Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Harry Archer Buzzett who passed away peacefully at the age of 94 on April 7, 2018.

Harry Buzzett is a decorated war veteran, devout Catholic, and dedicated family man.

Harry graduated from West Point on June 6, 1944. On this date, Harry would also learn that his brother Julian Rexall Buzzett (``Rex'') was killed in action during the D-Day invasion. Harry fought in WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War at the ranks of 2nd Lieutenant and later Full Colonel. During his 30 years of service, Harry received the Bronze Star (Valor), the Army Air Medal (Valor), and in 2014, Harry was awarded the French Legion of Honor.

Harry Buzzett not only embodied a lifestyle of service while fighting for our country, but also back home (in the states) through dedication to his family and church.

Harry married Catherine Neil Austin and together, the two of them would go on to raise six children. The Buzzett family lived in Massachusetts for several years, before moving back to their hometown in Franklin County, FL in 1985.

Mr. Buzzett will be missed by many. May his service to our country always be remembered and venerated and may he rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which will accelerate the modernization of the F-22 fighter wing at Tyndall Air Force Base. This is one of only three F-22 training wings in the Air Force.

We have the most highly trained and dedicated military in the world. But if we are not giving them the resources to maintain their planes and training them in the most realistic environments possible, we are doing them a disservice. Over the last year, we have begun to correct that problem and rebuild our military and invest in our servicemembers.

Modernizing the training wing of F-22s at Tyndall Air Force Base is another step in that process and is essential to the safety and security of the airmen we ask to achieve air superiority over battlefields all around the globe.

We are giving certainty to our warfighters with this NDAA, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1972) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to waive the requirement of certain veterans to make copayments for hospital care and medical services in the case of an error 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 and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 1972, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1972, as amended, the VA Billing Accountability Act.

This bill would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to waive copayment requirements if veterans are not notified of their need to pay a copayment for a given service in a timely manner.

VA's untimely processing of claims is well-documented. The negative impact those challenges have on recruiting and retaining community providers is also well-documented. However, those challenges also have a negative impact on our veterans.

Three years ago this June, the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, initiated a review of past processes on veteran inpatient copayment charges for the years 2011 to 2015. Following that review, thousands of veterans in Minnesota and Wisconsin were charged copayments for services that they had received as much as 4 years earlier.

Receiving a large bill out of the blue for care that was received, in some cases years ago, understandably caused great concern and upset among veterans. The VA Billing Accountability Act would prevent that.

The VA MISSION Act that the House passed last week included several provisions that would make it easier for the VA to process and pay claims accurately and on time. This bill would protect veterans by setting specific notification procedures that the VA must abide by when a veteran is going to be charged a copayment for a VA service and by authorizing the VA to waive a copayment if an error committed by the VA caused a delayed notification.

I am grateful to my colleague from Pennsylvania, Representative Lloyd Smucker, for introducing this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), my friend and classmate. He is also the gentleman who introduced this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer), who has been working very hard on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ranking Member Walz. I once again encourage all Members to support H.R. 1972, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3642) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to improve the access to private health care for veterans who are survivors of military sexual trauma, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 3642, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3642, as amended, the Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment Act.

It is a tragic fact that there are an increasing number of veterans who report experiencing sexual harassment or assault while serving on Active Duty in our Armed Forces. These veterans deserve the very best care and treatment that we can offer them for the psychological trauma that they may be feeling as a result of that experience.

This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to furnish care in the community to veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma. This would ensure the veterans in pilot locations are able to choose a provider that best meets their specific needs and that they are most comfortable with.

This bill is sponsored by Representative Andy Barr from Kentucky, and I thank him for his tireless advocacy to ensure access to care for veterans who have experienced this trauma.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, Mr. Walz. Once again, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 3642, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3832) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the executive director of a national network of State-based prescription monitoring programs under which Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers shall query such network, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 3832, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 3832, as amended, the Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act. More than 140 individuals every day are dying from opioid abuse in the United States, and opioids have resulted in the deaths of more Americans than the Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam wars put together over the same period of time.

Unfortunately, the news is even worse for our veterans. Former VA Secretary McDonald stated: Veterans are 10 times more likely to abuse opioids than the average American, and that is among the leading cause of homelessness among veterans.

In 2016 alone, the VA treated 66,000 veterans for opioid addiction. Mr. Speaker, it is clear that we are failing our Nation's heroes, and, frankly, that is unacceptable.

That is why I introduced the Veterans Opioid Prevention Act, to ensure that no veteran slips through the cracks. My bill increases opioid prescribing transparency at the VA and allows Veterans Administration doctors to do what most private sector doctors are already doing. They access State databases listing all opioid prescriptions from all providers. This allows physicians to easily identify patterns of opioid use that puts patients at risk for addiction. Once physicians are able to accurately identify patterns of use and abuse, we can curb this epidemic and ensure our veterans are getting the best possible care.

Mr. Speaker, as a veteran and a doctor, I take my responsibility to serve those who fought for our freedoms very seriously. We can do more for our veterans, and we must do more to support them and to protect them.

