Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. I would like to thank Chairman Filner for introducing this very important bill.

In the 110th Congress, we gave the VA its largest funding increase in 77 years, and we gave it to them on time; but sadly, punctual VA funding has not always been the case. The VA received its annual funding for health care programs late in 19 of the last 22 years. This record of tardiness is deplorable. With the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the time to fix the broken system is now.

Late funding is more than a missed deadline. It is a veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder who cannot access the treatment that he or she needs. It's an injured hero who must wait for a prosthetic. It is the VA in disarray at a time when our wounded warriors are counting on the Department's services. That is why, in the last Congress, I introduced the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act.

Like the bill I introduced, advance appropriations is a means to an end. That end is ensuring veterans receive the best care possible from a VA that has access to timely, sufficient, and predictable resources. The legislation we are considering today will do just that. It will allow the VA to effectively budget and manage its health care programs and services, meaning it can hire the appropriate number of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and support staff to meet the demand for high- quality medical care for our Nation's veterans. Anything less is unacceptable.

I would also like to acknowledge and commend Chairmen Obey and Edwards for their strong proactive leadership in putting in an advance appropriation for VA health care in the fiscal year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. The bill that we're voting on today has been slightly amended from a version which the House passed earlier this Congress by a margin of 409-1. I enthusiastically support H.R. 1016.

I want to once again thank Chairman Bob Filner for drafting a bill that will ensure that the VA has sufficient, timely, and predictable funding.

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

Madam Speaker, I proudly rise today in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month to honor the culture, traditions and contributions of the Hispanic community both in my home state of Illinois and in the country as a whole.

What began as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 under President Johnson was expanded in 1988 when Illinois Senator Paul Simon introduced legislation to lengthen the celebration to National Hispanic Heritage Month. Beginning each year on September 15, Hispanic Heritage Month falls during the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, and celebrates those Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Today, Hispanic Americans are the largest minority group within the United States. And throughout our history, the Hispanic community has made invaluable contributions to our history and national character in the areas of government and politics, science, business, and the arts.

Of the 500 largest Hispanic-owned businesses, twenty are located in Illinois, including Group O, Inc. located in my district in the Village of Milan. I would also like to commend the President for appointing and the Senate for confirming the newest addition to the U.S. Supreme Court, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, whose life story exemplifies the American Dream: that with courage, determination and hard work, anyone can prosper and achieve success.

Furthermore, Hispanic Americans have made significant contributions to the defense of this nation through service in all branches of the Armed Forces. Hispanics have courageously defended the United States in wars from the American Revolution through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. To date, forty-three Hispanic Americans have received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor in action against an enemy force.

In Silvis, Illinois there is a block-and-a-half-long street with twenty-five homes that was originally settled by Mexican immigrants in the earlier part of the twentieth century. This street, appropriately renamed Hero Street USA, has, sent more than 110 men and women to serve in the U.S. armed forces, more than any other American street of comparable size anywhere in our country. Their unselfish defense of this nation and its values is representative of the strength, hard work and love of family and country demonstrated by the Hispanic community in the United States.

Additionally, I am proud to have Joe Terronez among my constituency, who in 1967 was elected to the city council in Silvis and later became Illinois's first Hispanic mayor.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to continue this national celebration which was first started by the 100th Congress and join me in honoring the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic Americans during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3246, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009. I commend our colleague from Michigan, Representative Gary Peters, for authoring this important legislation, which will create the most comprehensive national vehicle research and development program to date. I would also like to acknowledge my colleague from the Illinois delegation, Representative Judy Biggert, for her efforts in working with Representative Peters to bring this bill to the floor.

Today, our nation faces many serious challenges such as rising unemployment, energy demands that continue to increase exponentially, fierce global competition in technology innovation and the threat of a warming planet, yet the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act provides hope in many of these areas. As one of the largest and busiest bases of manufacturing in the U.S., my home state of Illinois stands to greatly benefit from H.R. 3246. New opportunities are created for Illinois engine and equipment manufacturers, such as John Deere, to build and use products that excel in terms of efficiency and productivity, and contribute to our sustainability. The bill also ensures that American manufacturers remain competitive worldwide by allowing for the collaboration between the Department of Energy and American automakers and commercial, transit, and non-road vehicle manufacturers to develop cutting edge, environmentally friendly technologies.

