Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3494) to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out an information technology system and prioritize certain requirements to manage supply chains for medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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. 3494, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3494, as amended, offered by Representative Kiggans. This bill would ensure VA finally has a reliable system to track hospital supplies and equipment.

For too long, an unreliable system has wasted taxpayer dollars and left doctors and nurses searching for basic tools they need to care for our veterans. That kind of mismanagement is unacceptable. Veterans should never face delays in treatment because a hospital can't find the supplies and equipment it needs.

A modern supply chain means stronger care for our veterans, smarter spending for taxpayers, and greater accountability at the VA. It means no excuses, no wasted dollars, and no veterans left waiting because the system failed them. That is exactly what this bill delivers for our Nation's heroes.

I thank Representative Kiggans for her continued leadership on the committee and her tireless commitment to solving this problem at the VA. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 3494, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans), the sponsor of this bill.

Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4446) to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the conditions under which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to redevelop the individualized vocational rehabilitation plan for a veteran, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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. 4446 offered by my colleague, Representative Maxine Dexter, from Oregon.

H.R. 4446 would allow a veteran who has changed in their disability rating to apply for changes in their Veterans Readiness and Employment, or the VR&E plan, instead of being forced to complete their current rehabilitation plan first.

This bill is a simple fix that would remove the outdated practice that requires disabled veterans to complete their current plan before switching to a plan that may better fit the changes in their disability.

During the Biden Administration, VA damaged their relationship with veterans in the VR&E program. Under President Trump's Secretary Collins' leadership, VA is rebuilding that trust and is working to fix the program.

This Congress, the Republican majority has worked hard to improve VR&E by modernizing the program, increasing transparency, and introducing accountability to both the VA and the veterans. While this bill is a step in the right direction, I hope my colleagues recognize that there is much more work to be done to get VA to work for the veterans first.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 4446, and I reserve the balance of my time.

In closing, Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support the legislation. I want to congratulate the gentlewoman for passing her first piece of legislation in the House, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a very important person in my life, who is actually a distant cousin. His mother was actually a Bost, a cousin of my grandfather. His name was Ray Doerr. He is from Vergennes, Illinois. He passed away on July 12 at the age of 98.

Ray gave back to his community in big ways and small. He served as a trustee in Vergennes for 67 years and as mayor for 10 years. He was the chairman of the Republican Party of Jackson County for 24 years.

He was a friend to Governors and Senators, but he never let politics change who he was. He stayed grounded. He stayed loyal to his roots.

Mr. Speaker, I will say, personally, I stand here today because of Ray. He was one of the first people who encouraged me to get into public service. He saw something in me early on and never stopped offering his advice. When I say ``early on,'' I was 23 years old when he encouraged me to get involved in local politics. I will always value our friendship.

Ray was a proud Navy veteran who answered the call to serve our country during World War II. He enlisted at just 17 years of age, serving in the South Pacific, including during the invasion of Okinawa.

When he came home, he married his wife, Ime, and began a life rooted in faith, hard work, and service to others.

He worked in the mines. He delivered gas to farmers. He was a sales manager for Massey Ferguson. He farmed. He served as an auditor for the Illinois Secretary of State, and he was an auctioneer for 80 years. He was one of the hardest working men I have ever known.

He and Ime were married 68 years at the time of her passing in 2012. Together, they raised a son, Jeffrey. Jeff built a family business and shaped a community.

Ray's legacy is not just titles he held, but the lives he touched. He was a mentor, a friend, and a man of his word. He loved southern Illinois and served it every day of his life. We are all better for having known him.

May God bless Ray Doerr and may He bring comfort to his family and all his loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 423) to protect regular order for budgeting for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 423, introduced by my colleague and fellow marine from across the Capitol, Senator Dan Sullivan from Alaska.

S. 423 would require the Secretary of the VA to provide quarterly briefings to Congress on the budget execution and any projected budget shortfalls. It also creates new guardrails on the use of critical skills incentive bonuses to make sure they only go to the employees whom they are intended for.

