Congressional Record, Volume 159 Issue 151 (Monday, October 28, 2013)

[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 151 (Monday, October 28, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H6804-H6806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

VETERANS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2013

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 2011) to amend title 38, United States Code, to
provide for a two-year extension of the Veterans' Advisory Committee on
Education.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 2011

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 ``Veterans' Advisory Committee
on Education Improvement Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. TWO-YEAR EXTENSION OF VETERANS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON
EDUCATION.

Section 3692 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by inserting ``31,'' after ``30,''; and
(B) by striking ``and the Persian Gulf War'' and inserting
``the Persian Gulf War, and the post-9/11 operations in Iraq
and Afghanistan''; and
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ``December 31, 2013''
and inserting ``December 31, 2015''.

[[Page H6805]]

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Miller) and the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.

General Leave

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include any extraneous material they may have on H.R. 2011.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, having the right skills is one of the keys to finding a
good job, and America's taxpayers are now providing the most valuable
GI Bill benefit to veterans and dependents since World War II.
To assist VA and the Congress in making sure that veterans'
educational assistance benefits are meeting the needs of our veterans,
title 38 has established a committee to advise the Secretary on the
needs of veteran students. The committee's statutory term will expire
on December 31 of this year. H.R. 2011 would extend that term for 2
years. I thank Mr. Delaney for bringing his bill forward to our
committee.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 2011, the Veterans' Advisory Committee on
Education Improvement Act of 2013. The Veterans' Advisory Committee on
Education provides advice to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the
administration of education and training programs for veterans and
servicemembers, Reservists and Guard personnel, and dependents of
veterans. The Advisory Committee is composed of veterans and persons
who are eminent in their respective fields of education, labor, and
management and are representatives of institutions and establishments
furnishing education to veterans.
Besides providing advice to the Secretary, the Advisory Committee
recommends new educational benefits and services. It also plays a key
role in the long-range planning and development of existing education
benefit programs for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, as our post-9/11 GI Bill continues to evolve and be
fully understood by the VA, colleges, veterans, and their dependents,
the Advisory Committee is crucial to full implementation and resolving
lingering issues. The authority for the Veterans' Advisory Committee on
Education is slated to end on December 31, 2013. H.R. 2011 would extend
this authority for 2 years so that the Advisory Committee can continue
its important work in ensuring that veterans receive the full value of
their educational benefits.
I wish to thank Representative Delaney of Maryland for introducing
this bill and Chairman Miller for bringing it to the floor today. I
wish also to thank Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman Flores
and Ranking Member Takano for their hard work on this legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from the 16th District of Ohio (Mr. Renacci).
Mr. RENACCI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the time.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today with many of my colleagues
who worked together as part of a bipartisan working group, including
Mr. Carney, Mr. Heck, Mr. Delaney, and others, in strong support of
H.R. 2011, the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education Improvement
Act. It was my great pleasure to join my good friend, the gentleman
from Maryland (Mr. Delaney), in introducing this legislation.
America's veterans sacrifice dearly for this country, and I believe
it is our obligation to help them once their service is complete.
The Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education was created in 1972 to
advise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on education and job training
programs. Our legislation will not only continue the work of this
valuable committee by reauthorizing it for 2 years, but it will also
expand the committee to include representatives for those that served
after September 11, 2001.
Every military conflict has its own unique atrocities and every
generation of veterans faces a unique set of obstacles as they rejoin
the civilian job market. For this reason, it is critical that we
include members to represent those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a Member of Congress, I believe there is no greater cause than
protecting and caring for our service men and women. I ask my
colleagues to support H.R. 2011. Doing so will ensure that our troops
receive the most effective education and training
opportunities available.

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Delaney).
Mr. DELANEY. I want to thank the ranking member for yielding. I also
want to thank Chairman Miller and the rest of the Veterans' Affairs
Committee for their support during this committee process.
The Veterans Affairs Committee does some of the most important work
here in Congress and has long been applauded as a place where both
parties work together. In that vein, our bill, H.R. 2011, the Veterans'
Advisory Committee on Education Improvement Act, is bipartisan
legislation which I was pleased to introduce with my colleague from
Ohio, Congressman Renacci. H.R. 2011 is commonsense legislation
designed to improve the VA's education and job training programs, and I
am proud that it is being considered on the House floor today.
Mr. Speaker, one of the real privileges of our work in Congress is
getting to meet so many dedicated servicemen and veterans and learn
about the incredible work they have done to keep our country safe and
defend our way of life. Likewise, in our district work, one of the most
essential services in our offices is to provide help to veterans so
that they can earn the benefits that they deserve. When we travel
across our districts, what we see is the deep appreciation the American
people have for her veterans. There is a reverence for their heroism
and gratitude for their service.
Mr. Speaker, the American people feel strongly that our veterans
deserve to be repaid for their service. I believe that one of the most
significant commitments that we can make to these servicemen is their
education.
Going back to 1944, with the first GI Bill, we have joined together
as a Nation and said that when our veterans come home, they are going
to be able to receive the education they need. In today's high-tech
global economy, that commitment is more important than ever. The
veterans' unemployment rate is too low, especially for post-9/11.
To give our veterans the best chance to succeed, we need to make sure
that they have a choice in the VA, we need to make sure that our
current benefit programs are working, and we need to make sure that our
veterans' education programs are adapting to an ever-changing world.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation does two very important things.

{time} 1745

First, it reauthorizes the Veterans Advisory Committee on Education
through 2015. Absent congressional action, the Veterans Advisory
Committee on Education will sunset this December.
Second, this legislation updates the U.S. Code to ensure that the
committee includes post-9/11 veterans. There are over 2 million post-9/
11 veterans in the United States, and their perspectives need to be
heard on the committee and at the VA.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to note that H.R. 2011 is supported by
numerous important veterans organizations, including the Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Military Officers Association of
America, the Student Veterans Association, and the Veterans of Foreign
Wars.
I can't think of better endorsements than these.
Helping our veterans transition to civilian life is one of the most
critical challenges facing our country. These men and women are truly
our country's heroes, and they deserve a world-class education. Our
constituents feel strongly that this is something that we get right.
I thank the ranking member for his time, and I urge my colleagues to
support this bill.

[[Page H6806]]

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time. So if my good friend Mr. Michaud is ready to close, so am I.
Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I also have no further requests for time.
I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2011, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. I, too, Mr. Speaker, ask my colleagues to join
me in supporting H.R. 2011, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2011.
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. MICHAUD. Mr. 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, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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