[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1892-E1893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          VETERANS' BENEFITS TRAINING IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 11, 2011

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 2349, ``Veterans' Benefits Training Improvement Act of 2011,'' 
which directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to annually assess the 
skills of appropriate Veterans Benefits Administration employees and 
managers responsible for processing VA compensation and pension benefit 
claims, implement individualized training plans related to such skills, 
provide remediation for deficiently skilled employees or managers 
receiving a less than satisfactory result on any portion of the 
assessment, take appropriate disciplinary actions with respect to 
individuals failing to receive a satisfactory result after being given 
two opportunities for such remediation, and requires the Secretary to 
submit a related annual report to Congress.
  It is essential that employees and managers responsible for VA 
compensation receive sufficient training to better assist our veterans. 
These employees need to be well aware of the range of possible benefits 
and packages that are available for our service men and women so that 
they can take full advantage of every opportunity that they rightfully 
deserve. I suspect that this legislation will address any areas of 
concern in regard to training so that the Veterans Benefits 
Administration can be of better service to our veterans.
  As the Representative from the 18th Congressional District of Houston 
I am thoroughly familiar with the issues faced by our veterans when 
they return from deployment. I believe that any man or woman who risks 
their lives for the freedom and rights of others deserves to receive 
the benefits they have earned. I know first-hand how my constituents 
feel regarding this issue. In the State of Texas, we have nearly 1.7 
million veterans, and 18th District is home to 32,000 of them. I feel 
that it is my duty, as well as that of my colleagues to ensure that 
employees and managers who are responsible for VA compensation and 
pension benefit claims adhere to proper protocol when processing funds 
for our veterans.
  My office receives calls from disheartened constituents who cannot 
understand why it is such a challenge to receive the appropriate VA 
benefits. The fact that anyone has to call and to seek help outside of 
the VA regarding VA benefits deeply concerns me.
  This matter can be addressed by properly training those responsible 
for determining the benefits in the first place. The role of these 
individuals is to assist veterans in the process and to adequately 
educate veterans about what is and is not available to them. We must 
remember that there is no greater love than for that of a man or a 
woman who is willing to lay down their life for their country. I hope

[[Page E1893]]

that my colleagues would agree with me when I say there is no greater 
love than this. We owe it to the men and women who have risked their 
lives for our freedom to ensure that procedures are being adhered to 
where VA benefits are concerned.
  H.R. 2349 will benefit the well-being of the public by ensuring that 
employees and managers of the Veterans Benefits Administration possess 
the adequate skills that are necessary to fulfill their duties, and if 
any train employees when necessary. This is the least we can do to 
assist our service men and women when they seek to attain the benefits 
that they have already earned.

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