Finally, it would codify the Veterans Experience Office to improve the delivery of benefits to veterans and their beneficiaries.

These efforts already exist at the VA, and this legislation simply makes these efforts permanent. This bill is a straightforward, commonsense effort that partners with Secretary Collins and the Trump administration to establish greater accountability and oversight of career senior executives at the Department.

The need for this legislation comes in the wake of the critical skills incentive payments scheme uncovered by my committee during the last Congress. The days of waste, fraud, and abuse are over.

After the OIG identified over $10 million in improper critical skills incentive payments awarded to VA executives, Congress recognized the need for accountability. Let me be clear. I believe the VA employees deserve to be recognized for the extraordinary work they do.

Critical skills incentive bonuses are useful tools for the VA to attract talented staff who are dedicated to serving veterans. However, some of these bonuses were as high as $100,000 for D.C. office staff employees, more than double what a single veteran who is 100 percent disabled would receive in an entire year.

Additionally, during the investigation, my staff identified employees who

received these critical skills bonuses while they were under investigation for misconduct at the VA.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to make sure this never happens again. I am proud of the work done by my friend, Secretary Collins, and I believe the PRO Veterans Act will support his mission to build up the VA's workforce and put veterans first.

In addition to stopping the glut of critical skills payments from going to executives, this legislation would require the VA to provide in-person budget briefings to Congress every quarter for 3 years, detailing the agency's financial projections and budget management strategy.

After the Veterans Benefits Administration's shortfall crisis manufactured by the Biden administration cost the government billions of dollars, increasing the frequency of these conversations will help Congress execute its constitutional oversight and appropriations responsibilities.

While leadership in the Biden White House was replaced with the veterans-first Trump administration by the American people, many of the career VA employees who contributed to the crisis remain. Some of these employees have operated far too long without scrutiny and with no consequences for planning failures that total billions of dollars.

Without some ways of tying poor performance to outcomes for these employees, what message does the business-as-usual status quo send to rank-and-file employees?

When they hear of senior executives filling each other's pockets with improper bonuses, what does that tell the frontline VA police officer, the hospital housekeepers, and the food service staff?

It tells them that the efforts they bring to the job really don't matter. It tells them that executives will score a nice bonus despite terrible performance and that they are being held to a different standard.

That is the wrong message to send to VA employees and to the veterans who rely on the VA for lifesaving healthcare.

Now, I applaud both parties in this Congress and the current administration for taking the right steps and working together to pass this bill and begin the work of restoring that trust.

This is commonsense legislation that ensures the VA operates with basic accountability and protects the future of benefits for our veterans who have earned them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 423, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I will take this time in closing to bring up a few things.

One, for the people listening to the rhetoric that came from the other side of the aisle, they need to understand that the VA has 477,000 employees. With that massive amount of employees, over the last several years, many of the jobs were not getting done correctly even though we put out a lot of money and hired a lot of employees.

Secretary Collins has said that he will reduce staffing based on attrition--attrition, mind you. We won't lose docs. We won't lose nurses. We won't lose frontline workers. We will be good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars.

So as the rhetoric comes from the other side on this administration and the fact that when they were in the majority and it was the Biden administration they didn't push for this legislation shows that it is more about the politics than it is about taking care of our veterans.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 201) to provide for a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the prevalence and mortality of cancer among individuals who served as active duty aircrew in the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 201. The bill was introduced by Senators Kelly and Cotton, and the House version was introduced by my

friend and fellow Representative, Mr. Pfluger.

The bill would ensure that there is trusted medical research available to pave the way for toxic-exposed military pilots and aircrew to access their VA disability compensation benefits.

Colonel Andrew Shurtleff, who testified before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs in March, was one of these veterans. He served our country as an Air Force fighter pilot for 23 years, flying over 1,800 hours.

