assistance, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2954, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2954, as amended, offered by my colleagues, the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas) and the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans).

This bill, as amended, would allow the VA to approve the commercial driver's license apprenticeship program that operates in more than one State.

This bill would cut the red tape and stop an interstate company from having to seek approval in every State they operate in.

This bill would also allow more veterans to pursue careers in the trucking industry.

I come from a trucking family. As a former driver and a manager and operator of the family trucking business, I know how important it is to have qualified drivers. Trust me, I know.

The American Trucking Institute publishes a report that shows there is a shortage of 82,000 drivers and an anticipated shortage of 160,000 drivers by 2031. This bill would allow veterans to meet the demand by using their education benefits through the VA apprenticeship programs.

I am supportive of the intent of this bill as we must ensure that veterans find meaningful employment, while meeting the demand of an important industry in our Nation's economy. My committee will continue to seek ways to help create meaningful employment for veterans and streamlining veterans' programs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2954, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation. Let the veterans and the truckers roll.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3726) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make temporary lodging facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs available for certain TRICARE beneficiaries on a space-available basis, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3726, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3726, the Fisher House Availability Act of 2026, offered by Representative Dr. Miller-Meeks.

The Fisher House Foundation has done great work for our military and veteran families by providing a place to stay while their loved one received medical care.

Helping to ease the emotional and financial burdens, this bill would further that mission by extending eligibility to servicemembers' families, allowing them to stay in these temporary VA lodging facilities.

Simply put, if these homes have space, our military families should be able to use them.

Dr. Miller-Meeks' bill would also improve coordination between VA and DOW, so that we can ensure our military families have the best quality of life.

This bill would also maximize the use of existing resources and help ensure veterans' families have access to safe and affordable lodging when they need it most.

This is a practical solution that makes better use of resources already available to support both those who have served our Nation and their families.

I thank my friend, our Health Subcommittee chairwoman, Dr. Miller- Meeks, for her work on expanding healthcare access.

Mr. Speaker, our servicemembers, veterans, and their families have sacrificed greatly on behalf of this country. I believe we should ensure they have the support and stability they have earned while receiving medical care. This bill answers the call.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3726, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), the sponsor of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation. This is an opportunity to take advantage of the kindness of family and to continue to do that with everybody who needs this.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as chairman of the Fire Services Caucus and as a former firefighter myself to speak in support of the reauthorization of FirstNet.

This bill is about making sure that the people are on the front lines and can do their jobs safely and effectively.

This year, we mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, one of the darkest days in American history. After September 11, we learned what happens when communications fail. Firefighters, police, and EMS could not talk to each other across agencies. That breakdown made an already dangerous situation even worse.

Congress created FirstNet to fix that by building a dedicated nationwide network just for public safety. The legislation keeps the network in place and makes it stronger. It extends FirstNet for another 10 years so departments aren't left guessing about whether the system will still be there. It increases public safety representation on the board of FirstNet from three to five members, which means more firefighters and first responders helping guide how the network is built and improved.

It also allows the network to invest in newer technology, not just what was defined over a decade ago.

Anyone who is in the fire service knows the tools change. Communications systems have to keep up, or they fall behind very quickly.

There are also real accountability measures here such as annual reports on cybersecurity, independent evaluations of the contractors, and requiring plans to restore service after disasters.

If there is an outage, departments have to be notified within 30 minutes. That is the kind of standard first responders expect.

When I first joined the fire service, we did not always have dedicated networks like this. You were dealing with radios that did not always connect across jurisdictions. You were relaying messages instead of getting them directly. A system like this would have cut through that and made the response more coordinated.

This is not complicated. Better communications lead to better coordination, and that saves lives.

This passed out of committee 51-0. This agreement shows how important it is. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Daryl Murphy, head coach of Murphysboro High School basketball team who recently secured his 600th win for the Red Devils.

Coach Murphy has led his team with commitment, discipline, and heart since 1996. His teams have been models of consistency, including an incredible 34-1 record during the 2010-2011 season. That year, the Red Devils finished second in the State of Illinois, with their only loss coming at the championship game.

Coach Murphy's legacy goes far beyond the wins and losses. It is found in the character he builds in his players and the pride he brings to his community.

