Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York, as I like to call it the suburbs of northern Jersey.

But as my colleagues before me have made clear, this Congress must honor the first responders and survivors of 9/11 and make the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund permanent.

For 8 months and 19 days after September 11, police officers, firefighters, first responders, FBI agents, and Federal officers from across the country came together in New York. In a gesture of national unity that we have not forgotten, they stayed, sometimes far away from home, to help.

Firefighters like Gerry Lynch from the Bloomfield Fire Department in my district. Gerry and the Bloomfield firefighters were assigned to help Ladder 105 Engine 219 in Brooklyn because they were at Ground Zero looking for their brothers. After being told that they could go home to Jersey, Gerry didn't think twice about what he would do next. He went down to help on the bucket brigades at Ground Zero working with men and women on the line.

Madam Speaker, we now know that first responders, as well as students, residents, workers, and business owners of Lower Manhattan were exposed to toxic fumes in the aftermath of the attack. What some have called a toxic soup of mercury, dust, silica, lead, fiberglass, benzene, and many other substances, were pulverized and released into the air. These victims have developed cancers, pulmonary disease, respiratory disease, and sleep apnea, among many other ailments.

Those suffering from 9/11-related illnesses include Mike, a firefighter from New Jersey, who lugged, by hand, the equipment that his firefighters brought from New Jersey into Ground Zero. Mike worked from 7 a.m. through the next morning, and by the time he was finished, he was so exhausted that a human chain had to carry him off the pile. His feet never hit the ground.

Mike told me that a lot of firefighters, including himself, didn't want to come forward. They didn't want to admit that they might need help. But luckily for him, his captain made sure that they went forward for monitoring, and so he started that in 2004. Since 9/11, Mike has developed breathing problems, sleep apnea, and precancerous cells. He asked me to let people know how hard the firefighters worked for us and that we need to do whatever we can for those who have fallen sick.

Madam Speaker, we are here tonight to let Mike and all those suffering know that we consider it our responsibility and our duty to get this done. We established the victim compensation fund in 2011 to provide care for Mike and all those suffering from health issues after 9/11.

There are 8,614 New Jerseyans who have registered for the victim compensation fund, and nearly 4,000 have submitted claim forms. That is 500 residents in my district alone. If anyone thinks this is just a New York-New Jersey issue, consider that the victim compensation fund helps Americans from 434 out of 435 congressional districts.

The fund is running out, Madam Speaker. As my colleagues said, benefits are being slashed by 70 percent and thousands of claims go unpaid. To let the fund go broke or give another temporary extension and force our heroes and their families to worry about the rug being pulled out from under them is simply unacceptable. It is embarrassing that we would have to fight for this, that people who are ill cannot concentrate solely on getting the treatment they need or seeing the right doctors.

Firefighters like Mike and Gerry were the ones who didn't run away from the crisis, but ran right into it. People who have displayed this bravery and courage need to be taken care of. They should not be made to feel guilty that they are asking for help when they have medical issues related to their service.

Madam Speaker, I believe in this country. I believe in our values and that as a Nation we know that when we step up and when we take care of our own, we are helping those people to whom we owe the most to. We need to give these first responders and survivors the peace of mind that their sacrifice for this country is recognized and valued by the rest of America. I call upon each and every Member of this Congress to join us and to make the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund permanent.

Go Navy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Chamber today in support of

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained this afternoon immediately following the vote on final passage of H.J. Res. 37. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 83.

personal explanation

Mr. Chair, I rise as the designee for the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Allred).

Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer and speak in support of the amendment by my colleagues, Congressman Allred from Texas and Congresswoman Torres from California.

Our amendment directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify veterans of the expanded, cost-free childcare services in this bill, and perform outreach to veterans and their families.

Each of us have heard from the women and men who have served and sacrificed in uniform about the challenges that come from seeking access to the benefits that veterans have earned.

Last year, at a veterans' roundtable in Woodland Park, I heard from women veterans that it is not enough for Congress to enact a new provision and think our job is done. We must direct the VA to find the veterans who need help and make sure they know and fully utilize these services.

This straightforward amendment requires the VA Secretary to provide public notification on VA.gov about the program, and to perform outreach to inform eligible veterans. The VA has significant and specialized resources for our veterans. Veterans in my district rely on services at the Morristown VA Outpatient Clinic as well as nearby Lyons and East Orange facilities.

I had the opportunity to visit the Morristown Clinic last week and speak with caregivers and patients at the facility.

I want every veteran, including the more than 25,000 veterans in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District to know that these VA facilities are there for them. These specialized treatment facilities are part of systems worth strengthening and saving.

Mr. Chairman, we must make sure that childcare resources reach their intended recipients as we work to improve care for our veteran community. Only then will we see veterans coming forward to seek counseling and other medical services, secure in the knowledge that their children have a safe place during their appointment.

Simply put, this important childcare program will not work as intended or have the reach that it could without informing our servicemen and -women that it exists in the first place.

I thank the gentleman from Texas for this amendment, and I wish him and his wife--who is from Montclair, New Jersey--well as they welcome their first child.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from

California (Mr. Takano), the chairman of the committee.

