Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that H. Res. 1410 be laid on the table.

Mr Speaker, I would like to recognize an outstanding District 8 citizen and local hero, Cy-Fair Fire Department Chief Amy Ramon. It is my privilege to stand before you and pay tribute to Chief Ramon, as she is now the first woman to receive the Texas Fire Chief of the Year award. Her dedication and commitment to excellence have truly set her apart in her field.

Chief Ramon earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from LeTourneau University then her Juris Doctor degree from South Texas College of Law.

She began as a volunteer firefighter at the age of 20 and was promoted through the ranks due to her commendable character. She assumed the role of Fire Chief in July 2014. Since then, Chief Ramon has worked diligently to steward her position with care. Her endless dedication and commitment to serving her community has left her with much to show from her service.

Chief Ramon currently oversees 13 active fire stations that cover 164 square miles. Last year, under her leadership, these stations responded to an astonishing 40,806 calls. Chief Ramon's guidance has been a key factor in the department's success over the past year. Her ability to lead such a large and active department is a testament to her exceptional skills and unwavering dedication.

Chief Ramon continues to serve as Cy-Fair's Fire Chief after 34 admirable years of success. She remains an active and important member of our community. I am proud of Chief Ramon for all she has accomplished and the exemplary citizen she continues to be in her community.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here today to speak on my bill, H.R. 7777, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2024.

The bill would increase certain amounts of compensation that veterans and their families receive as well as the clothing allowance benefits for certain veterans.

Specifically, the bill would ensure that the VA benefits are adjusted by the same percentage as the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits recipients.

Veterans and their families often depend on VA compensation benefits to meet their financial needs. This bill is critical to ensure that their VA benefits keep up with inflation and today's increased cost of living.

I appreciate Ranking Member Pappas and Mr. Bost for their support of this bill. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7777, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, May 22, 2024, I was unable to vote on Roll Call No. 122. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: YEA on Roll Call No. 122.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Brain Awareness Week and the research, innovation, and advocacy taking place in the neuroscience space.

As a veteran who suffered a traumatic brain injury, I have sought out advanced degrees in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience to find answers and also help veterans to recovery from post-traumatic stress, post- traumatic stress disorder, and cognitive brain injuries sustained in battle, while also developing a further understanding of the brain and innovative treatments that can heal these injuries.

It is crucial that we inspire the next generation of neuroscientists to continue the research and advocacy that leads to innovative, natural, nonaddictive solutions to cognitive disabilities.

This is the decade of the brain, to cure brain disorders.

As co-chair of the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus and a neuroscientist by trade, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Brain Awareness Week and the contributions that thousands of dedicated scientists are making to unlock the mysteries behind the human brain.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the House.

Being a Member of Congress is no walk in the park, but we often forget to recognize the commitment and sacrifices our spouses make to allow us to do our job.

As the year only gets busier and busier with children, summer breaks, sporting events, and their own careers, I want to profoundly thank each and every husband and wife of a Member of Congress. They absolutely tackle it all.

To all the congressional spouses, especially my lovely bride, Leslie, we appreciate you, your vision for our family, your grace on all the hard days, your courage to push past the noise of this place, and your constant support.

We absolutely could not do this without you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advocate for the passage of our bill, H.R. 5969, the Improving Travel for Families Act.

Global Entry has been a critical asset in expediting clearance for preapproved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Reduced wait times and access to expedited entry into the United States are all the benefits of Global Entry membership.

Global Entry began as a small pilot program in 2008 with availability in just three airports. Today, the Global Entry program offers expedited preapproved travel clearance for millions of travelers and is available in over 60 U.S. airports.

Our bill would improve international travel for families by allowing children ages 10 and younger who are not currently enrolled in the Global Entry program to accompany their parents and guardians who are in the program in the designated precleared lanes upon arrival at international airports in the United States.

Additionally, the bill would streamline the Global Entry application process by permitting parents or guardians to schedule a single application appointment for up to four young children at a time, rather than having to book multiple individual appointments, thereby reducing the interview appointment backlog.