Additionally, I strongly urge the passage of Chairman Gordon's amendment to H.R. 3246, that includes a small--but important--change to this measure that I authored, which broadens the playing field for those wanting to collaborate with the Department of Energy under this program to include non-road mobile equipment manufacturers. I believe this change in language is critical as many states have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency with their concerns over greenhouse gas emissions from non-road vehicles and have stated that these vehicles and pieces of equipment are worthy of consideration for partnership with the Department of Energy. Put simply, this amendment makes a great bill even better by allowing manufacturers of non-road mobile equipment in the fields of agriculture, construction and mining and forestry a chance to work with the Department of Energy to find innovative ways to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and the harmful emissions that cause global warming.

The Gordon amendment and the overall bill both help keep American innovation within U.S. borders, and importantly do the same for the research, development and manufacturing jobs that come with those innovations. Furthermore, this bill has the support of a broad range of groups such as Deere & Company, Caterpillar, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club. The wide array of support this bill has drawn from both ends of the spectrum is evidence of the need for this legislation to become law.

The Advanced Vehicle Technology Act creates and preserves American jobs while having the potential to greatly impact our environment. Again, I applaud and thank my friends Gary Peters and Judy Biggert, who serve on the Science and Technology Committee for leading the charge on this important legislation. I would also like to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall for their support of this bill. Madam Speaker, I urge the House to adopt both the Gordon amendment and H.R. 3246, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of recognizing the 15th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994. I commend our distinguished colleague from New York, Representative Slaughter, for introducing this resolution which recognizes a significant achievement in the women's rights movement.

This landmark legislation, originally authored by our former colleague, Senator Joseph Biden, set a new standard for preventing violence against women and provides resources necessary for coping with attacks that have occurred. Since the enactment of VAWA fifteen years ago, this country has made significant progress in our response to domestic and dating violence, sexual assaults and stalking.

Provisions of VAWA have allowed for additional training for law enforcement officers dedicated to these issues. Additionally, VAWA authorized funding for an office within the Department of Justice, which is dedicated to ending violence against women. Notably this legislation created a national domestic violence hotline, which has provided information and help to millions of women in crisis.

VAWA has brought communities together in order to address domestic violence and rally support for survivors. It is important for Congress and all Americans to recognize the achievements of this legislation. Since VAWA's inception, this country's awareness of domestic violence has increased and resources to help victims have become more readily available and accessible.

Though we have made great progress, the instances of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence are still too high. Far too many women in our great nation are victims of violence. We must take further action to keep women safe and provide justice for those who have been victims. Too many communities remain underserved and lack the resources to provide services to victims of sexual violence. We need to continue to increase awareness about sexual violence, provide funding to programs that prevent and punish that violence and educate women about the help that is available to victims.

I am proud of the achievements made in the past fifteen years, and I look forward to supporting the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act in 2010. Again, I thank my friend from New York for introducing H. Res. 738 which commemorates this landmark legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3165, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009. I commend my colleague from New York, Representative Tonko for authoring this important legislation which moves our Nation further down the path toward energy independence.

As a representative of west central Illinois, I have the privilege of personally witnessing the development of our nation's energy future. Various companies, community colleges, counties, cities, and others in my congressional district are actively pursuing initiatives to develop and produce alternative sources of energy, and educate the new work force for this emerging field. In addition to the great work being done with biofuels, my district is also home to several wind energy projects, which is why I am happy we are considering H.R. 3165 on the House floor today.

As its name implies, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009 would provide much-needed funding for the research and development of technologies to advance wind turbine design, create better control systems and increase production capacity of energy output. The bill would also authorize $200 million annually for a new program aimed at developing technologies to improve the efficiency of wind turbines while reducing production costs.

Not only does this legislation have the potential to establish a vibrant wind energy industry in the United States, but it could also lead to the creation of thousands of jobs in the manufacturing and engineering of wind turbines, turbine components, and turbine maintenance.