The colonel began his career flying the F-15C Eagle and was chosen as one of the first F-22 Raptor instructors. I am told that one of his proudest achievements was serving as the 325th Operational Support Squadron commander at Tyndall Air Force Base, supporting Operation Northern Watch.

Colonel Shurtleff started fighting stage IV cancer in 2019 at just 41 years old and, unfortunately, passed away on May 23 at the age of 48.

My prayers are with his wife, Julie, and their family. We are forever grateful for his service to this country and to his community.

Military pilots and aircrew like Colonel Shurtleff work in tight spaces and are exposed to chemicals and toxic fumes every time they fly a mission. However, there is not enough medical research available for VA to simply presume that their cancers are related to those exposures. This lack of comprehensive medical research makes it hard for these military pilots and aircrew to access and earn these benefits.

Each one of those veterans must prove to VA that chemicals and toxins caused their cancer. Many had to fight the VA system for years before receiving any disability compensation, and many others never received their earned benefits before they passed away.

S. 201 would require the National Academies to conduct a study on whether the cancers suffered by military pilots and aircrew are related to their chemical and toxic exposures.

VA needs robust medical research to streamline military aircrew veterans' access to disability compensation, and VA needs it fast for today's and tomorrow's veterans.

This bill ensures that research gets done and that our military pilots and aircrew get the answers they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support S. 201, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), the sponsor of the House side of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, understand that we at the committee have hearings and will continue to have hearings on things like this many times. We will take the ranking member's comments under advisement. We will set the agenda and figure out what we will have hearings on and what we won't. I appreciate the request. This is why we have these types of hearings, and that is why we have this legislation here today.

Mr. Speaker, once again, 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 (H.R. 2170) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Toms River, New Jersey, the Leonard G. `Bud' Lomell, VA Clinic, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2170, a bill to rename the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Toms River, New Jersey, as the Leonard G. ``Bud'' Lomell VA Clinic.

Leonard ``Bud'' Lomell was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1920 and enlisted in the Army after the U.S. entered into World War II. Initially serving with an infantry division, Lomell quickly volunteered for the newly formed 2nd Ranger Battalion. There, he became the platoon's first sergeant.

During the earliest hours of D-day, First Sergeant Lomell's platoon landed at Pointe du Hoc, Normandy. Their mission was to disable the heavy defense artillery guns set to rain fire on the brave soldiers on Utah Beach.

Despite all the fire and obstruction, First Sergeant Lomell and his platoon became the first unit to accomplish their D-day mission.

Lomell continued to distinguish himself during the war, receiving a promotion to second lieutenant and being awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, and Silver Star.

After his service ended in 1945, Lomell married his wife, Charlotte. Together, they became proud parents of three daughters and continued serving in their community. I am happy to say that Charlotte is still able to see this bill being offered in honor of her husband.

Leonard G. ``Bud'' Lomell served as a great example of the Greatest Generation. It is a fitting tribute to name the VA clinic after him to tell the story of his service.

I thank the sponsor of this bill, Representative Smith, as well as the entire New Jersey delegation for honoring their fellow New Jerseyan with this tribute.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2170, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the sponsor of this legislation and my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues 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. 2625) to amend title 38, United States Code, to update certain terminology regarding veteran employment.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2625, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1969) to amend and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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. 1969, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1969, as amended. This bill was introduced by the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), my friend and colleague.

The bill is a powerful reminder that mental health and physical health go hand in hand. This bill extends authorization for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.

House Republicans created the Fox grant program to expand the reach of VA's mental health services through community-based organizations where veterans and their families live. The organizations that have qualified for the Fox grant program provide traditional and nontraditional mental health and therapy support services to veterans in need. This ensures VA services are reaching everyone who needs them. We should, without question, continue the Fox grant program.

This bill also recognizes that being in the military is a physical task. If our country wants to make veterans whole after their service, it only makes sense that VA should provide the means for physical activity.

Representative Miller-Meeks' bill would make adaptive prosthetics a necessary medical service. This would help our veterans to return to the activities they were accustomed to or even explore new opportunities.

