[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 30, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H3308-H3358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2015
General Leave
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. 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 consideration of H.R. 4486, and that
I may include tabular material on the same.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 557 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 4486.
The Chair appoints the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Webster) to
preside over the Committee of the Whole.
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In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 4486) making appropriations for military construction, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes, with Mr.
Webster of Florida in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time.
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson) and the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Bishop) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
It is a real honor and a privilege for me to present the Veterans
Affairs and Military Construction Appropriations bill to the House of
Representatives with my good friend from Georgia, Sanford Bishop.
This is a bipartisan bill that we produced together with unanimous
support of the committee and the subcommittee to ensure that our
veterans and our men and women in uniform have everything that they
need to do their job with complete peace of mind.
In fact, I often think of the job of this subcommittee as the peace
of mind subcommittee, to be sure that our men and women in uniform have
everything they need when it comes to their physical infrastructure and
that, when they leave the services and go into the VA system, they have
everything they need.
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Making sure that our men and women in uniform have everything that
they need and making sure that our veterans when they leave the service
have the best possible medical care this country can provide is one of
those fundamental functions of the government. We have an obligation as
guardians of the Treasury and as good stewards of taxpayers' hard-
earned dollars to ensure that this vital, core function of our Federal
Government is fulfilled to our veterans and to our men and women in
uniform.
In this appropriations bill, we have included $71.5 billion in
discretionary funding, which is $1.8 billion less than last year and
$398 million less than the budget request. We have provided the full
budget request number of $6.6 billion for military construction
projects, and while we have provided $1.8 billion less in fiscal year
'14, we have included $64.7 billion in discretionary funding for the
VA, which is about $1.5 billion more than last year. We have included
an additional $20 million to get at the claims backlog and $17 million
more than was requested for electronic medical records.
In this legislation, we are ensuring that we have continued strict
oversight of the VA in their reporting requirements on the claims
backlog. The length of time it takes veterans to receive the disability
benefits that they have earned is just unacceptable, so Mr. Bishop and
I have included language in this bill to have very strict reporting
requirements over which we will continue to exercise vigorous oversight
in the months ahead at the VA to ensure that the claims backlog is
reduced.
We are also introducing a mechanism here that we have found to be
very, very effective in the case of electronic
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health records. The VA and the Department of Defense are operating two
completely different medical record systems that don't talk to each
other. So, when you are in uniform in the Armed Forces and leave and go
into the private sector and when the VA picks you up, the VA can't read
your medical records. This is unacceptable. Since 2008, the Congress
has had laws on the books that require the VA and the Department of
Defense to have transparent, interoperable medical records that would
be easily and quickly readable when a servicemember leaves the active
service and goes into the VA system. Yet they are still not there, so
we have in this bill a mechanism that says you are only going to get 25
percent of your money up front on implementing electronic health
records until you come back to the committee and show us that you are
meeting your obligation under the law to provide an immediate,
seamless, and transparent transfer of your medical records from the
Department of Defense to the VA.
In particular, I want to thank Chairman Rogers for his support in
this effort. He had a constituent of whom I am confident he will talk
about in a minute--a young man in his district who really struck a
chord with me. It is a tragic example of how unacceptable this is, that
one agency can't read the medical records of the other. He is a young
man who was injured. He lost his eyesight, I believe, Mr. Chairman, in
Afghanistan. He had the vision in one eye lost, but had damage in the
other eye. He still had some vision in the other eye, so when he left
the service to go into the VA and when the VA needed to work on his
other eye immediately in order to save his vision, the VA could not
read the medical records provided to them by the Department of Defense.
The doctors at the VA, understandably being cautious and concerned and
being unable to read the records, didn't operate as quickly as they
should have, and the young man lost his eyesight as a result of the
medical records being unreadable by the VA. It is tragic, unacceptable,
and utterly outrageous.
I am working closely with the chairman of the armed services
Appropriations subcommittee. Chairman Rogers has been terrifically
helpful in this as has Ranking Member Lowey and my good friend Mr.
Bishop from Georgia. We are working with the armed services
subcommittee in Appropriations to put identical language in the bill so
that the DOD is in the same boat.
You are going to have to earn your money. Prove to us that you are
obeying the law, that you are fulfilling your obligation to our
veterans and to our men and women in uniform, and then we will release
the money. Follow the law and you will get your money. It works every
time in the private sector. Certainly, I am confident that it is going
to work here. I often think of the fact that I have been using an Apple
Macintosh computer since they first came out in 1985. I never dreamed
that you would be able to use a Windows operating system on a Macintosh
computer, but, today, you can run Microsoft Word and other Windows
programs on a Macintosh operating system. Surely, if Apple and Windows
can work it out, the VA and the Department of Defense can as well. This
bill ensures that that is going to happen. If they want to see the rest
of their money, they are going to have to obey the law and get an
interoperable, transparent medical records system in place.
Mr. Chairman, we have also limited the availability of construction
funds in this bill to 5 years for hospitals that the VA builds so that
the veterans don't have to wait endlessly for the completion of a
hospital. I will never forget when I first got this marvelous
assignment--I was assigned by Chairman Rogers to handle this important
bill--that the Denver hospital had $900 million, I believe, set aside,
squirreled away in a hole. I don't think they had signed a contract or
turned a spade of dirt, but they had $900 million squirreled away for
years--that they had not used--in order to build that sorely needed
hospital in Denver. That is just unacceptable.
This money that we are privileged to be stewards of was earned by our
constituents by the sweat of their brow and their hard work, and it is
our responsibility to ensure that the money is wisely spent, that it is
spent to ensure that the law is enforced and, above all, that we do not
spend any more than is absolutely necessary to fulfill the fundamental
obligations of the United States Government. At the top of that list is
to ensure that our veterans receive the medical care they have earned,
that they receive the disability benefits in a timely fashion that they
have earned, and that our men and women in uniform have all of the
physical facilities they need to do their jobs with the peace of mind
and the assurance that the United States Congress and the American
taxpayers are right there with them, looking over their shoulders, to
take care of them.
That is why this is the ``peace of mind'' committee, and it is a
privilege for me to serve with my good friend from Georgia (Mr.
Bishop). So that my good friend Mr. Bishop can address the House, I
reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I thank the gentleman.
Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As you all know, this bill has a strong reputation for finding
bipartisan common ground as members work together to fund the
construction of military facilities and strive to improve the quality
of life and the care afforded to our veterans and our military
families. Once again, Chairman Culberson has continued this tradition.
The bill before us provides funding levels that, I think, most Members
on both sides of the aisle agree are appropriate while avoiding the
contentious legislative riders that complicate passage.
I am pleased to join Chairman Culberson as the House takes up the
fiscal year 2015 appropriations bill for Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. The MilCon-VA bill is critically
important to the strength and well-being of our military, our veterans,
and the families who sacrifice so much to defend our country.
In working with Chairman Culberson and the members of the
subcommittee, we have crafted a bill that will address the funding
needs for military construction and family housing for our troops and
their families as well as other quality-of-life construction projects.
In addition, it will provide funding for many important VA programs as
well as for agencies like the Veterans Court of Appeals and the
American Battle Monuments Commission. The bill before us today touches
every soldier, sailor, marine, and airman. In addition, this bill will
also impact military spouses, their children, and every veteran who
participates in VA programs.
I want to commend the chairman for his work. Together, we sat through
hearings and gained valuable insight to the workings of all agencies
under the subcommittee's jurisdiction. I also want to thank all of our
subcommittee members and recognize them for their hard work in crafting
this bill. I believe that the minority was treated fairly during this
process, and I want to thank Chairman Culberson for ensuring this
bipartisan result.
Chairman Culberson has already provided the funding highlights in the
bill, so I won't repeat them all, but I will say this: In my opinion,
the FY '15 bill adequately provides for the Department's priorities in
military construction for each of the services. If the Department
needed something, it is in the bill, and if it didn't need it, it is
not in the bill. The Department of Veterans Affairs is funded at $64.7
billion, which is $1.8 billion above the '14 enacted level. Overall,
the bill meets the discretionary budget request in all areas of
administrative expenses, research, and facilities. In addition, the
bill includes $58.7 billion in advances, which is the same as the
budget request.
While I am pleased with the healthy funding increase for the VA, many
constituents from my district are still extremely frustrated with the
claims backlog. Frankly, I would have to agree. Now, while the VA has
made some progress on lessening the backlog, there are still over
300,000 claims considered as backlogged, so I was pleased that an
additional $20 million was included in the bill to assist the VA in
making even more progress on the backlog. In addition, Mr. Chairman, it
is my hope that coupling the Veterans Claims Intake Program with
continued rigorous reporting requirements, while fully funding the
Veterans Benefit Management System, will help the VA reach its goal to
end this backlog in 2015.
On the issue of electronic medical records, you all know my
frustration, and I could spend all of the time yielded to me just on
this one topic, but I will say this: We have finally gotten the two
Departments' attention, and I expect to see some real progress on this
soon. The bill continues the practice of fencing money for this
endeavor to make sure that when it is completed we have a system that
works, and works well.
Mr. Chairman, I believe that we have a strong bipartisan bill that
supports our military, their families, and our veterans, and I would
hate to see the hard work of our committee upended by contentious,
partisan riders intended to serve in scoring political points instead
of those that serve our Nation. I also believe the most important
things of this bill are the resources and accountability provided to
assist the VA in tackling the claims backlog. So I say to my colleagues
that our committee strongly shares the deep commitment of this body in
fixing the claims backlog issue. We have looked at numerous approaches
and firmly believe our bill has found the optimal approach in dealing
with this pressing concern for our veterans.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I yield such time as he
may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky, Chairman Rogers, the
distinguished chairman of the full committee.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the 2015 Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill.
I am very happy to be on the floor with this bill today, Mr.
Chairman, because it kicks off the 2015 appropriations cycle at a very
early date. In fact, we know that this is the earliest in the year that
our committee has presented a bill to the floor, at least since 1974,
the date of the present Budget Act, and perhaps even more so beyond
that. We just don't have the records for it. Nevertheless, it is a very
early date. It also does the important work of providing funding for
our military, infrastructure and for the care of our veterans.
This bill provides $71.5 billion in discretionary funding to meet
those needs. Within that total, this bill provides $6.6 billion for
military construction projects, family housing, medical units,
education-training facilities. This will help make sure that the men
and women of our Armed Forces have the quality of life that they
deserve during their service and that they have the support that they
need for our Nation's military missions.
The bill also provides a total of $64.7 billion in discretionary
funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. That goes a long way
toward fulfilling our commitments to our veterans, making sure that, in
exchange for their service and their sacrifice, we will take care of
their health and well-being. Of that money, $45 billion goes toward VA
medical services, including funding for mental health care, suicide
prevention, rural health initiatives, homeless veteran treatment, and
job training. The bill also ensures that our benefit programs and
health systems operate smoothly and efficiently.
{time} 1400
This bill continues our committee's hard work to reduce the
disability claims backlog, and demands that an interoperable Department
of Defense-VA, the electronic health record system is up and running as
soon as possible so that when a veteran goes to a VA hospital and the
hospital medical people need access to Army records or DOD records when
the soldier was injured, those records are available and compatible so
that VA then can use those records to further the treatment of the
soldier.
By providing increased funding for claims processing, continuing
performance benchmarks to reduce the backlog, and placing conditions on
funding for modernization of the VA health record system, we are
sending a very strong message, Mr. Chairman, to that agency that we
want these problems fixed, and we want them fixed now.
In total, the bill provides $1.8 billion less than last year, hard-
and-fast proof that we can streamline this government and root out
unnecessary spending without adversely affecting our troops and
veterans. For example, less funding is provided to Military
Construction accounts due to current price stability and a favorable
bid climate, which saves taxpayer dollars but has no effect on quality
of life or services for our troops.
Mr. Chairman, this bill is a model of bipartisanship that represents
the good we can do by way of the appropriations process. That is, in
most part, thanks to the subcommittee lead by my good chairman, John
Culberson, and his ranking member, Mr. Bishop. They worked on a
collaborative basis to produce a bill that truly fulfills the needs of
our military and our veterans.
I want to take a moment too to thank the staff who all put in a great
deal of hard work to get this bill before the House this early and at
all.
As you know, Mr. Chairman, this is the first of 12 appropriations
bills that
[[Page H3315]]
we must bring to the floor before the August recess. With an agreed-
upon budget and early start, the cooperation of our colleagues on both
sides of the aisle and ample floor time, I believe we can complete our
work, our congressional duty, on time, on budget, and under regular
order. I look forward to working with our colleagues to make this goal
a reality.
I couldn't be prouder to kick off our 2015 appropriations bill season
with this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it fully.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the ranking member of the full
Appropriations Committee, a very, very, very eloquent and hardworking
lady, and who is committed to the support of our veterans and their
families.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank our distinguished
chairman, Mr. Culberson, and the distinguished subcommittee ranking
member, Sanford Bishop, who really have done an extraordinary job on
this bill.
Since it is the first bill coming to the floor, I share the pride
expressed by the big chairman, Chairman Rogers. This is regular order,
this is an outstanding bill, and we can be very proud of the work. So
thank you again, Chairman Culberson, Ranking Member Bishop, for this
very, very important bill.
This is the first of the 12 spending bills that the House will
consider for fiscal year 2015. As I mentioned, I am so pleased that we
are beginning the process with a bill, as reported out of committee,
that includes reasonable spending levels and is devoid of controversial
riders. I hope this is a sign of what is to follow.
Despite fiscal constraints, the Military Construction and Veterans
Affairs bill would meet the needs of servicemen and servicewomen and
continue to support our veterans. I am particularly pleased with the
emphasis on the increased need for prosthetics for our female
servicemembers.
Congress must continue to track and provide vigorous oversight, as
you heard from Chairman Rogers and Chairman Culberson and Ranking
Member Bishop, on the VistA Evolution Electronic Health Record to
ensure its capability and interoperability with whatever health records
system the Department of Defense eventually selects. As we have
discussed many times, this discussion has gone on much too long. It is
time for closure, and it is time for coordination. I do hope that
happens sooner, rather than later. The overall increase above the
fiscal year 2014-enacted level to the IT account should help the VA
move forward.
This bill also takes several steps to reduce the disgraceful veterans
claims backlog. The committee has previously provided the VA with
additional resources. This bill would provide $173.3 million to the
Veterans Benefit Management System and an additional $20 million to the
Veterans Benefit Administration for digital scanning of old paper
files, the centralized mail initiative, and staff overtime.
It withholds 75 percent of the VistA Evolution funds until VA
provides information on the system, particularly regarding planned
interoperability with the DOD.
It will continue to require the VA to provide monthly records on
claims processing and remediation efforts for underperforming regional
offices.
The VA has made progress in the last year, and this bill provides the
resources to end the claims backlog, and that is what we expect of the
Secretary in 2015.
This is a good bill. I hope it is preserved as the House considers
amendments. Mr. Chairman, I urge your support.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, if I could ask how much time do we have
remaining in this part of the debate?
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas has 17 minutes remaining.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I have the pleasure to yield 3 minutes
to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), the chairman of
the Defense Subcommittee.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, as you have so well articulated, the
Nation owes an almost unrepayable debt to our men and women in uniform,
past and present. As a result of their selfless service, we are
absolutely obliged to deliver a full range of benefits that they were
promised. That includes quality medical care for members of the
military and our veterans at all times.
My colleagues, I want to commend the gentleman from Texas, the
ranking member from Georgia, and their staff for their commitment to
ensuring that there will be a seamless transition from the Defense
medical system into the VA health care system through an integrated
electronic medical record.
For nearly a decade, your subcommittee and our Defense Subcommittee
have listened to a parade of administration officials tell us, first of
all, they recognized the need for interoperability when it comes to
electronic health records and, secondly, that we are on it. Mr.
Chairman, they were not on it, and as a result, we have lost years as
the VA and the Department of Defense struggled to develop either a
single unified record or different but interoperable systems.
My colleagues, the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
mandated the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs were required
to collaborate to create an electronic health record that would achieve
interoperability and streamline the transition process from
servicemember to veteran. Now, 7 years later, there is no interoperable
record, and the original plan for the two Departments to use the same
system has now been scrapped. The Department of Defense plans to
acquire a new record system while the VA continues to upgrade its
current one. Alternatively, the acquisition program for the Department
of Defense has an estimated contract award date of the third quarter of
fiscal year 2015 with initial operating capability by the first quarter
of fiscal year 2017, nearly a full decade after the initial mandate.
My colleagues, this program has been plagued by inefficiency, poor
planning, and apparently even less oversight by responsible members of
the Department. The failure to make the significant progress on this
issue is a national disgrace.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. CULBERSON. I yield the gentleman such time as he may consume.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Thank you for yielding the time.
The failure to make significant progress on this issue is a national
disgrace. Not only are the Departments squandering precious taxpayer
dollars, but above all, our troops and veterans are suffering as they
seek help.
Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with you on this situation to
end this debacle. It is inexcusable. We need interoperable records. We
need the VA and the Department of Defense to work together successfully
to serve our veterans.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), who has offered invaluable help
on the committee in crafting the bill and who has a particular interest
in the Defense Language School in Monterey and on maintaining our
commitment to previous BRAC rounds in the State of California that they
not be forgotten.
Mr. FARR. Mr. Chair, thank you very much, Ranking Member Bishop and
Chairman Culberson.
I rise as the longest serving member on this subcommittee, and I want
to commend you both, the chairman and the ranking member, for your hard
work in ensuring that this bill is another significant step in
fulfilling our promise to our country that has made these commitments
to our veterans that we will leave none of them behind.
This committee has a strong history of working in a bipartisan way to
produce a bill that supports our Active Duty servicemembers, our
veterans, and their families, and I think this bill is no exception to
that.
For example, the VA has taken steps to rectify the deplorable backlog
of benefit claims as everyone has mentioned so far. We owe it to our
veterans to exercise our constitutional oversight responsibilities to
ensure that the VA is actually fixing that backlog.
I am pleased the bill before us today includes language I requested
with many of my colleagues that continues additional oversight
requirements for the Veterans Benefits Administration and requires
regular updates from the VA to Congress on the status of the backlog.
Through regular updates from
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the VA, we will be able to ensure accountability that will ultimately
end the backlog.
Additionally, I am pleased to see the bill recognize that the VA must
be able to employ enough mental health providers. For example, as it
currently stands, 95 percent of the marriage and family therapists in
California, licensed in California, are barred from VA employment under
current VA standards, which require a degree from only one specified
national accreditation program.
I authored language in the report of the bill, accompanying the bill,
to ensure that the VA explore expanding the accreditation requirements
by looking at those that are recognized by the Department of Education
so that more marriage and family therapists can get to work helping our
veterans.
As a final note, I would like to point out that this bill is $1.8
billion below last year's enacted level, but it is only $0.4 billion
less than what the President requested.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I yield the gentleman 10 seconds.
Mr. FARR. Thank you.
I am glad to see this bill has been protected from senseless budget
cuts. I strongly encourage this Congress to honor the balanced approach
that this bill shows in the bipartisan Budget Control Act that we
adopted last year.
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Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, at this time it is my privilege to yield
1 minute to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Mrs. Roby), a member of our
subcommittee who does a superb job representing her constituents.
Mrs. ROBY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, there is no greater duty that we have as a Nation than
to care for our veterans. I am so proud to stand in support of this
bill funding critical VA needs like medical care, medical health
services, suicide prevention, traumatic brain injury treatment,
homeless services, and job training.
One way I believe that we can greatly improve VA services is to
further develop the Patient-Centered Community Care program. Some
services veterans need aren't always offered at their local VA
hospital, or, if they are, the waiting list may be really long. In
these cases, it only makes sense for the VA to contract out services
through local providers and get the veteran patients the care that they
need. And offering better care to veterans while saving taxpayer money
is a win-win situation.
Our committee report for this bill asks the Department of Veterans
Affairs to document the successes and efficiencies of Patient-Centered
Community Care so we can make the case for allowing more veterans to
take advantage of this innovative program.
I strongly support this bill.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield 3 minutes
to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), a strong member of the
Appropriations Committee and a tireless fighter for our military
veterans and their families.
Mr. CUELLAR. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
First of all, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman, my friend
from Texas, John Culberson, and I certainly want to thank our ranking
member, Mr. Bishop. These two gentlemen are true models of what
bipartisanship is here in Congress. They have really done a great job
to show the American public that when it comes to veterans and the
military, this is not a Democratic or a Republican issue, but it is an
issue that we all work together. So I certainly want to thank them.
I want to thank them for the work that they have done, but in
particular I want to thank both gentleman and the committee about an
issue dealing with the backlogs that have existed at the VA for many
years.
Veterans of all generations deserve a benefit system that is easy to
navigate and is responsive to their needs.
As of April 26, 2014, the VA claims totaled more than 596,000. Of
those, 319,000 have been pending for more than 125 days. This is
something that has to be cleared. And this is something that Congress
is working on.
While Congress has done some work, more has to be done. We need to
make sure that in this appropriations bill we not only provide the
bureaucrats, with all due respect, with the money, but they have to be
provided the oversight and the performance measures to make sure that,
if they are given the money, they get to work and eliminate this
backlog that has been affecting so many veterans in my district and
across the State and the Nation.
So I want to thank the members of the Appropriations Committee for
supporting the VA's Veterans Benefit Management System so old claims
that are filed on paper can now be converted to digital files to make
then more accessible and more searchable.
I also want to thank them for the money for VA employees' overtime so
we can end the backlog by 2015. We have to get this job done.
Finally, the last point that I want to make that is extremely
important is to make sure that we get the VA and the Department of
Defense to create one electronic health records system.
Why is it that the Department of Defense has their own records, and
once a veteran retires, the VA has a different record? We have to get
them together so they can work together to make sure that we have the
right paperwork filed and we speed up claims and the process between
the VA and the Department of Defense, working together.
So, in conclusion, these two gentlemen and the members have been a
true model of bipartisanship. I think we need to salute them. If we
look at the work that Mr. Bishop and Mr. Culberson have done here, this
is the way we get our job done in Congress in a bipartisan way.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, can I ask how much time we have
remaining?
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas has 12\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Chairman, I want to be sure to acknowledge and thank my friend,
Mr. Cuellar, from Laredo. We have been good friends and served together
in the Texas House. I am sure he remembers the appropriations committee
in the Texas House. And we understand the value of the power of the
purse.
We are indeed using the power of the purse to achieve the goals that
Mr. Cuellar has just mentioned, that is, ensuring the claims backlog is
dealt with and that the Department of Defense and the VA have an
interoperable medical record.
There really is no more powerful check and balance that the
legislative branch has over the executive branch than the power of the
purse, which originates in the House.
Article 1, section 9 says that no money may be drawn from the
Treasury, except by appropriations.
We are working together arm-in-arm, just as we did in the Texas
House, in support of our veterans and military.
In fact, we also have found great common ground when it comes to law
enforcement on the border, something that his folks in Laredo have a
keen interest in: safe streets, good schools, a strong economy. And
that all begins with law enforcement.
I want to thank the gentleman from Laredo because it has been a
pleasure working with him on so many of these good issues.
We could have not gotten to this spot, Mr. Chairman, without the help
of the committee staff. We have got an extraordinary group of people
who have made this possible. The Appropriations Committee is blessed to
have had professionals here who have helped us for years.
I want to particularly thank Donna Shabazz, Sue Quantius, and Sarah
Young, and make sure that we also recognize the extraordinary
contributions by Matt Washington and Tracey Russell.
This has really been a team effort. It is an extraordinary complex
piece of legislation to ensure that not only the money that our
taxpayers have worked so hard to earn is wisely spent, but that the
agencies that are the beneficiaries of these hard-earned tax dollars
understand that with the receipt of this money comes the obligation to
ensure that it is spent wisely. We are going to continue with
aggressive oversight.
When it comes to oversight, Mr. Chairman, I also want to mention that
[[Page H3317]]
we are going to have an amendment later today by the Congresswoman from
Phoenix to deal with this really deeply concerning situation that we
have seen arise in the Phoenix VA where you have got a doctor claiming
that folks have lost their lives. They were unable to get access to the
medical care they have earned from their medical service at the Phoenix
hospital.
That is another way to enforce the law. With additional funding, we
are going to use the inspector general's office to investigate this and
find out what is actually going on. In that case, if there has been
deliberate or intentional refusal to admit veterans to the VA hospital
in Phoenix, there are going to be criminal charges.
Certainly, our heart goes out to those families in Phoenix. We are
all committed to make sure that any veteran, any member of the military
who has served this country, has immediate access to the best medical
care in the world.
And that is why this is such a bipartisan bill and one that we offer
to the House today, arm-in-arm. Both the gentleman from Georgia and the
people of Texas that I represent were pleased to present this to the
House and encourage the Members to support it.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of
our Legislative Branch Subcommittee on Appropriations and a strong
voice for the needs of our Nation's veterans, with a unique interest in
the needs of our female servicemembers and veterans.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I appreciate the gentleman yielding.
First, let me commend and pile on to the commendations that are so
deserving by our colleagues and my good friends, Chairman Culberson and
Ranking Member Bishop, on crafting a strong and bipartisan bill.
Congress really can work together when we put our heads and our hearts
together.
Let me especially recognize their leadership in including language in
the bill which will help many of our Nation's veterans transition into
careers in civilian health care.
The United States military has the best-trained medics and corpsmen
in the world. In fact, the data substantiates that Special Forces
medics greatly increase the chances of survival for those who suffer
injuries on the battlefield.
Despite this, former military medics have one of the highest
unemployment rates among veterans because their extensive medical
training in the military doesn't perfectly match qualifications in the
civilian world.
For example, Army Specialist Nick Colgin, whom President Obama
applauded as an American hero for saving the life of a French soldier
shot in Afghanistan, was somehow considered unqualified to be an
emergency medical technician in Wyoming.
This Military Construction-Veterans Affairs bill that we are
considering can help fix this baffling disconnect. It includes language
establishing a pilot program for veteran medics that will expand
opportunities for physician assistant training at Historically Black
Colleges and Universities. This program will leverage the expertise of
military medics to strengthen the health care profession and reduce
veteran unemployment.
A perfect example of the way veteran medics can, when given the
chance, successfully enter into a civilian health care profession is
the story of Staff Sergeant Victor Arvizu, who valiantly served for 20
years as a combat medic in the Middle East and South Pacific.
From taking blood samples to pulling out shards of glass from the
chests of soldiers to suturing wounds and inserting chest tubes,
Sergeant Arvizu developed a special skill set that translated into a
successful career when he returned home.
Sergeant Arvizu was able to use this expertise to gain employment as
a health tech at a Veterans Affairs clinic in my south Florida
district. But there are too many veterans in my district and nationwide
who are still struggling to translate their expertise and skills into
employment in the civilian workforce.
We need initiatives that will create more stories like Sergeant
Arvizu's.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I yield the gentlelady an additional 30
seconds.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you.
Our veterans make the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and now we
need to do our part by providing them with opportunities to use their
skill sets. I am proud that this bill includes language that will help
to do just that.