Additionally, this investment in wind energy would address the looming energy crisis by capturing and harnessing a naturally produced and renewable alternative to fossil fuels. A recent report published by the Department of Energy confirmed the technical feasibility of producing an estimated 20 percent of America's energy from wind turbines by the year 2030. This important legislation would provide the funding we need for the development of the technologies to reach this goal.

We have known for decades that the United States must turn to renewables and other forms of clean energy to combat climate change, achieve energy independence from unstable foreign nations, gain greater control over the cost of energy sources, and ensure energy security. Representative Tonko's bill would provide our country the tools needed to help facilitate this transition.

The United States is poised to become the worldwide leader in clean energy development and production--we have the ingenuity, the will, the workers, and the resources. H.R. 3165 would ensure that we lead the next breakthrough in clean energy technology.

Again, I thank my friend from New York and urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the Wind Energy Research and Development Act.

Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. I am particularly pleased with the investment that this bill makes in the Pell Grant, early childhood education, and our Nation's community colleges.

H.R. 3221 provides $76.1 million to increase the maximum Pell Grant in my congressional district to $6,900 by the year 2019. Additionally, over 16,700 Illinois students will now be eligible for Pell scholarships.

The legislation also includes my amendments to remove barriers to expanding access to early learning programs to disadvantaged children, and to encourage States to implement positive behavioral supports in their early childhood education system.

Finally, I added provisions to make west central Illinois's community colleges more competitive for college completion grants and to direct the Institute of Education Sciences to collect data on the location of grant recipients, ensuring that the most remote American communities are accessing funding opportunities.

Again, H.R. 3221 takes bold steps towards improving the accessibility of higher education, invests in our children, and focuses on the important role community colleges play in economic development.

I commend my chairman, Chairman Miller, and President Obama for this visionary initiative, and I urge all my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I was watching from my office and felt the need to come down. I don't have a fancy chart, as we've been seeing periodically. But let me give you some facts. We're going to be adjourning for 37 days at the end of this week. For 12 years, Mr. Speaker, our friends on the other side of the aisle had this Chamber; and the only thing we got out of it was the most miserable prescription drug program and nothing more than a boondoggle for seniors.

But while we're home and having our town hall meetings, here are the real facts that I hope not just my friends will listen to because they're important. Every day for the next 37 days, 400 people per day will die because they don't have health care--14,800 Americans, 34 people every day on an average every congressional district. Put that on a chart. For the next 37 days, 14,000 people every day will lose their health care, 518,000 Americans will lose their health care, 1,190 per day. We need to have more than town hall meetings.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3219, the Veterans' Insurance and Health Care Improvements Act of 2009.

Earlier in this session, I introduced H.R. 1302, a bill to create a full-time Director of Physician Assistant (PA) Services in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Central Office. I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Jerry Moran, for his leadership with me on this bill, as well as Chairmen Filner and Michaud, Ranking Members Buyer and Brown and many other VA Committee colleagues for joining us as cosponsors''.

Today, I am very pleased to speak in support of H.R. 3219, which incorporates the provisions of my bill and eight other bills that were favorably considered by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

PAs have long been a key component in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Almost two thousand PAs are currently employed by the VA, roughly 30 percent of whom are veterans. While the PA Advisor position, established by Congress in 2000, has been valuable, many problems exist.

For example, as the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) explained in written testimony on October 18, 2007, ``In one case, a local facility decided that a PA could not write outpatient prescriptions despite licensure in the state allowing prescriptive authority. In other facilities, PAs were told that the VA facility can not use PAs and will not hire PAs.'' These inconsistencies and restrictions not only hinder PAs currently employed by the VA, but also discourage PAs from even entering the VA system, ultimately impacting the medical care of our nation's veterans.

PAs are the fourth fastest growing profession in the country, yet the VA is simply not competitive with the private sector for new PA graduates. The lack of a Director of PA Services at the VA prevents necessary recruitment and retention of the PA workforce in the VA at a time when we need more health care professionals to provide necessary care to our Veterans.