We must not let our veterans' time in service be what holds them back from living the rest of their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our Health Subcommittee chairwoman for her leadership on both issues. This bill is a fantastic idea that will save veterans' lives, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1969, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, at the end of the fiscal year, the Fox Grant Program expires. This bill will keep the Fox Grant Program going. We have made important

improvements to the grant program, the bill that is before us today.

I look forward to continuing to work with stakeholders and veterans groups to find ways to make even more improvements to the Fox Grant Program, but I won't let perfect be the enemy of the good. We can't let this lifesaving program that veterans and their families rely on stop. That is what we are here to do.

When it comes to the screening tool, it is essential that all grantees use the same protocol to determine the effectiveness of services and programs.

The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale is currently a tool used by VA as one component of an eligibility screening and identifies individuals with suicidal thoughts and behavior.

If we simply allow grantees to use whatever protocol they choose, this could create differing approaches and confusion. The bill simply requires that grantee servers include this essential screening tool. The code says include, not exclude or only.

This bill, as amended, preserves VA's flexibility to ensure the best results for veterans who are seeking mental health services in their most desperate moments.

It is common sense to allow those who are already providing mental health services to receive grants for a suicide prevention program. Not only are these applicants subject to the same level of scrutiny as previous years' grantees but they also receive the same amount of funding.

The idea that this creates a loophole or expands community care is far from reality. Adding qualified providers to the list of grantees helps keep the door open for veterans seeking mental health services. The reality is this program is set to expire in September, and we cannot allow this to happen.

Delay jeopardizes this program. We have big problems to solve. Adding qualified mental health providers will only help.

I can appreciate the fact that the Senate has a different perspective. However, I find their approach to be business as usual for Congress and VA. Their bill would simply reauthorize the program for longer and with more money. It would also oblige VA to provide more vague reporting requirements and briefing, in other words, more money and more bureaucracy.

If this program had been perfect, maybe this would be a good idea. I think we can do better by ensuring the program continues longer, while giving Congress the opportunity to revisit these programs.

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 217) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the pilot program authorized by the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016, 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. 217, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 217, as amended. This bill was introduced by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), my good friend and colleague.

This bill would reauthorize the CHIP IN pilot program for another 5 years while expanding it nationwide. This pilot program has enabled public-private partnerships with VA to help fund the construction of projects for healthcare facilities. It is set to expire next year.

In Omaha, Nebraska, VA and local partners used this authority to build an outpatient clinic 1 year ahead of schedule and $35 million under budget. They delivered to veterans in Nebraska a modern state-of- the-art facility. With this bill, we would move VA to pursue even more public-private partnerships across the country to build new facilities in communities where veterans need them the most.

I thank my friend, Representative Bacon, for his work to bring the CHIP IN program to communities nationwide.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 217, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), the sponsor of this bill, who has lived and seen what it has done.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all of our Members to support H.R. 217, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1147) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, 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.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1147 offered by my colleague, Representative David Valadao of California. The bill would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a veterans advisory committee on equal access.

The committee would advise the VA Secretary on how the Department can improve access to VA benefits, services, information, and facilities for individuals with disabilities. The committee would bring together veterans with disabilities, subject matter experts, VA employees, and representatives of veterans service organizations to make sure that the Secretary is getting the best advice from the right people.

Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that this is long overdue. Americans with disabilities are entitled to equal access to healthcare and benefits nationwide. That includes the VA. Congress made it clear, through the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws, that this is the case.

While VA has made progress in recent years, the promise of equal access for individuals with disabilities has not been fully achieved.

We know these accessibility gaps still exist, and I thank the VSO community for their work to shine a spotlight on these issues. The goal of this legislation is to eliminate accessibility gaps and achieve universal access for veterans living with disabilities, as they are entitled to by law.

This is an important goal, and I believe the advisory committee is well justified.