I urge support of the bill.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield 3 minutes
to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, let me first thank our ranking
member for his tireless leadership on behalf of our veterans and as our
ranking member on the MilCon Subcommittee.
I also want to thank our chairman for working with us once again to
include language in this bill that would require the VA to provide
detailed reporting on the unacceptable claims backlog and its efforts
to eliminate it.
Congresswoman Jackie Speier and myself, for example, have been
working with our veterans in the Bay area. Some of the stories and some
of the cases that we have uncovered, discovered, and worked on are
heartbreaking. I know Members throughout the country have many veterans
whose benefits should have been provided and executed many, many years
ago.
In order to reduce the veterans' benefit claims backlog, this bill
fully funds the President's budget request of $173 million for the
Veterans Benefits Management System and provides an additional $20
million to the Veterans Benefits Administration for records and
staffing needs.
As the daughter of a veteran and the Representative of thousands of
veterans in my district, I am deeply troubled to hear that young men
and women who serve our country must wait an average of 255 days while
the VA processes their claims. This wait is inexcusable and
unacceptable. We have heard some of the tragic, tragic stories that
have arisen out of this.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, let me just say I am very pleased that the
House is moving quickly and in regular order to consider the Military
Construction and VA Appropriations bill. It is my hope that this will
continue as we move forward in the appropriations process with all of
our subcommittees.
As a member of the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations
Subcommittee, it is my hope that our subcommittee, which is the largest
share of funding outside of the Pentagon, will receive a proportionate
and adequate increase in our total allocation.
Our subcommittee supports programs that impact nearly every
household, every community, and every congressional district, and so we
owe it to our constituents to have a full, open, and robust debate as
the process moves forward.
Thank you to our chair and ranking member on behalf of all of the
veterans in my district. I will support this bill. It is a step forward
in our appropriations process.
Mr. CULBERSON. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1430
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Chairman, this is a good bill. It is a bipartisan bill, and it is
a bill that, I think, meets the needs of our services for their
military construction, as well as for our veterans and our military
families.
As far as our military construction, if our services needed it, it is
in the bill. If they didn't need it, it is not in the bill.
I am so happy that we have taken very strong steps to address the
claims backlog at the Veterans Administration. We have taken strong
steps to ensure that we will soon have coordinated, interoperable
electronic health records between the Veterans Affairs Department and
the Department of Defense; and I am happy that in this bill, together,
we will assure accountability for our Nation's veterans.
Mr. Chairman, when our men and women took the oath to serve our
[[Page H3318]]
country as part of our Nation's military, they took an oath to serve
and defend; and when they completed that service, our Nation has, in
fact, figuratively, written a check assuring that they will have the
benefits that they need when they come back following their service.
It is our duty as a Nation, our duty as a Congress, and certainly our
duty as a part of this committee, to make sure that that check that we
figuratively wrote to those veterans never, ever comes back marked
``insufficient funds'' and to make sure that that check--the benefits
of that check don't come back redeemed in a delayed fashion.
So we have done what is necessary to make sure that they get their
benefits, that they get them in a timely manner, that the claims
backlog is eliminated, and that we facilitate whatever it takes to make
sure that they are rewarded for their service to our country because
the price of freedom, it is not free.
Somebody had to pay that price, and the people who paid the price are
the men and women who served our Nation in uniform and are now veterans
and their families who also sacrificed as the servicemembers went to
war.
I urge the adoption of this bill and ask my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I join Mr. Bishop in urging the House to
approve this legislation, and I agree with him wholeheartedly about
making sure that any check--any check that our veterans have earned
doesn't ever come back with insufficient funds.
It is one of the fundamental obligations of the Federal Government to
ensure that our veterans are taken care of, they are given everything
they need while they serve and they are in uniform, but then also that
they are given access to the best medical care the country can provide
to them once they enter into the private sector.
We have, in this legislation, given everything that the veterans have
asked us for. We have made sure that the VA is fully funded, but we are
using the power of the purse to ensure that the law is obeyed. We are
making sure that our constituents' hard-earned tax dollars are spent
wisely and frugally and carefully and that they actually reach the
veterans who need them the most.
We are in an extraordinary era, Mr. Chairman. Survival rates are
higher than they have ever been for our men and women in uniform. If
they are lucky enough to survive their initial injury and make it to an
aid station, the survival rate is in excess of 98, 99 percent.
It is absolutely extraordinary, the blessings of modern medicine. The
work that the VA has been doing in prosthetics and helping these young
men and women recover from their injuries is extraordinary.
This is our first obligation as a government, is to ensure that the
men and women who make it possible for us to be here in a free society
and debate legislation like this, that they are given everything that
they have earned by their service to the country.
An important part of this is to be sure that we are also talking to
our constituents about the budget problems that lie ahead of us and the
importance of making sure that the social safety net, the social safety
net that is out there--Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid--those
programs remain solvent.
They are, right now, headed into bankruptcy, and we have got to make
sure that we deal with those bigger problems for the longer term, so
that we can continue to fully fund the needs of our veterans and our
men and women in uniform.
It truly has been a privilege for me to work on this subcommittee
with my friend from Georgia (Mr. Bishop). The State of Georgia and the
State of Texas--I feel a special kinship with the people of Georgia
because they have a commitment to the military that is commensurate to
that of the people of Texas.
We both admire our men and women in uniform immensely, and this is a
piece of legislation that our folks back home, Mr. Chairman, may not
see much disagreement, but that is because we are, all of us, so
strongly in support of making sure that our men and women in uniform
can focus on their mission and protect this Nation with complete peace
of mind.
I urge all the Members of the House to support this legislation which
is presented to them by the unanimous vote of the subcommittee and the
full committee.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last
word.
To the veterans who courageously served our country, we owe the best
our nation can offer.
I appreciate the opportunity to stand here with my colleagues,
working in a bipartisan manner to pass H.R. 4486, the Military
Construction and Veteran Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 2015.
Thank you to Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop from the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans
Affairs for your hard work in crafting this legislation.
This bill, in part, provides funding for the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and gives much needed support and resources to help the VA end
the claims backlog.
We owe our veterans every promise we've made, and unfortunately,
we've not been living up to these promises.
One of the pledges we make to our veterans is that, should they be
injured during their service, we'll provide them with disability
compensation to assist them as they transition home.
While the VA is making strides to reduce the claims backlog, more
needs to be done.
Unfortunately, there remains a large claims backlog at many VA
Regional Offices across the United States.
At the Oakland Regional Office, which serves my constituents in the
15th Congressional District of California, over 58 percent of claims
have been pending for over 125 days.
These numbers are among the worst in the nation, with claims
averaging over one full year to complete.
As a former prosecutor I am well acquainted with phrase ``justice
delayed is justice denied.''
In the case of the veterans' claims, delayed care is denied care.
Unfortunately, since the retirement of Director Douglas Bragg in
January, the Oakland Regional Office director position has been vacant.
I led a bipartisan letter signed by 19 California Members of Congress
to the VA urging it to swiftly reduce the backlog by hiring a new,
supremely qualified director of the Oakland VA.
Properly serving our veterans means listening to their concerns and
taking action.
I've hosted several veteran town halls, where veterans across the
East Bay shared their stories and ongoing struggles regarding pending
claims at the VA.
My office is working hard to help every veteran in our district that
needs assistance, but the problem goes beyond just one district,
region, or state.
That's why we're here today. We're working to ensure that we reach
every veteran that needs assistance and hold the VA accountable for its
slow claims process.
Our veterans desperately need a VA that will provide both accurate
and timely responses. It's what our veterans deserve, and I'll continue
to push the VA to provide our veterans with the service and benefits
they've earned.
Not only is there a backlog in first-time claims, now the backlog for
appeals is becoming a serious problem.
I appreciate that language I supported along with other Members of
the California delegation was included in the committee report on the
bill to address this appeals backlog. It expresses our deep concern
over this issue and encourages the Veterans Benefits Administration to
take swift action to lower the wait time for appeals claims.
Thanks again to the Chairman and Ranking Member for accepting this
language.
I'll continue working closely with my colleagues to ensure that the
few that proudly served our country receive the benefits and care they
earned.
Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.
Where I come from, we believe that for those who we send into harm's
way to protect and serve us in defense of our freedoms, we have a
profound obligation to protect and serve them upon their return.
Last year's Military Construction and Veterans Administration bill
did not do enough to fulfill this promise. Therefore I'm glad that this
bill is an improvement.
This year's bill: increases funding for vital veterans programs here
at home by $1.5 billion; significantly decreases unnecessary new
military construction projects in places all around the world--new
projects that the Pentagon itself says are not wanted and not needed;
this bill comes closer to fully funding veterans mental health
programs; as well as vital health care programs for the more than 3
million veterans living in rural communities; increases funding for
technology to reduce the notorious backlog at the VA.
[[Page H3319]]
Mr. Chair, I rise specifically today to bring to light my grave
concerns with the Regional Command-Southwest Command and Control
facility in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan.
This facility offers 64,000 square feet of space for more than 1,000
military personnel, including accommodations for a three-star general.
Standing two stories tall, this windowless facility is larger than a
football field, and was completed in 2013 at a cost of approximately
$34 million.
According to Special Inspector General to Afghanistan John Sopko,
this building is the ``Taj Mahal'' of command centers.
The unconscionable fact about this building, however--is that the
military has no plans to use it.
Area commanders insisted three years ago that they did not need this
building. They were in the middle of troop withdrawal, and they saw no
reason to move in.
In Mr. Sopko's words, ``this is an example of what is wrong with
military construction in general--once a project is started, it is very
difficult to stop.''
Mr. Chair, we simply cannot allow any projects like this--projects
that the Pentagon itself says are unnecessary--to receive funding from
this Congress. It's shameful, it's wasteful, and it needs to stop.
American veterans of foreign wars like Afghanistan are sleeping under
bridges--going without the life-saving health care and mental health
services they deserve and so desperately need--and waiting for
sometimes years for the VA to finally process their benefits claims.
Yet, during last year's debate on this bill, Republicans in the House
rejected my amendment that would have doubled funding for veterans
hospitals--and would have provided for extra personnel to address this
atrocious backlog.
It is simply unconscionable that we allow this to go on while
literally throwing billions of dollars away on buildings standing empty
overseas.
Where is the outcry in this House? Where is the shock--where is the
shame?
It is time we end these unsustainable wars of choice. It is time we
cut back on our military footprint in unnecessary outposts around the
world. It is time we prioritize those brave men and women whom we send
into harm's way to protect us.
When it comes to these brave men and women, we must do everything in
our power--we must leave no stone unturned to assure our nation's
veterans have the very best medical care--counseling--housing--job
training--and all the educational opportunities a grateful nation can
provide.
Only the very best is good enough. That is how we keep our promise to
our nation's veterans.
In closing, Mr. Chair, once again I commend those of us in the House
who have fought for increases to veterans programs here at home, and
for those of us in the House who are dedicated to ending these costly
and terrible wars abroad.
And I strongly urge you and all my colleagues in the House of
Representatives to continue to give veterans the benefits they so
rightfully deserve now and in the future.
Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chair, I rise today to thank Chairman Culberson and
Ranking Member Bishop for including legislative language I requested in
this year's Military Construction, Veteran Affairs, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015. It appears in section 232, as
follows:
Sec. 232. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to award a contract to any contractor if the past
performance of the contractor resulted in the completion of a
construction project at a facility of the Department of
Veterans Affairs more than 24 months after the original
agreed-upon completion date for the project.
This language also exists as a stand-alone bill I have introduced,
H.R. 4394: the `Serve Our Heroes Now Act'. What it means is this--if
someone is responsible for a delay of two years, or more, of completion
of a VA facility, they cannot awarded future contracts for military or
VA construction.
In my own district, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (``VA'')
is building a new VA Medical Center (``VAMC'') that will serve an area
of more than 90,000 veteran patients in East Central Florida. This VAMC
will be one of seven members of the VISN 8 Healthcare System, covering
parts of Florida, Georgia, and all of Puerto Rico.
The original construction contract for the Orlando VAMC called for a
final completion date of October 2, 2012. Eighteen months later, my
constituents, who bravely fought for their country, are still waiting.
This is a disgrace, and it must be remedied.
Section 232 is clear. If the current contractor for the Orlando VAMC
is determined to be at fault for construction delays, it will be
ineligible for future contracts awarded from funds appropriated by this
bill. That hurts--but it doesn't compare to the pain my constituents
suffer while waiting for the VA Medical Center that has been promised
to them.
In closing, Mr. Chair, I want every Member here, and anyone else
watching, to know that I will request this language in every Military
Construction, Veteran Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
that comes to this floor, as long as I serve in this body. Those
responsible will be held accountable. I pray other veterans do not have
to wait as long as my constituents have, and I pray that the new
Orlando VAMC is fully operational by October of this year.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, as we consider H.R.
4486, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, it is crucial that we protect American
workers from any efforts to weaken or repeal the provisions under
Davis-Bacon or the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) in federally
funded or assisted construction projects.
The Davis-Bacon Act is used to set fair wage rates and benefits that
contractors or subcontractors must use to compensate their laborers
during the construction, alteration, or repair of public buildings.
Project labor agreements are collective bargaining agreements used to
establish the terms and conditions of employment for specific
construction projects. Both are important tools in ensuring that
American workers receive fair pay and treatment for federal contract
work, and that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively during
public construction projects.
H.R. 4486 must not be used as the vehicle to strip American workers
of their rights to fair pay and treatment for federal contract work.
The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act
should remain about funding critical infrastructure projects in support
of our national defense, and to bring reliable benefits and medical
care to our men and women in uniform.
Mr. Chair, any efforts to weaken the Davis-Bacon Act will only serve
to harm American taxpayers and workers. The provisions under Davis-
Bacon and specific PLAs are used to ensure that federal dollars are
used responsibly and effectively when building up our nation's
infrastructure. Davis-Bacon and PLAs bring needed oversight to federal
contract work, while preserving fair compensation for workers. I urge
my colleagues to oppose any amendments to H.R. 4486 that would weaken
these protections.
The CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the 5-minute rule.
During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chair may accord
priority in recognition to a Member offering an amendment who has
caused it to be printed in the designated place in the Congressional
Record. Those amendments will be considered read.
The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4486
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for military
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and
for other purposes, namely:
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Military Construction, Army
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, military
installations, facilities, and real property for the Army as
currently authorized by law, including personnel in the Army
Corps of Engineers and other personal services necessary for
the purposes of this appropriation, and for construction and
operation of facilities in support of the functions of the
Commander in Chief, $526,427,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2019: Provided, That of this amount, not to
exceed $51,127,000 shall be available for study, planning,
design, architect and engineer services, and host nation
support, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the
Army determines that additional obligations are necessary for
such purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress of the determination and the
reasons therefor.
Military Construction, Navy and Marine Corps
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, naval installations,
facilities, and real property for the Navy and Marine Corps
as currently authorized by law, including personnel in the
Naval Facilities Engineering Command and other personal
services necessary for the purposes of this appropriation,
$998,772,000, to remain available until September 30, 2019:
Provided, That of this amount, not to exceed $33,366,000
shall be available for study, planning, design, and architect
and engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the
Secretary of the Navy
[[Page H3320]]
determines that additional obligations are necessary for such
purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons
therefor.
Military Construction, Air Force
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, military
installations, facilities, and real property for the Air
Force as currently authorized by law, $719,551,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2019: Provided, That of this
amount, not to exceed $10,738,000 shall be available for
study, planning, design, and architect and engineer services,
as authorized by law, unless the Secretary of the Air Force
determines that additional obligations are necessary for such
purposes and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress of the determination and the reasons
therefor: Provided further, That none of the funds provided
under this heading for military construction in Europe as
identified in the table entitled ``Military Construction'' in
the accompanying report may be obligated or expended until
the Department of Defense completes a European Consolidation
Study.
Amendment Offered by Ms. Castor of Florida
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Page 3, line 23, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $9,800,000)''.
Page 11, line 23, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $9,800,000)''.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman
Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop for all of their hard work and the
committee, all of your work on behalf of America's servicemembers and
veterans to ensure that they have the military facilities that they
deserve.
I am very heartened to see the Congress, on both sides of the aisle,
working together to ensure that our military families and
servicemembers and our veterans have every resource they need to be
successful.
My amendment proposes to transfer $9.8 million to the Air Force
construction account from the BRAC account to really highlight an area
in military construction and our facilities that needs a little bit of
extra attention because I think we can all agree that it is important
to ensure that, after our servicemembers serve in hazardous areas
across the globe, when they return to the United States and our
military installations, that those installations are clean and safe and
secure as well.
Mr. Chairman, I have the privilege of representing MacDill Air Force
Base in Tampa, Florida. MacDill is led by the 6th Air Mobility Wing,
but has a host of very important tenants on the base, including United
States Central Command, United States Special Operations Command, the
927th Air Refueling Wing, and the Joint Communication Support Element.
In fact, at MacDill, we have 39 mission support partners, so it is a
very busy base.
I wanted to bring to everyone's attention a deficiency in our mission
support facility. Think about this big active base with all of these
tenants, 13,000 military and civilian personnel at MacDill. Add on to
that 170,000 military retirees in the area.
They all come to the mission support facility to get credentialed and
to take care of the very most basic credentialling and security
processes at the base.
Our mission support facility is far from the main gate. It is way too
small, but most seriously, it contains black mold. It is on the first
floor along the walls.
Tampa, of course, is a very damp place, a very humid place, and if
you don't take care and maintain these facilities, it causes very
expensive problems down the road. They are doing the best they can, but
it is very difficult to keep up.
I raise this issue because this has occurred at other military
installations before, with the black mold. There was Hampton Roads in
Virginia, in military housing and, most notoriously, the Walter Reed
building 18, where we had wounded soldiers.
Now, thankfully, through the efforts of the Congress, many of these
have been dealt with, but I think it is very important that the Air
Force maintain a critical eye on these establishments, to make sure
that they are up to standard for our military families.
So I wanted to raise awareness of this matter to the Air Force, to
the committee members, and I do hope that you all will work with me to
address this critical issue at MacDill Air Force Base and other
substandard military facilities across America.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I would just like
to commend the gentlelady for raising a very, very important issue to
the health, safety, and welfare of airmen and those who go to MacDill;
and I want to assure the gentlelady that the chairman and I will work
very closely to make sure that that issue is addressed.
It is our hope that the gentlelady will withdraw her amendment and
that we can work on it together, but I assure the gentlelady that we
will work together to make sure that that is a safe environment, a
healthy environment, so that no one will be exposed to the consequences
of black mold.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that my
amendment be withdrawn, and I thank the committee for their attention.
The CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from
Florida?
There was no objection.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
Military Construction, Defense-Wide
(including transfer of funds)
For acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment
of temporary or permanent public works, installations,
facilities, and real property for activities and agencies of
the Department of Defense (other than the military
departments), as currently authorized by law, $2,021,690,000,
to remain available until September 30, 2019: Provided, That
such amounts of this appropriation as may be determined by
the Secretary of Defense may be transferred to such
appropriations of the Department of Defense available for
military construction or family housing as the Secretary may
designate, to be merged with and to be available for the same
purposes, and for the same time period, as the appropriation
or fund to which transferred: Provided further, That of the
amount appropriated, not to exceed $122,240,000 shall be
available for study, planning, design, and architect and
engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Secretary
of Defense determines that additional obligations are
necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the
determination and the reasons therefor: Provided further,
That none of the funds provided under this heading for
military construction in Europe as identified in the table
entitled ``Military Construction'' in the accompanying report
may be obligated or expended until the Department of Defense
completes a European Consolidation Study: Provided further,
That of the amount appropriated, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, $37,918,000 shall be available for payments
to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for the planning,
design, and construction of a new North Atlantic Treaty
Organization headquarters.
Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Turner
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 4, line 19, insert after the dollar amount the
following: ``(reduced by $20,000,000)(increased by
$20,000,000)''.
Page 5, line 3, insert after the dollar amount the
following: ``(increased by $20,000,000)''.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Culberson and
Ranking Member Bishop for their hard work and dedication to ensure that
we have a great bill for our vets and men and women in uniform, but
also for their tenacity.
I want to thank Chairman Culberson for his efforts and working with
me on this amendment and also Ranking Member Bishop.
Today, I rise in support of an amendment to provide funding for the
planning, design, and construction of an additional missile defense
site capable of protecting the homeland from a long-range ballistic
missile attack.
To date, two Presidents, as well as three Secretaries of Defense have
recognized the advantage of an additional missile defense site in order
to provide additional protection against a long-
[[Page H3321]]
range ballistic missile threat from regions like the Middle East.
As you may be aware, we currently possess only two sites, both
located on the west coast, limiting our ability to target and intercept
incoming ICBMs.
Since 2007, the United States Northern Command, the combatant command
in charge of defending the homeland, has, on numerous occasions,
recommended the construction of an east coast site for this purpose.
Just last year, in testimony before the House Armed Services
Committee--and, again, in testimony this year--General Jacoby, the U.S.
Northern commander stated, ``The third site, if you built it, would
give us better weapons access, it would give us increased inventory and
increased battle space with regards to a threat coming from the
direction of the Middle East.''
As China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea push for more advance launch
vehicles, the construction of an east coast site will dramatically
improve the ability of our military to intercept incoming threats by
increasing the opportunity to engage and defeat those threats.
With the 2009 cancellation of the missile defense site in Poland,
coupled with an increased threat environment, it is imperative that we
continue to act to protect the homeland from the long-range ballistic
missile threat.
Thank you for your consideration to this amendment. I want to, again,
thank Chairman Culberson for his leadership in protecting our men and
women in uniform, our national security, and our veterans.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I want to rise in strong support of this
amendment, and I thank my colleague from Georgia for working with us
and making sure that we get this done.
We are long overdue for an antiballistic missile site in the
continental United States, here on the east coast in particular.
My good friend from Ohio (Mr. Turner) is absolutely right. We face an
increased threat environment. That is putting it mildly.
The North Koreans, who are still at war with us--we are only under an
armistice in North Korea. The North Koreans have demonstrated that they
actually have a nuclear weapon in hand.
Visual satellite observers--I am an amateur astronomer, and as a
member of a group of amateur observers of artificial satellites, one of
the members of our network actually observed and tracked the North
Korean intercontinental ballistic missile overflying the United States
December 12 of 2012.
{time} 1445
That is the first time the North Koreans had demonstrated the ability
to actually fly an intercontinental ballistic missile payload over the
United States. That missile flew over Pensacola, Florida, Mr. Chairman.
It came up from the south and flew over the southeastern United States
and exited the United States over Michigan. So the North Koreans have
already demonstrated they have got the ability to deliver a nuclear
weapon to the United States. So it is imperative that we move
immediately to design and build an antiballistic missile site on the
east coast of the United States.
I want to compliment my good friend from Ohio for bringing us this
amendment, and it is my privilege to support it. I urge the adoption of
the amendment and urge the Department of Defense to build this
antiballistic missile site as fast as humanly possible.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Georgia is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I join the chairman in accepting
this amendment. I commend the gentleman for offering it, and I think
that our national defense will certainly be enhanced by the adoption of
this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Turner).
The amendment was agreed to.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
Military Construction, Army National Guard
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Army National Guard, and contributions
therefor, as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United
States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts,
$126,920,000, to remain available until September 30, 2019:
Provided, That of the amount appropriated, not to exceed
$17,600,000 shall be available for study, planning, design,
and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law,
unless the Director of the Army National Guard determines
that additional obligations are necessary for such purposes
and notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor.
Military Construction, Air National Guard
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Air National Guard, and contributions
therefor, as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10, United
States Code, and Military Construction Authorization Acts,
$94,663,000, to remain available until September 30, 2019:
Provided, That of the amount appropriated, not to exceed
$7,700,000 shall be available for study, planning, design,
and architect and engineer services, as authorized by law,
unless the Director of the Air National Guard determines that
additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and
notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor.
Military Construction, Army Reserve
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Army Reserve as authorized by chapter
1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military
Construction Authorization Acts, $103,946,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2019: Provided, That of the
amount appropriated, not to exceed $8,337,000 shall be
available for study, planning, design, and architect and
engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Chief of
the Army Reserve determines that additional obligations are
necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the
determination and the reasons therefor.
Mr. MICA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Florida is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. MICA. Mr. Chairman, I would ask if the chair of the Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations
Subcommittee would rise and engage in a colloquy.
Mr. CULBERSON. It would be my privilege.
Mr. MICA. Thank you, sir.
First of all, I would like to commend you, Chairman Culberson and
Ranking Member Bishop and the Appropriations Committee staff, for their
efforts in bringing this important measure for our veterans and our
military to the floor.
I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight a vital need
of our central Florida veterans population. This year, as we approach
the completion of construction of the new veterans hospital and medical
complex at Lake Nona in Orlando, I would like to request your
assistance in helping to keep the existing and valuable medical
facilities and clinic at Baldwin Park in service to our veterans. This
medical resource is an important Federal asset that must not sit idle
even before the new medical center opens. It is critical that the VA
make a positive determination on the future use of this property and
medical treatment center.
With Florida's growing veteran population that is already the second
largest in the Nation, it is important that we plan now for the future
medical care of our veterans. Additionally, with those service men and
women now returning from overseas conflicts, we must prepare for the
future demand for medical services.
Two years ago, I wrote a letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
to plan for this day in anticipation of keeping this medical facility
open and using it for the benefit of our veterans. Most recently, a
joint letter from the central Florida congressional delegation, both
Democrats and Republicans, has been sent to the Secretary asking for
his consideration of this request. I am now hoping, Mr. Chairman, that
you will join us in our effort to ensure that the VA takes steps to
preserve and utilize this much-needed medical center that we have
there. The recently opened Lake Nona veterans 120-bed nursing facility
and 60-bed domiciliary care unit
[[Page H3322]]
are already at capacity, confirming the need to maintain the Baldwin
Park complex.
Mr. Chairman, finally I would just ask for your support of these
current efforts to ensure that the existing VA medical facilities in
Baldwin Park remain open and continue to provide world-class treatment
for our veteran population.
Mr. CULBERSON. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. MICA. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CULBERSON. I want to assure my good friend from Florida, Chairman
Mica, that I look forward to working with you to ensure that the VA
does complete its independent study of this facility, and I hope that
report is going to come back and show the continued need for the
Baldwin Park facility.
I will work closely with you, sir, to make certain that the Veterans
Administration does everything in its power to support the results of
the independent study and work to keep that facility open.
Mr. MICA. Well, I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your past work. And I
thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) and the staff for working
with us. We look forward to ensuring that the VA medical complex at
Baldwin Park remains open and continues to be used to provide medical
services for our veterans.
Finally, Mr. Chair, I would like to insert into the Record two
letters to Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinseki, one from myself and
another from the central Florida congressional delegation.
Congresss of the United States,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, August 13, 2012.
Hon. Eric Shinseki,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington,
DC.
Dear Secretary Shinseki: As we complete the Lake Nona
Veterans' Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), I would like to
request that the Baldwin Park Clinic and building it occupies
continue to be utilized for primary, inpatient and
domiciliary care for our returning veterans and those other
veterans who require this type of care.
