[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 129 (Thursday, July 31, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H7709-H7716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2009

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1384 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 6599.

                              {time}  1958


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 6599) making appropriations for military construction, the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes, with Mr. 
Pomeroy in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the 
first time.
  The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards) and the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Wamp) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. EDWARDS of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Chairman, this funding bill sends a clear message to America's 
veterans, servicemembers, and their families that Congress recognizes 
and appreciates their service to this country and the sacrifices they 
have made on its behalf.
  Those are not my words. Those are the words of the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars stated just 6 days ago.
  The Disabled American Veterans said this bill ``provides the means to 
serve and care for sick and disabled veterans, to provide housing 
facilities for military families, and to fund the activities of several 
other agencies that affect veterans, a most generous and necessary 
act.''
  The American Legion said this bill effectively addresses every aspect 
of the VA budget. H.R. 6599 addresses improvement and increased funding 
for medical care, mental health care, medical research, long-term care, 
rural health care options, both construction, major and minor, 
nonrecurring maintenance, and claims adjudication.

[[Page H7710]]

                              {time}  2000

  Mr. Chairman, the words expressed by these respected veterans 
organizations, which represent millions of men and women who have 
honorably served our Nation in uniform, are more important than any 
words I could express on this floor tonight. I want to salute the 
members of these organizations and the many other veterans and military 
family groups for the key role they have played in shaping this bill. 
Even more importantly, I want to salute our servicemen and -women, our 
veterans and their families for having defended our Nation in time of 
war and in time of peace and for ensuring that our Nation never forgets 
the sacrifices of those who have served past, present and future.
  This bill, Mr. Chairman, is about a lot more than just programs and 
budgets. It's about respect, respect for those who have answered our 
Nation's call to duty--everyday fathers and mothers, brothers and 
sisters, sons and daughters from every generation, from every race and 
from every religion. Because of their service and sacrifice, we live in 
a safer, better world.
  This bill is about the moral responsibility of keeping our promises 
to those who have kept their promises to serve. It's about honoring the 
unsung heroes and heroines in our Nation's defense and the spouses and 
children of our servicemen and -women. These great Americans might not 
ever put on a military uniform, but they serve our Nation every day 
through their personal sacrifice. When one's loved one has been 
deployed overseas, there are no makeup days for missed births, 
birthdays and graduation ceremonies. No price tag could measure the 
value of missed baseball games, school events and the simple, everyday 
joys of a family's being together.
  This bill is about the young father I met just 2 weeks ago at Walter 
Reed Army Medical Center. He lost both of his legs in combat in Iraq. 
As he sat there, talking to me with his young son in his lap, I could 
not help but be overwhelmed by the lifelong sacrifice this father had 
made to try to make the world a safer place for my two young sons and 
for all children. This bill is about seeing that that loving father 
does not have to give up the dreams he has for his child.
  The humility of this bill, Mr. Chairman, is our knowing that we could 
never fully repay the debt of gratitude we owe this soldier and all who 
have served our Nation in uniform. Yet we know it is the right thing to 
do to honor these great Americans, not just with our words on Veterans' 
Day but with our deeds every day--with better health care, housing, 
education, and daycare. That is what this bill is all about. Let me be 
specific.
  Overall, this bill totals $72.7 billion in discretionary spending. 
That is $3.4 billion more than the President's request and $8.8 billion 
more than the last fiscal year in 2008. Especially given our Nation is 
at war, I believe our troops, our veterans and their families have 
earned every single dime of this funding. I'm disappointed that the 
administration has said that its lower budget request is adequate. It 
is not.
  Just today, the DAV, the AMVETS, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, 
and the VFW have said this: ``We concluded the President's budget 
request for 2009 was about $3 billion short of the actual and equitable 