I also share many of my colleagues' concerns about the growth of advisory committees in the Federal Government. There are simply too many. That is why this legislation would direct VA to eliminate or consolidate an inactive advisory committee.

I thank Representative Valadao for his commitment to resolving this issue. This bill passed the House unanimously last Congress, and there is no reason why it should not receive the same bipartisan support this Congress and be signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1147, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Valadao), who is the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am ready to close. Mr. Speaker, I reserve 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, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill

(H.R. 1286) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center for an assessment of forms that the Secretary sends to claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, 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. 1286, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1286, as amended. The bill was introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bresnahan), my friend and colleague.

This bill would require VA to contract with research entities to improve the forms that VA requires veterans and their families to fill out throughout the VA claims process.

Incorrectly filling out these forms can force veterans to wait longer for a decision on their claim and cause veterans to receive wrongful denials of their claim.

Veterans and their advocates have told Congress time and time again how disorganized and difficult these forms can be. As a veteran myself, it has been a challenge for me to complete these forms for my own disability claims.

We must make VA's standard forms more understandable for veterans so they can more easily access their earned VA benefits. This bill would do just that.

Representative Bresnahan's commonsense bill would ensure that Congress continues to push VA forward to better serve veterans, and I am proud to co-lead it.

I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1286, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bresnahan), the sponsor of this bill and the Representative from Pennsylvania's Eighth District.

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. 1815) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain actions in the case of a default on a home loan guaranteed by the Secretary, 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. 1815, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1815, as amended, offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden), my friend and colleague.

For the last year, House Republicans have raised concerns about the Biden administration's creation of a VA Servicing Purchase program, or the VASP program.

Mr. Speaker, this Biden program was estimated to cost over $15 billion in tax dollars. It also puts the VA home loan program at risk for today and tomorrow's veterans.

It was a bad program, and the Trump administration was right to stop it. However, I recognize that sometimes veterans and their families fall on hard times and veterans need a safety net.

Mr. Van Orden's bill, H.R. 1815, as amended, is a fiscally responsible solution to enhance the VA home loan program and give veterans the assistance they might need if they are in home loan debt.

The bill is the result of over a year of discussions between VSOs, veterans, the lenders, and Members to properly establish a partial claim program for veteran homeowners should they need it.

The bill is the only fiscally responsible solution to a problem that Mr. Van Orden and I have been sounding the alarm on for over a year.

Instead of the VA running rampant and creating a program without Congress' intent, establishing a partial claim program where elected officials have made changes to improve a government program is how the democracy should work.

This bill would also require the VA to implement a strategic plan to ensure that veterans remain competitive in their home loan process.

Finally, this bill includes the proper funding for the grant and per diem provisions we passed in the Dole Act last year to fix the Biden administration's mistake.

Under my leadership, my committee will continue to honor its commitment to all veterans, including ensuring proper funding is provided to the GPD providers working to lift veterans out of homelessness.

I thank everybody who has come together to get this bill to this place.

I give special thanks to the Mortgage Bankers Association, Rocket Mortgage, the National Association of REALTORS, and the National Association of Mortgage Brokers for supporting this legislation and helping us get it to the finish line on behalf of our veterans and their families.

I appreciate my Democrat colleagues for their bipartisan support of this legislation. With their support, I hope we can get a good bill passed to the Senate quickly and then to the President's desk very soon.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1815, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the other side of the aisle highlighting the problem that veterans are facing today. Thank goodness we are working on a solution right here with H.R. 1815, and we are going to be voting on it today.

Mr. Speaker, the VA's decision to phase out the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program, or VASP program, was an important step by the Trump administration. This decision added billions of dollars to the VA budget without any assurance to the taxpayers that this was a good decision. Just last week, my office received information that, on top of paying $6.3 billion to purchase VA loans, VA also spent an additional $1.5 billion just to support their financing.

