[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 44 (Monday, March 22, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2178-H2181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
END VETERAN HOMELESSNESS ACT OF 2010
Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4810) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain
improvements in the services provided for homeless veterans under the
laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4810
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``End Veteran Homelessness Act
of 2010''.
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT AUTHORIZED TO BE APPROPRIATED FOR
COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS FOR HOMELESS
VETERANS.
Section 2013 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``fiscal year 2007'' and inserting ``fiscal
year 2010''; and
(2) by striking ``$150,000,000'' and inserting
``$200,000,000''.
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF PAYMENTS FOR PROVIDING SERVICES TO
HOMELESS VETERANS.
(a) Improvement of Payments.--Section 2012 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``per diem'' wherever it appears;
(2) in subsection (a)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) by striking ``daily cost of care'' and inserting
``annual cost of furnishing services''; and
(ii) by striking the second sentence;
(B) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the
following new subparagraph (B):
``(B) The Secretary shall annually adjust the rate of
payment under subparagraph (A) to reflect anticipated changes
in the cost of furnishing services and to take into account
the cost of providing services in a particular geographic
area. The Secretary may set a maximum amount payable to a
grant recipient under this section.'';
(C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``other sources of
income'' and all that follows through the period at the end
and inserting ``the cost of services provided by the grant
recipient as the Secretary may require to assist the
Secretary in making the determination under subparagraph
(A)'';
(D) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the
following new subparagraph (D):
``(D) In making the determination under subparagraph (A),
the Secretary may consider the availability of other sources
of income, including payments to the grant recipient or
eligible entity for furnishing services to homeless veterans
under programs other than under this subchapter, payments or
grants from other departments or agencies of the United
States, from departments or agencies of State or local
governments, or from private entities or organizations.'';
and
(E) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(E) The Secretary shall authorize payments under this
subsection to each grant recipient on an annual basis but
shall make a payment to each grant recipient for each
calendar quarter in an amount equal to a portion of the
annual amount authorized for such recipient. Upon the
expiration of a calendar quarter, each grant recipient shall
provide to the Secretary a statement of the amount spent by
the recipient during that calendar quarter, and if the amount
spent is less than the amount provided for that calendar
quarter, repay to the Secretary the balance. If the amount
spent by a grant recipient for such purpose for a calendar
quarter exceeds the amount provided to the recipient for that
quarter, the Secretary shall make an additional payment to
the recipient in an amount equal to the amount by which the
amount so spent exceeded the amount so provided, as long as
the total amount provided to such recipient in a calendar
year does not exceed the amount of the annual payment for
that recipient.'';
(3) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (3) and
inserting the following new paragraph (3):
``(3) Payments under this subsection to a grant recipient
or eligible entity may be used to match, or in combination
with, other payments or grants for which the recipient or
entity is eligible.''; and
(4) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking paragraph (2); and
(B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2).
(b) Clerical Amendments.--
(1) Section heading.--The section heading for such section
is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 2012. Payments for furnishing services to homeless
veterans''.
(2) Subsection heading.--The heading for subsection (a) of
such section is amended by striking ``Per Diem''.
(3) Table of sections.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 20 of such title is amended by striking
the item relating to section 2012 and inserting the following
new item:
``2012. Payments for furnishing services to homeless veterans.''.
SEC. 4. SUPPORTED HOUSING PROGRAM OUTREACH.
(a) In General.--Chapter 20 of title 38, United States
Code, is further amended by adding at the end of subchapter
III the following new section:
``Sec. 2024. Supported housing program outreach
``(a) Landlord Outreach.--(1) The Secretary shall ensure
that each medical center of the Department that provides
treatment and services under the supported housing program
under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) employs or provides (through
coordination with a public housing agency, homeless service
provider, or other appropriate organization) one or more
specialists, which may include peer specialists who were
formerly homeless veterans, for handling housing issues in
conjunction with the program under this subsection.
``(2) Such specialists shall conduct outreach to landlords
to encourage and facilitate participation in the supportive
housing program, mediate disputes between veterans receiving
assistance under such program and landlords, establish and
maintain a list of dwelling units available for rental with
assistance under such program, and carry out other
appropriate activities.