Under this plan, the Baldwin Park clinic would continue to
provide essential medical and clinical services for the new
VAMC including clinical and primary care assistance, lab
work, and pharmacy and outpatient services, including mental
health care. Because Florida's veteran population continues
to expand, it is important to continue these veteran medical
services at this facility for those veterans on the north
side of the community so that they can continue to have
access to these essential services. I respectfully ask that
you give this proposal your full consideration.
The second proposal I am writing to you about is my strong
support for maintaining a domiciliary care unit in the
remaining portion of the hospital, either by the VA or
contract services that would provide inpatient and
domiciliary care for both our returning veterans and those
others who are in need of this type of care. According to an
August, 1995 GAO report, ``The former Naval Hospital's 153
beds could be used to meet the VA's service goals for
veterans in East Central Florida.'' If implemented, this
action would also provide transitional care for our returning
veterans and ensure the maximum utilization of space at the
Baldwin Park facility. I respectfully request that this
proposal be part of your final decision in the space
utilization of the Baldwin Park VA site after the Lake Nona
complex is complete.
I look forward to working with you to ensure that our
veterans receive the best medical care possible and once
again respectfully request that you consider these proposals.
Sincerely,
John L. Mica,
Member of Congress.
____
Congress of the United States,
Washington, DC, April 9, 2014.
Hon. Eric Shinseki,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington,
DC.
Dear Secretary Shinseki: This year, as we approach the
completion of construction of the new veterans' hospital and
medical complex at Lake Nona, we would like to request that
you consider keeping the existing clinic and medical
facilities at Baldwin Park in service to our veterans. This
complex is a valuable federal asset that must not sit idle
once the new medical center opens.
With an increasing veteran population that is already the
second largest in the nation, including those service men and
women now returning from overseas conflicts, it is important
that we plan now for their future medical care.
In the past, we have encouraged you to consider keeping
this medical care facility open. We are now asking that you
act soon to ensure that the VA will preserve and utilize this
much needed VA property as Florida's veteran population
continues to expand.
The recently opened Lake Nona veterans' 120-bed nursing
facility and 60 bed domiciliary care unit are already at
capacity and the demand for VA services will continue to grow
in the Sunshine State.
These men and women who have faithfully served our nation
deserve the very best medical care and the taxpayers valuable
assets must not sit idle.
We thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
John L. Mica.
Alan Grayson.
Daniel Webster.
Corrine Brown.
Mr. MICA. I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
Military Construction, Navy Reserve
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the reserve components of the Navy and
Marine Corps as authorized by chapter 1803 of title 10,
United States Code, and Military Construction Authorization
Acts, $51,528,000, to remain available until September 30,
2019: Provided, That of the amount appropriated, not to
exceed $2,123,000 shall be available for study, planning,
design, and architect and engineer services, as authorized by
law, unless the Secretary of the Navy determines that
additional obligations are necessary for such purposes and
notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress of the determination and the reasons therefor.
Military Construction, Air Force Reserve
For construction, acquisition, expansion, rehabilitation,
and conversion of facilities for the training and
administration of the Air Force Reserve as authorized by
chapter 1803 of title 10, United States Code, and Military
Construction Authorization Acts, $49,492,000, to remain
available until September 30, 2019: Provided, That of the
amount appropriated, not to exceed $6,892,000 shall be
available for study, planning, design, and architect and
engineer services, as authorized by law, unless the Chief of
the Air Force Reserve determines that additional obligations
are necessary for such purposes and notifies the Committees
on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of the
determination and the reasons therefor.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Security Investment Program
For the United States share of the cost of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program for
the acquisition and construction of military facilities and
installations (including international military headquarters)
and for related expenses for the collective defense of the
North Atlantic Treaty Area as authorized by section 2806 of
title 10, United States Code, and Military Construction
Authorization Acts, $199,700,000, to remain available until
expended.
Family Housing Construction, Army
For expenses of family housing for the Army for
construction, including acquisition, replacement, addition,
expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized by law,
$78,609,000, to remain available until September 30, 2019.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Army
For expenses of family housing for the Army for operation
and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing, minor
construction, principal and interest charges, and insurance
premiums, as authorized by law, $350,976,000.
Family Housing Construction, Navy and Marine Corps
For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine
Corps for construction, including acquisition, replacement,
addition, expansion, extension, and alteration, as authorized
by law, $16,412,000, to remain available until September 30,
2019.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps
For expenses of family housing for the Navy and Marine
Corps for operation and maintenance, including debt payment,
leasing, minor construction, principal and interest charges,
and insurance premiums, as authorized by law, $354,029,000.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Air Force
For expenses of family housing for the Air Force for
operation and maintenance, including debt payment, leasing,
minor construction, principal and interest charges, and
insurance premiums, as authorized by law, $327,747,000.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide
For expenses of family housing for the activities and
agencies of the Department of Defense (other than the
military departments) for operation and maintenance, leasing,
and minor construction, as authorized by law, $61,100,000.
Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund
For the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement
Fund, $1,662,000, to remain available until expended, for
family housing initiatives undertaken pursuant to section
2883 of title 10, United States Code,
[[Page H3323]]
providing alternative means of acquiring and improving
military family housing and supporting facilities.
Chemical Demilitarization Construction, Defense-Wide
For expenses of construction, not otherwise provided for,
necessary for the destruction of the United States stockpile
of lethal chemical agents and munitions in accordance with
section 1412 of the Department of Defense Authorization Act,
1986 (50 U.S.C. 1521), and for the destruction of other
chemical warfare materials that are not in the chemical
weapon stockpile, as currently authorized by law,
$38,715,000, to remain available until September 30, 2019,
which shall be only for the Assembled Chemical Weapons
Alternatives program.
Department of Defense Base Closure Account
For deposit into the Department of Defense Base Closure
Account, established by section 2906(a)(1) of the Defense
Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (10 U.S.C. 2687
note), as amended by section 2711 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112-239),
$270,085,000, to remain available until expended.
Administrative Provisions
Sec. 101. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be expended for payments under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee
contract for construction, where cost estimates exceed
$25,000, to be performed within the United States, except
Alaska, without the specific approval in writing of the
Secretary of Defense setting forth the reasons therefor.
Sec. 102. Funds made available in this title for
construction shall be available for hire of passenger motor
vehicles.
Sec. 103. Funds made available in this title for
construction may be used for advances to the Federal Highway
Administration, Department of Transportation, for the
construction of access roads as authorized by section 210 of
title 23, United States Code, when projects authorized
therein are certified as important to the national defense by
the Secretary of Defense.
Sec. 104. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to begin construction of new bases in the United
States for which specific appropriations have not been made.
Sec. 105. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be used for purchase of land or land easements in
excess of 100 percent of the value as determined by the Army
Corps of Engineers or the Naval Facilities Engineering
Command, except: (1) where there is a determination of value
by a Federal court; (2) purchases negotiated by the Attorney
General or the designee of the Attorney General; (3) where
the estimated value is less than $25,000; or (4) as otherwise
determined by the Secretary of Defense to be in the public
interest.
Sec. 106. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be used to: (1) acquire land; (2) provide for site
preparation; or (3) install utilities for any family housing,
except housing for which funds have been made available in
annual Acts making appropriations for military construction.
Sec. 107. None of the funds made available in this title
for minor construction may be used to transfer or relocate
any activity from one base or installation to another,
without prior notification to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 108. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used for the procurement of steel for any construction
project or activity for which American steel producers,
fabricators, and manufacturers have been denied the
opportunity to compete for such steel procurement.
Sec. 109. None of the funds available to the Department of
Defense for military construction or family housing during
the current fiscal year may be used to pay real property
taxes in any foreign nation.
Sec. 110. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to initiate a new installation overseas without
prior notification to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 111. None of the funds made available in this title
may be obligated for architect and engineer contracts
estimated by the Government to exceed $500,000 for projects
to be accomplished in Japan, in any North Atlantic Treaty
Organization member country, or in countries bordering the
Arabian Sea, unless such contracts are awarded to United
States firms or United States firms in joint venture with
host nation firms.
Sec. 112. None of the funds made available in this title
for military construction in the United States territories
and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein Atoll, or in
countries within the United States Central Command Area of
Responsibility, may be used to award any contract estimated
by the Government to exceed $1,000,000 to a foreign
contractor: Provided, That this section shall not be
applicable to contract awards for which the lowest responsive
and responsible bid of a United States contractor exceeds the
lowest responsive and responsible bid of a foreign contractor
by greater than 20 percent: Provided further, That this
section shall not apply to contract awards for military
construction on Kwajalein Atoll for which the lowest
responsive and responsible bid is submitted by a Marshallese
contractor.
Sec. 113. The Secretary of Defense shall inform the
appropriate committees of both Houses of Congress, including
the Committees on Appropriations, of plans and scope of any
proposed military exercise involving United States personnel
30 days prior to its occurring, if amounts expended for
construction, either temporary or permanent, are anticipated
to exceed $100,000.
Sec. 114. Not more than 20 percent of the funds made
available in this title which are limited for obligation
during the current fiscal year shall be obligated during the
last 2 months of the fiscal year.
Sec. 115. Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense
for construction in prior years shall be available for
construction authorized for each such military department by
the authorizations enacted into law during the current
session of Congress.
Sec. 116. For military construction or family housing
projects that are being completed with funds otherwise
expired or lapsed for obligation, expired or lapsed funds may
be used to pay the cost of associated supervision,
inspection, overhead, engineering and design on those
projects and on subsequent claims, if any.
Sec. 117. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any
funds made available to a military department or defense
agency for the construction of military projects may be
obligated for a military construction project or contract, or
for any portion of such a project or contract, at any time
before the end of the fourth fiscal year after the fiscal
year for which funds for such project were made available, if
the funds obligated for such project: (1) are obligated from
funds available for military construction projects; and (2)
do not exceed the amount appropriated for such project, plus
any amount by which the cost of such project is increased
pursuant to law.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 118. In addition to any other transfer authority
available to the Department of Defense, proceeds deposited to
the Department of Defense Base Closure Account established by
section 207(a)(1) of the Defense Authorization Amendments and
Base Closure and Realignment Act (10 U.S.C. 2687 note)
pursuant to section 207(a)(2)(C) of such Act, may be
transferred to the account established by section 2906(a)(1)
of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (10
U.S.C. 2687 note), to be merged with, and to be available for
the same purposes and the same time period as that account.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 119. Subject to 30 days prior notification, or 14
days for a notification provided in an electronic medium
pursuant to sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States
Code, to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress, such additional amounts as may be determined by the
Secretary of Defense may be transferred to: (1) the
Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund from
amounts appropriated for construction in ``Family Housing''
accounts, to be merged with and to be available for the same
purposes and for the same period of time as amounts
appropriated directly to the Fund; or (2) the Department of
Defense Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund from
amounts appropriated for construction of military
unaccompanied housing in ``Military Construction'' accounts,
to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes
and for the same period of time as amounts appropriated
directly to the Fund: Provided, That appropriations made
available to the Funds shall be available to cover the costs,
as defined in section 502(5) of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974, of direct loans or loan guarantees issued by the
Department of Defense pursuant to the provisions of
subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code,
pertaining to alternative means of acquiring and improving
military family housing, military unaccompanied housing, and
supporting facilities.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 120. In addition to any other transfer authority
available to the Department of Defense, amounts may be
transferred from the Department of Defense Base Closure
Account to the fund established by section 1013(d) of the
Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966
(42 U.S.C. 3374) to pay for expenses associated with the
Homeowners Assistance Program incurred under 42 U.S.C.
3374(a)(1)(A). Any amounts transferred shall be merged with
and be available for the same purposes and for the same time
period as the fund to which transferred.
Sec. 121. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
funds made available in this title for operation and
maintenance of family housing shall be the exclusive source
of funds for repair and maintenance of all family housing
units, including general or flag officer quarters: Provided,
That not more than $15,000 per unit may be spent annually for
the maintenance and repair of any general or flag officer
quarters without 30 days prior notification, or 14 days for a
notification provided in an electronic medium pursuant to
sections 480 and 2883 of title 10, United States Code, to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress,
except that an after-the-fact notification shall be submitted
if the limitation is exceeded solely due to costs associated
with environmental remediation that could not be reasonably
anticipated at the time of the budget submission: Provided
further, That the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) is
to report annually to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress all operation and maintenance
expenditures for each individual general or flag officer
quarters for the prior fiscal year.
[[Page H3324]]
Sec. 122. Amounts contained in the Ford Island Improvement
Account established by subsection (h) of section 2814 of
title 10, United States Code, are appropriated and shall be
available until expended for the purposes specified in
subsection (i)(1) of such section or until transferred
pursuant to subsection (i)(3) of such section.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 123. During the 5-year period after appropriations
available in this Act to the Department of Defense for
military construction and family housing operation and
maintenance and construction have expired for obligation,
upon a determination that such appropriations will not be
necessary for the liquidation of obligations or for making
authorized adjustments to such appropriations for obligations
incurred during the period of availability of such
appropriations, unobligated balances of such appropriations
may be transferred into the appropriation ``Foreign Currency
Fluctuations, Construction, Defense'', to be merged with and
to be available for the same time period and for the same
purposes as the appropriation to which transferred.
Sec. 124. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), none of
the funds made available in this Act may be used by the
Secretary of the Army to relocate a unit in the Army that--
(1) performs a testing mission or function that is not
performed by any other unit in the Army and is specifically
stipulated in title 10, United States Code; and
(2) is located at a military installation at which the
total number of civilian employees of the Department of the
Army and Army contractor personnel employed exceeds 10
percent of the total number of members of the regular and
reserve components of the Army assigned to the installation.
(b) Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply if the
Secretary of the Army certifies to the congressional defense
committees that in proposing the relocation of the unit of
the Army, the Secretary complied with Army Regulation 5-10
relating to the policy, procedures, and responsibilities for
Army stationing actions.
Sec. 125. Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available
in an account funded under the headings in this title may be
transferred among projects and activities within the account
in accordance with the reprogramming guidelines for military
construction and family housing construction contained in
Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation
7000.14-R, Volume 3, Chapter 7, of February 2009, as in
effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
Sec. 126. None of the funds made available in this title
may be obligated or expended for planning and design and
construction of projects at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sec. 127. For an additional amount for ``Military
Construction, Navy and Marine Corps'', ``Military
Construction, Air Force'', ``Military Construction, Army
Reserve'', and ``Military Construction, Navy Reserve'',
$125,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2018:
Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of law,
such funds may be obligated and expended to carry out
construction of projects, excluding in Europe, as authorized
in division B of Public Law 113-66: Provided further, That
not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress an expenditure plan
for funds provided under this heading.
Sec. 128. For an additional amount for ``Military
Construction, Army'' , ``Military Construction, Army National
Guard'', and ``Military Construction, Army Reserve'',
$245,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2019:
Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of law,
such funds may only be obligated to carry out construction of
projects as authorized in division B of an Act authorizing
appropriations for fiscal year 2015 for military activities
of the Department of Defense (relating to Military
Construction Authorizations): Provided further, That not
later than 30 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of the Army shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations
of both Houses of Congress an expenditure plan for funds
provided under this heading.
(including rescission of funds)
Sec. 129. Of the unobligated balances available for
``Military Construction, Army'', from prior appropriations
Acts (other than appropriations designated by law as being
for contingency operations directly related to the global war
on terrorism or as an emergency requirement), $79,577,000 are
hereby rescinded.
(including rescission of funds)
Sec. 130. Of the unobligated balances available for ``NATO
Security Investment Program'', from prior appropriations Acts
(other than appropriations designated by law as being for
contingency operations directly related to the global war on
terrorism or as an emergency requirement), $25,000,000 are
hereby rescinded.
(including rescission of funds)
Sec. 131. Of the unobligated balances made available in
prior appropriation Acts for the fund established in section
1013(d) of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan
Development Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 3374) (other than
appropriations designated by law as being for contingency
operations directly related to the global war on terrorism or
as an emergency requirement), $100,000,000 are hereby
rescinded.
Sec. 132. For the purposes of this Act, the term
``congressional defense committees'' means the Committees on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the
Senate, the Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate, and the Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs of the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.
TITLE II
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Veterans Benefits Administration
compensation and pensions
(including transfer of funds)
For the payment of compensation benefits to or on behalf of
veterans and a pilot program for disability examinations as
authorized by section 107 and chapters 11, 13, 18, 51, 53,
55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code; pension benefits
to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by chapters 15, 51,
53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States Code; and burial
benefits, the Reinstated Entitlement Program for Survivors,
emergency and other officers' retirement pay, adjusted-
service credits and certificates, payment of premiums due on
commercial life insurance policies guaranteed under the
provisions of title IV of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
(50 U.S.C. App. 541 et seq.) and for other benefits as
authorized by sections 107, 1312, 1977, and 2106, and
chapters 23, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38, United States
Code, $78,687,709,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That not to exceed $15,430,000 of the amount
appropriated under this heading shall be reimbursed to
``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
Administration'' and ``Information Technology Systems'' for
necessary expenses in implementing the provisions of chapters
51, 53, and 55 of title 38, United States Code, the funding
source for which is specifically provided as the
``Compensation and Pensions'' appropriation: Provided
further, That such sums as may be earned on an actual
qualifying patient basis, shall be reimbursed to ``Medical
Care Collections Fund'' to augment the funding of individual
medical facilities for nursing home care provided to
pensioners as authorized.
readjustment benefits
For the payment of readjustment and rehabilitation benefits
to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by chapters 21, 30,
31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 51, 53, 55, and 61 of title 38,
United States Code, $14,761,862,000, to remain available
until expended: Provided, That expenses for rehabilitation
program services and assistance which the Secretary is
authorized to provide under subsection (a) of section 3104 of
title 38, United States Code, other than under paragraphs
(1), (2), (5), and (11) of that subsection, shall be charged
to this account.
veterans insurance and indemnities
For military and naval insurance, national service life
insurance, servicemen's indemnities, service-disabled
veterans insurance, and veterans mortgage life insurance as
authorized by chapters 19 and 21, title 38, United States
Code, $63,257,000, to remain available until expended.
veterans housing benefit program fund
For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans, such sums as
may be necessary to carry out the program, as authorized by
subchapters I through III of chapter 37 of title 38, United
States Code: Provided, That such costs, including the cost of
modifying such loans, shall be as defined in section 502 of
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That
during fiscal year 2015, within the resources available, not
to exceed $500,000 in gross obligations for direct loans are
authorized for specially adapted housing loans.
In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out the
direct and guaranteed loan programs, $160,881,000.
Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last
word.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
{time} 1500
Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to bring the
House's attention to an important issue.
The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program, also known as VRAP, which
has helped our veterans retrain to develop the skills they need for
jobs of today, expired on March 31. I had planned to offer an amendment
today to reauthorize the program and provide funding for the Veterans
Retraining Assistance Program. However, I understand the amendment
would have been subject to a point of order. Nevertheless, this
critical issue is deserving of the House's attention.
As a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic
Opportunity, I know well the struggles our unemployed veterans face on
a daily basis to reenter the workforce. In my home district in Ventura
County, where I am proud to represent Naval Base Ventura County, we
have a large community of veterans who have sacrificed for our country
and who deserve
[[Page H3325]]
every effort we can to ensure they receive the training they need to
find the jobs they deserve, especially after the recent recession.
It is deeply disappointing that the 113th Congress has allowed this
critical job training program to expire. VRAP helps veterans who are no
longer eligible for the GI Bill to get the training they need at
community colleges and technical schools in high-demand occupations.
One such veteran who is being helped by VRAP is my constituent,
Jonathan Pascua. Jonathan is a first-generation Filipino American from
Oxnard who served in the United States Marine Corps from 1995 to 2013.
As an Active Duty marine, he handled telecommunications on a vessel
in theater during the Iraq war supporting his brothers and sisters who
landed ashore. When Jonathan was preparing to retire from the Marine
Corps, he learned about VRAP through their education benefits class and
signed up for the program. He is currently a full-time student in
Oxnard majoring in business management and is scheduled to graduate in
2015.
As a result of VRAP's expiration, Jonathan may not be able to afford
to continue. That would be devastating for Jonathan and a tragedy for
our country. That is why I introduced H.R. 4149, the bipartisan Help
Hire Our Heroes Act, which has gained support from the American Legion,
Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Association of the United States Navy.
Despite the obvious need for reauthorization of this important
program and this body's solemn obligation to serve our veterans as they
have served our Nation, my bill has still not been brought forward for
a vote. My amendment would have ensured that this critical program
continue, and I am disappointed that I was unable to offer it here
today.
The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program has succeeded in helping
many veterans retrain and find employment, and it should not have been
allowed to lapse. Because our veterans, like Jonathan, were there for
us, it is our duty to be there for them. Therefore, I urge the
leadership of this Chamber to quickly bring forward legislation that
will extend the VRAP program and help our unemployed veterans.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
vocational rehabilitation loans program account
For the cost of direct loans, $10,000, as authorized by
chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code: Provided, That
such costs, including the cost of modifying such loans, shall
be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974: Provided further, That funds made available under
this heading are available to subsidize gross obligations for
the principal amount of direct loans not to exceed
$2,877,000.
Mr. KILMER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Washington is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. KILMER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in support of Project
Labor Agreements.
As the House begins consideration of the annual Department of
Veterans Affairs-Military Construction Appropriations bill later today,
I urge my colleagues to continue to support Project Labor Agreements.
We have a great example of just how effective and efficient PLA
projects can be with the Navy's largest ongoing military construction
project--the construction for the second Explosives Handling Wharf at
Naval Base Kitsap. The Explosive Handling Wharf is a critical component
of our Nation's nuclear deterrent capability. The use of a PLA at a
site of this significance is telling.
The Navy recently shared with me that:
To date, the PLA has performed its primary function by
ensuring no labor disputes interfered with the progress of
work on the project and that the project is on schedule and
the PLA is operating as intended.
Mr. Chairman, why would we remove such a useful tool for military
construction, especially at a time when budgets are tight and
milestones are tighter? Let's stay on the path to success and maintain
the continued use of Project Labor Agreements.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Colorado is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I rise for the purpose of engaging in a
colloquy with the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. Chairman, I believe we can all agree that honoring our Nation's
veterans is of vital importance. They sacrifice so much for us and ask
for so little in return. One thing that means so much to so many
veterans in the Fifth Congressional District of Colorado is the
establishment of a Southern Colorado National VA Cemetery.
Would the chairman agree that it is critical to provide dignified
final resting places for our heroes and that it is important to
conveniently locate them near large veterans populations?
Mr. CULBERSON. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. LAMBORN. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CULBERSON. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Yes, of course, I completely agree with you that one of the
fundamental obligations of the United States of America is to ensure
that these men and women who have served their country have earned that
piece of earth as a convenient and dignified final resting place.
Mr. LAMBORN. I thank the chairman for his words of agreement. Given
the advanced stage of the project and the amount of work that has
already taken place on the Southern Colorado National VA Cemetery,
including land being purchased in southeast Colorado Springs and master
planning due to start in mere months, would the chairman also agree
that it is vital that we work together to ensure that construction is
fully funded in the appropriations process for upcoming fiscal years?
I yield to the gentleman.
Mr. CULBERSON. I completely agree with you, Mr. Lamborn, that this
project is too far along, and it is important that we fund it in fiscal
year 2016, and I will work with you and your colleagues from Colorado
to ensure it is funded.
Mr. LAMBORN. Well, I thank the chairman, and I look forward to
working with him. I appreciate the hard work he does for our military
and for our veterans, including this particular important project. I
pledge to work with him on these and other matters as we seek to honor
our Nation's veterans.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry
out the direct loan program, $361,000, which may be paid to
the appropriation for ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration''.
native american veteran housing loan program account
For administrative expenses to carry out the direct loan
program authorized by subchapter V of chapter 37 of title 38,
United States Code, $1,130,000.
Veterans Health Administration
medical services
For necessary expenses for furnishing, as authorized by
law, inpatient and outpatient care and treatment to
beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs and
veterans described in section 1705(a) of title 38, United
States Code, including care and treatment in facilities not
under the jurisdiction of the Department, and including
medical supplies and equipment, bioengineering services, food
services, and salaries and expenses of healthcare employees
hired under title 38, United States Code, aid to State homes
as authorized by section 1741 of title 38, United States
Code, assistance and support services for caregivers as
authorized by section 1720G of title 38, United States Code,
loan repayments authorized by section 604 of the Caregivers
and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law
111-163; 124 Stat. 1174; 38 U.S.C. 7681 note), and hospital
care and medical services authorized by section 1787 of title
38, United States Code, $47,603,202,000, plus reimbursements,
shall become available on October 1, 2015, and shall remain
available until September 30, 2016: Provided, That
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall establish a priority for the provision
of medical treatment for veterans who have service-connected
disabilities, lower income, or have special needs: Provided
further, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall give priority funding for
the provision of basic medical benefits to veterans in
enrollment priority groups 1 through 6: Provided further,
That notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs may authorize the dispensing of
prescription drugs from Veterans Health Administration
facilities to enrolled veterans with privately written
prescriptions based on
[[Page H3326]]
requirements established by the Secretary: Provided further,
That the implementation of the program described in the
previous proviso shall incur no additional cost to the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
medical support and compliance
For necessary expenses in the administration of the
medical, hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, construction,
supply, and research activities, as authorized by law;
administrative expenses in support of capital policy
activities; and administrative and legal expenses of the
Department for collecting and recovering amounts owed the
Department as authorized under chapter 17 of title 38, United
States Code, and the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act (42
U.S.C. 2651 et seq.), $6,144,000,000, plus reimbursements,
shall become available on October 1, 2015, and shall remain
available until September 30, 2016.
medical facilities
For necessary expenses for the maintenance and operation of
hospitals, nursing homes, domiciliary facilities, and other
necessary facilities of the Veterans Health Administration;
for administrative expenses in support of planning, design,
project management, real property acquisition and
disposition, construction, and renovation of any facility
under the jurisdiction or for the use of the Department; for
oversight, engineering, and architectural activities not
charged to project costs; for repairing, altering, improving,
or providing facilities in the several hospitals and homes
under the jurisdiction of the Department, not otherwise
provided for, either by contract or by the hire of temporary
employees and purchase of materials; for leases of
facilities; and for laundry services, $4,915,000,000, plus
reimbursements, shall become available on October 1, 2015,
and shall remain available until September 30, 2016.
medical and prosthetic research
For necessary expenses in carrying out programs of medical
and prosthetic research and development as authorized by
chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, $588,922,000,
plus reimbursements, shall remain available until September
30, 2016.
National Cemetery Administration
For necessary expenses of the National Cemetery
Administration for operations and maintenance, not otherwise
provided for, including uniforms or allowances therefor;
cemeterial expenses as authorized by law; purchase of one
passenger motor vehicle for use in cemeterial operations;
hire of passenger motor vehicles; and repair, alteration or
improvement of facilities under the jurisdiction of the
National Cemetery Administration, $256,800,000, of which not
to exceed $25,600,000 shall remain available until September
30, 2016.
