Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2533, the MAMMO for Veterans Act. This bill requires VA to develop a plan to improve breast imaging services. It also establishes a breast imaging telehealth pilot program to better serve women veterans in areas where VA does not have significant capacity, including rural areas.

It also requires VA to upgrade breast imaging services at the VA facilities by using three-dimensional imaging and provide updated guidelines and genetic counseling for veterans diagnosed with breast cancer. Early detection is the key to fighting all forms of cancer, to include breast cancer.

VA should make every effort to ensure veterans with breast cancer receive cutting-edge care, both in screening and treatment.

I appreciate Senator Tester and my friend and fellow veteran, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks, for their work on this important bill. It has my full support.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), my good friend.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2102, the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environment, or SERVICE Act.

Dr. Thomas was a marine--oorah--veteran and a public health professional, who was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer following her deployment to Iraq.

She was just 38 years old when she was diagnosed. She was just 42 years old when she died of breast cancer on April 5 of this year.

My thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones.

Dr. Thomas' passing is a tragic reminder of how high the stakes are when it comes to better serving veterans suffering from toxic exposure.

Both VA and DOD have conducted studies that indicate that women who have served in the military have an elevated risk for breast cancer.

The bill that bears Dr. Thomas' name would help more toxic-exposed veterans like her have access to breast imaging services from the VA, regardless of their enrollment status.

The bill is sponsored by Senator Boozman of Arkansas, and I thank him for his work on this legislation. I also thank Congresswoman Miller- Meeks, the House sponsor, who has been a strong champion for it as well. Dr. Miller-Meeks is a veteran herself, and women veterans have no better advocate than she.

I am proud to support the bill today, and I hope that all of my colleagues will join me.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).

Mr. Speaker, as we have noticed today, this bill and other bills deal specifically with the promise we have made, I have made, and I know that Chairman Takano as well has made, to try to make things better for our women veterans. We also had the bills that dealt with the sexual trauma. These are issues that are vitally important. I appreciate what we have worked on today. We want to make sure that we provide for those needs.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this piece of legislation along with all the others that we have moved today, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3527.

When Congress acts to name a VA medical facility in law, the name should stay with that facility even if it moves to another location in the same area. That is common sense, and it is what this bill would allow.

A lot of thought and hard work goes into honoring a veteran or other individual by naming a VA facility after them. The person who is honored this way often has a storied history that becomes important to the veterans served by that facility. That should not be taken away, and it should not be taken lightly.

I am grateful to Senator Tester for his work on this legislation. I urge all of my colleagues to join in supporting this bill today, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1760, a bill to name the VA community-based outpatient clinic in Oahu, Hawaii, after World War II veteran and former Hawaiian Senator, Daniel Akaka.

Senator Akaka has a long and proud record of service in a uniform and out. Following his time in the Army, he represented his fellow Hawaiians in both the House and the Senate. During that time in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Veterans Affairs' Committee, where he also represented his fellow veterans.

Mr. Speaker, it is only fitting that the community-based outpatient clinic in his hometown of Oahu be named in his honor. I am proud to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2514, a bill to rename the Provo Veterans Center in Utah after Colonel Gail Halvorsen.

Colonel Halvorsen is a Salt Lake City native who joined the Army Air Corps in 1942, in the midst of World War II. He served as a transport pilot and participated in the Berlin Airlift.

It was in Berlin where he earned the nickname ``The Candy Bomber'' for handing out pieces of candy to local children and, later, dropping candy from his aircraft while flying missions over the city.

Colonel Halvorsen retired from the military in 1974 after 31 years in uniform. He spent his civilian life as an active volunteer in his church and community. He passed away in February of this last year at age 101.

Mr. Speaker, it is with the deepest respect for Colonel Halvorsen's long life of service that we support the bill to allow the Provo Vet Center to bear his name.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7500, the bill that would authorize VA major medical facility construction projects in Mississippi, New York, Texas, California, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Missouri.

It is well known that the VA healthcare system has very serious infrastructure issues. The average VA medical center is decades older than the average private-sector hospital.

Authorizing these projects won't fix that, but it will help thousands of veterans who live in those eight States to have better access to the care that they have earned and deserve.

I appreciate Congressmen Allred and Ellzey for their work introducing this important bill. It has my full support today. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5754, the Patient Advocate Tracker Act. This is an excellent piece of legislation that is the brainchild of a veteran named Cameron Zbikowski.

Cameron worked on VA's patient advocate program as a student veteran fellow for the VFW and Student Veterans of America. During his fellowship, he recognized that veterans would be better served if they could submit complaints to VA patient advocates online and track the status of those complaints online as well.

Cameron was spot on, and this bill will require VA to make that happen. This will make patient advocates more accessible to veterans than ever before, and it will increase the transparency and accountability of the VA patient advocacy program so that we can make sure that it is working as it should for veterans across the country.

I know Cameron is watching today, and from one veteran to another, I thank him for his great work.

This bill is sponsored by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain). I thank her for her hard work on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am a proud supporter of this bill today, and I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in supporting it. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6604, as amended, the Veterans Eligible to Transfer School Credit Act. This bill, authored by my friend from Florida (Mr. Buchanan), would help student veterans continue to use their GI Bill benefits if their school closes in the middle of a semester.

Under current law, when a school closes, an eligible student can have their GI Bill benefits restored for the time they spent attending the shuttered school. This bill would streamline that process for these students to use their restored benefits at a new school. This will help student veterans quickly transfer to a new school and complete their degree using their GI Bill benefits.