I believe my Veterans Opioid Prevention Act does exactly that. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 3832, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, 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. 3946) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Statesboro, Georgia, the Ray Hendrix Veterans Clinic''.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3946, to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Statesboro, Georgia, the Ray Hendrix Veterans Clinic.

This bill is sponsored by my friend and colleague, Congressman Rick Allen, and I am grateful to him for introducing this legislation in honor of an American hero.

Robert Ray Hendrix joined the Army National Guard in 1949. He was stationed in Europe during the Korean conflict and served honorably until his retirement in 1992. In his 42 years of service, Mr. Hendrix rose to the rank of command sergeant major.

Mr. Hendrix also served in the American Legion for over 60 years, holding many State and national posts. Along with many accomplishments for veterans, Mr. Hendrix was instrumental in obtaining 5,000 signatures throughout the community to demonstrate the need for a VA clinic in Statesboro. Four years later, Mr. Hendrix's effort paid off when a VA officially dedicated a new clinic.

In addition to his work with the American Legion, Mr. Hendrix served in a Governor-appointed position to the State Veterans Board through the VA Service Board for three 7-year terms. Mr. Hendrix's outstanding service to his country and his fellow veterans shall serve as an inspiration to us all, and it is my great pleasure to support H.R. 3946, which would name that very clinic he worked so hard to establish, the Ray Hendrix Veterans Clinic.

This legislation satisfies all the committee's naming criteria and is cosponsored by the entire Georgia congressional delegation and supported by many VSOs. Once again, I thank Congressman Rick Allen for introducing this bill, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 3946.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Sergeant Major Walz for his comments.

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. 4245) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress certain documents relating to the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 4245.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4245, the Veterans' Electronic Health Record Modernization Oversight Act of 2017.

This is not just a transition to a commercial EHR. If successful, it will be a transformation of how the VA delivers and manages healthcare to 9 million veterans. But the path to achieving a seamless, interoperable health record is far from clear.

Much has already been said about the program's price tag: nearly $16 billion over 10 years. It is a gigantic management exercise, involving thousands of people. It is also an immense challenge to document clinical processes, maybe for the first time, that doctors and nurses have been performing for years, and reengineer them.

H.R. 4245 would ensure that the committee gets access to this program's key performance reports and contractual documents. It would also require the VA to notify us when significant negative events occur.

The time to enact legislation is now. The VA awarded its primary contract to the Cerner Corporation at the end of last week.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Walz for spearheading this effort. I also appreciate Jack Bergman and Ann Kuster, the chairman and ranking member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, for their work on H.R. 4245, and the oversight spade work that they do every day.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4245, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 4245, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4830) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the disapproval of any course of education for purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs unless the educational institution providing the course permits individuals to attend or participate in courses pending payment by Department, 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 and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 4830, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4830, as amended, the SIT-REP Act, the Servicemembers Improved Transition through Reforms for Ensuring Progress Act.

Mr. Speaker, the Post-9/11 GI Bill provides generous education benefits, including a monthly living stipend to veterans and eligible dependents. In order for a student to utilize this benefit, they must provide a certificate of eligibility to the school or training program and then the institution certifies the student's attendance to the Department of Veterans Affairs. After this process, the school receives tuition payment and the veteran receives their monthly housing allowance.

Mr. Speaker, if all goes well, those claims are supposed to be processed within 12 to 14 days for original claims, and between 6 to 8 days for supplemental claims. However, there are times when delays do occur, and they can have a significant impact on a school's and a student's bottom line. These delays typically occur at the beginning of a semester, or when a school doesn't do their part to certify a student's attendance quickly.

Mr. Speaker, we have been told that some schools and training programs have, essentially, taken these delays out on their student veterans, dependents and surviving spouses by placing students on payment plans, blocking access to school facilities; and, in some cases, have been barring students from registering for classes.

Mr. Speaker, I believe these practices are incredibly unfair, as students should not be held accountable for bureaucratic delays and hiccups that are outside their control. I am pleased that H.R. 4830, as amended, would address this issue and say that in order for schools and training programs to be eligible for the GI Bill, they must adopt a policy that doesn't punish students in any way for delays in tuition fees and payments that are not their fault.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Vice Chairman Bilirakis and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, TAPS, a great organization that helps survivors of all ages deal with loss, for bringing this important bill forward.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4830, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the vice chairman of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 4830, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the VA MISSION Act of 2018. This important legislation secures veterans' ability to access quality healthcare and ensures that we are fulfilling our promise to care for them following their service to our Nation.

It builds on the success of the Choice Program by streamlining community care programs so a veteran can access care from a provider outside of the VA when they need to. It also expands caregiver benefits for seriously injured pre-9/11 veterans and for their families.

The VA MISSION Act includes two healthcare initiatives from legislation that I have introduced that protects our veterans receiving organ transplants and also helps with the opioid crisis.

Currently, there are only 13 facilities in the Nation where a veteran may receive a transplant in the VA healthcare system, and none of these facilities performs all types of transplants. Timely organ transplants are often the difference between life and death.