The average amount that a veteran had to pay back of their mortgage was actually less than $25,000. Instead of solving the problem, VA chose to purchase the entire loan, costing an average of $321,000. In no way does it make sense to solve a $25,000 problem with a $321,000 solution. Only in government would you do that.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this bill would have saved money by keeping the veterans out of foreclosure. They estimated earlier this Congress that the continuing of VASP would cost the taxpayers over half a billion dollars in the next decade. That is why, under my leadership, House Republicans have sounded the alarm on the Biden administration program and the risk it could bring to VA home loans.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to urge support of H.R. 1815. It is a sensible bill. Representative Van Orden and I will continue working on a cure to this problem.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden).

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

Mr. Speaker, I do think a response is necessary to clear up what was spoken of from the other side of the aisle. One is that the Veterans Home Loan program does not assume the entire loss of the existing program during VASP, but what it did is, because it is a loan guarantee, it was 25 percent. I think that needs to be clear for the record.

This bill is the cure, I believe, for the problems that we are having right now. At least it gives off-step to secure these loans to make sure that as few as possible face foreclosure. It is a good bill. It is a good bill that will receive support from both sides of the aisle. The argument before was just that. It was an argument before.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues 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. 1823) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Comptroller General of the United States to report on certain funding shortfalls in the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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. 1823, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1823, as amended.

This bill was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Jack Bergman. This bill will create good government accounting and reporting practices in handling of VA's multibillion-dollar budget.

General Bergman introduced this bill in response to a disastrous miscalculation during the Biden administration, which led to a fake budget shortfall.

Last July, VA informed Congress about a potential $15 billion shortfall. VA said it needed the money for unprecedented increases in benefits claims and healthcare services. This notice came after the Biden administration had already submitted its VA budget request.

Mr. Speaker, it should go without saying that VA should have known its financial situation much earlier than the time they told us about the shortfall that ended up never existing.

Now, according to VA Office of Inspector General, the miscalculations stem from a lack of oversight, accuracy, and communication. It is time to change that. If there is anything that we have learned, it is that we need our eyes on the VA budget and their reviews. I am proud to support General Bergman's bill to do exactly that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1823, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman), the chief sponsor of this legislation.

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 (H.R. 2201) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve claims, made under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, regarding military sexual trauma, 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. 2201, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 2201, as amended. This bill was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Young Kim.

This bill would require that VA claims processors and contracted disability compensation examiners undergo annual sensitivity training to prevent retraumatizing survivors of military sexual trauma who are pursuing claims for VA benefits.

The bill would also ensure that VA employees receive better training and obtain all relevant military service records so veterans can receive more accurate decisions on their military sexual trauma claims.

Because military sexual trauma often goes unreported, a veteran's military service records rarely prove that they experienced an MST. This bill would ensure that VA claims processors review and understand the types of evidence that can prove an MST claim.

Further, veterans relive what they suffered through during service when they file a claim based on military sexual trauma. We must ensure that every interaction VA has with them is trauma-informed.

Representative Kim's bill would decrease the risk of retraumatizing veterans who have endured MST. Her bill would also streamline the MST claims process for them so that these veterans can more easily access their disability benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2201, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), the chief sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve 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, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1364) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide clarification regarding the inclusion of medically necessary automobile adaptations in Department of Veterans Affairs definition of ``medical services'', 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. 1364, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1364, as amended. The bill was introduced by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Barrett), my friend and a fellow veteran.

H.R. 1364, as amended, would allow eligible disabled veterans to receive adaptive automobile equipment that they may need to safely operate their vehicles. Right now, there are too many restrictions on eligible items that veterans could use under this program.

Mr. Barrett's bill would close that loophole and give disabled veterans the flexibility that they need to live independent lives. Additionally, the bill would include adaptations for driver and passenger use to get veterans where they need to be.

This Congress, the Trump administration has committed to making VA work for veterans again. This bill would cut the bureaucracy nonsense from the last administration and do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the VFW, the WWP, and PVA for supporting this bill. I also thank Representative Barrett for introducing this bill and for his work on behalf of disabled veterans across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1364, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this legislation.

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