needs of veterans. We are shocked to learn the administration is 
insisting that the VA has been given sufficient funding for next year 
in its original budget submission.''
  The bill provides $47.7 billion in discretionary funding to the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. This is $2.9 billion more than the 
President's request and $4.6 billion more than fiscal year 2008.
  What does this mean to millions of veterans who need the VA health 
care system?
  First, based on a Bush administration policy adopted in 2003, 
veterans have been told in some parts of the country that making 
$28,430 a year makes them too wealthy to qualify for VA health care. I 
think that policy is wrong and unfair to many veterans who cannot 
simply afford health insurance with an income level so far below the 
national average. That is why this bill raises the number priority 8 
veterans eligible for VA care by 10 percent.
  Second, with $4 a gallon gasoline, we increase the mileage 
reimbursement rate for veterans driving long distances to VA hospitals 
and clinics from 28\1/2\ cents to 41\1/2\ cents. Until this Congress 
acted last year, that rate had been locked in at 11\1/2\ cents since 
1979 when gasoline prices were less than $1 a gallon.
  Mr. Chairman, this increase in gas mileage reimbursement to our 
veterans may not seem like a big deal to some, but to many veterans, 
that is the difference between their being able to afford to drive to a 
VA hospital to get the care they desperately need or not being able to 
do so.
  Third, for Iraq and Afghan war vets as well as for veterans from all 
past conflicts, this bill ensures that a minimum of $3.8 billion, $900 
million more than last year, will be spent on mental health care 
services. The mental wounds of war often outlast the physical wounds of 
combat, and it is past time that we adequately fund mental health 
research and care so our veterans can rebuild their lives once they 
return home.
  Fourth, to help veterans in rural areas and members of the Guard and 
Reserves living so far away from VA facilities, we provide $200 million 
to increase access to local health care providers.
  I thank our ranking member, Mr. Wamp, for his strong leadership on 
this important provision, among many others.
  Fifth, no soldier, no veteran--not one--should ever again have to 
live in the demeaning conditions that some saw at Walter Reed's annex 
18 last year. They deserve better than that, and that is why we provide 
$300 million to address the backlog and nonrecurring maintenance at our 
VA hospitals. In addition, we fund $1.9 billion for much needed 
construction at VA hospitals and clinics.
  Sixth, none of us should rest until there is not one homeless veteran 
anywhere in our country. That is why we provide in this bill $40 
million more in order to help these homeless veterans receive the 
medical services and job training that they need. We want them to have 
not only the dignity of a roof over their heads, but we want them to 
have real hope for rebuilding their shattered lives.
  Seventh, the bill provides the Veterans Benefits Administration with 
enough funding to hire an additional 2,100 claims processors. It's not 
right. It's simply not right for veterans to have to wait on average 
nearly 6 months to have their claims processed. For many veterans, 
including combat wounded veterans, that wait means that they don't get 
the benefits that they earned through their military service and, for 
many of them, the benefits they desperately need to pay their monthly 
bills.
  There is much more in this bill for veterans, from better prosthetics 
for amputees to research for post-traumatic stress disorder.
  Two things are not in this bill--the administration's ill-advised 
proposals to increase prescription drug copays for veterans by 88 
percent and the idea to charge a $250 VA health care enrollment fee for 
our vets. Making drugs less affordable would hurt veterans' health and 
would require many of them to seek more expensive hospital care. I 
believe, for one, that our veterans have already paid an enrollment fee 
for VA health care. They did it when they put on our Nation's uniform.
  Mr. Chairman, in addition to keeping our promises to veterans, this 
bill supports important quality of life and training improvements for 
our servicemen and -women and their families. It provides $24.8 billion 
for military construction, family housing and the Base Realignment and 
Closing program, known as BRAC. This is $400 million above the 
President's request.
  This will mean better housing and improved health care and modernized 
hospitals for our military families. For single moms and dads at home 
with their children while their spouses are in harm's way overseas, 
this bill will provide quality, affordable daycare for their children. 
For thousands of our single soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, it 
will mean the end of old, outdated barracks and a place they can be 
proud to call their home. We specifically added $200 million to the 
administration's budget request so they can begin to replace woefully 
inadequate training barracks. This will send a clear message that our 
Nation respects