H.R. 6604, as amended, also includes the text of Congressman Murphy's bill, H.R. 6458. This bill eliminates the existing requirement for the servicemember to set a specific date for when any transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits would expire.

Thus, this bill would prevent those who are entitled to these benefits from accidentally inputting the wrong date.

These wrong dates have led to dependents being barred from taking advantage of their education benefits. For example, there have been instances where a servicemember has put in their child's 18th birthday by accident which then prevents the child from using the benefit. If the servicemember is alive, they can easily change this date in the system. However, if the servicemember has passed away before they make this change, then it is irreversible and the child can't use their GI Bill benefit.

I thank the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, for bringing this transfer issue and solution to us. I also thank both Congressman Buchanan and Congressman Murphy for their hard work on these bills. I encourage all my colleagues to support H.R. 6604, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy).

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2687, which would provide the VA inspector general with limited subpoena power. In some investigations, VA employees who may have important information have left the Department. At that point, the inspector general has no authority to compel their

testimony, which can leave investigations weak or incomplete. This bill would give the inspector general the authority to subpoena those former employees.

However, this authority is not without checks and balances. The bill would require the IG to notify the Attorney General before using the subpoena. The Attorney General may object and prevent the IG from issuing the subpoena if doing so would interfere with an ongoing investigation.

This authority would sunset in May of 2025 and would require Congress to then evaluate the need for this authority and if it should be continued. This is a good bill to expand oversight of the VA, and it has my full support.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7375, a bill that would streamline the payment of GI Bill benefits.

Specifically, the bill would require that, within 90 days of enactment, VA update the electronic fund transfer system for education benefits. Without this change, an overseas school is required to maintain a U.S.-based bank account so that VA can electronically transfer payments for VA beneficiaries who attend their institution. This requirement has kept some schools from participating in the GI Bill. This leads to fewer educational choices for our veterans.

I am pleased that this bill would address this issue and expand opportunities for veterans to use their hard-earned education benefits.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 7375, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6376, as amended, the Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act.

This bill will make changes to the VA work-study program to allow student veterans who are using the GI bill part-time to take advantage of the work-study benefit. The work-study benefit provides veterans with the opportunity to be paid for helping other veterans on campus or VA facilities.

This is a win-win for the school and the veteran, as the school does not have to pay the veteran for their work, and the veteran receives a paycheck and great work experience.

I am pleased that my amendment at the markup of this bill was accepted and that the bill is now fully offset.

I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 6376, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 7153, the Department of Veterans Affairs Principles of Benefits Automation Act.

The VA is embracing automation more than ever before. The early results are promising. When used properly, automation can improve claims processing for veterans. However, I am concerned that the VA has already started multiple automation projects without a clear plan or measurable goals. There is no consistent guidance from the VA on when, why, or how automation should be used.

H.R. 7153 will establish the sense of Congress that the VA should increase automation in benefits processing, according to certain principles. Automation should increase the speed, accuracy, and consistency of claims processing. Automation should also enhance employee productivity. Automation should always protect veterans' privacy and preserve their rights to due process.

However, automation should not necessarily eliminate or reduce the VBA workforce. Employees should always make the final decision about approving claims and granting benefits. Let me be clear: The sense of Congress is that automation should enhance and support VBA employees, not replace them. I think these guiding principles will improve the claims process for veterans and beneficiaries.

Finally, my bill will require VA to submit a plan to Congress to modernize its benefits IT system over the next 5 years. This plan is crucial.

The expansion of benefits for toxic-exposed veterans will put an incredible strain on these IT systems. We need to be ready.

Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, to protect all Americans from Biden's border crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 3807.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding.

You know, a lot of people are saying a lot of things here about Don tonight as we are talking about his life and his service.

Now, let's put it in perspective. Many of the people in this House, whenever he first came in, many weren't even born. In my case, I was in seventh grade, never knowing that I would meet somebody like Don Young.

When I first came into this great assembly, there was a gruff, noisy person that sat back in that chair that we have talked about all along, yelling about this and talking about that, and I just wondered who he was.

After serving with him on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, getting to know him, I realized that that gruff and that noise, let me explain something to you, has a heart that was bigger than the noise ever could be. The kindness that he didn't want to show when you were around him for just a little bit, you understood.

But, also, what is so great is the amount of us that were able to tap into his knowledge of the institution, of the things that he has seen; ten Presidents, nine Speakers, someone said over 2,000 Members that have come through that have served with Don Young.

Anytime someone has been in a position that long, the knowledge that they gain and the way that they can deliver for their district is amazing.

This last week when we found out Don passed--unfortunately, in the world of social media, you put things out, and you put it out as positive as possible. But there was one person that responded in a statement, when I said he was there 50 years, well, that is why we should have term limits.

Really? Don Young had term limits. Every 2 years. He went back to the people of Alaska, and the people of Alaska spoke every 2 years.

Why did they do that? They did that because they had a great Representative that knew and understood and loved the State that he represented.

Now, think about this. He sat in this House when he could have moved on to the Senate. It was the same run. He could have been Governor, but he chose to stay in this House because he believed in this House and the job he was doing for the people of Alaska. He served them well.

I was blessed by the fact that I got to go and participate in the fundraiser that his first wife had put together, and that is a fishing tournament that allows for that money to be given to the native children of Alaska that are in need.

After that, he married Anne. And to Anne and the family, his first love was his family, and we thank them for giving him to us, not only the ones that serve here today but the ones that have served over the past 50 years, and to this Nation that will be forever grateful for a man who stood up, told the truth, and used this institution to make this Nation better.