Departmental Administration
general administration
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary operating expenses of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, not otherwise provided for, including
administrative expenses in support of Department-Wide capital
planning, management and policy activities, uniforms, or
allowances therefor; not to exceed $25,000 for official
reception and representation expenses; hire of passenger
motor vehicles; and reimbursement of the General Services
Administration for security guard services, $321,591,000, of
which not to exceed $16,080,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2016: Provided, That funds provided under this
heading may be transferred to ``General Operating Expenses,
Veterans Benefits Administration''.
Amendment Offered by Ms. Sinema
Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Page 31, line 12, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Page 36, line 5, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000)''.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Arizona is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, the Sinema-Salmon amendment is a
commonsense, budget-neutral fix that helps restore our veterans' trust
in the VA by transferring additional resources to the VA Office of
Inspector General so that it can carry out its mission to provide
oversight and accountability.
Our amendment increases funding for the VA OIG by $1 million and
offsets this increase by reducing VA General Administration funding by
the same amount.
I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Military
Construction and VA appropriations subcommittee, Mr. Culberson and Mr.
Bishop, for supporting this amendment and for working with us on this
issue.
Mr. Chairman, we offer this amendment because the recent allegations
of secret lists and long wait times at the Phoenix VA, which may have
caused some 40 veteran deaths, require answers and action. This is
immoral, unconscionable, irresponsible, and un-American.
We need answers in Phoenix. But this is not an isolated incident. A
December 2012 GAO report found that Veterans Health Administration wait
times are unreliable. Stories of health complications and deaths
because of wait times have surfaced in other parts of the country,
including South Carolina and Texas. That this is happening to the good
people who have defended our flag and our freedoms is beyond the pale.
I have worked on veterans' issues for a long time, and it is wrong
that it took deaths to get action--but there had better be action now.
I vow to help veterans and veteran families in any way I can, and I
urge families to reach out to my office so we can help.
The morning after the story was reported in Arizona, the parents of
Daniel Somers, a veteran who committed suicide in my district last
summer, called me, and they told me that they believe Daniel may have
been one of the 40 on that list.
Our veterans and their families--families like the Somers--need
answers, and we must hold accountable those responsible. That is the
only way that we can restore veterans' trust and the public trust in
the VA health care system.
The Sinema-Salmon amendment, which will improve oversight and
accountability at the VA, is a step towards restoring that trust.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SALMON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. SALMON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the gentlewoman
from the Ninth Congressional District of Arizona, which is right
adjacent to mine. She is my neighbor, and I am proud to cosponsor this
with her to show a strong unity of bipartisanship for our veterans. And
if there isn't a better cause here in Washington, D.C., to stand
bipartisan with, I don't know what it is.
I want to echo some of the things that Congresswoman Sinema has said.
This is unconscionable. And since these allegations have come to light,
we have received numerous phone calls in our district from other like-
minded people that have said, I had a similar circumstance happen to
me.
So when Representative Sinema approached me about cosponsoring this
amendment to allocate $1 million from the general fund of the Veterans
Administration and appropriate it to the IG so that we can get a
thorough investigation, it seems to me that this is the least we can
do.
Why is this important? You might remember just a few years ago that a
gentleman named--I call him gentleman, I think that is a loose term--
Ken Lay, the CEO of Enron, went to prison for cooking the books. Now we
have got some serious allegations about those that are entrusted with a
sacred trust--our veterans' very livelihood--at stake. And I believe
that this group of folks in the Veterans Administration has betrayed
that trust. But we have got to get to the bottom of it.
Why is it important? Because it is the integrity of the system. A lot
of the folks in my district, the veterans, have said that they don't
have the confidence to even be utilizing that system anymore, and so
they are right now going out of network. They are paying out of their
pocket. I have heard many of them say that, as well.
So we, as a Congress, are required to provide oversight for these
kinds of programs and ensure that they are getting the best--not the
mediocre, and certainly not the worst, which I believe is happening
right now in our own State in Arizona--and we demand justice. We demand
some sunshine. Sunshine is the best disinfectant, and we demand some
sunshine on this process. That is why we want to investigate it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this
amendment and urge my colleagues to adopt it. I am, as we all are,
appalled, mortified, and heartsick over these reports out of the
Phoenix VA. It is appalling to think that any veteran who has served
our country would be denied access to medical care, much less lose
their life or have permanent damage to their health.
[[Page H3327]]
I cannot imagine the agony these families are going through, so
therefore the amendment is a good idea to give an additional $1 million
to the inspector general, who is capable of conducting the type of
investigation necessary to determine what actually happened here. In
the instant, if there does, indeed, appear to be deliberate,
intentional refusal to put these folks into the VA system, there will
be criminal charges, and we will make sure of that. We will make sure
that if anyone has been denied service, they are held accountable for
it.
It is an appalling set of circumstances genuinely. It is a terrible
reflection on all the good men and women, the doctors, and the health
care professionals that work throughout the VA system do, do their best
to provide top quality medical care to our veterans as they come out of
Active Duty service to the country.
{time} 1515
So we are anxious to see what the facts are and criminal charges be
pressed if, indeed, it turns out to be as we have seen in the press, so
I strongly support the amendment and urge Members to adopt it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, when I learned of the
allegations of intentional misrepresentation of wait times, which may
have caused some 40 deaths at the Phoenix VA, I was deeply disappointed
and downright disgusted.
I am pleased to see a bipartisan approach, and I believe this
amendment will provide additional resources to the VA Office of
Inspector General to improve oversight and accountability at the VA.
I agree with my colleagues from Arizona that this situation requires
answers and a thorough investigation. I believe Congress should allow
the VA IG to complete its investigation, so the Congress can take
appropriate action, if needed. The last thing I want is a knee-jerk
reaction that could cause additional problems.
I believe this amendment is the right approach, and I fully support
it, and I urge all Members to do the same. I believe that a thorough
investigation of the matter is the only way to restore our veterans'
trust and the public trust in the VA health care system.
We owe it to our veterans to ensure that the VA is providing the best
possible care and that care is timely and accessible. I think this
amendment will help achieve that goal.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this amendment,
which seeks to redirect funds from the general administration account
to the Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general's office.
As a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, I
am a firm believer in oversight of the Federal Government. The more
sunlight on Federal activity, the more honest and efficient it will be.
I am also a strong proponent of the inspector general community.
Since the Inspector General Act was passed into law, the IG community
has saved taxpayers billions of dollars and has uncovered countless
examples of wrongdoing in the Federal Government.
These allegations about the Phoenix VA health care system are
troubling, but I am also a firm believer of the rule of law. These
investigations must be completed in order for us to have these answers.
The answers from the IG report will yield both improvements to the VA
process and hold accountable anyone who has done any harm.
I support this amendment because I support a timely, but thorough
resolution to the investigation. Let us give the IG's office the
resources it needs. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
support passage of this commonsense amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Colorado is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support as the chairman of the
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee for the House Veterans'
Affairs Committee.
I rise in support of the Sinema-Salmon bipartisan amendment to
transfer funds from the general administration line item within the
Department of Veterans Affairs to the Office of Inspector General for
the purpose of really looking into this issue, the issue of veterans
dying from preventable illnesses because, in fact, the VA was playing a
game in the Phoenix VA hospital with appointment times.
My office--my investigators last Monday turned over this ``secret
list'' that the VA was using that they, in fact, are denying today to
the VA Office of Inspector General.
In that list, it will demonstrate that there are veterans with
preventable illnesses that died waiting for an appointment, and we also
know that there were administrators who received bonuses for supposedly
bringing down these wait times for appointments.
My greatest fear is not only that this act which has criminal
implications, this alleged act which has criminal implications,
occurred in the Phoenix VA hospital, but also my concern is that it is
more widespread, it is more systematic, that it is something that the
leadership in the VA has knowingly or unwittingly allowed to occur, and
so I think it is important for us to get down to the bottom of it.
It is a great tragedy that we don't have confidence--certainly, I
don't have confidence in the leadership of the Veterans Administration
in and of themselves to get down to the bottom of it, and it takes the
Office of the Inspector General and that it takes my investigators in
the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee for the House Veterans'
Affairs Committee to uncover these things, bring these things to light,
and move them forward.
So, again, I rise in support of the Sinema-Salmon bipartisan
amendment to transfer moneys from the administration of the Veterans
Administration to the Office of Inspector General to move these
investigations forward; and if, in fact, they are found to be true, I
certainly hope that they are referred to criminal prosecution.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the
Salmon-Sinema amendment to increase funding for the VA Office of the
Inspector General in order to provide accountability at the VA and
increase quality of care.
It has been recently reported that veterans are dying while waiting
for treatment, including at the West Palm Beach VA facility that serves
my district. Following this news, allegations have surfaced that 40
veterans in the Phoenix VA health care system died while being placed
on a secret wait list. This is beyond unacceptable.
Mr. Chairman, it is vital that the inspector general get to the
bottom of these claims as soon as possible so that veterans of the Palm
Beaches, Treasure Coast, and around the country who fought for our
freedoms get the timely and high-quality care they deserve.
I thank my colleagues from Arizona, Congresswoman Sinema and
Congressman Salmon, for their leadership on this pressing issue.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Arizona is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment. It is my
job as ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Oversight and
Investigations Subcommittee to ensure that we get to the bottom of the
allegations that patients died at the Phoenix VA due to delayed care.
I want to ensure that the inspector general has the resources it
needs to conduct a swift and thorough investigation of the Phoenix VA
and at other facilities where treatment delays are reported.
We need to ensure there is accountability and that veterans will
never again wait for the care they deserve.
[[Page H3328]]
Delayed care is denied care, and veterans should never have to fight to
receive care when they have already served and sacrificed for our
country.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BARBER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BARBER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this important
bipartisan amendment that will provide additional funding to support
the VA Office of Inspector General. This will help provide the
oversight and accountability that is currently needed in the VA. As we
all know, recently, allegations of a secret waiting list at the Phoenix
VA health care system may well have led to the preventable deaths of up
to 40 veterans.
I am appalled and infuriated to think that the VA ignored the needs
of those who served our country and forced them to wait months to see a
doctor.
We have demanded that the VA Secretary address these allegations of
falsified records, preventable or premature deaths, mismanagement, and
other systematic problems in the VA; but more must be done. We must
quickly get to the bottom of this and bring about swift action to
prevent a reoccurrence, so that our veterans get prompt access to the
best possible care that they so richly deserve.
The amendment we are introducing will provide the necessary resources
to the VA inspector general that he or she will need to investigate
these horrendous allegations and provide the public and the grieving
families the answers they deserve.
Once the investigation is completed, those who are found responsible
should be quickly held accountable. We must restore our veterans' trust
in the VA health care system, so that our men and women who have
sacrificed so much for our country can finally get the care they have
earned.
As the son of a veteran and a Member of Congress representing 85,000
veterans, Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle
to support this amendment, so we can find the answers and take action
to hold the VA accountable.
Ms. SINEMA. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. BARBER. I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona.
Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chair, I just want to thank the chair of the
committee, Mr. Culberson; our ranking member, Mr. Bishop; and Mr.
Salmon for cosponsoring the amendment, as well as all of my colleagues
from Arizona and around the country for joining together on this
bipartisan amendment.
Mr. BARBER. I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Sinema).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Costa
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R.
4486.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Page 31, line 12, after the first dollar amount, insert the
following: ``(reduced by $10,500,000)''.
Page 32, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert the
following: ``(increased by $10,000,000)''.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Chairman, this bill makes critical investments in our
military and upholds a sacred promise we make to our men and women in
uniform that we will stand by them when they return home, but we can do
more.
My amendment provides additional funding to end what has been a
shameful backlog of disability claims that, for too long, has delayed
benefits for veterans throughout the west coast, especially in the San
Joaquin Valley that I represent.
The Oakland regional office services the majority of veterans
throughout the west coast and in my district. Sadly, it has one of the
largest loads of backlogged casework. Currently, more than 10,000
entitlement claims are stuck in this backlog, and the average claim is
left pending for nearly 400 days, which is over a year. This is
unacceptable. It is immoral.
Yesterday, the Central Valley Honor Flight brought 68 World War II
veterans from California to see the World War II Memorial and other
important monuments in our Nation's capital. These men and women raised
their right hand over 70 years ago and took an oath that they would
defend our Nation and our freedom for the future of democracy
throughout the world.
Their efforts and their honor is without question. This is a depth
that we can never repay. Therefore, it is our obligation to provide
them with the care that they earned for their service to our country.
This amendment I am offering today honors the service of these World
War II veterans and veterans of all the wars who have served our
Nation. Specifically, this amendment provides $10 million to the
Veterans Benefit Administration to pay for programs like the veterans'
claims intake program, the centralized mail initiative, and staff
overtime.
{time} 1530
No one can deny that the Veterans Administration recently has taken
strong and meaningful steps to end the backlog, but we can do more.
They have gone from 2\1/2\ years now to over 400 days. Well, that is
progress, but it is not good enough.
Our work is not complete until we are able to strip every bit of red
tape separating a veteran from the benefits that they have earned and
should receive.
I want to thank my colleagues who have cosponsored this amendment:
Congressman LaMalfa, Congressman Thompson, Congressman Denham, and
Congressman Lowenthal; and I want to thank Chairman Culberson, as well
as Ranking Member Bishop for their efforts and good work on this
important bill.
I hope that we will adopt this amendment, so that we can do the right
thing, which is end this backlog once and for all, so veterans who have
served their country can receive the benefits that they so richly
deserve.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank my colleague Mr.
Costa and my other California colleagues, as well as everybody in this
body that seeks to make things right with our veterans and the VA.
While I always support reasonable spending, I would rather direct
appropriate funding from the general fund towards the issue that is
causing all the other horrendous issues at the VA. It is the backlog of
veterans' claims.
All the illegal and unthinkable activities that have been uncovered
in the last year, much of it, I believe, stems from the backlog that is
only going to increase if the VA does not get things right and quickly.
I have veterans in my district that have claims that have been
pending for over a year. This is simply unacceptable--in many cases,
well over a year; in some cases, decades.
Much like Mr. Costa, my veterans feed into the Oakland VA. This
facility has the longest wait time for claims to be finished in all of
the U.S. Our veterans do not deserve this. Something has to change, and
it has to happen now. Today, we are drawing a line in the sand that
this backlog is unacceptable.
My hope is that this amendment offered by Mr. Costa, Mr. Thompson,
myself, and several others will be a step in the right direction in
getting these claims closed in a fair and timely manner. We are giving
the VA the necessary resources to get this done. We expect them to
actually get it done.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gentleman's
amendment. Along with the electronic medical records, there is no more
important thing this committee and this Congress can do to help our
veterans to ensure the rapid disposal of this terrible backlog in
disability claims.
I fully support the amendment. It builds on the $20 million increase
we have already provided in the bill. I assure my colleagues that Mr.
Bishop and I will continue to exercise aggressive oversight to ensure
the money is
[[Page H3329]]
spent wisely and carefully to reduce the backlog and that the VA meet
their deadlines to get the backlog disposed of as quickly as humanly
possible.
I support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Chairman, first, I rise in support of the Costa
amendment.
I also want to thank Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop and
also Representative Costa for the time that they have given me to speak
about this. My congressional district is home to the Long Beach VA,
which is one of the largest institutions for veterans in southern
California.
In California, there is currently one congressional affairs analyst
to assist 33 congressional offices that have questions about casework.
There are delays in responses to congressional caseworkers and an even
longer delay in aid and attendance claims, particularly when those
claims regard elderly frail veterans with rapidly declining health
issues and sometimes, unfortunately, approval comes too late.
While it is critically important that we provide overtime pay for
workers who are already stretched thin--and I think that is critically
important--I also encourage the department to use some of these funds
to hire additional staff.
I urge my colleagues to support the Costa amendment to H.R. 4486 and
encourage the Veterans Benefits Administration to hire more staff to
address the VA backlog and to help our Nation's veterans.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from California (Mr. Costa).
The amendment was agreed to.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
board of veterans appeals
For necessary operating expenses of the Board of Veterans
Appeals, $94,294,000, of which not to exceed $9,429,000 shall
remain available until September 30, 2016.
general operating expenses, veterans benefits administration
For necessary operating expenses of the Veterans Benefits
Administration, not otherwise provided for, including hire of
passenger motor vehicles, reimbursement of the General
Services Administration for security guard services, and
reimbursement of the Department of Defense for the cost of
overseas employee mail, $2,514,254,000: Provided, That
expenses for services and assistance authorized under
paragraphs (1), (2), (5), and (11) of section 3104(a) of
title 38, United States Code, that the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs determines are necessary to enable entitled veterans:
(1) to the maximum extent feasible, to become employable and
to obtain and maintain suitable employment; or (2) to achieve
maximum independence in daily living, shall be charged to
this account: Provided further, That of the funds made
available under this heading, not to exceed $125,000,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2016.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Ruiz
Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Page 32, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $5,000,000)(increased by $5,000,000)''.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R.
4486, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act.
This amendment is for the brave men and women who have served our
country, our veterans. Right now, in my district and across the Nation,
thousands of veterans who have sacrificed for our country are
struggling to receive access to benefits that they have earned. This is
due to the enormous claims backlog at the Veterans Affairs
Administration.
Currently, California is home to almost 2 million veterans, almost
140,000 in Riverside County alone. There is an additional 40,000
veterans expected to return to the State every year for the next
several years.
As our troops continue to return home and assimilate back into
civilian life, it is critical we are able to keep faith with our
veterans and ensure they have timely access to critical benefits.
Too often, Washington becomes bogged down with statistics on a page
or numbers on a screen that show how this backlog is affecting
veterans, but the people this is affecting are not just a statistic.
They are men and women, like retired Air Force Master Sergeant Andrew
Walker and his family from Beaumont, California, who I represent.
Mr. Walker and his family struggled with the VA, waiting years on
end, without receiving the critical health benefits he earned and
needed. Due to what seemed like an insurmountable claims backlog, Mr.
Walker told me that he suffered pain and frustration, leading to
hopelessness and despair. He felt dejected and lost. This is
unconscionable and no way to treat a veteran and his family.
I am thankful I was able to help resolve Mr. Walker's claim, but the
reality is there are many more stories just like this one that continue
every day across the country. It is critical that we as a Nation work
urgently to address the claims backlog.
That is why I am offering this amendment to advocate for an
additional $5 million to fund the digital scanning of health and
benefits files to reduce the backlog by redirecting funding within the
general operating expenses account of the Veterans Benefits
Administration.
This amendment simply directs funds towards the digital scanning of
health and benefit files that will reduce the claims backlog without
any new spending. As an emergency medicine physician, I understand the
importance of efficiency in health care.
By committing resources to digitizing health and benefit files, we
will further increase VA's capacity to tackle the claims backlog,
ensuring veterans receive the benefits that they have earned in a
timely manner.
Let us continue to bear in mind that these men and women have served
this country and they have put their lives on the line. We must serve
them by making certain that Congress focuses on eliminating the claims
backlog for good.
I encourage my colleagues to stand up for veterans and support my
pragmatic amendment to reduce the veterans' claims processing time.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gentleman's
amendment.
This is something that we have all worked together arm in arm and
welcome the additional resources with the assurance to our employers--
the taxpayers--that we will provide aggressive oversight and ensure
that the money is actually used to reduce the backlog as fast as
humanly possible and, above all, to enforce the law because the
greatest check and balance we have as guardians of the Treasury and
good stewards of our taxpayers' hard-earned tax dollars is the power of
the purse.
I welcome the gentleman's amendment and look forward to supporting
it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from California (Mr. Ruiz).
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last
word.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Washington is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Chairman, I would like to engage in a
colloquy of the subcommittee leadership.
First off, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for
agreeing to work with me on an issue that is very important to former
servicemembers.
After a decade at war, many women servicemembers, for instance, are
at risk for reproductive and urinary tract problems. This risk results
from deployment conditions and a lack of predeployment women's health
information.
In addition, the nature of the current conflict and increasing use of
improvised explosive devices have left servicemembers with blast
injuries that include spinal cord injury and trauma to the reproductive
and urinary tracts.
[[Page H3330]]
The result is a severe impact to these servicemembers and their
ability to create and raise a family upon their return from the
battlefield.
According to the Department of Defense, between 2003 and 2011, nearly
2,000 women and men suffered these life-changing battle injuries during
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Disabled veterans have already paid much too high a price in service
to our country. They should not have to pay a higher cost when they
come home to try to start a family. The Department of Veterans Affairs
cannot provide the care that they need.
While the Department of Defense and TRICARE are already able to
provide the necessary treatment to servicemembers with these injuries,
the VA services are not able to meet the complex needs of severely
injured veterans.
I hope I can continue to call up on the able leadership of the
subcommittee to help resolve this issue as we move forward on this bill
and move it to conference.
With that, I yield to the ranking member.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I would like to thank the gentleman from
Washington for bringing this issue to our attention. I will certainly
work with you, as well I am sure the chairman will and the members of
our subcommittee, as we go forward to find a meaningful solution to
this problem.
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. I want to thank the ranking member and the
leadership of the subcommittee, Mr. Chairman.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
information technology systems
(including transfer of funds)
For necessary expenses for information technology systems
and telecommunications support, including developmental
information systems and operational information systems; for
pay and associated costs; and for the capital asset
acquisition of information technology systems, including
management and related contractual costs of said
acquisitions, including contractual costs associated with
operations authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United
States Code, $3,870,552,000, plus reimbursements: Provided,
That $1,039,000,000 shall be for pay and associated costs, of
which not to exceed $31,170,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2016: Provided further, That $2,283,217,000
shall be for operations and maintenance, of which not to
exceed $160,000,000 shall remain available until September
30, 2016: Provided further, That $548,335,000 shall be for
information technology systems development, modernization,
and enhancement, and shall remain available until September
30, 2016: Provided further, That amounts made available for
information technology systems development, modernization,
and enhancement may not be obligated or expended until the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the Chief Information
Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs submits to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a
certification of the amounts, in parts or in full, to be
obligated and expended for each development project: Provided
further, That amounts made available for salaries and
expenses, operations and maintenance, and information
technology systems development, modernization, and
enhancement may be transferred among the three subaccounts
after the Secretary of Veterans Affairs requests from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the
authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued:
Provided further, That amounts made available for the
``Information Technology Systems'' account for development,
modernization, and enhancement may be transferred among
projects or to newly defined projects: Provided further, That
no project may be increased or decreased by more than
$1,000,000 of cost prior to submitting a request to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress to
make the transfer and an approval is issued, or absent a
response, a period of 30 days has elapsed: Provided further,
That funds under this heading may be used by the Interagency
Program Office through the Department of Veterans Affairs to
develop a standard data reference terminology model: Provided
further, That of the funds made available for information
technology systems development, modernization, and
enhancement for VistA Evolution, not more than 25 percent may
be obligated or expended until the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs submits to the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress, and such Committees approve, a report
that describes: (1) the status of VistA Evolution project
development and any corrective actions taken where the plan
established in the VistA Evolution program plan (hereinafter
referred to as the ``Plan''), VistA 4 product roadmap
(Roadmap), or the VistA Evolution cost estimate, dated March
24, 2014 may have fallen short; (2) any changes to the scope
of the VistA Evolution program as established in the Plan;
(3) actual program costs incurred and any refinements to the
cost estimate presented in the Plan based on actual costs
incurred; (4) progress in meeting the schedule milestones
that have been established in the Plan; (5) program
performance relative to the performance measures that have
been identified in the Plan and the Roadmap; (6) plans for
testing the VistA system and test results; (7) VistA
Evolution program risks and issues that have been identified
and any agency responses to such risks and issues; (8) the
effort to achieve interoperability between the electronic
health record systems of the Department of Defense and the
Department of Veterans Affairs, including the scope, cost,
schedule, and performance benchmarks of the interoperable
record; and (9) progress toward developing and implementing
the interoperable electronic health record throughout the two
Departments' medical facilities: Provided further, That the
funds made available under this heading for information
technology systems development, modernization, and
enhancement, shall be for the projects, and in the amounts,
specified under this heading in the report accompanying this
Act.
office of inspector general
For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General,
to include information technology, in carrying out the
provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C.
App.), $121,411,000, of which $10,000,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2016.
construction, major projects
For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of
the facilities, including parking projects, under the
jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, or for any of the purposes set forth in sections
316, 2404, 2406, and chapter 81 of title 38, United States
Code, not otherwise provided for, including planning,
architectural and engineering services, construction
management services, maintenance or guarantee period services
costs associated with equipment guarantees provided under the
project, services of claims analysts, offsite utility and
storm drainage system construction costs, and site
acquisition, where the estimated cost of a project is more
than the amount set forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title
38, United States Code, or where funds for a project were
made available in a previous major project appropriation,
$561,800,000, of which $527,800,000 shall remain available
until September 30, 2019, and of which $34,000,000 shall
remain available until expended: Provided, That except for
advance planning activities, including needs assessments
which may or may not lead to capital investments, and other
capital asset management related activities, including
portfolio development and management activities, and
investment strategy studies funded through the advance
planning fund and the planning and design activities funded
through the design fund, including needs assessments which
may or may not lead to capital investments, and salaries and
associated costs of the resident engineers who oversee those
capital investments funded through this account, and funds
provided for the purchase of land for the National Cemetery
Administration through the land acquisition line item, none
of the funds made available under this heading shall be used
for any project which has not been approved by the Congress
in the budgetary process: Provided further, That funds made
available under this heading for fiscal year 2015, for each
approved project shall be obligated: (1) by the awarding of a
construction documents contract by September 30, 2015; and
(2) by the awarding of a construction contract by September
30, 2016: Provided further, That the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall promptly submit to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a written report on
any approved major construction project for which obligations
are not incurred within the time limitations established
above.
construction, minor projects
For constructing, altering, extending, and improving any of
the facilities, including parking projects, under the
jurisdiction or for the use of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, including planning and assessments of needs which
may lead to capital investments, architectural and
engineering services, maintenance or guarantee period
services costs associated with equipment guarantees provided
under the project, services of claims analysts, offsite
utility and storm drainage system construction costs, and
site acquisition, or for any of the purposes set forth in
sections 316, 2404, 2406, and chapter 81 of title 38, United
States Code, not otherwise provided for, where the estimated
cost of a project is equal to or less than the amount set
forth in section 8104(a)(3)(A) of title 38, United States
Code, $495,200,000, to remain available until September 30,
2019, along with unobligated balances of previous
``Construction, Minor Projects'' appropriations which are
hereby made available for any project where the estimated
cost is equal to or less than the amount set forth in such
section: Provided, That funds made available under this
heading shall be for: (1) repairs to any of the nonmedical
facilities under the jurisdiction or for the use of the
Department which are necessary because of loss or damage
caused by any natural disaster or catastrophe; and (2)
temporary measures necessary to prevent or to minimize
further loss by such causes.