That same Murphysboro pride that I was taught when I was in school there myself, which emphasizes punctuality, respect, integrity, discipline, and excellence, is always front and center when the Murphysboro Red Devils step on the court.

Coach Murphy is a staple in our community, a devoted husband to his wife, Diana, and father to his son, Daryl.

Being a lifelong resident of Murphysboro and a graduate of Murphysboro High School myself, I congratulate Coach Murphy, his wife, Diana, and their son, Daryl, on this remarkable moment.

I know Coach Murphy won't let this accomplishment slow him down. As a matter of fact, I think he has had three other wins since that time.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Daryl Murphy for all he has done for the city of Murphysboro and the young people of that community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Jordan for allowing me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Woman's Relief Corps, the oldest national women's patriotic organization and the auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, which was our first VSO in the United States.

This organization has a long history of service and patriotism, with strong ties to Illinois and to my hometown, Murphysboro, not Murfreesboro. That is in Tennessee. I am speaking of Murphysboro, M-u- r-p-h-y-s-b-o-r-o. There is only one in this world, and it is Murphysboro.

Murphysboro is also the hometown of former Member of Congress, former U.S. Senator, and Civil War General John A. Logan, who was a strong advocate for our Nation's veterans. He played a key role in establishing Memorial Day as a national holiday in his 11th general order when he was commandant of the Grand Army of the Republic. His legacy of service continues to inspire Americans today.

It is fitting that the Woman's Relief Corps has made its home at the General John A. Logan Museum in Murphysboro, Illinois.

Although the Woman's Relief Corps received its congressional charter many years ago, the charter still lists Washington, D.C., and Springfield as its official location. That is why I introduced legislation to update the charter to recognize Murphysboro, my hometown, as the Woman's Relief Corps' home.

This change reflects where the organization is actually based and honors its close connection to John A. Logan and the southern Illinois communities that support its work. I am proud to support this measure and am grateful for the opportunity to assist an organization that has done so much for veterans and our communities.

The Woman's Relief Corps stands for patriotism, service, and community. By recognizing Murphysboro as its home, we honor its history and support its continued work.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and in recognizing Murphysboro, Illinois, as the home of the Woman's Relief Corps.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 980) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the provision of on-campus educational and vocational counseling by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 980, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 980, as amended, offered by my friend and colleague, Representative Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.

This bill would make improvements to the VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment, or VR&E, program.

Over the last 2 years, my committee has uncovered disastrous wait times, fraud, waste, and abuse in the VA VR&E program. This bill would move the program in the right direction by providing more transparency on these failures.

Mr. Speaker, it is our duty to make sure that veterans who complete this workforce program are earning more and are better off than they were before entering the program.

VR&E currently does not track those results. In fact, the only thing VR&E does track is the 45 percent of veterans who have completed programs and simply reentered them later. There remains continued fraud, waste, and abuse in the VR&E program, and the return on investment for the veterans is unknown.

Mr. Speaker, in fact, it shows me that VR&E needs an overhaul. This bill would reduce the bureaucracy and red tape that the VA has used in the past and would modernize the requirements for the VetSuccess on Campus officers, or VSOCs, by removing the master's degree requirement to a bachelor's degree in the relevant field of study.

This bill would also include increasing oversight and transparency of the VR&E program by implementing a call center specifically for the VR&E program. For VR&E to work well, there must be transparency to veterans who are using the program.

Finally, this bill would also allow veterans in the VR&E program to pursue noncollege degrees, like flight training.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is a step in the right direction of putting veterans first at the VA. I thank my friend and colleague, Representative Van Orden, for sponsoring this bill to improve the VR&E program.

I also thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hamadeh) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte) for championing the other provisions of this language.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 980, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden), who is the chief sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), who has done a tremendous amount of work to help with this bill.

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

Madam Speaker, oh, how I missed my colleagues last week.

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

Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3123) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to laws relating to the payment of certain benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that are affected by death, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3123, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3123, as amended, offered by my colleague Representative Elise Stefanik of New York.

This bill would require VA to pay out a due and unpaid pension to a veteran's next of kin in cases where the VA issues a decision granting a claim for a pension to a veteran, but the veteran passed away before VA had issued the first payment.