The transplant language from my bill included in the VA MISSION Act eliminates the roadblocks that veterans face and increases the access to care for our veterans, the care that they have earned by their service to our Nation.

We are also fighting the opioid epidemic among veterans. My legislative initiative increases transparency in opioid prescribing at the VA by allowing doctors to identify high users of controlled drugs who are therefore at risk for addiction. My language in the VA MISSION Act instructs the VA to do what most private doctors already do: connect to the prescription drug monitoring databases nationwide so that no one slips through the cracks.

Mr. Speaker, we are standing up and fighting for those who fought for our freedoms. As a surgeon and a veteran, I believe the VA MISSION Act is good medicine and good public policy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Assistant Warden of the Bay County Jail, Frank Owens and congratulate him on the occasion of his retirement. Assistant Warden Owens began his career in law enforcement in 1968, but his love and respect for law enforcement began many years before that. Over the years he has worked in Tallahassee and Georgia, before choosing to settle down in Bay County in 2006.

Mr. Owens dedicated his life to law enforcement--50 years to be exact--it's what makes him happy. Every day he wakes up, he is excited to go to work. For Frank Owens, serving in law enforcement was never just a job, it was a calling.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in saying thank you to the Assistant Warden of the Bay County Jail, Frank Owens and his family, for their years of service and sacrifice, and wish them luck as they move on to enjoy a new chapter in life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Margaret K. Lewis of Panama City, Florida who turned 100 years old on April 20th.

Ms. Lewis has led a life of service to North Florida and represents the best of America. She pioneered special education in Bay County, Florida and cared for a group of students who had seemingly been left behind.

Fifty years ago, students with special needs had nowhere to turn when it came to schooling. Ms. Lewis took on the role as teacher and advocate for these students. She started teaching classes in shared spaces, and then transformed a local school into an inclusive environment for students with all levels of ability. In 1980, that local school was named after her.

Ms. Lewis has been a pillar of the community and remains an active member of the school's advisory board.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing Ms. Margaret K. Lewis a Happy 100th Birthday and thanking her for her service to students and families throughout North Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of two fallen heroes back home in Florida: Gilchrist County Sergeant Noel Ramirez and Deputy Taylor Lindsey. These two officers were tragically murdered in the line of duty during an ambush shooting on April 19.

Mr. Speaker, these two young men were selfless heroes, patriots, and everything we aspire to be as people, as a Nation, and as Americans.

Sergeant Ramirez had been in law enforcement for 7 years and leaves behind two young children and a wife. He had, as Sheriff Bobby Schultz described it, an infectious smile. Deputy Lindsey joined the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office in 2013, and dedicated his time and efforts towards getting illegal drugs off our streets.

Please join me and the Florida delegation in honoring Gilchrist County Sergeant Noel Ramirez and Deputy Taylor Lindsey and all of our fallen heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our safety.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House hold a moment of silence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an outstanding technical development team at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division (NSWCPCD), for winning the Excellence in Technology Transfer Award by the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC). The team of Dennis Gallagher, William Hughes, Allie Pilcher, Richard Manley, Charles Self, and Brian Wentworth won with their invention, the Combat Diver Navigation Module (CDNM).

Everyday, combat divers risk their lives facing hazardous conditions to protect our country--and they do it all while underwater. The CDNM technology will increase accuracy, safety, and situational awareness for combat divers carrying out dangerous underwater missions. Having the technology to safely carry out these missions is crucial and that is where the technical development team at NSWCPCD comes in.

This team worked together to create a product that will not only allow our combat divers to navigate in zero visibility conditions, it will be used to save lives by other first responders and our allies overseas.

Our nation thanks Dennis, William, Allie, Richard, Charles, and Brian for their creative and innovative thinking--your technology will save lives, and exemplifies the best American inventive spirit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford for being appointed by Governor Rick Scott to the Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. Tommy started his law enforcement career working for this commission and has now risen to the pinnacle of his profession. Sheriff Ford's leadership in Bay County has not gone unnoticed.

Sheriff Ford joins law enforcement leaders from across Florida to establish state-wide law enforcement standards and training programs

that certify officers are prepared to carry out their duties. Sheriff Ford is a native of Northwest Florida, and has honorably served Bay County as a law enforcement officer for over 25 years. He was elected Sheriff of Bay County in 2016.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford for his appointment to this commission and thanking him for his record of exemplary service protecting Northwest Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bay County Deputy Sheriff Mike Clancy for his heroic efforts in

saving the life of a 6-year-old boy in Panama City Beach.

Deputy Clancy recently responded to a drowning call at a hotel to find an unresponsive child. He immediately took action, and his quick thinking and response saved young Jaxon's life.

Deputy Clancy said in his own words that he is not a hero, but to Jaxon and to his family, he is a hero.

Deputy Clancy attributes his skills to 22 years in the U.S. Army and training at the Bay County Sheriff's Office.

Every day, despite great personal risks, law enforcement officers across the country put on their uniforms and carry out their duties to protect and serve. Mr. Speaker, I thank Deputy Clancy and all who wear the badge. Their actions reflect great credit on the Bay County Sheriff's Office and exemplify the best in the American people.