[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 79 (Monday, May 24, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3721-H3723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ASSURING QUALITY CARE FOR VETERANS ACT
Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5145) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the
continuing professional education reimbursement provided to health
professionals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5145
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
[[Page H3722]]
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Assuring Quality Care for
Veterans Act''.
SECTION 1. IMPROVEMENT OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
REIMBURSEMENT FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Section 7411 of title 38, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``shall'' and inserting ``may'';
(2) by striking ``board-certified physician or dentist
appointed under section 7401(1) of this title'' and inserting
``health professional appointed under paragraph (1) or (3) of
section 7401 of this title'';
(3) by striking ``$1,000'' and inserting ``$1,600'';
(4) by inserting ``required to maintain licensure'' after
``professional education''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``No
such health professional may receive reimbursement under this
section and reimbursement for the same expenses incurred for
continuing professional education provided by a Department
medical center.''.
(b) Clerical Amendments.--
(1) Section heading.--The heading for such section is
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 7411. Full-time health professionals: reimbursement of
continuing professional education expenses''.
(2) Table of sections.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 74 of such title is amended by striking
the item relating to section 7411 and inserting the following
new item:
``7411. Full-time health professionals: reimbursement of continuing
professional education expenses.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Filner) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
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 to include extraneous material on H.R. 5145, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. FILNER. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5145, the Assuring
Quality Care for Veterans Act.
I thank my colleague from California (Mr. McNerney) for his diligent
advocacy on behalf of our veterans. His talent and hard work have
culminated in this important piece of legislation.
Many key health care professionals require continuing professional
education in order to maintain their licensure. Such education can be
costly, and the VA has long reimbursed up to $1,000 annually to
physicians and dentists. This reimbursement program has been an
important part of the VA's efforts to recruit and to retain high-
quality health care personnel. Moreover, it ensures that the VA
employees are well-informed and knowledgeable about advances or new
information in their chosen fields.
Organizational efforts to improve access to knowledge and
opportunities have been shown to improve job satisfaction. However,
since its inception, this program has only been open to physicians and
dentists. It unfairly excludes many key health care providers who face
similar licensing requirements. This act would correct this inequity by
expanding the program to such key health care personnel as nurses,
pharmacists, and physical therapists.
This legislation would recognize that the maximum reimbursement rate
of $1,000 is outdated, its having been unchanged for nearly two
decades. H.R. 5145 would reflect inflationary increases since the last
update by increasing the cap to $1,600 annually.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to support this legislation. Not only does
it recognize the hard work of health care providers in the VA system,
but it also empowers the VA to hire and retain talented health care
personnel and to offer them the tools they need to remain extremely
skilled and knowledgeable.
I would urge the support of all of my colleagues, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 5145, as amended, the
Assuring Quality Care for Veterans Act.
It would amend title 38 of the United States Code to improve
continuing professional education reimbursements provided to health
care professionals employed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This
legislation increases by $600 the continuing professional education
reimbursement for VA's health professionals. It would also expand those
eligible to receive such reimbursements to include health professionals
from a wide range of medical specialties, and it would clarify that
reimbursements may only be provided for such continuing education
expenses that the VA does not offer, itself.
While we can all be proud of the quality of care provided to veterans
at VA facilities, we should always be looking for ways to improve the
VA's provision of medical services, ensuring that the VA's health
professionals are continually kept on the cutting edge of modern
medical advances. It is important to ensure high-quality medical care
continues to thrive at the VA. H.R. 5145, as amended, would provide VA
employees with more opportunities to improve their knowledge base and
skill sets, and it would provide veterans with superiority when it
comes to care that they, I believe, deserve.
Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).
{time} 1530
Mr. SCALISE. I thank the gentleman from Indiana for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill dealing with
professional education, but I just arrived from New Orleans and landed
in D.C. a little while ago, and I am angry.
The people back in my State are very angry right now about what is
happening in the Gulf of Mexico. We have got a crisis right now that is
probably the largest environmental disaster in this Nation's history,
and we are not getting the adequate response we need from this Federal
Government.
Now, our governor for over 2 weeks has been asking for the Federal
Government to approve a barrier plan to actually protect our marsh from
the oil, and we are not getting an answer from the Federal Government.
All we are getting is excuses. We have got letters from the Corps of
Engineers and others that are saying they need to do studies, they need
to look at the environmental impact. Well, the environmental impact is
right there in our marsh. Here is a dead pelican from just the other
day.