``(b) Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing
Assistance.--The Secretary shall coordinate with the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide
assistance to homeless veterans in accessing the Homelessness
Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program administered by the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for assistance for
basic essentials, security deposits for rental dwelling
units, and advance payments of the first month's rent for
such units.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end of
the items relating to subchapter III the following new item:
``2024. Supported housing program outreach.''.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VERY
LOW-INCOME VETERAN FAMILIES IN PERMANENT
HOUSING.
Section 2044(e) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following
new subparagraphs:
``(D) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.
``(E) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.
``(F) $100,000,000 for each subsequent fiscal year.''; and
[[Page H2179]]
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``each of the fiscal year
2009 through 2011'' and inserting ``each fiscal year''.
SEC. 6. PROMOTION OF AWARENESS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS PROGRAMS TO ASSIST HOMELESS VETERANS
AMONG HOMELESS WOMEN VETERANS AND HOMELESS
VETERANS WITH CHILDREN.
Section 532 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after ``homeless veterans'' the following: ``(with
a special emphasis on promoting awareness of such assistance
among homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with
children)''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Filner) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns)
each will control 20 minutes each.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
{time} 1415
Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, this is the first of a series of six pieces of
legislation that will benefit our Nation's veterans. This Congress, and
certainly this committee, has been concerned with these veterans in our
daily work, and we are proud to present these items which will help
prevent veterans' homelessness, protect National Guard employment, help
veterans keep their home, give veterans a cost-of-living adjustment.
Before I begin on this package, Madam Speaker, I just would like to
briefly comment on a little item that came up yesterday during the
debate on health care.
One of our veterans service organizations and the ranking member of
our committee claimed that the bill that we would pass would hurt
veterans' health care. I just want to point out on behalf of all the
Chairs on this side of the aisle, all the legal opinions that have been
made, veterans' health care is not affected by the health care bill
that we passed. All the benefits will be retained. Nobody will be
penalized for being part of the veterans health care system or any
other part of veterans health benefits.
Congress actually received a letter yesterday from the Vietnam
Veterans of America which said: ``It is unfortunate that some continue
to raise what is now even more clearly a false alarm that is apparently
meant to frighten veterans and their families in order to prompt them
to oppose the pending legislation. While there is a legitimate debate
as to whether or not the pending health care measure should become law,
Vietnam Veterans of America does not appreciate spreading rumors that
are not accurate by any political partisan from any point of the
political spectrum.''
I just want to allay any fears that veterans have about this health
care legislation. And certainly our committee, should anything arise
that was unintended, we will move quickly to make sure that veterans
health care is kept at a high quality and no one is penalized for
having veterans health care in this country. So I want to point that
out, Madam Speaker.
Now, to get back to the bill we have, H.R. 4810, under consideration.
Almost half the homeless on the street tonight, Madam Speaker, are
veterans--anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000. This is a national
disgrace. It is our national disgrace. It's been an issue that I have
been working on since I came to Congress when I joined the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs almost 18 years ago. Now that the Democrats have the
majority, we want to put forward a plan, as our Secretary of Veterans'
Affairs has announced, a plan to end veterans' homeless within 5 years.
Zero tolerance. That's going to be our policy.
Today we have the opportunity to take bold action to combat
homelessness, but, as I said, we have a willing and eager
administration to make sure that we achieve this goal. President Obama
and his Secretary of Veterans' Affairs have, as I said, pledged to end
homelessness over the next 5 years. Our Secretary has committed to
expanding proven programs and launching innovative services to prevent
veterans from falling into homelessness.
This bill before us, H.R. 4810, does three important things to
provide the administration with the necessary tools to combat
homelessness:
First, the bill would provide additional funding for the Grant and
Per Diem Program, which provides grants to community agencies so they
can, in turn, provide transitional housing, health services, and other
supportive services to homeless veterans. Providing needed resources to
the local agencies that care for our homeless veterans is just one way
our grateful Nation can support the vital and compassionate work
performed in communities all across the country.
Second, this bill helps low-income veteran families who are occupying
permanent housing from becoming homeless by extending powerful and
effective support services. Examples of these services include
outreach, case management, and assistance in obtaining benefits from
the VA, as well as public benefits from State and local agencies.
Finally, H.R. 4810 helps the increasing number of female veterans who
end up being homeless. This is especially magnified for our women
veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, who are four times more
likely to become homeless than their male counterparts. My bill would
direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to focus outreach efforts on
homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.