In the rare circumstances where an elderly veteran dies in the period between their VA pension being approved and receipt of their first payment, a surviving family should be able to rely on those funds as a source of support to honor their veteran's legacy.

Veterans eligible for the VA pension must be at least 65 years old and meet the annual net worth limit.

A great portion of eligible veterans served in the Korean war, Vietnam war, and Gulf war. This legislation would close the loophole and prevent VA bureaucracy from being forced to take back benefits delivered to the veteran who earned it through their service.

Families grieving a veteran's passing should not have to worry that VA will go after them to recover a pension payment.

This legislation would prevent those situations while recognizing our commitment to honor those who have served this country.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3123, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, at this time I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik), the sponsor of this bill.

Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 658) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish qualifications for the appointment of a person as a marriage and family therapist, qualified to provide clinical supervision, in the Veterans Health Administration, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 658, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 658, as amended. This bill was introduced by my colleague Representative Julia Brownley of California.

Under current law, only one accrediting body has power over who can work as a marriage and family therapist in supervisory roles at the VHA. This is an unnecessary burden. It unnecessarily restricts access to licensed marriage and family therapists who can help veterans grow and maintain healthy familial relationships.

With Representative Brownley's bill, the law would include more eligible licensors to ensure a sufficient pipeline of therapists are able to work at VA and help our Nation's veterans, if they need it.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Brownley for her bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I encourage everyone to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1458) to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the criteria for approval of certain independent study programs for purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1458, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1458, as amended, offered by my friend and colleague, Representative Juan Ciscomani of Arizona.

This bill would modernize the GI Bill by approving hybrid and online independent study programs to meet veterans' needs. During the COVID pandemic, these institutions offered classes in both online and hybrid settings to stop the spread of COVID. These institutions also received GI Bill funding during that time. Many of these institutions were even told to move their programs to fully remote.

This bill would allow these education programs to receive funding again and get more veterans into successful programs. It is clearer than ever that VA education programs need to meet veterans where they are and not the other way around.

Additionally, this bill would ensure guard and reserves who get called up on orders during a semester can receive a grade. This bill would also give school certifying officials, or SCOs, time to prepare for a required survey to ensure there is no fraud, waste, or abuse at the GI Bill-eligible institution.

Finally, this bill would also allow servicemembers and veterans who paid into the Montgomery GI Bill to receive their $1,200 refund if they chose to fully use their post-9/11 GI Bill.

I am fully supportive of this bill as we must ensure that VA services veterans first.

This bill would not only give freedom of choice for what institution veterans can attend, but when a veteran does go to school, they would receive more protection when they are called up to protect this country.

I thank Representative John James of Michigan and Representative Ronny Jackson of Texas for introducing important provisions to this language, and I thank my friend, Representative Ciscomani, for introducing this bill and continuing to be a champion of improving education opportunities for veterans and their dependents.

My committee will continue to seek ways to level the playing field for veterans seeking education and employment so that every veteran has access to the opportunities that they want, all the while protecting the taxpayers' investment and these programs.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1458, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the concerns of the minority, and I would like to dispel some misinformation provided by the ranking member.

H.R. 1458 would expand the way in which the GI Bill benefits can be used by veterans, but it would not remove any of the guardrails in place to keep out bad actors. In fact, the bill would require regular and additional interaction between students and instructors, which would add an additional meaningful guardrail for veteran providers.

In the most recent VA ``Annual Benefits Report,'' only 3.5 percent of veterans pursued vocational or technical education, even though skilled trades are among the fastest growing career opportunities in the United States.

This bill would help tackle the current workforce shortage in skills and trades in the U.S. while maintaining the oversight that VA has over bad actors. Now the GI Bill already has limits on tuition payments approval and quality standards to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the program.

Often, veterans may need to attend school or training online or hybrid, not due to performance but due to the necessity of taking care of their families or loved ones. This bill would respond to those realities, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get the bill signed into law.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Ciscomani), the sponsor of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, Friday is the March for Life. It is a moment for compassion, common sense, and a commitment to our most vulnerable. That is why I rise today in strong support of the pro-life bills included in this rule, including

safeguarding funding for pregnancy resource centers act and the Pregnant Students' Rights Act.

These bills are about something very simple: Protecting the dignity of the unborn and meeting very real needs of mothers and families.