[[Page H3331]]
grants for construction of state extended care facilities
For grants to assist States to acquire or construct State
nursing home and domiciliary facilities and to remodel,
modify, or alter existing hospital, nursing home, and
domiciliary facilities in State homes, for furnishing care to
veterans as authorized by sections 8131 through 8137 of title
38, United States Code, $80,000,000, to remain available
until expended.
grants for construction of veterans cemeteries
For grants to assist States and tribal organizations in
establishing, expanding, or improving veterans cemeteries as
authorized by section 2408 of title 38, United States Code,
$45,000,000, to remain available until expended.
Administrative Provisions
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 201. Any appropriation for fiscal year 2015 for
``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and
``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' may be transferred as
necessary to any other of the mentioned appropriations:
Provided, That before a transfer may take place, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the
authority to make the transfer and such Committees issue an
approval, or absent a response, a period of 30 days has
elapsed.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 202. Amounts made available for the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2015, in this Act or any
other Act, under the ``Medical Services'', ``Medical Support
and Compliance'', and ``Medical Facilities'' accounts may be
transferred among the accounts: Provided, That any transfers
between the ``Medical Services'' and ``Medical Support and
Compliance'' accounts of 1 percent or less of the total
amount appropriated to the account in this or any other Act
may take place subject to notification from the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress of the amount and purpose of the transfer:
Provided further, That any transfers between the ``Medical
Services'' and ``Medical Support and Compliance'' accounts in
excess of 1 percent, or exceeding the cumulative 1 percent
for the fiscal year, may take place only after the Secretary
requests from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress the authority to make the transfer and an
approval is issued: Provided further, That any transfers to
or from the ``Medical Facilities'' account may take place
only after the Secretary requests from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress the authority to
make the transfer and an approval is issued.
Sec. 203. Appropriations available in this title for
salaries and expenses shall be available for services
authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code;
hire of passenger motor vehicles; lease of a facility or land
or both; and uniforms or allowances therefore, as authorized
by sections 5901 through 5902 of title 5, United States Code.
Sec. 204. No appropriations in this title (except the
appropriations for ``Construction, Major Projects'' and
``Construction, Minor Projects'') shall be available for the
purchase of any site for or toward the construction of any
new hospital or home.
Sec. 205. No appropriations in this title shall be
available for hospitalization or examination of any persons
(except beneficiaries entitled to such hospitalization or
examination under the laws providing such benefits to
veterans, and persons receiving such treatment under sections
7901 through 7904 of title 5, United States Code, or the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.)), unless reimbursement of the
cost of such hospitalization or examination is made to the
``Medical Services'' account at such rates as may be fixed by
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 206. Appropriations available in this title for
``Compensation and Pensions'', ``Readjustment Benefits'', and
``Veterans Insurance and Indemnities'' shall be available for
payment of prior year accrued obligations required to be
recorded by law against the corresponding prior year accounts
within the last quarter of fiscal year 2014.
Sec. 207. Appropriations available in this title shall be
available to pay prior year obligations of corresponding
prior year appropriations accounts resulting from sections
3328(a), 3334, and 3712(a) of title 31, United States Code,
except that if such obligations are from trust fund accounts
they shall be payable only from ``Compensation and
Pensions''.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 208. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
during fiscal year 2015, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall, from the National Service Life Insurance Fund under
section 1920 of title 38, United States Code, the Veterans'
Special Life Insurance Fund under section 1923 of title 38,
United States Code, and the United States Government Life
Insurance Fund under section 1955 of title 38, United States
Code, reimburse the ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans
Benefits Administration'' and ``Information Technology
Systems'' accounts for the cost of administration of the
insurance programs financed through those accounts: Provided,
That reimbursement shall be made only from the surplus
earnings accumulated in such an insurance program during
fiscal year 2015 that are available for dividends in that
program after claims have been paid and actuarially
determined reserves have been set aside: Provided further,
That if the cost of administration of such an insurance
program exceeds the amount of surplus earnings accumulated in
that program, reimbursement shall be made only to the extent
of such surplus earnings: Provided further, That the
Secretary shall determine the cost of administration for
fiscal year 2015 which is properly allocable to the provision
of each such insurance program and to the provision of any
total disability income insurance included in that insurance
program.
Sec. 209. Amounts deducted from enhanced-use lease
proceeds to reimburse an account for expenses incurred by
that account during a prior fiscal year for providing
enhanced-use lease services, may be obligated during the
fiscal year in which the proceeds are received.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 210. Funds available in this title or funds for
salaries and other administrative expenses shall also be
available to reimburse the Office of Resolution Management of
the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Office of
Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication under
section 319 of title 38, United States Code, for all services
provided at rates which will recover actual costs but not to
exceed $42,904,000 for the Office of Resolution Management
and $3,400,000 for the Office of Employment Discrimination
Complaint Adjudication: Provided, That payments may be made
in advance for services to be furnished based on estimated
costs: Provided further, That amounts received shall be
credited to the ``General Administration'' and ``Information
Technology Systems'' accounts for use by the office that
provided the service.
Sec. 211. No appropriations in this title shall be
available to enter into any new lease of real property if the
estimated annual rental cost is more than $1,000,000, unless
the Secretary submits a report which the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress approve within 30
days following the date on which the report is received.
Sec. 212. No funds of the Department of Veterans Affairs
shall be available for hospital care, nursing home care, or
medical services provided to any person under chapter 17 of
title 38, United States Code, for a non-service-connected
disability described in section 1729(a)(2) of such title,
unless that person has disclosed to the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, in such form as the Secretary may require, current,
accurate third-party reimbursement information for purposes
of section 1729 of such title: Provided, That the Secretary
may recover, in the same manner as any other debt due the
United States, the reasonable charges for such care or
services from any person who does not make such disclosure as
required: Provided further, That any amounts so recovered for
care or services provided in a prior fiscal year may be
obligated by the Secretary during the fiscal year in which
amounts are received.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 213. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
proceeds or revenues derived from enhanced-use leasing
activities (including disposal) may be deposited into the
``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor
Projects'' accounts and be used for construction (including
site acquisition and disposition), alterations, and
improvements of any medical facility under the jurisdiction
or for the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such
sums as realized are in addition to the amount provided for
in ``Construction, Major Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor
Projects''.
Sec. 214. Amounts made available under ``Medical
Services'' are available--
(1) for furnishing recreational facilities, supplies, and
equipment; and
(2) for funeral expenses, burial expenses, and other
expenses incidental to funerals and burials for beneficiaries
receiving care in the Department.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 215. Such sums as may be deposited to the Medical
Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38,
United States Code, may be transferred to ``Medical
Services'', to remain available until expended for the
purposes of that account.
Sec. 216. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into
agreements with Indian tribes and tribal organizations which
are party to the Alaska Native Health Compact with the Indian
Health Service, and Indian tribes and tribal organizations
serving rural Alaska which have entered into contracts with
the Indian Health Service under the Indian Self Determination
and Educational Assistance Act, to provide healthcare,
including behavioral health and dental care. The Secretary
shall require participating veterans and facilities to comply
with all appropriate rules and regulations, as established by
the Secretary. The term ``rural Alaska'' shall mean those
lands sited within the external boundaries of the Alaska
Native regions specified in sections 7(a)(1)-(4) and (7)-(12)
of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, as amended (43
U.S.C. 1606), and those lands within the Alaska Native
regions specified in sections 7(a)(5) and 7(a)(6) of the
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, as amended (43 U.S.C.
1606), which are not within the boundaries of the
municipality of Anchorage, the Fairbanks North Star Borough,
the Kenai Peninsula Borough or the Matanuska Susitna Borough.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 217. Such sums as may be deposited to the Department
of Veterans Affairs Capital
[[Page H3332]]
Asset Fund pursuant to section 8118 of title 38, United
States Code, may be transferred to the ``Construction, Major
Projects'' and ``Construction, Minor Projects'' accounts, to
remain available until expended for the purposes of these
accounts.
Sec. 218. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to implement any policy prohibiting the Directors
of the Veterans Integrated Services Networks from conducting
outreach or marketing to enroll new veterans within their
respective Networks.
Sec. 219. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress a quarterly report on the financial status of the
Veterans Health Administration.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 220. Amounts made available under the ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'', ``Medical
Facilities'', ``General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits
Administration'', ``General Administration'', and ``National
Cemetery Administration'' accounts for fiscal year 2015 may
be transferred to or from the ``Information Technology
Systems'' account: Provided, That before a transfer may take
place, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall request from
the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress
the authority to make the transfer and an approval is issued.
Sec. 221. Of the amounts made available to the Department
of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2015, in this Act or any
other Act, under the ``Medical Facilities'' account for
nonrecurring maintenance, not more than 20 percent of the
funds made available shall be obligated during the last 2
months of that fiscal year: Provided, That the Secretary may
waive this requirement after providing written notice to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 222. Of the amounts appropriated to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2015 for ``Medical
Services'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'', ``Medical
Facilities'', ``Construction, Minor Projects'', and
``Information Technology Systems'', up to $252,366,000, plus
reimbursements, may be transferred to the Joint Department of
Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility
Demonstration Fund, established by section 1704 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010
(Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 3571) and may be used for
operation of the facilities designated as combined Federal
medical facilities as described by section 706 of the Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4500): Provided, That
additional funds may be transferred from accounts designated
in this section to the Joint Department of Defense-Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund upon
written notification by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to
the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 223. Such sums as may be deposited to the Medical
Care Collections Fund pursuant to section 1729A of title 38,
United States Code, for healthcare provided at facilities
designated as combined Federal medical facilities as
described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law
110-417; 122 Stat. 4500) shall also be available: (1) for
transfer to the Joint Department of Defense-Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund,
established by section 1704 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84;
123 Stat. 3571); and (2) for operations of the facilities
designated as combined Federal medical facilities as
described by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law
110-417; 122 Stat. 4500).
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 224. Of the amounts available in this title for
``Medical Services'', ``Medical Support and Compliance'', and
``Medical Facilities'', a minimum of $15,000,000 shall be
transferred to the DOD-VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund,
as authorized by section 8111(d) of title 38, United States
Code, to remain available until expended, for any purpose
authorized by section 8111 of title 38, United States Code.
(including rescissions of funds)
Sec. 225. (a) Of the funds appropriated in title II of
division J of Public Law 113-76, the following amounts which
become available on October 1, 2014, are hereby rescinded
from the following accounts in the amounts specified:
(1) ``Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Services'',
$1,400,000,000.
(2) ``Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Support and
Compliance'', $100,000,000.
(3) ``Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Facilities'',
$250,000,000.
(b) In addition to amounts provided elsewhere in this Act,
an additional amount is appropriated to the following
accounts in the amounts specified to remain available until
September 30, 2016:
(1) ``Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Services'',
$1,400,000,000.
(2) ``Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Support and
Compliance'', $100,000,000.
(3) ``Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Facilities'',
$250,000,000.
Sec. 226. The Secretary of the Department of Veterans
Affairs shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress of all bid savings in major construction
projects that total at least $5,000,000, or 5 percent of the
programmed amount of the project, whichever is less:
Provided, That such notification shall occur within 14 days
of a contract identifying the programmed amount: Provided
further, That the Secretary shall notify the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 14 days prior to
the obligation of such bid savings and shall describe the
anticipated use of such savings.
Sec. 227. The scope of work for a project included in
``Construction, Major Projects'' may not be increased above
the scope specified for that project in the original
justification data provided to the Congress as part of the
request for appropriations.
Sec. 228. The Secretary of the Department of Veterans
Affairs shall provide on a quarterly basis to the Committees
on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress notification of
any single national outreach and awareness marketing campaign
in which obligations exceed $2,000,000.
Sec. 229. The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a reprogramming
request if at any point during fiscal year 2015, the funding
allocated for a medical care initiative identified in the
fiscal year 2015 expenditure plan is adjusted by more than
$25,000,000 from the allocation shown in the corresponding
congressional budget justification. Such a reprogramming
request may go forward only if the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress approve the request
or if a period of 14 days has elapsed.
Sec. 230. Of the funds provided to the Department of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2015 for ``Medical
Services'' and ``Medical Support and Compliance'', a maximum
of $8,371,000 may be obligated from the ``Medical Services''
account and a maximum of $114,703,000 may be obligated from
the ``Medical Support and Compliance'' account for the VistA
Evolution and electronic health record interoperability
projects: Provided, That funds in addition to these amounts
may be obligated for the VistA Evolution and electronic
health record interoperability projects upon written
notification by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 231. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide
written notification to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress 15 days prior to organizational
changes which result in the transfer of 25 or more full-time
equivalents from one organizational unit of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to another.
Mr. CULBERSON (during the reading). Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous
consent that the remainder of the bill through page 53, line 25, be
considered as read, printed in the Record, and open to amendment at any
point in order to expedite the process.
The CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from
Texas?
There was no objection.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
Sec. 232. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to award a contract to any contractor if the past
performance of the contractor resulted in the completion of a
constructon project at a facility of the Department of
Veterans Affairs more than 24 months after the original
agreed-upon completion date for the project.
(including rescission of funds)
Sec. 233. Of the unobligated balances available to the
Department of Veterans Affairs from prior year discretionary
appropriations (other than appropriations designated by law
as being for an emergency requirement) $38,000,000 are hereby
rescinded.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Terry
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Page 54, after line 12, insert the following:
Sec. 224. None of the funds made available in this Act for
``Department of Veterans Affairs--Departmental
Administration--General Administration'' for administrative
expenses of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may be
obligated or expended until the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
meets with the Nebraska delegation to discuss alternative
options for the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital
planned for construction in Omaha, Nebraska.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the
gentleman's amendment.
The CHAIR. A point of order is reserved.
The gentleman from Nebraska is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Chairman, I first want to thank my colleagues on the
VA-MilCon Subcommittee--in particular, Mr. Fortenberry and Mr.
Culberson and their staff--for their excellent work on this legislation
in helping me facilitate this amendment and discussion.
[[Page H3333]]
I also want to thank, of course, the committee staff, who has just
been wonderful.
{time} 1545
My amendment would require that no funds in this appropriations bill
shall be used for the administrative expenses until the Secretary meets
with the Nebraska delegation. The Secretary's calendar should never be
so busy that he cannot meet with an entire delegation.
Mr. Chairman, on June 6 of 2013--almost 11 months ago--our delegation
asked for a meeting with Secretary Shinseki. When I say ``delegation,''
I mean all of the House Members and both Senators signed on to this
letter, which I will submit for the Record.
Congress of the United States,
Washington, DC, June 6, 2013.
Hon. Eric K. Shinseki,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Secretary Shinseki: We respectfully ask for a personal
meeting with you to discuss the current state of the Veterans
Affairs (VA) hospital in Omaha, Nebraska.
We are pleased that Omaha is on the VA's construction list
and as such will someday have a new facility built. However,
as number 18 out of 20 on the VA's major construction
projects list, the reality seems to indicate that there is a
small chance a new facility will be built by the end of the
decade. As the condition of the current facility continues to
deteriorate and the new hospital's timeline continues to
slide, veterans in the Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care
System will be placed at risk of not receiving the proper
health care that they have come to know and deserve.
The situation with the Omaha VA hospital is dire. The
management and staff are doing their best, but unforeseen
circumstances have provided obstacles to ensuring our
veterans receive quality care. For example, operating rooms
were closed in March 2013 due to failing humidifiers. Though
the situation is being addressed, we are concerned that the
aging facility will only continue to face operational
challenges and will continue to require significant
maintenance in order to keep it functioning until a new
facility can be built. Another major issue is the condition
of the boilers, air conditioners, and emergency generators.
Without replacement soon the Omaha VA Hospital could face
major shutdowns for complex and costly replacements of this
equipment.
The veterans of Nebraska and western Iowa, who rely on this
declining facility, need to know that the VA has valid and
viable plans in place to continue the excellent care they
receive without avoidable interruptions or endangerment to
their health and welfare. We ask that you meet with us to
discuss these items so we, as the Nebraska delegation, can
communicate to and alleviate the concerns of our veteran
constituents.
Several questions we would like to discuss with you
include:
How does the VA establish funding priorities for
construction of new VA hospitals and whether or not the major
construction list will be re-evaluated based on the current
status of existing facilities?
When is Omaha's facility reasonably expected to begin
physical construction?
What is the VA's plan to fund unexpected and required
repairs to continue Omaha's operations until a new facility
is completed?
What is preventing the VA from placing higher priority on
seriously degrading facilities such as the Omaha VA hospital?
What are other possible solutions/options for a new
hospital and is the VA open to exploring these possibilities?
Please let us know as soon as possible as to your
availability to meet in June. Time is of the essence. Please
ask your staff to coordinate with Katie Amacio, scheduler for
Senator Johanns, at kathleen_amacio@johanns
.senate.gov. Ms. Amacio will coordinate with the rest of the
delegation.
We look forward to working with you to best serve our
nation's cherished heroes, our veterans.
Sincerely,
Lee Terry,
Member of Congress,
Adrian Smith,
Member of Congress,
Jeff Fortenberry,
Member of Congress,
Mike Johanns,
United States Senator,
Deb Fischer,
United States Senator.
____
Congress of the United States,
Washington, DC, November 1, 2013.
Hon. Eric K. Shinseki,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Secretary Shinseki: On June 6, 2013, we wrote you a
letter requesting a meeting to discuss the Veterans Affairs
(VA) hospital in Omaha, Nebraska and to discuss options
regarding the current hospital situation, as well as a
timeline and options for the new facility. We would like to
meet with you as soon as possible to talk with you about our
concerns.
We appreciate that your staff offered to meet with us.
However, the situation at our VA hospital is so grave that
this meeting requires your personal attention. As noted in
our letter of June 6th, the condition of the current facility
is problematic, while the new hospital's timeline continues
to slide. Veterans in the Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care
System may be placed at risk of not receiving the proper
health care that they have come to know and deserve if
something is not done very soon to rectify the current
situation.
Our communications with your congressional affairs staff
have been numerous in the hopes that we could work to find a
mutually agreeable time to meet. It is now the beginning of
November and we are still anxiously awaiting the opportunity
to meet. In the meantime, our veterans continue to seek
treatment at a facility that has outlived its usefulness.
Given your longstanding service to our country, we know that
you share the goal of giving the best possible care to those
who have served our nation so bravely. We respectfully
request that a meeting be scheduled as early as possible.
Please contact Congressman Terry's Chief of Staff, Mark
Anderson, to arrange a meeting. He can be reached via email
at Mark.A[email protected]. He will coordinate a date
and time for our meeting with you.
We believe that you are as interested as we are in serving
those who deserve it most, our nation's veterans who depend
upon the Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System. We know
that we can work together to solve the problems at the Omaha
facility and begin making the dreams of a new hospital a
reality.
We look forward to hearing from your office in the coming
days.
Sincerely,
Lee Terry,
Member of Congress,
Jeff Fortenberry,
Member of Congress,
Adrian Smith,
Member of Congress,
Mike Johanns,
United States Senate,
Deb Fischer,
United States Senate.
Mr. TERRY. Now, the purpose of this inquiry was to discuss some
health care alternatives for the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care
System. Our hospital for 170,000 area veterans is in serious
disrepair--boilers, HVAC, emergency generators. The very sewer and
water pipes are literally duct-taped together. We have heard that it is
the second worst hospital infrastructure in all of their hospital
inventory. Even last March, the operating rooms had to be closed down
due to failing humidifiers. We are talking about the basic functioning
of this hospital that is out of date.
Without replacement soon, the hospital could face additional major
shutdowns for the complex and costly replacements of this
infrastructure. Currently, we are on the list to be built somewhere
around '18-'20, but the reality is, for years now, the list hasn't
moved. Now our VA employees are being told that it will be somewhere in
the 2021-2022 range. I fear it will be even later than that before the
new inpatient tower can be built.
Why do we need to talk to the general, or to Secretary Shinseki,
about this hospital?
It is that there are alternatives available in our community that we
need to discuss with the decision maker.
I will tell you that, even though we made the request in June of
2013--as we head into May of 2014 now--they did get back to us in
November of '13 when they said that we could meet with a low-level
employee. So the entire delegation rewrote a letter in November,
rejecting a meeting with the low-level employee. We need to meet with
the Secretary, the decision maker, on these types of alternatives that
would be available and that are, frankly, much cheaper than the $600
million budgeted.
The Secretary then did call back in December when the House was out
of session and when the Senate was wrapping up, I think it was, the
debt resolution issue for Friday, but even the Senators left on
Wednesday. They at late notice scheduled a meeting, but that was when
no one was here. We have made numerous requests for additional meetings
to discuss these great options that would be available. Some of them
would involve a leaseback type of provision by which people would put
up the money, build the hospital, and then lease it back, reducing the
burdens on the VA's budget, but we have no one to talk to. That is why
I am saying let's hold back the administrative budget until the head of
the administration for the VA meets with the Nebraska delegation on
this really important safety and health issue for our veterans.
I yield to my colleague, Jeff Fortenberry, from Lincoln, Nebraska.
[[Page H3334]]
Mr. FORTENBERRY. I thank my friend and colleague, Congressman Terry,
for his steadfast commitment in trying to find some creative resolution
for this problem.
Mr. Chairman, he is very right in outlining this timeline of
frustrations that we have had in dealing with the VA and in simply
trying to get a hearing to discuss innovative ideas that are
potentially out there to resolve this very difficult situation that we
have in giving veterans the highest service that they deserve.
I did want to mention to my colleague and thank Chairman Culberson as
well for working with me on getting some language in the current bill
that, hopefully, gets us out of this dilemma and reframes it.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. McClintock). The time of the gentleman has
expired.
Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Nebraska is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I would like to read the language that
is in this bill.
It reads:
Alternative Financing:
The committee is concerned about meeting the need for
access to high-quality veterans' health care facilities,
including in rural areas where access to facilities,
including clinics and hospitals, is more limited. The
committee directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to work
collaboratively with other executive branch agencies with
substantial construction portfolios, private sector
contractors and other nongovernmental experts, together with
the appropriate congressional committees, to explore the
feasibility of employing new funding mechanisms to meet the
need for such facilities, including but not limited to
private development leaseback arrangements, and to provide a
report on their conclusions to the committee no later than
September 30 of this year.
So it is right around the corner. We did not want this to linger any
longer.
A bit of a new development I should bring up as well is that the VA
Secretary did appear before our committee. I laid out some of these
concerns. He appeared to be open to new ideas and suggestions, but we
wanted to fortify this by putting this language in the underlying bill.
Hopefully, this gets us some resolution quickly. If we don't resolve
this, there is something called ``opportunity cost.'' Veterans who
deserve the highest quality care may not be getting that care over the
longer term when we could be doing something creative right now and
innovative to build out, potentially, a new facility or rehab older
ones to modern standards so that we can ensure they get the best and
highest quality care. This puts us, hopefully, on a pathway to creating
new and innovative ideas to simply move past the old way of doing
things, which makes us wait and wait and wait for who knows how long.
I want to thank my colleague for, again, bringing awareness to this
issue.
Mr. TERRY. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. FORTENBERRY. I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska.
Mr. TERRY. Thank you, Mr. Fortenberry.
I think the language is innovative and absolutely necessary, and I
compliment you on your perseverance on this issue as well and on the
insertion of this language into the bill.
Mr. Chairman, the lend-lease or the leaseback provisions could be
helpful. There are at least two community options that, I think, are
highly credible options. One of them would be a leaseback type of
option. The VA does that on clinics, but they refuse to do it on
hospitals.
Mr. FORTENBERRY. And, by the way, on housing. As the Secretary
pointed out, the VA does this on housing as well.
Mr. Chairman, there are creative options out there that do not give
the government a longer term budgetary risk, but they nonetheless help
us move past a process that seems to be very stuck--simply putting
money under the mattress until we finally get enough someday way into
the future when we can get the veterans the services that they need.
Mr. TERRY. The Secretary mentioned he was open to the language that
you have inserted, which is a great step forward. Was he open to
actually meeting with the delegation on the options that our community
is putting forward?
Mr. FORTENBERRY. We discussed not necessarily the specific language.
We, in working with the committee, came up with this. Again, I want to
thank Chairman Culberson for his leadership in helping craft this. The
Secretary expressed a general openness toward creative thinking about
alternative models that are already being deployed, as you rightly
recognized, in clinics as well as in veterans' housing. I did not raise
the issue about meeting with us, but hopefully, again, this
conversation and this language will help further that cause.
Mr. TERRY. I am intending, Mr. Chairman, to withdraw this amendment
at the end of the gentleman's 5 minutes; but I do want to encourage
General, Secretary Shinseki to actually sit down and listen to these
options. We are not there to berate him or the VA but to simply say
that our community is serious about finding solutions in working with
the VA, and Mr. Fortenberry has now inserted language that would
encourage that.
Mr. FORTENBERRY. Again, I want to thank my colleague, Lee Terry, for
his steadfast commitment to this important issue.
Mr. Chairman, I think we should all be on the same page. Everybody
shares the general goal and mission as to how to get this new hospital
potentially in a much better situation either with a new facility or
with something that is rehabilitated to modern standards. We have got
some innovative ways to do this.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr.
Terry) withdraws his amendment.
There was no objection.
Amendment Offered by Mr. LaMalfa
Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Page 54, after line 12, insert the following:
Sec. __. If Department of Veterans Affairs casework is
brokered out to another office of the Department from its
original submission site, a caseworker in a congressional
office may contact the brokered office to receive an update
on the constituent's case, and that office of the Department
is required to update the congressional staffer regardless of
their thoughts on jurisdiction.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the
gentleman's amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. A point of order is reserved on the amendment.
The gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. LaMALFA. I appreciate Chairman Culberson for allowing the time
here today on this important topic.
Mr. Chairman, the VA continues to broker cases as a means to lessen
the backlog that many Members are clamoring about. This amendment I am
offering with my colleague, Mr. Huffman, who wished to speak today, is
very important to both of us and to many of my other colleagues.
When a case is brokered out of the Oakland VA office to the San Diego
VA office, for example, San Diego will tell my staff that they are not
allowed to update them on the status of a case because it is not in San
Diego's jurisdiction to do so, they basically claim. We know there are
no VA rules in law that state that caseworkers cannot be updated on a
veteran's case.
This amendment simply states, if a congressional office is looking
for an update on a veteran's case that has been brokered to another VA
office, that the staff will be given a status update with no
jurisdictional concerns.
As Members, we serve our constituents. It is a reasonable request
that caseworkers in our offices should be allowed to receive an update
on a case regardless of where that case has been sent so that this VA
backlog can be solved. Our veterans should not suffer because of this
backlog. This issue of jurisdiction needs to be clear to all VA
facilities across the U.S. so that our veterans are getting the answers
they need through our casework staff. If we are going to continue to
broker cases, then the brokered office must be communicating with our
staff members, who are trying to get the answers that they need to the
veterans.
Mr. Chairman, at this time, I would like to yield to my colleague
from California (Mr. Garamendi).
Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Chairman, let's see. There are 435 of us in this
House and maybe another 100 over on
[[Page H3335]]
the other side, give or take a few who may be retiring or who are on
their way to other jobs. Each and every one of us has constituents come
to us, seeking help and seeking our assistance in solving a problem. It
is our work. That is what a Representative is. We represent the people
in our districts, and we help solve their problems.