[[Page H7711]]

the decision of 18-, 19- and 20-year-old military recruits, their 
decision to sign up to serve our country.
  Honoring our troops, our veterans and their families is a meaningful 
way that is not only the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to 
do. In an all-volunteer military force, the best in the world, we 
simply cannot expect to attract and to retain the best and brightest if 
we do not provide quality housing, health care and education for 
military troops and their families and if we do not keep the promises 
that we have made to our veterans.
  The bottom line is this: This bill is about maintaining a strong 
national defense and military readiness and about respecting with word 
and deed those who defend us and our freedom.
  Mr. Chairman, let me end by thanking those who made this bill 
possible. I would begin by thanking Speaker Pelosi, who has kept her 
promise that the new Congress would truly honor our veterans and our 
servicemen and -women in an historic way. Under her dedicated 
leadership, we have increased veterans' funding in less than 2 years by 
more than what Congress did in the previous 12 years, including a new 
21st-century GI education bill that passed just a few weeks ago. In my 
18 years in Congress, I've served with no Speaker of either party who 
has done as much for veterans as has Speaker Pelosi. Her legacy will 
benefit millions of veterans for generations to come.
  I want to thank Congressman Dave Obey, the chairman of the House 
Appropriations Committee, and Congressman John Spratt, the chairman of 
the House Budget Committee. It was their strong personal leadership 
combined with the work of Speaker Pelosi that made it possible for us 
to pass last year the largest increase in VA health care benefits in 
the 77-year history of the VA.
  As a Democrat, I'm proud that the budget resolutions passed last year 
and this year made a commitment to unprecedented increases in veterans' 
health care and benefits. Those resolutions authorized the funding for 
our subcommittee's work.
  Let me be very clear. The 2009 Military Construction and Veterans 
Affairs Appropriations bill is a bipartisan accomplishment.
  I want to pay special tribute to our subcommittee ranking member, Mr. 
Wamp of Tennessee. Through 19 hearings, his deep and genuine commitment 
to our troops and to our veterans was evident to every one of us 
privileged to serve with him. His ideas and input and commitment to 
always putting the interests of our troops and veterans above 
partisanship made this bipartisan bill possible. His leadership made 
this bill a much better bill, and for that I salute him.
  Let me also express my gratitude to all of the members of our 
subcommittee, Republicans and Democrats alike. Each one of them made 
valuable contributions to this bill. Veterans and our troops are the 
beneficiaries of their hard work.
  A special thanks is owed to Mr. Lewis of California and to Mr. Young 
of Florida. They didn't just help shape this bill. Their dedicated, 
lifelong leadership on behalf of all of those who have served in 
uniform is what public service should be all about.
  I thank you, sir.
  Finally, I want to pay tribute to a staff that is second to none 
anywhere in the Congress--to the majority staff led by subcommittee 
clerk Carol Murphy, Tim Peterson, Mary Arnold, Walter Hearne, and Donna 
Shahbaz and John Conger on my staff, and the minority staff led by 
Martin Delgado, Liz Dawson and Kelly Shea, and Amanda Schoch from Mr. 
Wamp's staff. Also, a special thanks to Mr. Rob Nabors, the clerk of 
the full Appropriations Committee.
  I thank you all for the professionals you are, for the hard work you 
do and for reminding all of us that, when it comes to supporting our 
troops and veterans, we can and we must work on a bipartisan basis.

[[Page H7712]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH31JY08.001



[[Page H7713]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH31JY08.002



[[Page H7714]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH31JY08.003



[[Page H7715]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH31JY08.004



[[Page H7716]]

  Mr. EDWARDS of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.
  The motion was agreed to.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Bishop of Georgia) having assumed the chair, Mr. Pomeroy, Chairman of 
the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported 
that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 
6599) making appropriations for military construction, the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2009, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution 
thereon.

                          ____________________