Pregnancy resource centers offer counseling, medical services, parenting resources, and support systems through some of the most difficult moments that a mother can face. They should never be targeted or defunded because they protect life.

At the same time, no woman should be forced to choose between continuing her education or continuing her pregnancy. Women who choose life should be supported, encouraged, and empowered, not pushed aside or told that their dreams for the future don't matter.

I have always been proud to stand for life, and that commitment has guided my work not only here in Congress but my work as a State legislator. My wife and I make sure that we put our money where our mouth is in supporting young women who find themselves in a situation with a pregnancy out of wedlock.

Being pro-life is about doing more than just talking about it. It means standing up for life at every stage and backing it up with actions. This Friday, this Mall out here will be packed with a powerful demonstration of the sanctity of life. It is important that the people's House meets that moment. We should be unafraid to say that every life has value and that mothers deserve our support, not our silence.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and these pro- life, profamily priorities.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 659) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to give priority to individuals with certain professional experience in recommending such individuals to serve as members of the Board of Veterans' Appeals, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 659.

This bill would require the chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to prioritize people with at least 3 years of relevant experience working in veterans law when recommending new veteran law judges to the VA Secretary for positions at the VA.

This legislation does not alter the criteria the board currently uses to evaluate judges, and it does not restrict the board chairman from recommending other qualified candidates.

Madam Speaker, this bill would ensure that the best judges with vitally important firsthand experience are serving our veterans at the

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentlewoman from California for her time in service here. I wish her the best. Hopefully, we will continue working together, as we still have a lot of things to get done. This bill is a very good bill.

Mr. Speaker, I, once again, encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1663) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1663, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1663, as amended, offered by Representative Calvert from California.

This bill would protect veterans from scams and fraud that may target the benefits they earned through service. Too many veterans, along with their families, caregivers, and survivors, are being hit with savvy fraud schemes designed to steal personal information, drain bank accounts, and even redirect VA benefits to bad actors. When these scams happen, veterans often don't know where to turn inside the Federal system.

The VSAFE Act would take direct action to fix this issue. This bill would add dedicated veterans scam and fraud evasion officer positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This would rightfully build up VA's fraud prevention and response efforts across VA, so this problem is treated like a real threat, not just an afterthought.

Representative Calvert's bill would also require VA to improve communications during urgent fraud incidents, so veterans and their families are not left in the dark while scammers continue to strike. By building up VA's existing antifraud tools, adding new ones where necessary, we can combat fraud head-on.

Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, veterans should never lose their hard-earned benefits because the system failed to protect them from criminals. The VSAFE Act should strengthen the accountability, improve prevention, and give veterans the support and protection they deserve.

This bill takes an important step toward safeguarding veterans and strengthening trust in the VA system, and I am proud to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1663, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Someday, I would like to carry on this floor from our committee a bill that is actually sponsored by a Republican that my colleague can actually find totally good. We come out here every time, and he finds all the excuses of why this is bad, this is bad, and this is bad. This is a really good bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from

California (Mr. Calvert), the person who has worked very hard on this bill to make sure it deals with the fraud that is out there.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I encourage all Members to support this piece of legislation. I think it is a wonderful piece of legislation. It is way overdue.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Ryan Whitehouse, who tragically passed away earlier this fall in an accident in Michigan. He was just 43 years old.

Ryan was the Illinois Farm Bureau's Director of National Legislation, a friend, and great advocate of Illinois agriculture.

As family, friends, and colleagues mourn his passing, we also reflect on the lasting impact he made on farming families across the State of Illinois.

Ryan joined the Illinois Farm Bureau in 2013 and quickly set a high standard for service. In his role leading the Nation's legislative work, he made sure every county's interest was represented and respected.

When he visited Washington, he brought with him the voice of the farmers he cared so deeply about and he made sure their voices were heard.

Ryan treated everyone like a friend. He had a way of making you feel valued. Even through this tragedy, he continues to serve others through the Gift of Life Organ Donor Program.

I also appreciate Ryan's dedication to Illinois agriculture and for the way he strengthened every community he touched.

Mr. Speaker, the world would be a better place if we all carried the same spirit, kindness, and commitment. May his soul find peace and may God bless his family.