We have got oil coming up into our marshes in globs, thick globs,
every single day, and we don't have one ounce of action from the
President. Now, the law is very clear. The Oil Pollution Act says the
President shall ensure effective and immediate removal of discharge.
Instead, he is just pointing fingers at everybody. We know BP is
responsible for this.
Madam Speaker, I understand we are talking about veterans issues, but
right now we are talking about the livelihood of the people of the gulf
coast whose livelihood is threatened, and all we are asking is the
President to fulfill his duties under the law, which he is not doing.
We don't need a finger-pointer-in-chief. We need somebody who is
going to step up to the plate and actually follow the law, take charge
of this and stop not only the oil from flowing, but let our local
leaders do what they said they need to do. And they have gotten no
response from the White House. They are not getting the help they need.
The President has paid a lot of lip-service, but we have had oil
coming into our marsh every day now for days. It has been going on for
a month now, and all we see is ceding of power to BP. We know they are
going to pay the cost, but the President under the law is responsible
for actually taking charge. We need a quarterback on the field, like
the law says the President is supposed to be. He is not supposed to be
the commentator in the booth.
So all we are doing is saying we are tired of the excuses, Mr.
President. It is time to live up to your obligation under the law. Help
us protect our marsh. If you don't have a plan, we do, but you are not
letting us implement our plan. Get out of our way and approve our plan.
Otherwise, you come up with your own. But this is inexcusable.
Mr. BUYER. I want to thank the gentleman for coming to the floor
today. The issue before us deals with increasing the reimbursement on
professional
[[Page H3723]]
education with regard to VA's health professionals.
I understand the gentleman has every reason to be upset with regard
to what is occurring in the Gulf with regard to the oil spill. This oil
should almost be treated as an invasion of our country. I understand
why he is upset.
The legislation before us deals with veterans issues. It deals with
making sure that the professionals that work in the VA are able to be
reimbursed for their continuing professional education.
I want to thank Chairman Filner right now for his patience. I want to
thank you for that. I think we can feel for Mr. Scalise as he just
returned from Louisiana, how upset and how high the emotions are in New
Orleans and Louisiana, not only from Katrina but also the oil spill,
and I can understand where he is coming from. But I want to bring us
back to the issue of the bill itself. So I want to thank Mr. Filner for
being very patient with our colleague from Louisiana.
One point that we probably haven't talked about with regard to this
is the challenge, Chairman Filner, that we have in front of us with
regard to nursing and the nursing shortage. So many of the nurses are
going to be retiring now over the next 12 years, and as we look at the
ability for us to replenish that hole that is going to be created,
there is going to be a dynamic shift within our health professions. So
a lot of jobs and responsibilities that the nurse corps would be
providing today, they are not going to be providing 10 years from now.
Actually, there will be a dynamic shift within health care itself and
their profession. Their skill sets are actually going to get higher and
even better and more improved, and jobs which they are doing today are
going to have to be back-filled by nursing assistants. So for us to
step forward and do this type of reimbursement to increase the quality
of what they are about to provide, this is extremely important.
I want to thank the majority for bringing this type of bill, because
we are going to have to help them increase the standards. It is the
only way we are going to be able to actually deal with this hole that
we are going to have in our health system and the increased demand that
it is going to be placing upon the health system itself, because we
don't have all the nursing slots in the education system to be able to
do this.
I want to thank you for stepping into the breach. This is the right
thing for us to do, especially when I look back at the years in which I
served as a legal advisor for a hospital with regard to quality
assurance and risk management. These are always extremely important
issues. So I want to thank the chairman.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I do urge my colleagues to support H.R.
5145, as amended.
Like the gentleman from Indiana, I understand the outrage and anger
of the gentleman from Louisiana as we are facing probably the biggest
environmental disaster of this century. And yet, Madam Speaker, I find
it more than ironic, I find it irresponsible, that the very same people
who say ``drill, baby, drill,'' the very same people who are always
against government interference, the very same people who are always
against Big Government, all of a sudden, when it is their district,
they want Big Government, and they want regulation, and they want
government to clean up the environmental disaster.
Well, we all have to get in there, and BP had better recognize its
corporate responsibility for this. But, Madam Speaker, these people
always scream against Big Government, but they are the first who want
Big Government to come in and save them. So, let us understand the
irony and the irresponsibility of those who keep yelling against
government regulation, and government interference, but when it affects
their district, they want it.
I ask for unanimous agreement on this measure.
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. 5145, as amended.
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.
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