The veterans have a very special place in our offices, in my own
notion of what I am supposed to do as a Representative. I know they
have in Mr. LaMalfa's and, quite probably, in the offices of every
other Member of this House. We have over 130 active cases with veterans
in our districts, working through the problems that they have with the
Veterans Administration. I must tell you that one thing that sets me
off is when my staff tells me that we are not able to contact the
Veterans Administration because they have sent the case to another
office and that that office won't respond to us.
{time} 1600
We talked about this amongst ourselves, Mr. LaMalfa and I and other
Representatives in our area, and, frankly, we have had enough. We are
the legislature of the United States Government. And the Veterans
Administration has a task, and they had better be responsible and
responsive to veterans and to those who represent veterans, namely the
435 Members of this House. It is part of our job.
When the Veterans Administration office in some far-off land or
county or other State has been given a file from our district to handle
and to work through because of an overload in our area and then they
don't respond to us, then they get this piece of legislation.
Mr. LaMalfa, thank you very much. This ought to become law,
notwithstanding the objection. We thank you for carrying this bill.
Let's make this part of a law, and let's make this organization
responsive to us and to our constituents.
Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate my colleagues. This has been
a bipartisan effort on a lot of VA issues here today we are seeing,
which is a really good sign.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for allowing me some time to speak on this
subject. I will be withdrawing this amendment at this time, but we will
be following up on this issue via other means soon, because it is very
key that we have the ability as the elected officials and our staff to
communicate fully with all aspects of the VA, especially since there
is, as I mentioned earlier, no law or no rule stating that we cannot
have this but more, maybe, roadblocks put in place by certain staff.
Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment at this
time.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Nevada is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. TITUS. As the ranking member of the Disability Assistance
Memorial Affairs Subcommittee of the Veterans' Affairs authorizing
committee, I rise today in support of this appropriations bill, and I
thank the chairman and the ranking member for the hard work that they
put into this bill.
One of the main reasons that I support it is because it furthers our
goal of eliminating the VA benefits backlog, which is an issue our
committee has worked on daily for the last year and a half. One of my
top priorities is ensuring that our Nation's heroes receive all the
benefits they have earned in a timely fashion.
While I support this bill, I would like to take just a minute or two
to raise an issue that is troubling to me and hope to bring it to the
attention of the other Members of the House.
I know many of my colleagues will be deeply saddened to learn that
some veterans and their families across the country are being denied
the benefits that they earned while serving our Nation. A recent
example of this discrimination against some of our Nation's veterans
was highlighted in a report by CBS News just last week.
Seventy-four-year-old Madelynn Taylor of Boise, Idaho, proudly served
her country in the United States Navy for 6 years. She lost her spouse
in 2012 and soon after began the task of making arrangements to ensure
that the two of them would be together in death just as they were in
life. Being a veteran, Madelynn had the right to be interred at a State
or national veterans cemetery. Since the closest national cemetery to
Boise was nearly 8 hours away in western Oregon, Madelynn decided to
inquire about a joint spot and memorial wall with her and her spouse's
ashes to lay in rest together, just as hundreds of other couples have
done, at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in her hometown of Boise.
The Idaho State Veterans Cemetery was opened a decade ago with 100
percent of the funding for the design, construction, and equipment
costs coming from a Federal grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs' State Cemetery Grants Program, and the cemetery continues to
receive Federal funding for operations.
When Madelynn brought the necessary paperwork, including her
discharge papers and marriage certificate, she was told that she and
her spouse would not be allowed to be buried together.
Why, you ask, was she denied this right? The answer is that Madelynn
is a lesbian. Idaho State law does not recognize the legality of a
marriage between Madelynn and her wife, Jean, and therefore is denying
the couple the honor and dignity earned through Madelynn's service as a
member of the United States Navy.
Madelynn said this of her situation:
I just feel that it's the right place for me. I am a
veteran, so they should let me . . . in fact, they would let
me alone be in that crypt, but I don't want to be alone. I
want Jean with me.
We rightfully elevate our veterans and their families because of
their service and sacrifice, yet today some veterans across the country
face discrimination by the States and the Federal Government they
sought to defend. No veteran or their family should be treated as
second-class citizens.
Nearly a year after the landmark Supreme Court decision to strike
down the Defense of Marriage Act, which effectively extended Federal
benefits to legally married couples, we see the Nation's gay and
lesbian veterans face obstacles accessing the benefits that they have
earned and rightfully deserve.
While in uniform, our LGBT soldiers have access to the full
complement of benefits available to members of the armed services. The
second they transition out of the military, they are forced to leave
these benefits behind.
I have introduced legislation to end this disservice, and I invite my
colleagues to join me in supporting this important effort.
Mr. Chairman, today we debate legislation to fund the critical work
of the VA and the earned benefits of our Nation's heroes and their
families. My hope is that this body will give equal attention to all
our veterans and their families and end the discrimination they
experience when seeking benefits, including the right to be buried with
their legally married, same-sex spouses.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word in order to
engage in a colloquy.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from North Carolina is recognized for
5 minutes.
Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Chairman, we are all aware of the tragic backlog that
deeply affects so many of our Nation's heroes all across this country,
and particularly in my district back home in North Carolina. Fixing
this issue needs to be one of the highest priorities of Congress and
this administration. We owe it to our veterans, and I know that many of
my colleagues agree that we owe them to do this.
However, the solution is not necessarily to continually throw money
at the problem. We have done that for years without the results we are
looking for. The reality is the fiscal situation we find ourselves in
today means that we can no longer afford to be so shortsighted in our
approach.
In order to reform the VA--or any other department, for that matter--
we need to have a clear understanding of what costs are associated with
running their programs so we can evaluate their effectiveness and root
out those that are wasteful, duplicitous, and are underperforming.
[[Page H3336]]
Mr. Chairman, I know you have been a leader on this issue and have
tried for years to get from the VA a clear breakdown of what their
administrative costs are. Is that correct?
Mr. CULBERSON. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. HUDSON. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CULBERSON. Yes, I have. It is an ongoing problem trying to get
any of the agencies to tell you what their administrative costs are. It
is extraordinarily important. I really appreciate you bringing it to
our attention. We are going to continue to work on this with you and
other Members to ensure that our constituents' hard-earned tax dollars
are spent wisely.
Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for his hard work and
commitment, and I share his frustration. I have had a very difficult
time, as well, trying to understand how the VA deals with its overhead.
In fact, I have got a story I just heard from a veteran in my district
that is probably not unique.
This gentleman went to the VA center in Winston-Salem for an appeals
hearing. A veterans service officer, one of the very hardworking
veterans service officers around the country, accompanied him to this
meeting. He sat down with the VA employee, and he asked the employee:
Do you have my file? I don't see it sitting on your desk. The employee
said: Well, we computerized all the files, so I have got it all here in
the computer. The veteran said: Well, just so I know where you are,
which page are you looking at? Somewhat sheepishly, the VA employee
said: Well, actually, I don't know how to access the files in the
computer.
It is outrageous. It got worse from there.
They went forward with the hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing,
the employee turned off a tape recorder and popped out the cassette.
The veteran said: Well, what do you do with that cassette? He said:
Well, we send that to San Diego so they can transcribe it. In about 6
weeks, we will get the transcription back and then we can start
processing your claim.
Mr. Chairman, this is not what we intended when we asked that we go
to a computerized VA system, and it is outrageous that our veterans are
having to see these kind of delays. I would just ask that you work with
us to try to resolve this problem.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chair, if the gentleman will yield, I would point
out I have a software application on here called Dragon Naturally
Speaking. You just talk into it and it transcribes it instantly. As we
used to say, ``Get with the nineties,'' get with the modern era and
just download a few apps on the computers.
We will bird-dog them relentlessly. That is absurd.
Mr. HUDSON. It is absurd.
I appreciate your commitment to this, the time you put into it. Our
veterans deserve the best we can give them. They deserve to be treated
with the highest respect, and they deserve to not have to wait these
extraordinary amounts of time just to be heard.
Mr. Chairman, I commit to working with you to continue to deal with
this issue, to take care of our veterans not just in North Carolina's
Eighth District, but around the country.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last
word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of
the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, and
I will commend the chairman of the committee for his efforts on this.
This legislation not only provides the necessary funding for the
Department of Veterans Affairs' operation, but it also sets a clear
priority of addressing the massive problems at hand at the VA. We have
read the recent news article saying we are aware as a Congress of all
the problems that we are seeing in the VA. For too long, the heroes
that have served this country have been mistreated, overlooked, or
flat-out ignored by the VA. When these brave men and women signed up to
defend our Nation, they were promised to be taken care of when they
returned home. However, today we see less than adequate care--doctor's
visit wait times stretching months and, in some cases, years, and
hundreds of thousands of backlog benefit cases.
The incident the gentleman from North Carolina just talked about is
prevalent all across this land in every congressional district,
including mine. Mr. Chairman, when I talk to the veterans back home in
my district, I hear loss of confidence in a government that promised to
be there for them. I hear from war veterans who are just plain giving
up on the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The latest report on VA claims from April 28, 2014, shows there are
almost 600,000 pending claims with over 300,000 considered backlogged
that have been pending for over 125 days. Mr. Chairman, that is 125
days without an answer or resolution that these veterans will never get
back.
Just in my office, we have seen a multitude of cases that demonstrate
the current ongoing crisis at the VA. One Korean war veteran has been
working with my office on a Decision Review Officer review for over 18
months now. This is a decision process that was supposed to be quicker
than a Board of Veterans' Appeal in Washington. After waiting for more
than a year for a meeting before his appeal, he couldn't wait any
longer and just asked for the decision to be with the information that
was at hand. While he is still waiting for an answer, I am praying for
a resolution for that veteran.
We have seen other instances where we were able to send documentation
on behalf of constituents to various Veterans Administration offices,
for the very same offices to turn around months later and ask for the
same information again. Is this any way to treat the men and women who
sacrificed their lives to defend the very freedoms our country enjoys?
Thankfully, this legislation we are considering today makes a stride
in the right direction by concentrating efforts to end the current
backlog; holding the VA offices accountable through office performance
measurements, not just awarding bonuses for someone when the facilities
are in need of some attention, we will say; and increasing medical
services for veterans, and that is the most important part.
This bill prioritizes the timely and accurate exchange of medical
data, updating the VA health records system, and ensuring the system is
operable with the Department of Defense.
This is not a silver bullet, Mr. Chairman, and we still have a long
way to go to get the VA clicking and ticking again, but I hope we can
use that momentum to continue working towards fulfilling the promises
made to our veterans and improving the lives of our Nation's heroes.
They deserve it.
May God bless our Nation's troops and veterans, and may God continue
to bless the United States of America.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
TITLE III
RELATED AGENCIES
American Battle Monuments Commission
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the
American Battle Monuments Commission, including the
acquisition of land or interest in land in foreign countries;
purchases and repair of uniforms for caretakers of national
cemeteries and monuments outside of the United States and its
territories and possessions; rent of office and garage space
in foreign countries; purchase (one-for-one replacement basis
only) and hire of passenger motor vehicles; not to exceed
$7,500 for official reception and representation expenses;
and insurance of official motor vehicles in foreign
countries, when required by law of such countries,
$75,000,000, to remain available until expended.
foreign currency fluctuations account
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, of the
American Battle Monuments Commission, such sums as may be
necessary, to remain available until expended, for purposes
authorized by section 2109 of title 36, United States Code.
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses for the operation of the United
States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims as authorized by
sections 7251 through 7298 of title 38, United States Code,
$31,386,000: Provided, That $2,500,000 shall be available for
the purpose of providing financial assistance as described,
and in accordance with the process and reporting procedures
set forth, under this heading in Public Law 102-229.
[[Page H3337]]
Department of Defense--Civil
Cemeterial Expenses, Army
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses for maintenance, operation, and
improvement of Arlington National Cemetery and Soldiers' and
Airmen's Home National Cemetery, including the purchase or
lease of passenger motor vehicles for replacement on a one-
for-one basis only, and not to exceed $1,000 for official
reception and representation expenses, $61,881,000, of which
not to exceed $7,000,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2016. In addition, such sums as may be
necessary for parking maintenance, repairs and replacement,
to be derived from the ``Lease of Department of Defense Real
Property for Defense Agencies'' account.
Armed Forces Retirement Home
trust fund
For expenses necessary for the Armed Forces Retirement Home
to operate and maintain the Armed Forces Retirement Home--
Washington, District of Columbia, and the Armed Forces
Retirement Home--Gulfport, Mississippi, to be paid from funds
available in the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund,
$63,400,000, of which $1,000,000 shall remain available until
expended for construction and renovation of the physical
plants at the Armed Forces Retirement Home--Washington,
District of Columbia, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home--
Gulfport, Mississippi.
Administrative Provision
Sec. 301. Funds appropriated in this Act under the heading
``Department of Defense--Civil, Cemeterial Expenses, Army'',
may be provided to Arlington County, Virginia, for the
relocation of the federally owned water main at Arlington
National Cemetery, making additional land available for
ground burials.
TITLE IV
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 401. No part of any appropriation contained in this
Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the current
fiscal year unless expressly so provided herein.
Sec. 402. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used for any program, project, or activity, when it is
made known to the Federal entity or official to which the
funds are made available that the program, project, or
activity is not in compliance with any Federal law relating
to risk assessment, the protection of private property
rights, or unfunded mandates.
Sec. 403. No part of any funds appropriated in this Act
shall be used by an agency of the executive branch, other
than for normal and recognized executive-legislative
relationships, for publicity or propaganda purposes, and for
the preparation, distribution, or use of any kit, pamphlet,
booklet, publication, radio, television, or film presentation
designed to support or defeat legislation pending before
Congress, except in presentation to Congress itself.
Sec. 404. All departments and agencies funded under this
Act are encouraged, within the limits of the existing
statutory authorities and funding, to expand their use of
``E-Commerce'' technologies and procedures in the conduct of
their business practices and public service activities.
Sec. 405. Unless stated otherwise, all reports and
notifications required by this Act shall be submitted to the
Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs,
and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives and the Subcommittee on Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
Sec. 406. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality
of the United States Government except pursuant to a transfer
made by, or transfer authority provided in, this or any other
appropriations Act.
Sec. 407. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used for a project or program named for an individual
serving as a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of
the United States House of Representatives.
Sec. 408. (a) Any agency receiving funds made available in
this Act, shall, subject to subsections (b) and (c), post on
the public Web site of that agency any report required to be
submitted by the Congress in this or any other Act, upon the
determination by the head of the agency that it shall serve
the national interest.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to a report if--
(1) the public posting of the report compromises national
security; or
(2) the report contains confidential or proprietary
information.
(c) The head of the agency posting such report shall do so
only after such report has been made available to the
requesting Committee or Committees of Congress for no less
than 45 days.
Sec. 409. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act
may be used to maintain or establish a computer network
unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and
exchanging of pornography.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds
necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law
enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal
investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.
Sec. 410. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used by an agency of the executive branch to pay for
first-class travel by an employee of the agency in
contravention of sections 301-10.122 through 301-10.124 of
title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.
Sec. 411. (a) In General.--None of the funds appropriated
or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense in
this Act may be used to construct, renovate, or expand any
facility in the United States, its territories, or
possessions to house any individual detained at United States
Naval Station, Guantaanamo Bay, Cuba, for the purposes of
detention or imprisonment in the custody or under the control
of the Department of Defense.
(b) The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply to
any modification of facilities at United States Naval
Station, Guantaanamo Bay, Cuba.
(c) An individual described in this subsection is any
individual who, as of June 24, 2009, is located at United
States Naval Station, Guantaanamo Bay, Cuba, and who--
(1) is not a citizen of the United States or a member of
the Armed Forces of the United States; and
(2) is--
(A) in the custody or under the effective control of the
Department of Defense; or
(B) otherwise under detention at United States Naval
Station, Guantaanamo Bay, Cuba.
{time} 1615
Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Moran
Mr. MORAN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 60, beginning on line 10, strike section 411.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Virginia is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. MORAN. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would strike section 411,
which specifically restricts the Defense Department from transferring
Guantanamo detainees to the United States.
Striking section 411 would enable the U.S. military to be able to
make the most responsible decisions on transferring the 77 detainees
who have been cleared by our intelligence community and the Joint
Chiefs of Staff to be able to go to their home countries and bring
those not cleared for release to the United States to be charged,
tried, and sentenced.
The Obama administration has made some real progress on this issue
over the last year, but it is still the case that Guantanamo is a
rallying cry for extremists around the world, and until we transfer and
try these detainees, there is no denying that Guantanamo is in fact
hurting our national security.
We need to reevaluate our response to the long-term threat of
terrorism and realize that policies that mock the rule of law make it
more likely, rather than less likely, that we will be attacked again.
How can we expect Americans who are captured abroad to be accorded
the right to be sentenced and brought to trial when we hold 154
prisoners in Guantanamo without charge and without trial?
Some of my colleagues are going to argue that detaining or trying
suspected terrorists in the United States would endanger national
security, but it is not the case. More than 400 defendants charged with
crimes related to international terrorism have been successfully
convicted in the United States since 9/11. That includes the Times
Square bomber; the shoe bomber; and Zacarias Moussaoui, who was tried
and convicted in my congressional district for his role in the 9/11
attack.
All of them are in our prisons here in the United States. Most
Americans don't know that because there haven't been any security
incidents. In fact, more than 300 individuals convicted of crimes
related to international terrorism are currently incarcerated in 98
Federal prisons within the United States, with no escapes and no
attempts to free them.
There are six Defense Department facilities less than half full where
Guantanamo detainees could be held here in the United States.
The current approach of military commissions has proven unworkable
because many of these prisoners merit a trial, but they are not getting
the kind of trial that can withstand scrutiny. In fact, the only two
guilty verdicts these commissions issued were both overturned.
Keeping Guantanamo open is expensive. We are currently spending $2.67
million per detainee each year at Guantanamo, compared to $34,046 per
[[Page H3338]]
inmate at a high security Federal prison here in the United States.
This year alone, the Defense Department estimates that it will spend
$443 million in operations and personnel costs to operate this
detention facility.
When we are facing the negative effects of sequestration, it just
does not make sense to continue what is in effect a permanent scar on
our judicial system.
In conclusion, the political and legal expediency of the detention
center at Guantanamo has not been worth the cost to America's
reputation around the world, nor to the erosion of our own legal and
ethical standards here at home.
I support the President in his recent statements, and I encourage the
Members of this body to support this amendment. It is the right thing
to do morally, ethically, and legally.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the gentleman's
amendment.
We have presented this piece of legislation to the House in a
bipartisan fashion. We have got unanimous support for it. This is one
of those areas where we have an honest but earnest philosophical
disagreement.
This is something my good friend from Virginia (Mr. Moran), has been
pursuing over the years, but it is, again, something the constituents I
represent, the folks of Texas, I know oppose the idea of giving
constitutional rights to enemy soldiers captured on foreign
battlefields, especially these cowardly terrorists who hide behind
women and children and launch sneak attacks against our men and women
in uniform.
We have asked the Congressional Research Service to attempt to tell
us when, if ever, constitutional rights have been granted to enemy
soldiers captured on foreign battlefields. The Congressional Research
Service tells us the only example they can find is Manuel Noriega, the
dictator of Panama, who was captured during the Bush 41 administration
and brought to trial in Florida.
The individuals at Guantanamo Bay are the most dangerous, radical
individuals that have been captured during the war on terror. These
folks are extremely dangerous.
Any evidence that has been gathered, for example, even if they were
to be transferred to the United States and given a criminal trial under
the Constitution, which I strenuously object to, but even if they were
brought to the United States and put on trial, how would any of the
evidence gathered against them in Guantanamo be used to convict them?
So this presents unsurmountable problems and is a divisive issue that
is going to cause a tremendous amount of disagreement among the Members
of Congress on a bill that has enjoyed unanimous and enthusiastic
support from everyone in this body to make sure that our veterans and
our men and women in uniform are taken care of.
It is essential that this amendment be defeated in order to make sure
that enemy soldiers are not given the protections of the United States
Constitution. It is fundamentally something I strenuously disagree
with, as do my constituents, and I urge the Members of this House to
reject this amendment. And I hope to also have the support of the
people of Georgia in opposing this amendment as well.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this
amendment.
I believe we need to set the conditions for the closure of the
detention facility at Guantanamo. It is in the United States' national
security interest to do so.
Guantanamo has become a rallying cry. It serves as a recruitment tool
for terrorists and increases the will of our enemies to fight, while
reducing the will of others to work with America.
Part of the rationale for establishing Guantanamo in the first place
was the misplaced idea that the facility would be beyond the law--a
proposition that has been soundly rejected by the Supreme Court. As a
result, continued operation of this facility creates the impression in
the eyes of our allies and our enemies that the United States
selectively observes the rule of law.
There is no reason that we should impose on ourselves the legal and
moral problems arising from the prospects of indefinite detentions at
Guantanamo.
Working through civil courts since 9/11, hundreds of individuals have
been convicted of terrorism or terrorism-related offenses and are now
serving long sentences in Federal prison. Not one single person has
ever escaped custody.
For these reasons, I believe that the time has come to take the
actions needed to initiate closure of the detention facility at
Guantanamo. I think this amendment sends that strong message.
I support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from New York is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Moran-Smith-Nadler
amendment.
We are told by some in the majority that enemy soldiers should not
have constitutional rights. But, Mr. Chairman, a majority, concededly,
of those at Guantanamo, were never involved in a hostile act against
the United States, and 86 percent were turned in for bounties.
We don't know whether these people are enemy soldiers. Some of them
may be and some of them are probably not. And we don't know that they
are terrorists.
Those facts must be determined in a fair proceeding of some sort, but
at Guantanamo there are no proceedings. They haven't managed to hold
military trials. And we can't hold civilian trials there.
So we are holding people for no purpose, with no proceedings, no
hearings, no opportunity, for essentially forever.
The time to close Guantanamo is now. Guantanamo is a stain on our
national honor. Never mind all the foreign policy reasons why it is
poisoning our relations with foreign countries and instigating
terrorism against it. The fact is, it is wrong.
We are holding 154 people at Guantanamo, 77 of whom have been cleared
for release. That is to say, they have been found guilty of nothing,
are thought to be guilty of nothing, and have been judged not to pose
any danger. Nonetheless, they are not released.
There is no reason and there is no right for us to hold them further.
The others should be brought to the United States and tried for their
offenses.
Mr. Chairman, I wonder which of our colleagues does not believe in
the American system of justice. I wonder which one of us does not trust
our own American courts. I wonder who among us does not believe in the
Bill of Rights, who does not believe in the right to counsel or that
people should have an opportunity to have their guilt or innocence
established in court.
What we have at Guantanamo is a system that is an affront to those
beliefs and to the United States.
In the last decade, we have begun to let go of our freedoms bit by
bit with each new executive order, each new court decision, and yes,
each new act of Congress. We have begun giving away our rights to
privacy, our right to our day in court when the government harms us,
and with this legislation we are continuing down the path of destroying
the right to be free from imprisonment without due process of law.
Indeed, I wonder if some of the people in Guantanamo broke out of
jail, inflicted injuries on American personnel in so doing, and were
caught, how we would defend ourselves when they said, We were just
victims of kidnapping. The United States Government kidnapped us, with
no claim of right. We had every right to use force to escape an illegal
kidnapping by a government acting, essentially, under no law.
I want to commend the gentleman from Virginia and the gentleman from
Washington for fighting to close the detention facility at Guantanamo.
The language in this bill, without our amendment, prohibits moving
any detainees into the United States and guarantees that we will
continue holding people indefinitely--people who may not be terrorists,
some of whom we may suspect to be terrorists, none
[[Page H3339]]
of whom have had a day in court to prove they are or are not
terrorists. We will continue to hold them indefinitely without charge,
contrary to every tradition this country stands for, contrary to any
notion of due process.
Because of this momentous challenge to the founding principles of the
United States that no person may be deprived of liberty without due
process of law--and certainly may not be deprived of liberty
indefinitely without due process of law--we must close the detention
facility at Guantanamo now in order to restore our national honor. This
will afford the detainees no additional constitutional rights. The
Supreme Court has already ruled detainees at Guantanamo have the same
constitutional rights as they would if they were brought here.
We must close this facility, try these people or let them go, and
restore our national honor. Support this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Oregon is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chair, I have listened over the years to my good
friend from Virginia, my friend from New York, and Mr. Smith from
Washington advance this issue. I think maybe now is the time for us to
address this, if only as a going-away present. Because this is the last
time Mr. Moran is going to be able to offer this. Since he has decided
to leave us for greener pastures someplace else, I think it would be
fitting for us to address this directly.
{time} 1630
I have great respect for my dear friend from the State of Texas who
talks about what the people he represents feel about this issue; and I,
with all due respect, wonder if the conversations with his constituents
in Texas were like the conversations I have with my constituents in
Oregon, if people knew that we are spending eight times as much to
incarcerate these people as if they were in other Federal facilities.
The gentleman from Virginia talks about the space that is available
now in terms of Federal facilities. Do people know that we have
convicted hundreds of people suspected of terrorists acts and, under
the provisions of the military tribunal, none? What do our constituents
really want if they knew that fact?
The sad truth is that Americans are at greater risk because of our
reckless behavior failing to close this sad chapter. The vast majority
of these people probably don't pose a risk, and they certainly wouldn't
pose a risk incarcerated in our maximum security facilities in the
United States.
It is time to close this facility, to honor the rule of law. It
strengthens our position internationally, it saves money, and it allows
us to actually get some of these people who may be bad guys actually
convicted.
Military tribunal doesn't work. Our courts do.
I hope that we will step up, do the right thing, approve this
amendment, and give Mr. Moran a going-away present as he leaves
Congress.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Virginia
will be postponed.
The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
Sec. 412. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be used to execute a contract for goods or services,
including construction services, where the contractor has not
complied with Executive Order No. 12989.
Sec. 413. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to enter into a contract, memorandum of
understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant
to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to, any corporation
that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any
Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the
awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency
has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and
has made a determination that this further action is not
necessary to protect the interests of the Government.
Sec. 414. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to enter into a contract, memorandum of
understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant
to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to, any corporation
that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been
assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies
have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being
paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the
authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where
the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability,
unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of
the corporation and has made a determination that this
further action is not necessary to protect the interests of
the Government.
Sec. 415. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the Department of Defense or the Department of
Veterans Affairs to lease or purchase new light duty vehicles
for any executive fleet, or for an agency's fleet inventory,
except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum--Federal
Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011.
spending reduction account
Sec. 416. The amount by which the applicable allocation of
new budget authority made by the Committee on Apppropriations
of the House of Representatives under section 302(b) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 exceeds the amount of
proposed new budget authority is $0.
Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Rothfus
Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk printed as
No. 1 in the Congressional Record.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a
performance award under section 5384 of title 5, United
States Code.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to stand with our Nation's
veterans and their families.
This morning, I had an opportunity to honor and thank Sergeant George
Thursby. Sergeant Thursby served in the Army Air Force during World War
II and was held as a prisoner of war.