Considering the fact that nearly 40 percent of all VA PAs are projected to retire in the next five years, the VA is in danger of losing its PA workforce unless serious focus is directed toward recruitment and retention of this critical group.

One of the biggest challenges facing current and future PAs in the VA system is their exclusion from recruitment and retention benefits. The VA designates physicians and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) as critical occupations. As such, these individuals receive priority in scholarships and loan repayment programs. Unfortunately, the VA has not designated the PA profession as a critical occupation despite the fact that the VA has determined PAs and NPs functionally interchangeable.

Additionally, VA medical facilities, at times, post vacant positions for NPs only, excluding

PAs. There is also a hiring trend in the VA of NPs outpacing PAs nearly three to one, again despite the interchangeability between the two specialties.

Finally, PAs are not included in any of the VA special locality pay bands, so PA salaries are not regularly tracked and reported by the VA. There is evidence that this has resulted in lower pay for PAs employed by the VA compared to other health care professionals. This only serves as yet another deterrent for PAs to enter the VA system.

A permanent Director at the VA Central Office (VACO) would serve as an advocate on behalf of PAs and work to ensure their fair treatment. It is time for the VA to devote serious attention to PA recruitment and retention. Enactment of H.R. 1302 is a start.

As a Congressman who represents a district with rural communities, I know that PAs play a key role in providing medical care in rural and other medically underserved areas. I want to ensure that they are equally well utilized by the VA. I know that medical institutions like the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, the MD Anderson Cancer Clinic at the University of Texas, and others have a Director of PA Services to make sure that the PAs they employ are integrated into their health systems. Additionally, each branch of the Armed Services has a Chief PA to help the military best utilize its PA workforce. It is time for the VA to do the same.

I strongly urge my colleagues to show their support of strengthening Veterans' healthcare by voting ``yes'' on H.R. 3219.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.

I thank Chairman Obey and Olver for including $4 billion in this bill to create a 21st Century passenger rail system that will strengthen the economy by creating jobs, reducing congestion and improving mobility on our nation's highways.

For every $1 billion invested in transportation, 35,000 jobs are created. With our economy suffering from one of the worst recessions in memory, this is the type of growth we should be promoting.

This money will help fund projects like the Chicago-Quad Cities-Iowa City passenger rail line near my home town. This plan will benefit businesses, leisure, and commuter travel, as well as positively impact regional commerce. In the Quad Cities alone, this project is estimated to create nearly 825 jobs and increase household income by almost $16 million.

The amendment before us slashes funding for high-speed and intercity passenger rail and prohibits the transfer of monies to a National Infrastructure Bank to fund the future modernization of our nation's road and rail systems. This will thwart economic growth by killing future jobs.

I strongly urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and instead, support growing our economy, improving mobility, and protecting the environment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act. While this bill is far from perfect, it truly is the result of multi-region and multi-industry compromise, and I believe it will go a long way toward reducing our nation's carbon footprint.

I commend Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey for their efforts in putting together this comprehensive, global climate change legislation. I also commend my friend from Virginia, Representative Rick Boucher, for working tirelessly to ensure that coal-producing and coal-consuming states, like my home state of Illinois, can transition to renewable resources in a realistic timeframe.

One of the strongest assets of the ACES Act is its potential to significantly expand the green jobs sector all across America, creating millions of good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced. Through federal investment in the production of biofuels and manufacture of wind turbines, among other renewable energy technologies and equipment, it is estimated that 3,700 new jobs will be created as a result of this bill in my congressional district alone.

Additionally, the ACES Act protects consumers from steep hikes in utility rates. I am pleased to see that the revenue gained from the allowance process in the bill would partially go toward those Americans most vulnerable to increases in their electric bills. With five separate programs to protect ratepayers from rising costs for natural gas and heating oil, I have full confidence that the residents of West Central Illinois will not experience significant hikes in their utility bills as a result of this legislation. In fact, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that for the average household, costs from the ACES legislation would only be about 39 cents per day-- less than the cost of a postage stamp.