This powerful bill is the result of significant work by the entire
committee. I would like to thank the chairman of our Subcommittee on
Health, Mike Michaud from Maine, and Ranking Member Henry Brown from
South Carolina for the bipartisan leadership they demonstrated on this
bill. I'd also like to recognize the important contributions of our
colleagues Harry Teague of New Mexico, Ciro Rodriguez of Texas, and
Phil Hare of Illinois. Each of these Members are true advocates for
homeless veterans and introduced legislation helping homeless veterans
that are now key provisions of this bill. I'd also like to thank our
staff from the Health Committee, especially our staff director, Cathy
Wiblemo, who has worked so hard on this legislation for such a long
time.
There are hundreds of thousands of servicemembers returning from Iraq
and Afghanistan. It is our duty as a Nation, when we put our men and
women in harm's way, to care for them when they return. We must also
live up to the promise to honor the service and sacrifices of our
veterans from previous conflicts. This is an opportunity today, Madam
Speaker, to make a difference in the lives of veterans who are sleeping
in cars, looking for public housing, searching for relief, and feeling
helpless.
I urge all of our colleagues to pass H.R. 4810 to provide the help
and support that our homeless veterans need and deserve.
I would reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEARNS. I would say to the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs
Committee, Mr. Filner, he just did a 1-minute where he said, Let it go,
let it go. So I'm a little surprised he's bringing up the health care
bill and talking about it prior to these six wonderful bills we're
going to pass on Veterans' Affairs. But since he brought it up, I think
it's probably appropriate that I return with our side of this issue,
because, as he pointed out, last night the House of Representatives
passed the Senate bill, which was the government setting up exchanges--
which these exchanges include taxes, they include mandates and
regulation, and it's phased in over a number of years to 2014. But
there are some problems, frankly, with that bill. If there were no
problems, then Ike Skelton, who's chairman of the Armed Services
Committee, would not have brought it up 2 days ago, sort of furiously
to try to get it in, because he voted against the health care bill.
So the chairman of the Armed Services Committee voted against the
Senate health care bill last night. The day before that, he brought up
the idea that we have to protect DoD veterans who are on TRICARE.
That's probably one of the flaws in the bill that's being sent to the
President. It has some serious ramifications for our military and
dependents under TRICARE, Madam Speaker, for veterans' widows, orphans,
and for children suffering from spina bifida as a result of a parent's
exposure to Agent Orange during the wars in Korea and Vietnam. As
deputy ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I joined
with Ranking Member Steve Buyer, of our committee, and Armed Services
Committee Ranking Member Buck McKeon to introduce
[[Page H2180]]
H.R. 4894 to protect the Department of Defense and the VA
beneficiaries.
So I'm a little surprised that the Democrat leadership didn't take up
our bill. Instead, they passed a more limited bill introduced by, as I
mentioned, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton,
which, after reading it, provides limited protection for TRICARE
beneficiaries but not the DOD and VA health care systems and the VA
health care benefits. Moreover, I was also surprised to learn from the
Congressional Budget Office there could be a cost associated with our
bill, the $4.4 billion, so-called, for the cost of our bill. I'm an
original cosponsor.
So what are the implications for these beneficiaries? Simply, it
means that the government takeover of health care could result in a
savings of $4.4 billion made on the backs of servicemembers, widows,
and orphans, and children suffering from spina bifida as a result of a
parent's exposure to Agent Orange. I don't think the public realizes
that. So I think it's important to get this information out, and I'm
hopeful that we can solve this problem.
Over the weekend, there were a lot of claims made that there is no
problem for TRICARE and VA health care beneficiaries under the Senate
health care bill that was passed by the Democrats yesterday. Well,
frankly, there is, and it's a big problem. As I mentioned earlier,
Madam Speaker, if it wasn't a problem, then Ike Skelton, the Armed
Services Committee chairman, would not have been here 2 days ago trying
to offer a scaled-down bill to correct the problem. He would not have
taken his own bill, H.R. 4887, to the floor in a quick effort to solve
this issue.
So it's important to reiterate that this bill does not protect the
DOD and VA health care systems. It doesn't fully address TRICARE
either, as a result of the CBO score of H.R. 4887. The Ike Skelton bill
does not stop $4.5 billion from being cut from TRICARE, but we think
ours will. The veterans service organizations know what is happening.