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Chairman, I would just like to add that I hope that the VA will do outreach with groups like Welcome Home Vets of New Jersey.

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

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I have the amendment at the desk made in order by the rule.

Mr. Chair, I rise to offer the 19th amendment to the Veterans' Access to Child Care Act.

The pilot program Congress authorized in 2010 to provide childcare at VA medical centers and clinics around the country is incredibly popular with the veteran community. It provides a safe, reliable option for parents who need to access VA healthcare. This bill will expand the program so that all caretakers, including parents and grandparents, can access this service.

The amendment I am introducing this morning ensures that caretakers have a safe and secure environment for their children at a VA center. It bars employment of individuals convicted of a sex crime, an offense involving a child victim, a violent crime, a drug felony, or other offense the Secretary of Veterans Affairs deems appropriate. It also ensures that the bill will not weaken State or local laws that enforce rigorous hiring guidelines.

As a working mom, I know all too well how important it is to know that your children have a safe and healthy environment while away from home. Mr. Chair, ensuring our veterans have access to childcare at VA facilities is the least we can do for the men and women who have stood up to serve our country.

Over 6 million veteran households have children. In my own community, I have heard from the new generation of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, many with young families, on the need for VA to modernize services in line with their needs.

This includes local veterans I have spoken to at our American Legion in Woodland Park, who are working parents with small children. They have remarked that the extension of this program could be a significant benefit to the veteran community in New Jersey. This bill means less stress for our veterans who would need to otherwise arrange for childcare to make an appointment. They have also told me that this bill will help veterans make and attend appointments because they wouldn't have to worry about arranging childcare. This acknowledges both the needs of our veterans and creates a support network for them.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Mr. Chair, I have no other speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment to the Veterans' Access to Child Care Act, which will specifically include military sexual trauma counseling and care services in the definition of services eligible for childcare at a VA center clinic.

We ask our servicemembers to risk their lives and their health on behalf of our country. They take care of us, and it is our duty to take care of them, especially after they leave the military.

Over the summer, I spoke to veterans in my district in New Jersey about the inadequacies they see in VA services for this generation of returning servicemembers.

I heard from female servicemembers about the need for better counseling services for victims of military sexual trauma, or MST. Several of the female veterans at a roundtable I held this summer remarked on the fact that their voices were not heard in either the planning of services or implementation of services.

Many of their fellow veterans did not make important appointments due to lack of access to childcare. Certainly, as a mother, I would not feel comfortable attending counseling and relating a story of sexual assault to a counselor in front of my children.

This amendment is just one step in what must be an ongoing effort in this Congress to address military sexual assault trauma. The Department of Defense estimates that in 2016, 14,900 Active Duty servicemembers, men and women, experience a sexual assault.

While this number is much lower than the 34,000 Active Duty servicemembers who are believed to have experienced a sexual assault in 2006, the armed services still has a long way to go to address military sexual assault in the ranks.

The female veterans in my community have remarked that because of the trauma of military sexual trauma, women often do not report it, and, therefore, the number of veterans who have been sexually assaulted is woefully underreported.

These are the invisible wounds of war--invisible trauma that we cannot see as our servicemembers return home. I am particularly concerned that victims of sexual trauma, which is prevalent in military and civilian populations, are not getting the services that they need.

This amendment will ensure survivors are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve when trying to access care at the VA without worrying about the cost or availability of childcare.

I take this opportunity to thank some of the veteran service groups in our district, like Welcome Home Vets and SOS Stakeholders, who support our veterans, give feedback to the VA on the needs of our servicemembers, and work tirelessly to connect service providers with veterans.

I also thank Congresswoman Kuster and Congresswoman Moore for cosponsoring this amendment and their tireless advocacy for our veterans.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 267, and I urge my colleagues to come together to reopen a vital part of our government and to support this straightforward, bipartisan bill. It is a downpayment on reducing our nationwide, dangerous infrastructure problems.

It provides $650 million for Amtrak's Northeast corridor, the most heavily used passenger rail line in the Nation; $2.8 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration; and $800 million in new transit infrastructure grants. This is the least we can do to begin to get our government open and Americans back to work.

Congress is 4 months behind on paying our transportation bills. We cannot move forward on our larger infrastructure investment needs, like Gateway, without this first step. Gateway is the most vital infrastructure project in our Nation.

The century-old Hudson River rail tunnel connects 200,000 commuters every day from New Jersey to New York. Amtrak uses it to connect 20 train routes across the country. This tunnel is the Achilles heel of the Northeast rail corridor and was severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy. A collapse of the tunnel could injure thousands and cost our economy an estimated $100 million a day. But just as important to my constituents, every delay, every deferred decision on Gateway means a hardworking parent not making it home to see his or her family.

The proposal for Gateway was submitted to the DOT over a year ago. Secretary Chao needs to put the funds already approved by Congress to work. New transit trains and tunnels are exactly the type of infrastructure projects our country needs to build a strong future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the subcommittee chair for being so focused on America's transportation priorities and for allowing the voice of the people of the 11th District of New Jersey to be heard today.