[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1093]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. MAZIE K. HIRONO

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 2, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2055) making 
     appropriations for military construction, the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes:

  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2055, the Military 
Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2012. 
This bipartisan bill passed the Appropriations Committee by unanimous 
voice vote, and I urge my colleagues to support it on the House floor 
today.
  To support those who have put their lives on the line for our 
country, this bill provides disability payments, pensions, survivors' 
benefits, and education benefits under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
  The ward in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a major toll on our brave 
men and women in uniform. We must take care of our veterans' mental and 
physical health needs as they return home and transition to civilian 
life.
  Today's bill provides $129.7 billion for the Veterans Affairs 
Department for Fiscal Year 2012. The Veterans Health Administration 
serves over 4 million patients. Continuing the practice the Democratic 
Congress started in 2009, the bill provides advance appropriations for 
VA medical accounts for both the next and the following fiscal years. 
Our veterans deserve the certainty of knowing there will be enough 
funds, in advance, for the care they have earned and deserve.
  Of the more than 50,000 veterans in my district--rural Oahu and the 
Neighbor Islands--many live in rural areas. The veterans I have met 
with cite difficulty in getting to medical care in Honolulu from the 
Neighbor Islands, as well as not enough services on their own islands. 
Today's bill includes $250 million for innovations to improve health 
care assess for rural veterans. These include providing VA outpatient 
care through community-based outpatient clinics and completing a 
feasibility study on mobile health services, home-based care, and 
telemedicine.
  Today's bill also provides $11.5 billion for military construction, a 
4 percent increase over current levels. Hawaii has many military bases, 
and this bill will support the construction of housing and other 
facilities on our bases, sending a positive ripple effect throughout 
Hawaii's economy.
  Today I am voting for the LaTourette amendment on Project Labor 
Agreements. This amendment would restore President Obama's executive 
order encouraging Federal agencies to consider requiring Project Labor 
Agreements for construction contracts. Project Labor Agreements are 
short-term agreements for the length of a project that can reduce 
projects' costs and duration. Project Labor Agreements strengthen 
project quality by helping the Federal Government specify the project 
requirements in advance. This is the third time this year that this 
Congress has tried to undermine Project Labor Agreements. Fortunately, 
amendments to preserve Project Labor Agreements passed the last two 
times; I hope the LaTourette amendment will also pass.
  I am opposing the Amash amendment that would try yet again to 
eliminate Davis-Bacon prevailing wage protections. This is yet another 
attack on working families. The Davis-Bacon Act prevents contractors 
from driving down wages and benefits in an area. Amendments to 
eliminate Davis-Bacon protections have failed again and again this 
year, and I hope the Amash amendment will meet the same fate.
  Overall, the underlying bill supports our veterans and military 
construction in Hawaii, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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