I also appreciate that the bill takes into consideration rural agricultural districts like mine. By broadening the definition of ``renewable biomass,'' allowing the Department of Agriculture to oversee carbon-offset projects in rural areas, and not including carbon emissions from indirect-land use, this bill would allow the ethanol makers, food producers, and agricultural equipment manufacturers to continue doing what they do best, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. While I would have preferred to have seen in the bill a portion of the pollution allowances go to the food- processing agri-business sector, in addition to allocating ``early action credit'' allowances to those companies who have already taken voluntary greening measures to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, I will vote in favor of this bill with the hope that these concerns will be addressed by the Senate or during conference committee.

As a comprehensive energy bill, the ACES Act also provides for the expansion of new nuclear generating units, and gives bonus allowances to those fossil-fuel units taking advantage of on-site carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies. I am pleased that the bill invests approximately $60 billion in CCS, the next generation of clean- coal technology which reduces harmful emissions by capturing and storing them, thereby preventing them from reaching the atmosphere.

Rural Electric Cooperatives provide much of the power to my constituents. As such, I am happy that the ACES legislation allocates a portion of the total free emission allowances to

rural co-ops. This important provision equitably distributes free allowances between Midwestern states and coastal states, as well as prevents excessive increases in energy costs for my constituents.

Finally, I would like to thank my friends from Iowa, Representatives Leonard Boswell and Bruce Braley, for working to include a provision which adds renewable fuel pipelines to the list of projects eligible for the Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program. As the representative of a district that produces corn ethanol, biodiesel, and other biofuels, the creation of renewable fuel pipelines would create thousands of local jobs and guarantee efficient and affordable transportation of Midwest energy to the parts of the U.S. which consume the most fuels.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act is broad in scope, focusing on necessary improvements in clean energy and energy efficiency. I hope my colleagues realize that the cost of inaction will be much, much greater if the United States fails to enact a bill that reforms our energy and environmental policies. I encourage its fast passage as it will create millions of jobs, stimulate our economy, and protect our environment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 135. I commend my colleague from Georgia, Representative John Lewis, for introducing this important legislation that acknowledges the role slave labor had in the construction of the U.S. Capitol building.

Over four hundred enslaved African Americans performed the backbreaking work of quarrying the stone which now comprises many of the floors, walls, and columns of the U.S. Capitol. They were carpenters, masons, painters, and roofers--all skilled workers who built this important symbol of American democracy, while at the same time were denied their freedom by the evil grasp of slavery.

Mr. Lewis' resolution calls for a marker in the Capitol Visitor Center's Emancipation Hall dedicated to the enslaved African-Americans who helped build the Capitol. This marker would serve as a humble token of appreciation and teach visitors about this vital part of the Capitol's history.

The American people deserve a government that is honest about its past. It is only by recognizing the past, in all its complexities, that we can fully appreciate what we now have in the present, and build a better future. Slavery in no shape or form shall be acceptable in the eyes of the United States, which is why we must always give thanks and appreciation to the hundreds of enslaved workers who contributed to the making of this building. Though they themselves were denied personal freedom, they courageously constructed a testament to freedom that has represented this great nation for over 200 years. It is time for their efforts to be brought forward from the shadows of history.

I strongly urge all my colleagues to vote for H. Con. Res. 135, and would again like to thank my friend John Lewis for introducing this important legislation.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of the en bloc amendment #2 which includes an amendment I offered with my colleagues Congressmen Braley, Tonko and Scott Murphy.

Mr. Chair, my district is home to the Rock Island Arsenal, the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the western world.

The Arsenal Support Program Initiative, commonly known as ASPI, has made a critical impact on the economic development of the Rock Island Arsenal and surrounding communities by bringing in new business and creating over 500 jobs.

Mr. Chair, ASPI was designed to help maintain the viability of our nation's arsenals by encouraging businesses to utilize and invest in the industrial base. It is also important to note that the Army supports ASPI because the program yields substantial cost savings for the government and contributes to the increased use of the industrial base by promoting public-private partnerships.

Mr. Chair, the underlying bill authorizes funding to continue the success of ASPI, but does not reauthorize the program, which is set to expire this year. My amendment simply seeks to extend the program authority through FY2011.