These small, but meaningful, advancements will be a marked improvement on the Global Entry program. Under current law, only preapproved Global Entry travelers, regardless of age, are permitted to utilize dedicated lanes and kiosks. This creates a major inconvenience for Global Entry-enrolled parents who are traveling with young children who are not currently enrolled.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Green, Congressman Glenn Ivey, and the members and staff of the Homeland Security Committee for working with me and my staff on this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this sensible legislative measure that will afford law-abiding Americans the opportunity to travel with their children.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize an outstanding District 8 citizen, native of Willis, Texas, and star for the Kansas State Wildcats, Mr. Michael Bishop. It is my privilege to stand before you and pay tribute to Mr. Bishop, as he has now become the fourth Kansas State player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

Mr. Bishop attended Willis High School, my alma mater, and shined on their football team. He then went to Blinn Junior College where his team won two NJCAA championships. After that, he continued his collegiate football career in the Big 12 as a Kansas State University Wildcat. Michael then went on to have a career in the NFL, the CFL, and the Arena Football League.

On December 5, 2023, Mr. Bishop was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for his many accomplishments. He was widely regarded as the best all-around quarterback in Kansas State history, with an overall 22-3 record and a total of 34 school records, and fourteen Big 12 records. He threw for over 4,400 yards, ran for over 1,300 yards, and totaled 59 touchdowns (39 passing) during his two-year tenure in Manhattan, Kansas. He currently holds eight K-State records and was inducted into the Kansas State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

Mr. Bishop is now the head football coach at Legacy School of Sport Sciences in the Houston area, as well as the CEO of 4th Quarter Fitness. He continues to be a regular volunteer for youth football, and basketball teams. He also participates in Toys for Tots, Habitat for Humanity, and numerous activities with the Boys and Girls Club. As a fellow Willis High School graduate, I am proud of Mr. Bishop in all that he has accomplished, and the wonderful citizen that he continues to be in his community.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize an outstanding constituent and honorable veteran from Willis, Texas, Mr. Kyle Puls. It is my privilege to stand before you and pay tribute to Mr. Puls, as he has shown the ultimate act of compassion and unwavering selflessness to his family and his community.

Mr. Puls grew up in the Montgomery County, TX in the small town of Willis. He served our country for more than three years in the United States Navy. Due to an unfortunate motorcycle accident, Kyle was honorably discharged.

In 2022, Kyle's cousin, Travis Glenn Puls, who was diagnosed with diabetes at age 12, contracted COVID, sending his kidneys into critical condition. Driven to take action that would help his cousin, Kyle underwent testing, hoping to be a match for a kidney transplant to Travis. Unfortunately, he was not a match.

Instead of giving up, Kyle found other ways to take action. He got involved in the Kidney Swap Program, which enabled him to donate his kidney to Brittany Flowers, who also resides in TX-08. Similarly, Brittany had a donor who was not her match, so her kidney went to another person in need, ensuring that Travis would receive a kidney. Because of Kyle's sacrifice, three people were ultimately saved during this series of procedures that took place in January of this year in Houston, TX.

I am incredibly proud to have constituents like Mr. Kyle Puls in my district. On behalf of the people of the Eighth Congressional District of Texas, I wish Kyle and his family all the best and I thank him for his service to our country and his continued service to our community. He is the definition of a veteran who keeps on giving.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 4365, which would provide $15 million in funding for a plant-based or psychedelic clinical trial authorized in the House version of the fiscal year 2024 NDAA.

Mr. Chairman, I can personally attest to the benefits in treating post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy through the use of psychedelic substances. There is a stigma that exists within this body that I believe stems from a lack of education and experience around the clinical use of plant-based or psychedelic medications.

I understand that when many of my colleagues hear the word psychedelics they think of mushrooms and so on. This isn't what we are talking about today. Unfortunately, the stigma has led to the slow or no adoption of medical procedures that may have saved countless lives of our servicemembers, veterans, and first responders.

Mr. Chairman, it is our duty to explore all options when the lives of our Nation's most precious resources, our sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters are at stake.

Mr. Chair, I urge the adoption of my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman and I appreciate that as a veteran.

I hold degrees in psychology and applied cognizant neuroscience. I have spent the better part of a decade studying our servicemembers, Active-Duty members, veterans, and first responders in the space of cognitive disability and decline.

