[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 29, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H7255-H7256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           EXTENDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MINORITY VETERANS

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 674) to amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal the 
provision of law requiring termination of the Advisory Committee on 
Minority Veterans as of December 31, 2009.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 674

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REPEAL OF SUNSET PROVISION FOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE 
                   ON MINORITY VETERANS.

       Subsection (e) of section 544 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is repealed.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Filner) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This bill comes to us from our colleague from Chicago, Congressman 
Luis Gutierrez, and this would repeal the law that requires the 
termination of the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans on December 
31 of 2009. We cannot let this important committee vanish.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, over 14 percent of veterans are from racial or 
ethnic minority groups. African Americans comprise about 10 percent. 
The rest are Hispanic, Asian, or Native American. However, the Census 
Bureau projects that the number of minority Americans will shift 
significantly in the future and will grow to about 35 percent of the 
total population by 2050. Undoubtedly, that will be reflected in the 
percentage of people of color in the military, which is already 
steadily on the rise.
  This trend has been true for black women who are joining the military 
at a greater rate than they are represented in the overall population 
and in a greater ratio than their male counterparts. In fact, black 
women comprise almost 35 percent of female servicemembers. This pattern 
will affect the VA's mission and scope, and it must be prepared to 
respond to properly deliver benefits.
  Congress developed the Center for Minority Veterans and the Advisory 
Committee in 1994 to advise VA and Congress on providing health care 
and delivering benefits to minority veterans because there were 
disparities in such service. We had hoped to improve VA practices for 
future generations of minority veterans. This center has issued an 
annual report since 1994, and it's mandated to focus specific attention 
on African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, and Pacific 
Islanders, which it has done by conducting town hall meetings and site 
visits to such places as inner city Los Angeles and Native American 
tribes in Alaska.
  The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has explored these 
disparities and has been greatly assisted by the Committee on Minority 
Veterans. Its recommendations regarding outreach, research, education, 
staff diversity, translation services, and housing have been extremely 
enlightening and have resulted in many improvements.
  At the present time, the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans is 
due to sunset in 2009. This bill would prevent this from occurring and 
would serve to bring permanent awareness to cultural, racial, and 
ethnic issues among veterans to Congress and VA leadership.
  I urge this Congress to support the bill and allow the Advisory 
Committee on Minority Veterans to continue its work uninterrupted and 
fully supported.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 674, a bill to 
amend title XXXVIII, United States Code, to permanently establish the 
Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans which is set to expire on 
December 31, 2009. I commend my colleague from Illinois, Luis 
Gutierrez, for introducing this bill.

[[Page H7256]]

  Mr. Speaker, in 1994 under Public Law 103-446, the Veterans' Benefits 
Improvements Act, Congress established the Advisory Committee on 
Minority Veterans. The committee is comprised of veterans who represent 
their respective minority groups and are recognized authorities in 
fields pertinent to their needs. The committee's goal is to promote the 
use of VA programs, benefits, and services by minority veterans, to 
make benefits and services more accessible to minority veterans, and to 
evaluate current programs and make recommendations on how the VA can 
better serve minority veterans.
  As I said, current authority for the committee is set to expire 
December 31, 2009. By supporting H.R. 674, we eliminate the expiration 
date and permanently extend this important committee to ensure the 
perspectives of minority veterans are considered during the 
establishment of VA benefits and services. I urge my colleagues to 
support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I would again ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 674.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 
674, legislation to make the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans 
permanent. I have sponsored this legislation along with Congresswoman 
Corrine Brown, who serves on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Current 
law mandates the termination of the Advisory Committee on Minority 
Veterans (ACMV) on December 31, 2009. This bill would simply repeal the 
provision of law that sunsets this important committee so that its 
critical work on behalf of minority veterans can continue.
  The Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans operates in conjunction 
with the VA Center for Minority Veterans. This committee consists of 
members appointed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and includes 
minority veterans, representatives of minority veterans groups and 
individuals who are recognized authorities in fields pertinent to the 
needs of minority veterans.
  The Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans helps the VA Center for 
Minority Veterans by advising the Secretary on the adoption and 
implementation of policies and programs affecting minority veterans, 
and by making recommendations to the VA for the establishment or 
improvement of programs in the department for which minority veterans 
are eligible.
  The Committee has consistently provided the VA and Congress with 
balanced, forward-looking recommendations, many of which go far beyond 
the unique needs of minority veterans. In 2002, the Committee met in my 
hometown of Chicago and warned that in the Chicago regional office, 
``it was mentioned that it was much easier to deny benefits than to 
grant benefits because of stringent requirements of the Veterans 
Benefits Administration and the Court of Appeal for Veterans Claims.''
  The Chicago Sun-Times later exposed that Illinois veterans ranked 
50th in disability benefit compensation. That information` sparked a 
campaign by the Illinois Congressional Delegation to rectify the 
situation. Since then, the VA Inspector General has issued his report 
and recommendations, and the Secretary has pledged additional staff and 
resources to the Chicago regional office.
  The Committee will also be needed in the future since the unique 
concerns of minority veterans will become increasingly important for 
our nation over the next decade.
  Currently, 17 percent of the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan 
are African-American, while 11 percent are Hispanic. The concerns of 
these veterans and others will not disappear on December 31, 2009, nor 
should the Committee that represents them. The Advisory Committee on 
Minority Veterans has helped our minority veterans from past wars with 
programs to address their concerns. We should not shortchange our newly 
returning soldiers by allowing this Committee's tenure to expire.
  Many specific issues of concern to minority veterans need to be 
addressed further. Minority veterans confront the debilitating effects 
of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse in greater 
numbers. Minority veterans suffer from a higher incidence of 
homelessness. Access to health care for Native American veterans is 
also a common problem. In addition, access to adequate job training is 
a difficulty for many minority veterans, a high percentage of whom 
qualify as low-income, category A veterans.
  Unfortunately, discrimination and cultural insensitivity remain 
problematic for minority veterans at many VA facilities. The Advisory 
Committee on Minority Veterans still has a lot of work to do, and I 
urge my colleagues to support this legislation to make this important 
Committee permanent.
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 674, a bill to 
amend title 38, United States Code, to permanently establish the 
Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans, which is set to expire 
December 31, 2009.
  I commend my colleague from Illinois, Luis Gutierrez for introducing 
this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1994, under Public Law 103-446, the Veterans' 
Benefits Improvements Act, Congress established the Advisory Committee 
on Minority Veterans.
  The Committee is comprised of veterans who represent their respective 
minority groups and are recognized authorities in fields pertinent to 
their needs. The Committee's goal is to: promote the use of VA 
programs, benefits, and services by minority veterans; make benefits 
and services more accessible to minority veterans; and, evaluate 
current programs and make recommendations on how VA can better serve 
minority veterans.
  As I previously stated, authority for the Committee will expire 
December 31, 2009. By supporting H.R. 674, we eliminate the expiration 
date and permanently extend this important committee to ensure the 
perspectives of minority veterans are considered during the 
establishment of VA benefits and services.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 674.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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