Today, decades after his release, he finally received his long-
overdue recognition. You should have heard the rapturous applause he
received from the families, servicemembers, and citizens.
We owe veterans like Sergeant Thursby a debt of gratitude that can
never be repaid. That is why I rise in strong support of the Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act under
consideration today. It is also why this amendment I am offering today
is so important.
As public servants, employees of the VA have a solemn obligation to
ensure that veterans receive the respect, support, and care they have
earned and rightly expect.
Unfortunately, the VA has failed veterans in western Pennsylvania and
across the country. At least six veterans contracted Legionnaires'
disease and died because of mismanagement, mistakes, and systemic
failures at the Pittsburgh VA.
William Nicklas, one of these veterans, was a loving husband, father,
and grandfather. Nicklas was known for his practical jokes, his love of
sports, and being the first and last person on the dance floor.
He started an auto body shop when he returned to civilian life and
helped two of his sons begin their own business as contractors. More
than anything, he was uncommonly dedicated to his family, his fellow
servicemembers, veterans, and his country.
A proud and loyal veteran from Hampton Township in Pennsylvania's
12th District, Mr. Nicklas was a tail gunner in the Navy air-sea rescue
force during World War II. Mr. Nicklas survived Guam, Saipan, and
Okinawa, but fell victim to Legionnaires' disease in Pittsburgh.
Over the last year, I have worked with my colleagues to find answers
and demand accountability for the families of Bill Nicklas, John
Ciarolla, Clark Compston, John McChesney, Lloyd Wanstreet, and Frank
``Sonny'' Calcagno.
John Ciarolla, the first of these veterans to fall to Legionnaires'
disease,
[[Page H3340]]
died in July 2011. Bill Nicklas, the last, died in November 2012. It
has been almost 1\1/2\ years since Mr. Nicklas died and almost 3 years
since Mr. Ciarolla died.
Where is the accountability? Where is the transparency?
My colleagues and I have asked VA Secretary Shinseki and Under
Secretary for Health Petzel what actions they will take to hold
accountable those responsible for these deaths. Officials at the VA owe
the families answers, but they have provided none.
Even more outrageous, the regional director responsible for leading
the Pittsburgh VA at the time of these deaths--he is now retired--was
awarded and accepted the government's highest award for civil servants
and a $63,000 bonus only 3 days after the inspector general found that
systemic failures resulted in these deaths.
Across the Nation, the VA has demonstrated a widespread and systemic
lack of accountability, according to a recent investigation by the
Veterans' Affairs Committee. This has manifested itself in not just
infectious disease outbreaks and preventable deaths, but also in
wasteful spending and backlogged disability claims.
I thank the Veterans' Affairs Committee and Chairman Jeff Miller for
their tremendous work fighting for our Nation's veterans and promoting
accountability and transparency at the VA.
Paying bonuses to senior executives of an organization with an
abysmal performance record is ridiculous; yet the VA gave its senior
executives bonuses totaling $2.8 million in 2011 and $2.3 million in
2012. These valuable resources should be used to ensure that our
veterans receive the first-rate service and care they rightly deserve.
VA executives need to take responsibility, fix the problems, and do
their jobs. Last year, I offered an amendment directing that none of
the funds appropriated may be used to pay for senior executive bonuses.
The amendment was adopted by voice vote and was included in last year's
MilCon-VA bill, which passed the House by a vote of 421-4.
The Senate did not consider a MilCon bill last year, and the measure
was not included in the omnibus. Unfortunately, 1 year has passed, and
this measure is still needed.
I thank Chairman Miller and Congressmen Gosar, Olson, Benishek,
McKinley, Tipton, Huelskamp, Crawford, Kelly, Lance, Collins, LaMalfa,
Goodlatte, and Meadows for their support of our Nation's veterans and
this amendment.
I urge my other colleagues to stand with our Nation's veterans and
support increased transparency and accountability at the VA by voting
``yea'' on this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment.
Many Members have also requested language that would ban performance
bonuses for senior-level executives at the VA in response to the
concerns Mr. Rothfus has just mentioned.
I join him in grieving for those veterans who lost their lives as a
result of the Legionnaires' disease outbreak. My heart goes out to them
and their families.
The authorizing committees have, indeed, as Mr. Rothfus says, taken
action on this issue. The GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013 that
passed in February contains a 5-year ban on performance bonuses for VA
Senior Executive Service employees.
In February, the Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
introduced legislation that would give the VA Secretary complete
authority to fire or demote Veterans Affairs senior executive employees
based on performance. That is a sorely needed performance tool that the
VA Secretary, I know, will use.
Mr. Chairman, we have also included language in our report
reiterating that the Secretary of the VA already has all the authority
they need to reward employees for good performance and withhold rewards
for poor performance, just like the private sector.
That is a question I specifically asked during our hearing with the
VA Secretary, and we have established that from the Secretary's own
testimony, reaffirmed that in our bill itself.
The Secretary demonstrated his commitment to linking awards to
performance when he withheld awards for everyone in the Veterans
Benefit Administration last year because the claims backlog targets
have not been met.
This is, I believe, an important amendment. I support it and urge the
Members of the House to support it to send a clear signal to the VA
that the Members of the United States Congress are unhappy with
their performance, and they need to step it up.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, we are all outraged in regards
to the claims backlog and the incidences of poor quality health
services and safety. The current claims backlog is, indeed,
unacceptable.
There is no question that the VA has struggled to successfully
deliver one of its key missions: to provide timely ratings of
disability. However, the VA has reduced the backlog by 44 percent.
Should we ignore that?
It is also clear that some VA health facilities have had serious
issues that put the health, safety, and well-being of our veterans at
risk. This too is unacceptable. Where have these failures occurred?
It is hard to imagine how the VA leaders of these facilities could
have received high performance ratings and substantial bonuses.
However, this amendment will not provide any solution in the short
term and, in fact, may have the long-term consequences and compound the
very problems that it attempts to address.
This amendment would make the VA a less attractive option than other
agencies when it comes to recruiting and retaining quality executive
leaders, and it will not have the very talent it needs to solve the
problems it faces today, like the claims backlog and the health care
deficiencies.
Furthermore, SES pay and bonuses are governed by title 5 of the
United States Code and administered by the Office of Personnel
Management. Any change to title 5 to address the VA would then also
apply to all other Federal agencies.
Attempting an across-the-board, one-size-fits-all fix will penalize
those who are dedicated VA executives who are working hard and doing a
good job to find solutions to the VA problems.
I urge all Members to vote ``no'' on this amendment. We are throwing
out the baby with the bathwater. This is not a good amendment, and I
urge this House to defeat it.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment.
I would first like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Rothfus) for offering this amendment. Our offices have worked closely
on this issue.
To reiterate, this amendment to the Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act is a simple one.
Senior leadership at the VA has repeatedly failed the very veterans
they are meant to support.
Initial responses for benefit claims hover close to a year in many
cases, with appeals responses taking significantly longer. In too many
instances, these matters even require Congressional intervention.
My staff, though happy to do so, has far too many cases open on
behalf of the veterans trying to receive their earned benefits with the
Veterans Administration.
With so many of our veterans being let down by their government,
those in charge of the administration of benefits should not be
rewarded. This should be common sense.
I would also like to take a quick moment to thank Congressman Jeff
Miller, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, for
introducing similar legislation that would allow the Secretary of the
VA to fire senior executives or cut their pay for lack of performance.
[[Page H3341]]
There are many Members on both sides of the aisle interested in
shaking things up at the VA. I suggest we start here today by adopting
these relevant amendments that will hold these government employees
accountable.
Again, I urge passage of this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BENISHEK. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Michigan is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. BENISHEK. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment
introduced my friend, Mr. Rothfus, to deny bonuses to members of the VA
Senior Executive Service.
Bonuses are paid for a job well done, but at the VA, the job is very
clearly not getting done. The tragic story out of Phoenix is only the
latest example.
{time} 1645
As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and a doctor who
served at the Iron Mountain VA for 20 years, I have watched in disgust
as the stories keep rolling in. Pittsburgh; Atlanta; Memphis; Colombia,
South Carolina; and Augusta, Georgia, have all seen preventable veteran
deaths linked to severe mismanagement. Make no mistake, these are not
isolated incidents. This is a national crisis, and it must be treated
with the significance it deserves.
We can keep dragging VA leaders in front of the committee, but I, for
one, am sick and tired of hearing their excuses. We are well past the
time when explanations and apologies would be enough. It is time to
hold the people that have repeatedly and egregiously failed our
veterans accountable for their actions.
This amendment is a good, commonsense first step, and I am proud to
support it. However, it alone is not enough. The problem goes deeper
than the Senior Executive Service, and our veterans are demanding real
accountability. That is why I have introduced the Demanding
Accountability for Veterans Act, to provide a permanent solution to
getting the VA to provide the care our veterans need. I am pleased this
bill was passed unanimously by the VA Committee, and I look forward to
its consideration on the floor. We can't wait any longer to make the
essential changes to the VA that our veterans deserve.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MORAN. I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Virginia is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. MORAN. Mr. Chairman, the amendment before us reflects the
concerns that Congress has had over senior executives at the Department
of Veterans Affairs receiving performance bonuses when VA hospital
standards were not up to par and when we continue to see a backlog of
disability claims.
I share those concerns that VA truly does need to tackle. But recent
actions taken by this Congress through the good work of the MilCon
Appropriations Subcommittee and the Veterans Administration have, in
fact, improved the operational efficiency of those hospitals and
reduced the backlog.
The VA has also instituted much greater transparency in the process
of awarding bonuses for its Senior Executive Service. In fact, VA has
centralized senior executive award decisions. They have added an
additional level of review in consideration of those awards. And the VA
has significantly reduced the value of those awards compared to prior
years. Most importantly, the Secretary has already demonstrated his
willingness to use the bonus system as a way to reward and penalize
staff based on their performance. As it stands, the Secretary has all
the authority he needs to use bonuses to influence performance.
I think this amendment is something of a political ploy, Mr.
Chairman. It is designed to misdirect our frustrations to the good men
and women who have chosen to serve their government in the civilian
workforce. I take serious issue with this very popular practice of
continuing to punish a workforce that is predominantly composed of
hardworking Federal servants that have already suffered a
disproportionate amount.
If we want to retain the individuals that make up what is, in fact,
the best large Federal civil service in the world, we need to change
this culture very quickly. After 3 years of pay freezes, pension cuts,
pay cuts, and furloughs, our Senior Executive Service, which is largely
composed of the best of the best in the Federal workforce, has, at the
very least, earned these bonuses.
The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that Federal employees
in highly skilled professions could be earning much more in the private
sector. Why do they choose public service? Not for monetary gain but
for love of country and the opportunity to make people's lives better,
particularly our veterans. But they have families to feed and mortgages
to pay and children to send to college. Where does it end?
No matter how many times this House majority says the government
can't solve problems, can't create jobs, can't help the American
people, it will never be the case. The fact is this government does
help the American people. We should be proud of our government, not
punish our civil servants. And the fact is that you can find far more
veterans who are appreciative of the good work that the people in the
Veterans Administration do than those who disparage it.
So I would urge rejection of this amendment and yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. LaMALFA. I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today as a cosponsor of the
amendment offered by my friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus). I
appreciate his effort on that.
It is hard to believe what I am here hearing in here today. When you
look at the backlog, when you look at how veterans are being treated in
this country, in northern California, it is amazing that we are on
complete different wavelengths here.
The lack of accountability and transparency within the VA is nothing
short of shameful. Yet again and again I have heard from many veterans
in the north State concerned about the timeliness and the frustrating
claims process at VA facilities in California, namely, the Oakland
office, which is one of the slowest regional offices in the Nation.
Despite past promises from the VA to improve the backlog, service to
our veterans has continued to deteriorate. This negligence and
mismanagement is completely unacceptable.
When veterans are being denied access to the care and services they
rightly deserve and expect, reform is necessary, certainly not bonuses
to senior executives. When a program funded by taxpayers is failing to
provide the level of services expected, accountability, not
compensation, should be demanded.
Rewarding incompetency not only exacerbates the most pressing issues
within the VA, but also serves as an insult to the men and women who
have given so much for our country, as well as the very many good
caseworkers on the VA staff who see no bonus but yet still try to do
their jobs underneath that regime.
This amendment is about fairness and doing what is right by
fulfilling the promise to our veterans. It ensures our veterans receive
the benefits and services they were promised and restores
accountability within the VA to make certain taxpayer money is
rightfully spent, fixing the backlog and incompetency that is harming
our veterans' health and insulting them, as well as the American
taxpayer.
This amendment isn't about throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
This is about throwing the bonuses out with the bathwater.
I applaud Congressman Rothfus for his leadership in standing up for
our Nation's veterans. I urge my colleagues to support this important
measure.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HUELSKAMP. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Kansas is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. HUELSKAMP. Mr. Chairman, I am glad to join my colleague from
Pennsylvania in cosponsoring this important amendment. But I must
admit, it is regrettable--actually, no. It is actually shameful we
actually have to be here today discussing this topic.
As a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have heard
over
[[Page H3342]]
and over and over again stories of abuse, neglect, and mismanagement
within the VA, but the one thing I never hear about is accountability.
In fact, under the leadership of the current Secretary, a Senior
Executive Service employee who has presided over mismanagement at the
VA is more likely to receive a sizable bonus than to be disciplined or
fired.
This culture of anything goes has got to stop, and the best way to
stop this is to send a strong signal across the Department of VA that
Congress means business. It is obvious from the headlines about the
sizable bonuses received by VA administrators at facilities in Georgia,
South Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Phoenix that the performance award
system at the VA is a failure.
I have asked the VA in congressional hearing after hearing after
hearing for a specific list of disciplinary actions that the Department
has imposed on employees and executives who have presided over these
delays and preventable veteran deaths. Instead of giving answers, they
have only pointed to retirements, transfers, or bureaucratic slaps on
the wrist, but not a single undeserved performance bonus has been
returned to the taxpayers. These smokescreen attempts to create the
appearance of accountability are unacceptable.
Unfortunately, the story last week from Phoenix is not an isolated
event. Just 3 weeks ago, in our committee, the VA admitted to another
23 preventable deaths occurring within their facilities. The senior VA
bureaucrats responsible for the management of the facilities
consistently received sizable bonuses from hardworking taxpayers. These
administrators have been given a sacred trust to care for and serve our
Nation's veterans. And, quite frankly, Mr. Chairman, they have broken
that trust; and its time for accountability.
For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, to
defund these VA bonuses, and to return some accountability to the VA.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to appeal to those
on both sides of the aisle to hold the executives in the Department of
Veterans Affairs accountable.
I think what has been interesting in what we have heard a little bit
is really a tale of not the two cities, as Dickens would have it, but a
tale of two opinions. And one opinion is the preponderance of evidence
we see in our district offices and our Washington offices of problems
in the VA; and then on the other side, it is basically a, yes, it is
bad, but let's still do business the same way. And I think that is
where the American people get frustrated.
I believe by now, everyone is already aware of the lapse in ethical
and moral judgment in many of these areas, from Atlanta and South
Carolina, others, but also at the Phoenix veterans hospital. You know,
the decision there to cook the books that denied care to needy veterans
is simply unconscionable. That fact alone should anger every Member of
this body, and it certainly angers the 62,000 veterans and their family
members in the Ninth District of Georgia.
Sadly, though, it doesn't end there. One has to question our civil
service compensation system. The executive at the Phoenix VA facility
there received a $170,000 salary plus $9,000 in bonuses. For what?
Saving taxpayer money? Mr. Chairman, $9,000 is unbelievable. We
rewarded an executive who, in reality, was failing our fellow
Americans.
As a member of the United States Air Force Reserve, we instill in our
members the universal core value of ``integrity first.'' In the case of
the hospitals in the VA system, some put getting accolades over
integrity. This angers me, and I will not tolerate this kind of
behavior in our government.
The vast majority of Americans and the vast majority of the VA
employees work sacrificially and for their fellow Americans--the vast
number of them. Except for a select few, those at the Veterans
Administration have answered a call to provide care and compensation to
those that gave the most of themselves and for our country. To them, I
want to pass along a sincere thank-you. It is disheartening that your
reputation could be tarnished by association of the few at the top of
your organization.
This scandal is really two problems: One is the outrageous use of
secret lists to manage care so a few could thicken their wallets; the
other is how we awarded bonuses to senior executives. These individuals
wouldn't have received bonuses if we had known the metrics on patient
appointments were exaggerated. They apparently didn't think of the
consequences of their actions. And I would like to think the issue was
isolated to certain areas, but my fear is that this may be a systematic
problem, a problem that needs to be corrected immediately.
I want to applaud Chairman Miller's efforts to investigate the
potential secret lists at all VA hospitals.
Honorably discharged veterans don't earn the label ``honorable'' by
doing what is right some of the time; they earn it by doing what is
right all the time. Should we allow the hospital administrators to
receive bonuses for doing what is right only some of the time?
We have an opportunity here to demonstrate that the U.S. Congress is
good stewards of taxpayer money, and unethical and un-American behavior
in our government will not be condoned. On behalf of the veterans that
I proudly represent, I support the chairman's investigation, I support
Mr. Rothfus' amendment, and I support the underlying appropriations
measure here so that these things will not happen again.
In looking at this, it was stated just a few moments ago on the
floor, it was insinuated on this floor that this was a political ploy.
I don't think it is a political ploy to do what is right. I don't think
it is a political ploy to take care of those who took care of us. And
if that is where this debate has really taken center on--and I will say
for a fact, as I said just a moment ago, that the vast majority of VA
employees do a great job with what they are working with, but they are
being betrayed at the top, and it is not time to award these kinds of
behaviors with taxpayer dollars.
This is what we are here for, not a political ploy, but to do what
the Congress is supposed to do, and that is to keep our money going
where it is supposed to go in order to provide the benefits that these
veterans deserve.
With that, I will support the amendment, I support the underlying
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Rothfus
amendment, of which I am a cosponsor.
I want to thank Representative Rothfus for his leadership on this
issue. I also want to recognize the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs
Committee for his leadership on legislation to ensure that no member of
the Senior Executive Service can abuse their power and, in fact, that
they will be held accountable and promoted and fired based on
performance.
Unfortunately, our Veterans Affairs has failed to take appropriate
action to increase transparency and hold Senior Executive Service
employees accountable for their actions and their performance. Recent
critical reports by the VA inspector general and the GAO have shown
that some VA executives have continued to receive praise in their
performance reviews and collected generous cash bonuses up to $63,000.
Let me be clear, though. Most VA employees are hardworking, dedicated
public servants, but there are a few at the top who need to be held
accountable.
{time} 1700
The Veterans Affairs Department began the month of April proudly
proclaiming success in reducing the stubborn backlog of disability
claims, however, they improved that number by denying incomplete claims
and creating a huge appeals backlog. The backlog is causing our
veterans to be denied disability compensation and access to health
care, and we shouldn't allow these executives to take bonuses for false
success. The VA is clearly not fulfilling its commitment to our
veterans.
This amendment is simple. It ensures that senior VA officials are
held accountable for their performance and
[[Page H3343]]
cannot be rewarded for false performance.
In addition to our backlog problem, Congress passed in 2012 in the
consolidated appropriations an amendment that required the VA to share
prescription information with State Prescription Drug Monitoring
Programs. As many of my colleagues know, our veteran population is
facing a huge epidemic of opioid addiction, and it is leading to a high
number of our veterans committing suicide and overdosing.
The VA finalized the rule in April, but it has not been fully
implemented to share information with these Prescription Drug
Monitoring Programs. We can't wait any longer for this program.
Participation in Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs will ensure that
our VA hospitals, civilian hospitals, and doctors no longer
overprescribe opioids to our veterans. Not having this rule fully
implemented and in use by our States is just another reason to prohibit
performance benefits for our senior VA officials.
I urge all Members to support this amendment and the entire Milcon-VA
Appropriations bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of Mr.
Rothfus' amendment to restrict funds from being used to pay for bonuses
for all employees of the Senior Executive Service at the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
This amendment is consistent with Section 11 of my legislation, H.R.
357, which passed the House earlier this year by a vote of 390-0. My
bill would require a five year moratorium on bonuses for SES employees
and I am glad to see that this amendment satisfies the intention of the
first year of my legislation for FY 2015.
Mr. Chair, over the past three years the Veterans' Committee has
uncovered, and continues to uncover, numerous instances of gross
negligence and incompetence by senior VA officials. Regrettably, some
of these instances have resulted in preventable deaths, yet senior VA
officials have continued to receive performance awards.
The most recent stories from whistleblowers in Phoenix allege that
over 40 veterans could have died due to delays in consult times and
alleged secret wait lists. Yet the director received a bonus in 2013 of
more than $9000.
If these allegations are proven to be true, it only further shows
what we have seen in other locations that when a senior executive fails
they are more likely to receive a bonus than any type of meaningful
punishment.
It is well past time for VA leaders to realize that rewarding failure
only breeds more failure, and that is why I believe this amendment and
my legislation to end all bonuses for senior executives at VA is not
only necessary, it is what our veterans and their families deserve.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Murphy of Florida
Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following new section:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to maintain or improve Department of Defense real
property with a zero percent utilization rate according to
the Department's real property inventory database, except in
the case of maintenance of an historic property as required
by the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et
seq.) or in the case of maintenance to prevent a negative
environmental impact as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Florida is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer an
amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
Appropriations bill that would eliminate wasteful spending on unused
facilities, which would save tens of millions of dollars for fiscal
year 2015 alone.
The Defense Department has hundreds, possibly thousands, of buildings
and structures that it has rated at zero percent utilization. This is
an incredible number of useless facilities the DOD is paying to
maintain.
Federal agencies, as a whole, must do a better job at managing their
facilities. Taxpayers cannot continue paying for unused and underused
buildings while the Nation is at record debt levels. That is not good
government, and that is not smart spending.
That is why I joined with Representatives David Joyce of Ohio and
Mike Coffman of Colorado to introduce the SAVE Act to root out about
$230 billion in wasteful and duplicative government spending over the
next 10 years. This amendment is an extension of one of those
commonsense solutions included in the bipartisan SAVE Act preventing
the Department of Defense from spending money on facilities that the
Department itself has rated at zero percent utilization.
I offered the same amendment last year, which this Chamber accepted
by voice vote, and I ask for your same support today.
I understand the Department of Defense may be concerned that this
amendment would prevent them from carrying out BRAC work. I believe
BRAC is an essential process, and I have no intention of disrupting it.
After investigating the Department's concerns, my understanding is that
no additional BRAC work will happen before 2017 at the earliest, long
after this appropriations bill has expired. Any ongoing environmental
remediation from previous BRACs is exempted from my amendment, which
gives the Department the flexibility to properly address any
environmental threats at unused facilities, as well as maintain
historic military sites.
With that said, I would welcome the opportunity to work with the
committee to address any BRAC-related issues in conference.
Mr. Chairman, we all agree that we must rein in wasteful government
spending. My amendment is a commonsense solution to do just that, and I
urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there further discussion on the amendment?
Seeing none, the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Murphy).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Ross
Mr. ROSS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the Secretary of Defense to close a commissary
store.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Florida is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. ROSS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an important amendment
to this year's Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
Appropriations bill.
My amendment would protect access to commissaries for our Active Duty
servicemembers, our veterans, and their families. As a representative
of a community with such a strong military presence, I have had the
honor to be advised by a number of active veterans and military
leaders. The requests have always been consistent. We must not balance
our Nation's fiscal problems on the backs of our veterans and Active
Duty personnel.
Unfortunately, the Secretary of Defense released his fiscal year 2015
budget request for the Department of Defense, which included the
proposed closure of commissaries. Just last night, I held a town hall
meeting, and a retired chief master sergeant, Richard Redhill, voiced
his concern over the closure of commissaries. Now, look, there are
already attempts out there to gut their health care by way of cutting
TRICARE, and there are attempts out there to gut their cost-of-living
adjustments. Let's at least leave their commissaries alone. Let us
respect the obligations that we owe to those who raised their right
hands to give the ultimate sacrifice of their life in the defense of
this country.
Our military is the most advanced and well trained the world has ever
seen, not just because we are the best in technology and weapons
systems, but also because of those men and women who volunteer to stand
in defense of their country.
I want to thank Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop for
their hard work on this important funding measure and hope that my
colleagues will join me in adopting this important amendment.
[[Page H3344]]
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there further discussion on the amendment?
Seeing none, the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Ross).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Takano
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer amendment No. 3.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title) insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available in this Act for the All-Volunteer Force Educational
Assistance Program under chapter 30 of title 38, United
States Code, or the Post 9/11 Educational Assistance Program
under chapter 33 of such title may be used for career
education programs at proprietary institutions unless the
successful completion of the curriculum fully qualifies a
student--
(1) to take an examination required for entry into an
occupation or profession, including satisfying all State-
mandated programmatic and specialized accreditation
requirements; and
(2) to be certified or licensed or to meet other
academically-related pre-conditions of employment in the
State in which the institution is located.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order against the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. A point of order is reserved.
The gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, career education programs--programs of less
than 2 years that are designed to prepare students for direct entry
into a specific profession--too often fail our student veterans. Many
of these programs at for-profit schools leave our student veterans with
unsustainable debt and worthless credentials.
My amendment would ensure that veterans' education benefits are only
used for career education programs that qualify students to take an
examination required for entry into an occupation or profession or
provide them with certificates or licenses that meet State and industry
requirements.
I have heard time and time again that a key for successful transition
from Active Duty to veteran status is gainful employment. And that is
why we must make sure that the education our veterans receive is truly
helping them enter the workforce. Again, I urge all my colleagues to
support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Point of Order
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order against the
amendment because it proposes to change existing law and constitutes
legislation in an appropriations bill and therefore violates clause 2
of rule XXI. The rule states in pertinent part, Mr. Chairman, that an
amendment to a general appropriation bill shall not be in order if
changing existing law, and the amendment in this case requires a new
determination.
I would ask for a ruling from the Chair.
The Acting CHAIR. Does any Member wish to address the point of order?
Seeing none, the Chair is prepared to rule.
The Chair finds that this amendment includes language requiring a new
determination as to whether curricula at proprietary institutions
satisfy various requirements.
The amendment, therefore, constitutes legislation in violation of
clause 2 of rule XXI.
The point of order is sustained, and the amendment is not in order.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Blumenauer
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement Veterans Health Administration directive
2011-004 with respect to the prohibition on ``VA providers
from completing forms seeking recommendations or opinions
regarding a Veteran's participation in a State marijuana
program.''.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Oregon is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I deeply appreciate the hard work of
the committee to make sure that our veterans are properly cared for.
They deserve our best.
Too many are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with obvious
wounds--missing limbs. But over 2.3 million are returning suffering
from wounds that are not visible. They are suffering from depression
and PTSD. That is why we lose 22 veterans per day who take their lives,
long since outnumbering the battlefield deaths. They deserve our best.
Over 100 million people reside in the 21 States, including your home
State of California, which was the first to legalize medical marijuana.