We lose 22-plus a day in the veterans' space. We lose members in the active-service space as well, daily. I have traveled the country studying the aggressive nature of treatments in spaces like our cognitive decline, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and other modalities.

The numbers that we are seeing are not decreasing, they are increasing. As we transition out of these wars that we fought for so many years, we have to do something more aggressive.

I say clinical studies and clinical trials inside the DOD because it is applicable and it is appropriate. We have some of the most brilliant researchers on the planet that can study this and move this effectively so we can treat the men and women that serve our country.

These medications have short-term--no long-term residual side effects--short-term, if anything. The effects are groundbreaking. We are at a preface. I hate the fact that the word psychedelic scares everybody. I hate that word myself. When I try to think of a creative term to title this, it always cycles back to the word psychedelics, and that is unfortunate, it is. We have to look past that.

I have never done a drug in my entire life. As a matter of fact, I would tell no one to do this because the aggressiveness of it is so life-changing, but it is effective. That is why I continue to push forward, and I think it is time and its effectiveness needs to be implemented now.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I am honored to be here today to talk about H.R. 1530, as amended, the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023.

We have an obligation to support our veterans who served and sacrificed for our country. However, there is currently a lot of red tape that prevents veterans from easily accessing the disability benefits they have earned from the VA.

This bill takes important steps to identify and break down these barriers in the disability exam process, ensuring our veterans receive the highest quality care and support.

This bill would make several improvements, including clarifying publishing requirements for disability benefits questionnaire forms on VA's website and easing communication about the scheduling of disability exams between contract examiners, veterans, and veterans' representatives so that the veterans do not miss their appointments.

Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Pappas and my colleagues, Representatives Ciscomani and Self, for working with me to include their respective legislation in this amendment. All of their provisions will take steps to provide VA with the resources they need to address the backlog of appeals, especially since the passage of the PACT Act last year, as well as mitigate the recruiting and retention problems at the board to get new lawyers in the door for our veterans.

I know firsthand how cumbersome the disability claims process can be, and it is past time to modernize these efforts.

I am proud to have a bill on the floor that will make improvements for my fellow veterans going through the VA claims process.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1530, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, I was unable to vote on Roll Call No. 338. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 338.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the retirement of Command Master Chief Boe Nankivel for over 23 years of service in the United States Navy.

Command Master Chief Nankivel is a native of Montana and a graduate of the University of Charleston, West Virginia, with a bachelor's degree in science and organizational leadership.

He attended Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training Class 238 and graduated in April of 2002.

Master Chief Nankivel served as leading petty officer while assigned to SEAL Team 1 supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, platoon leading chief petty officer while assigned to SEAL Team 5 supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, and troop leading chief petty officer while assigned to SEAL Team 3 supporting CENTCOM Crisis Response Element.

He completed his operations master chief tour at SEAL Team 3 and deployed as the task force senior enlisted advisor.

He also served as command master chief while attached to SEAL Team 3 deploying to the CENTCOM and Indo-PACOM areas of responsibility.

Master Chief Nankivel's diversity tours include Naval Special Warfare Unit 2 as the country action officer; Naval Special Warfare Unit 10 as senior enlisted advisor; Naval Special Warfare Group 1 Tradet as close- quarters combat and assault senior enlisted advisor; and Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command as first phase master chief.

He is married to Meghan, and they have three wonderful children: Asher, Duke, and their daughter, Caden.

We thank Command Master Chief Boe Nankivel for his service. We wish him fair winds and following seas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 777.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Tester and Senator Moran for leading this bill through the Senate. I also thank the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Pappas, for joining me and co-leading the House companion to S. 777.

As Chairman Bost said, this legislation is necessary to ensure that veterans' and survivors' compensation benefits keep pace with rising inflation.

There are veterans in my district who are struggling to make ends meet. Without their disability compensation benefits, they may not be able to do just that.

Finances and the ability to pay bills can be a major source of stress and anxiety for so many veterans, survivors, and their families. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in just 1 year, the consumer price index has risen 4.9 percent, with housing and gas prices at the front of the charge. This bill is crucial to ensure that veterans can keep pace with this widespread inflation.

Mr. Speaker, I know many of my colleagues are committed to helping their veteran constituents, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.