The American Legion, the VFW, DAV, and the National Association of
Uniformed Services have all supported our bill, H.R. 4894, which they
believe will protect veterans.
So, Madam Speaker, I hope that the House Democrat leadership will see
fit to act as soon as possible to allay the fears of all these veteran
service organizations as soon as possible to correct the measure with
H.R. 4894, to stop these cuts and to protect the individuals and their
families who have served and sacrificed on behalf of our Nation and, I
might add, to allay the fears of men at war who think when they come
back they will retire or possibly be under Champus/VA.
With those comments, let me then move to the bill that we're
considering. I rise in support of H.R. 4810, End Veteran Homeless Act
of 2010.
Now, my colleagues, this bill would amend Title 38 of the United
States Code to make certain improvements in the services provided for
homeless veterans. This important legislation represents a combination
of a number of bills that moved through the Veterans' Affairs
Committee, and I believe truly exemplifies the manner in which our
committee can and does work together in a bipartisan fashion to bring
forth legislation that improves the lives of our veterans.
It is with a deep and personal commitment that I and everybody else
on the Veterans' Affairs Committee embrace and aggressively want to
tackle the challenge of homelessness and veterans and forward our
mutual goals of ending this chronic problem among our veterans.
Since the enactment of the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance
Act back in 2001, which significantly expanded the VA's homeless
program, we've seen a significant number of previously homeless
veterans returning to leading productive and sober lives. H.R. 4810
continues that proactive approach by permanently extending a VA program
that provides grants to entities that help low-income families that are
homeless, transitioning to permanent housing, or already in permanent
housing; increasing the annual amounts authorized for VA's Homeless
Grant and Per Diem Program from $150 million to $200 million; and
encouraging the VA to expand its promotion for homeless veterans to
include programs for homeless veterans that are female or that have
children.
VA's latest estimate indicates that about 107,000 veterans were
homeless on any one given night last year. With the unemployment rate
for veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi
Freedom aged 18 to 24 standing at a staggering 21.1 percent, more
simply must be done to ensure that our veterans come home not to
joblessness and homelessness, but to supportive communities and
meaningful employment.
{time} 1430
I recently had the pleasure of participating in the grand opening of
the new HONOR--Hope, Opportunities, Networking, Outreach, and
Recovery--Center in my congressional district in Gainesville, Florida.
This newly renovated comprehensive VA homeless center includes a 45-bed
domiciliary to care for disabled and homeless veterans with special
medical needs. The HONOR Center will also have program offices for
outreach, grant and per diem, and other essential services, including a
special area that's designated just for women. The HONOR Center will
provide a full continuum of care and a homelike environment and will
provide homeless veterans with family-style dining and special
recreation areas including a nice library with a meditation room and a
full-time recreational therapist.
The HONOR Center has been in development for nearly 3 years, and I
was very pleased and proud to see such a wonderful resource for
homeless veterans open in my congressional district in Gainesville,
Florida.
So, Madam Speaker, H.R. 4810, the End Veteran Homeless Act, is one
important step in achieving our goal of eliminating homelessness among
veterans. But still, my colleagues, it is only one step. While I
support its passage, I look forward to continuing to work hard in the
future to make sure America's veterans are welcomed back from service
with open arms, good jobs, and happy and healthy homes.
Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I would like to
thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer, who unfortunately
couldn't be here this morning, of the Veterans' Affairs Committee as
well as Chairman Michaud and Ranking Member Brown of the Subcommittee
on Health for bringing this bill forward. I urge my colleagues to
support H.R. 4810 and do their part to ensure that not a single one of
the brave men and women who fight in uniform to defend our rights come
home to a life without a job and a home.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, a famous President once said: ``We have
nothing to fear but fear itself.'' The deputy ranking member--I didn't
know we had such a title--is spreading fear, and I would just like to
make it clear to every veteran, every family of veterans, and all
Americans, there will be no reduction of any benefits of any veteran in
the veterans health care system. There will be no taxes. There will be
no diminution of services. Let's just make that clear.
General Leave
Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 4810.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. FILNER. I urge my colleagues to unanimously support the bill. I
have no further requests for time and 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. 4810.
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. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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.
[[Page H2181]]
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