I want to thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member McKeon for agreeing to include my amendment in the en bloc package and urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Skelton. I yield back the balance of my time.

I rise for the purpose of entering into a colloquy with the chairman of the subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, I welcome a colloquy with my distinguished colleague. Mr. Chairman, as you know, my district is home to many levee districts along the Mississippi River.

On February 25, 2009, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a new policy on rehabilitation assistance for levees. Under this new policy, levee districts are prohibited from receiving FEMA assistance for flood cleanups, debris removal and dewatering. Instead, the burden for funding critical flood control activities is being shifted away from FEMA to the Corps of Engineers even though, as I understand it, the Corps does not have the authorization or the funding to reimburse the levee districts for these activities.

My community, Mr. Chairman, is concerned that this policy leaves levees and the river communities they protect vulnerable during peak flooding seasons while many are still recovering from last summer's floods. In fact, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency recently reported that a drainage district in southern Illinois was denied reimbursement for debris removal as the direct result of this new policy.

Mr. Chairman, I have contacted FEMA to urge them to reverse the policy and continue assisting levee districts with these costs to avoid further gaps in disaster assistance.

Mr. Chairman, I understand that FEMA and the Corps are working on this issue, but if there is no resolution by the time this bill heads to conference, I may need the assistance of the chairman to resolve this matter.

I thank the chairman, and I thank you again for your attention to this matter. This is a matter of great importance to my district and I look forward to working with you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009, and let me thank Chairman Bob Filner for introducing this important legislation.

In the 110th Congress, we gave the VA its largest funding increase in 77 years, and we did it on time. But, sadly, punctual VA funding has not always been the case. The VA received it's annual funding for health care programs late in the last 19 of 22 years.

This record of tardiness is deplorable. With the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the time to fix this broken system is now. Late funding is more than a missed deadline. It is a veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder who cannot access a treatment he or she needs. It is an injured hero who must wait for a prosthetic. It is a VA in disarray at a time when our wounded warriors are counting now more than ever on the department's services. That's why in the last Congress, I introduced the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act. This bill would have replaced the annual appropriated discretionary funding for veterans health care with permanent direct spending authority.

Like the bill I introduced, advanced appropriations is the means to that end. That end is ensuring veterans receive the best possible care from a VA that has access to timely, sufficient, and predictable resources. The legislation that we're considering today will do just that. It will allow the VA to effectively budget and manage its health

care programs and services, meaning it can hire the appropriate number of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and support staff to meet the demand for high-quality care for our veterans. Anything less is unacceptable.

I'd also like to acknowledge and commend Chairman David Obey and Chairman Edwards for their strong proactive leadership in putting in an advanced appropriation for VA health care in the fiscal year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill.

I enthusiastically support H.R. 1016, and I once again want to thank Chairman Filner for drafting a bill that would ensure the VA has sufficient, timely, and predictable funding.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2187, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act.

Schools all over my district are struggling to find the money to pay for the most basic school repairs, let alone the funding to upgrade school facilities to meet the needs of 21st century learners.

It is estimated that the national need for school construction and renovation is somewhere between $100 billion and $300 billion. While school construction funding has traditionally been a State and local responsibility, the magnitude of the challenge warrants a small Federal role--a role that could help Lewistown Community High School in my district repair a leaky roof and replace World War II era equipment.

The bill before us authorizes $6.4 billion to address unmet school modernization needs. Additionally, the bill guarantees that our nation's lowest-achieving school districts receive a minimum grant of $5,000 for school enhancement projects.

I am also pleased that this bill encourages schools to make energy efficient improvements. By dedicating the majority of funds to green building projects, H.R. 2187 will save schools an average of $100,000 each year in energy costs alone--enough to hire two additional full- time teachers, purchase 5,000 new textbooks, or buy 500 new computers.

Education infrastructure is not an expenditure, it is an investment in our Nation's future. Many of our students are being taught in unsafe and unhealthy conditions that make high-quality learning impossible. H.R. 2187 turns crumbling schools into environments ripe for learning.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote for H.R. 2187.