Twenty-one States and the District of Columbia passed laws that provide
for legal access to medical marijuana. As a result, as I say, over 1
million people now have access to it, including many of our veterans
who use medical marijuana at the recommendation of their physician to
treat conditions ranging from seizures, glaucoma, anxiety, chronic
pain, and the symptoms associated with chemotherapy. There are also
nine States, including my home State of Oregon, that now allow
physicians to recommend medical marijuana for the symptoms of
posttraumatic stress disorder.
I have heard those stories myself. I will enter into the Record one
story that was in the NBC News on April 1 about marine veteran Logan
Edwards, who describes how access to medical marijuana may have saved
his life.
`Out of Options': Veterans With PTSD Hit Pot Underground
(By Bill Briggs)
[From NBC News, Apr. 1, 2014]
Marine veteran Logan Edwards worried he could become one of
the 22 former members of the armed services who, on average,
commit suicide every day.
Then, he says, he tried marijuana.
Edwards, who served eight months in Iraq, is one of an
unknown number of veterans who have turned to marijuana to
manage Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which may afflict as
much as 20 percent of veterans from the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, according to experts. The Department of Veterans
Affairs doesn't let its doctors prescribe weed, so the former
service members buy it illegally, fib to their doctors,
accept it as a gift, or grow it themselves.
In Edwards' case, he says the drug may have saved his life.
``The first time I used it, I wanted to cry. Because it
took away my anxiety. Because it did everything for me that
the Oxycontin, benzodiazepines and anti-depressants the VA
prescribed me for three years did not do,'' said Edwards, 26,
a resident of Davenport, Iowa. His symptoms--an unrelenting
``hyper-vigilance,'' insomnia and nightmares--emerged ``the
moment we walked off the plane'' in 2008.
``I can function completely fine all day just by using
cannabis. I'm back in school. My attendance is good. My
grades are good. My relationships have healed,'' added the
former Marine. ``It allowed me to get my life back.''
In a March 12 letter, federal health officials approved a
long-delayed study to explore if pot relieves PTSD. But
doctors employed by the VA are banned from prescribing
medical marijuana--and from completing forms that allow
veterans to enroll in medical-marijuana programs. While
medical weed is legal in 20 states, only eight states
recognize PTSD as a qualifying condition for which physicians
can write cannabis prescriptions.
``. . .Due to the way the federal government and the state
want to handle this medical marijuana issue, I still am
forced to spend time away from family, treating these wounds
of war.''
Across that tangled post-war legal landscape, thousands of
combat veterans are tapping underground sources to buy
bootleg marijuana to self-treat PTSD. And in 12 states where
the drug is legal but prohibited for PTSD, many are lying to
doctors that they need medical weed for allowable conditions
like chronic pain, advocates assert. Meantime, vast numbers
of other veterans can't find it, can't afford it, abuse
alcohol to self-medicate, or rely on conventional VA drugs.
``My brothers are killing themselves because they're out of
options,'' Edwards said. ``These VA pharmaceuticals only
exacerbate the problem. The listed side effects on (some) of
the bottles say: `Will increase suicidal ideation.' So the
suicide rate is really what this comes down to.''
U.S. Army veteran Tom Studley, 28, served as a machine
gunner in Iraq for 15-months. He returned to civilian life
with chronic back pain and was diagnosed with PTSD. Studley
was prescribed numerous pharmaceuticals, but he said that by
inhaling marijuana with a vaporizer, he's been able to stop
using those drugs. Here, Studley stands in the shed where he
grows some of the 15 plants he's legally allowed as a medical
marijuana patient in Washington state in Nov. 2011.
With marijuana federally classified as a Schedule I
controlled substance (like heroin and LSD), VA physicians
``will not provide
[[Page H3345]]
for use,'' said Gina Jackson, a VA public affairs officer. At
the same time, veterans who participate in legal, medical-
marijuana programs ``will not be denied access to care for VA
clinical programs but should be assessed for misuse, adverse
effects, and withdrawal.''
The possibility of federal drug monitoring--plus fears of
losing VA benefits and the threat of legal trouble--has
driven scores of veterans to secretly use marijuana for
decades to address their PTSD symptoms, several veterans
said.
``Us veterans have already conducted tests on pot and
PTSD--and it works!'' said Vietnam veteran Bob Walker, 69.
``It's nice to see the feds playing catch up.''
PTSD expert Dr. Harry Croft, a San Antonio-based
psychiatrist who has treated veterans for combat-related
anxiety and substance abuse, applauds the federally approved
investigation.
``We owe it to our veterans with this condition,'' Croft
said. ``Unfortunately, present treatment options are not
helpful to many veterans and, therefore, other newer options
should be scientifically explored, including medical
marijuana.''
At Walker's home in Northern California, he ingests pot via
a vaporizer each night before bed. A Marine veteran grows
that marijuana and supplies it free to Walker and a local
network of other Vietnam vets. Diagnosed with PTSD, Walker
tried VA-prescribed Xanax and anti-depressants but found he
could not function on the pharmaceuticals. About 15 years
ago, he said, a VA counselor quietly suggested Walker use
cannabis to relieve his insomnia, anxiety, stuttering and
cold sweats.
``It solved a big problem for me. You feel, well,
lighter,'' said Walker, a former Army aircraft mechanic who
served in Vietnam in 1965 and 1966, watching his best friend
die in a chopper crash. ``Probably 60 to 70 percent of the
vets I know use marijuana for stress reduction and sleep.
It's their baseline medication.''
``I'm back in school. My attendance is good. My grades are
good. My relationships have healed. It allowed me to get my
life back.''
Near Denver, retired Marine and Iraq veteran Sean Azzariti,
32, sees roughly the same rate of pot use among ex-service
members with PTSD. He, too, was diagnosed with the disorder.
But in Colorado, PTSD is not a qualifying condition under
which private doctors can prescribe cannabis to veterans. So,
for four years, Azzariti could not tell his physician the
real reason he needed cannabis and instead said the
prescription would help treat chronic nausea.
Simply because of that forced ruse, pro-marijuana advocates
ensured Azzarti was the first customer in Colorado to buy
legal weed on Jan. 1 when the state began allowing anyone 21
and older to purchase pot. He paid $70 for a strain called
Bubba Kush and pot-infused candy truffles.
``If veterans had another avenue (to treat PTSD), most
would take that and it would save lives. I wouldn't be
talking to you if I didn't have cannabis,'' said Azzariti,
who smokes daily to manage his symptoms. ``Veterans have been
ignored for 30 years, denied what they truly need to heal.
Vietnam veterans could have told us this stuff works.
``That's why I'm open about using it. Sure, there's a
chance I'll lose my $120-a-month (VA) disability benefits.
But that's a small sacrifice to save one life and potentially
change the world,'' Azzariti said. ``With all of these people
coming home from war, (the PTSD and veteran-suicide crises)
are only going to get worse. How are we going to treat that?
We can't just keep throwing pills at people.''
Near Seattle, Iraq veteran Tom Studley, 28, stopped
swallowing pharmaceuticals for his PTSD symptoms four years
ago and instead, he said, gained inner peace by smoking,
vaporizing and eating marijuana.
`The anxiety begins to go away pretty quick and stays away
for a while,'' said Studley, who served as an Army machine
gunner.
After returning, he was prescribed muscle relaxants,
Percocet and methadone for chronic back pain plus Trazodone,
Celexa and hydroxyzine pamoate for sleep and anxiety. On his
property, Studley now grows, harvests and uses cannabis from
his 15 marijuana plants--a legal crop in Washington State.
``I feel,'' he said, ``less out of control.''
In Iowa, Marine veteran Edwards is taking control--but with
a painful plan.
In May, he will move to Colorado, away from his girlfriend
and 3-year-old daughter. He's relocating and transferring
colleges, he said, for one reason: to legally access medical
marijuana to continue managing his PTSD. He's tired of
breaking the law.
``I thought my deployment days, being away from my family,
ended when I got out of the Marine Corps. But due to the way
the federal government and the state want to handle this
medical marijuana issue, I still am forced to spend time away
from family, treating these wounds of war,'' Edwards said.
``I never thought I would have to leave the state and
community I grew up in to get access to medicine that's
working and is better for me than the FDA-approved stuff. I
never thought I would end up being a medical refugee.''
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, any of my colleagues, whether they are
in the State that has legalized medical marijuana or not, can find
examples of veterans who are benefiting from this treatment, yet the
Veterans Administration specifically prohibits its medical providers
from completing forms brought by their patients seeking recommendations
or opinions regarding a veteran's participation in a legal State
marijuana program.
The amendment which I am offering today with Representatives Farr,
Rohrabacher, and Polis is simple. It ensures that no funds be made
available to the VA to implement this prohibition. The amendment would
not authorize the possession or use of marijuana at VA facilities. It
would simply free up VA providers to recommend medical marijuana or to
provide advice upon it in accordance with State laws if they choose.
Over 20 percent of those 2.3 million American veterans suffer from
PTSD or depression. While there is no single approach to aiding our
veterans with PTSD, we should not use an outmoded policy to serve as a
roadblock to the path to recovery. We found that there are nearly 1
million veterans who receive opiates to treat chronic painful
conditions. More than half of them continue to use it chronically after
the treatment regimen.
Another study found that the death rate from opiate overdoses among
VA patients is twice the national average. In States where patients can
legally access medical marijuana for painful conditions as an
alternative, we shouldn't tie the hands of that primary provider or
prevent our veterans from talking to their primary care physicians.
They should not be forced outside the VA system to seek a simple
recommendation or to get information about these conditions or eligible
conditions granted to them by State law. Our VA physicians should not
be denied the ability to offer recommendations and advice that they
think meets the needs of their patients.
{time} 1715
This shouldn't be controversial. According to a poll published in the
New England Journal of Medicine, over 70 percent of physicians said
they would, when appropriate, recommend the use of medical marijuana to
their patients.
We all know of people with violent nausea as a result of
chemotherapy. Why would you deny that to our veterans or at least being
able to discuss it? Physicians who support legalizing medical marijuana
nationally have exceeded 70 percent in major national polls.
This amendment simply allows veterans to consult with their primary
provider, the same right enjoyed by over 100 million Americans today. I
urge you to treat our veterans fairly and approve this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment
because, even though I am a strong believer in the 10th Amendment and
public health and public safety is reserved to the States under the
10th Amendment, here we are talking about Federal facilities.
Marijuana is prohibited under Federal law. Any Federal facility
funded with Federal dollars--I think it is entirely appropriate that it
continue to be prohibited on a Federal facility. This is an issue that
should be left to the States.
Nothing is prohibiting a veteran from seeking medical attention in a
State where this is legal or where medical marijuana is permitted. They
can certainly go to a private physician. Frankly, in the States where
it is legal, in some of these States, I think they are even working on
vending machines for them.
I understand the gentleman's position, but again, these are Federal
facilities funded with Federal dollars. It is prohibited under Federal
law, and it is an issue best left to the States.
I think we would all do better as a Congress to honor the 10th
Amendment and leave those issues involving public health and public
safety to the States. We ought to focus on the issues specifically
delegated to the Federal Government by the Constitution and leave the
vast majority of issues in the hands of voters, their local elected
officials, and State officials. This is certainly one of them.
When it comes to a federally-funded facility, I think it is
appropriate that
[[Page H3346]]
the VA has a policy against their doctors prescribing or recommending
the use of a substance that is prohibited under Federal law. If they
need it, they can go to States where it is permitted. I urge Members to
oppose the amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I couldn't disagree more with my respected
chairman. This is really a medical issue that ought to be in the hands
of medical doctors. It does not allow them to prescribe marijuana. They
can prescribe Oxycontin.
What this amendment does, it says if your State has legalized for
medical purposes, as a doctor in a VA facility, you can have a
discussion with a vet seeking medical advice on whether you ought to
have access to--he can't write out the prescription, he doesn't have
authority to do that. It is a conversation. It is a discussion. It is a
medical conversation.
I don't care whether you are for or against marijuana. That is not
the issue here. The issue is--and Mr. Chairman, you know this issue
from Eric Seastrand in our California State Legislature who happened to
be a Republican assemblyman dying of cancer, he got up and made the
most impassioned plea I have ever heard in my life on a legislative
floor, saying members--and he was a pretty conservative guy. He said:
you know, when you are dying, don't deny us access to hope.
The issue was about getting access to a prescription drug that hadn't
yet been licensed. So I think we are in this debate now in this country
whether we like it or not. The voters of California overwhelmingly
passed--and I think it is pretty much a senior citizen issue--that if
we are having chronic pain and if we think medical marijuana can help
alleviate that pain, don't deny us access to it.
All this amendment says is that if you are in a VA clinic and you
want to have a discussion with your doctor about relieving pain or
other things, you can have that conversation.
As a medical adviser, I think they want to have that authority. They
can't do it in every State, they can't do it in every VA building, only
in those States where the dialogue is going to be on the streets
anyway; but they are not going to be professional dialogues unless you
allow doctors to do this.
This is a very simple amendment. Let doctors be doctors. Let them
advise patients accordingly. Pass this amendment, regardless of how you
feel about marijuana.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. FARR. I yield to the gentleman.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. I listened to my good friend from Texas. I am
troubled here. Why would we force veterans who are entitled to
veterans' health and have a primary physician that meets their needs
say, sorry, you don't get it in this case, go out on your own nickel,
go out and find a new doctor?
We are not talking about prescribing it. We are not talking about
using it on Federal facilities. We are talking about giving access to
information and having that conversation.
I dare say there is no other medical condition, if it were polio or
cancer, that you would say: nope, go someplace else. Go on your own
dime. Find somebody--build a relationship with someone who doesn't know
your history, who hasn't seen you regularly. You are out of here.
I think that is a disservice to our veterans. I don't think it is
anything that--if you talk to veterans' groups, if you talk to the
people who benefit from it, that they think that they ought to be
denied the ability to consult with their trusted medical provider.
Mr. CULBERSON. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. FARR. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CULBERSON. Very quickly, we are talking about those States where
it is already permitted--either medical marijuana is in Colorado, and I
think Washington State has already permitted it.
It is a 10th Amendment issue. It is something that is left up to the
States, but we are talking about federally-funded facilities, and that
is the concern here, in a federally-funded facility, where it is
illegal under Federal law, that is the problem.
Mr. FARR. No, it isn't.
Mr. CULBERSON. This is a federally-funded facility.
Mr. FARR. Yes. And so you are going to have the doctor say: I am
sorry, you are in a Federal facility. I can't talk to you about a
prescription of medical marijuana, even though you have asked the
question. I can answer your question about abortions. I can answer your
question about Oxycontin. I can answer your question about alcohol. I
can talk about any other kind of evil that may be in your mind or
benefit that may be in your mind, but I am prohibited by Federal law
because I am a doctor in this State working for the Veterans
Administration, from having a conversation with you about medical
marijuana.
That just doesn't make sense. It is not good medical practice.
Mr. CULBERSON. Because it is prohibited by Federal law.
Mr. FARR. Because it is prohibited by Federal law and I happen to be
in a State where Federal law ignores this because law enforcement,
medical folks, it is part of our system. We have worked out the
regulations.
You don't see the Feds coming in and busting clinics in California or
people using medical marijuana. You would be busting a lot of senior
citizens. Look, we have a hypocrisy in the law. That is what this
amendment is trying to clear up. I ask for an ``aye'' vote.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Colorado is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. PERLMUTTER. To my friends from Texas and Oregon, I would say to
the gentleman from Texas: you are absolutely right, it is against
Federal law, and that is something that we as a legislature need to
look at very closely.
We are dealing with issues right now in Colorado where we have
legalized the use of marijuana. In respect to certain banking laws,
there may be a question of whether banks can provide financial services
to marijuana businesses, and as a consequence, cash is building up.
So you may be absolutely right, I say to my friend from Texas; but
the gentleman from Oregon does, as does the gentleman from California,
state a valid case from a medical point of view. I would just say that
I had a brother-in-law who had melanoma, and the only thing that gave
him any relief was marijuana.
Now, subsequently, he has passed away, but from a medical standpoint,
there ought to be an opportunity for a doctor to consult with a patient
to prescribe something that gives that kind of relief.
So you are correct, Mr. Chairman, but I think we need to really take
a good look at this. In Colorado, we see a lot of people coming to
Colorado to help treat epilepsy because marijuana may have some
positive effects on epilepsy. We need to take a look at that in a whole
variety of ways.
Mr. CULBERSON. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. PERLMUTTER. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CULBERSON. That is absolutely a valid issue for the States to
take up. We should all honor the 10th Amendment. The Constitution
delegates limited powers to the Congress. If it crosses State lines,
interstate commerce, that is a valid Federal concern. If it is using
Federal dollars, that is a valid Federal concern.
But that debate, you are exactly right, should be held at the State
level. When it comes to police powers, public health, public safety,
that is reserved to the States under the 10th Amendment, and I would
absolutely agree; but in a Federal facility, that is different.
That is using Federal dollars to talk about a substance that is
prohibited under Federal law. I have a problem with that.
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5
minutes.
[[Page H3347]]
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Chairman, I am very happy to hear my good friend
from Texas supporting the other legislation that we have that leaves it
up to the States to make sure that they can declare marijuana legal or
illegal. I am very happy to have you on board.
I rise in strong support today, however, of the Blumenauer-Farr-
Rohrabacher-Polis amendment to the MilCon-VA Appropriations bill, which
would essentially remove an unreasonable barrier that prevents VA
physicians from recommending that our veterans have the benefit of
State medical marijuana programs.
The idea that VA physicians, totally legitimate doctors who treat
veterans and their illnesses, cannot recommend marijuana--or, by the
way, any other drug to their patients--and to treat things especially
when they are going to recommend a drug that might be used in treatment
for posttraumatic stress disorder, this is extremely troubling.
Our veterans have benefited from using medical cannabis to treat PTSD
and other ailments, so why are we denying our veterans the ability to
access something through their health care provider that is available
to the general public through access to their providers?
The fact that our veterans cannot receive recommendations from VA
physicians means that they are forced to go outside the VA system just
to get a simple recommendation on a drug.
Restricting the freedom and ability of our Nation's heroes,
individuals who have sacrificed so much for our freedom, to obtain
medicine that their doctor believes would alleviate their problem and
would be a treatment to an ailment that may be as a result of a war
that we sent them off to fight, but now to deny them the right to
actually have their doctor give the recommendation that he thinks would
help them is just simply not right.
There are numerous physicians who believe that medical marijuana can
have a great impact on these patients, on these veterans, on these
people who are perhaps suffering as a result of the battles that we put
them through. To fence off our veterans from such benefits is simply
not acceptable.
I sincerely hope that all of my colleagues will stand up for patients
and veterans by rejecting this heavy-handed government intervention
into the doctor-patient relationship.
Vote for this amendment and get out of the way of the medical
judgment of VA physicians who are treating our veterans. Get out of the
way. Let our VA physicians do what they believe is right for our
veterans. That is what the issue is today.
We are talking about medical marijuana or other treatments, and
certainly, our VA physicians would know more about that and have more
concern for their patients than we here in Congress and those people
who set up national rules have.
So let's get out of the way, make sure we give the power and empower
the VA physicians to do their job. Our veterans deserve that from us.
They don't deserve obstructionism between the United States Congress
and the veterans' physicians. I call on my colleagues to join me in
support of this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1730
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Nevada is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment by
Messrs. Blumenauer, Rohrabacher, and Farr. I am strongly in favor of
it.
The people of Nevada voted overwhelmingly to legalize medical
marijuana. In the coming months, the first medical marijuana
depositories will go online throughout the State. At the same time, we
also have a brandnew VA hospital, which will be serving the veterans of
my district and all across southern Nevada.
Unfortunately, due to VA's current restrictions, the more than
250,000 veterans who call Nevada home will be unable to receive a
prescription for medical marijuana through their VA doctors, and so
they will not have the opportunity to take advantage of this available
in Nevada medical option.
This is just not fair. I believe that the VA should have the
flexibility. It has been said much more eloquently than I can by the
sponsors of this amendment; but the VA should have the flexibility to
recommend the best medical treatments available to our Nation's
veterans, especially if that treatment is approved under the State laws
where the veteran lives.
As a Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I regularly
speak with both VA doctors and patients about advances in care for our
Nation's heroes. Forcing those people--those brave men and women who
have sacrificed so much--now to seek outside medical evaluation to
access legal medical treatment from doctors who have little or no
understanding of the unique challenges that our veterans face is simply
bad policy--bad political policy and bad medical policy.
We have already seen the positive results that medical marijuana can
have for patients suffering from PTSD and other ailments associated
with traumatic experiences, such as combat. More studies are underway--
including by the VA itself--that are anticipated to show these same
kinds of results, and we have heard numerous stories firsthand.
I support this. I think it is common sense, it is bipartisan, we
should move forward, and I urge my colleagues to join.
At this time, I yield the remainder of my time to Mr. Blumenauer.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlelady's courtesy
and the points that she made.
I heard my friend, the chair of the committee, talk about it being
against the law. I am not aware of any place--and I would direct this
to Mr. Culberson--I am not aware of any place in the statutes where it
is illegal for our VA doctors to give advice to our veterans about a
treatment that is legal in a State.
What we are talking about is a prohibition that is a directive, so if
there is a statute, I would be interested in knowing about it; but even
if it is, what if the advice that the VA doctor wants to give is don't
use medical marijuana?
They know their patient. Even if it is legal in their State, they
think it is not in the best interest of the patient. Your policy would
prohibit that doctor from telling that patient: I think it is wrong for
you, I don't think it works.
What is the wisdom of prohibiting? You are prejudging what the doctor
would say. I think the doctor ought to be able to give whatever advice
he or she wants to give.
I would yield to you, if the gentlelady would permit, where is it
illegal under Federal law for a doctor to talk about medical marijuana
or any other legal treatment?
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Culberson).
Mr. CULBERSON. I would simply point out that a Federal employee who
is paid with Federal tax dollars is obligated to follow Federal law.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Right. Where is it in the Federal law that it is
illegal?
Mr. CULBERSON. It is prohibited under Federal law.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Where in Federal law? I haven't been able to find
that. Where is it prohibited for a doctor to give advice to a patient
for a treatment that is legal in their State, pro or con? Where is that
illegal?
Mr. CULBERSON. My point is simply that a Federal employee drawing his
paycheck from Federal tax dollars obviously is obligated to follow
Federal law.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Right. Where is that illegal under Federal law?
Mr. CULBERSON. Marijuana is prohibited under Federal law, and that is
my point.
I urge Members to oppose the amendment for that reason.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. I would like to make the point that the gentleman is
wrong. I am happy for him to show us where it is prohibited for a
doctor to talk about a legal State treatment. There is no Federal
prohibition that we have been able to find because, if I could find it,
I would introduce legislation to repeal it.
But my point obtained, what if the advice of the doctor is don't use
medical marijuana, which is legal, because it is not right for you, I
am your primary physician, why would you prohibit that?
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Duncan of Tennessee). The time of the
gentlewoman has expired.
[[Page H3348]]
Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Louisiana is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Chairman, today, in this very interesting
discussion, I am talking on this subject coming from the perspective of
a physician and a military veteran himself, someone who is very
acquainted with addiction disorders, someone who has been a medical
director for addiction centers, even involved with methadone treatment
over the years.
I can tell you that we all honor our veterans. We love our veterans.
We are so glad that they have sacrificed what they have and what they
go through. We know about PTSD and traumatic brain syndrome and all of
these things which are a big problem.
However, I would say to you, Mr. Chairman, that the last thing in the
world we should be doing is giving medical marijuana to people with
these disorders.
What have we learned just in recent days? This month, the American
Heart Association came out and said that marijuana, through their
studies, both in young adults and middle-aged adults, has been shown to
be very damaging to the cardiovascular system, leading to heart disease
and congestive heart failure. I have a study right here.
Also, in this month, Northwestern came out with a study where they
found that there was profound changes in the brain just among young
adults who were using only casual exposure to marijuana. We know, on a
biochemical level, that addictive substances such as marijuana causes
changes in the microscopic neurotransmitters. I wrote a book on that in
2007.
So I would say to you today that one of the last things we should do
is to damage the brains and the hearts of our beloved veterans. Why
should we be hurting them?
As far as the claim that there is medical use for marijuana, where is
the proof of that? What disease or disorder can be treated by marijuana
and nothing else just as well, if not better? There is no proof out
there. Trust me, I have been looking for it.
There is a mention of treating seizures. Yes, the University of
Mississippi is doing a study extracting the oil, not the THC, but the
oil for the use for some seizure disorders. It is under
experimentation. There is no proof that it does any good.
Is medicinal marijuana anything other than recreational marijuana?
Well, we have more dispensaries in California and Colorado than we do
Starbucks. Do we have that many sick people in these States? I don't
think so.
So I come to you today as a physician telling you that, having
treated veterans in VA hospitals, one of the last things in the world
we should do is give addicting substances to people with PTSD and other
brain disorders. Any good physician would tell you that. We have other
anxiety-reducing medications that are nonaddicting and work very well.
Antidepressants do a very good job.
But we know that if we compound a brain disorder or disease with an
addicting substance that alters the brain itself, we are just going to
see even higher rates of disorders, especially suicides.
I would challenge you today that we back away from this. Fine, if we
want to do some more studies, but medical marijuana--medicinal
marijuana--in fact, we even have something called Marinol, which is
prescribed sometimes under a physician's supervision--but medicinal
marijuana is not under a physician's supervision.
There is a scrip written out, and somebody goes and gets high. The
smoke from marijuana has more tar in it than cigarettes. Why do we want
to have another epidemic of lung cancer and heart disease, for heaven's
sake, especially among our veterans?
I would say to you today that you can argue about the law. I would
say to the gentleman that, yes, it would be improper to recommend to a
patient to break the law by using a schedule I drug. It is against the
law to use that, at least the Federal law. I wouldn't advise a patient
to go break the law. I don't think that would be proper for me as a
physician to do that.
I would say to you today that we have a number of medical and health
reasons that we don't want to hurt and damage the vital organs of our
wonderful and beloved veterans.
Again, if somebody has a claim that marijuana helps people medically,
if it is so necessary and better than any other drug that we have on
the market, well, then come forward with the proof.
The fact that there are doctors out there who say: yeah, I prescribe
it for my patients, fine. But we have doctors who do a lot of things
that I don't advise and many other doctors don't advise. It doesn't
make it right. It only makes it right if we have proof out there,
scientific evidence, that supports its use and benefits.
I think this is a good debate to have. I know we are going to be
talking about this more, but this does not belong in this bill. Let's
protect our veterans, not damage them.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, what the gentleman said was a one-size-fits-
all answer.
The fact is, when I first spoke on a similar amendment about the DEA
and marijuana, it was about a gentleman named Oral James Mitchell, Jr.,
a Navy SEAL who served this country in Vietnam and died in 1996 of
pancreatic cancer.
He violated the law in 1996 in the State of Maryland because he used
marijuana to ease his nausea. Also, as his mother said:
It is the only thing that allows Oral to smile and to eat.
He didn't like the Marinol. He said it didn't do as much good
as smoking marijuana.
When we are talking about somebody who has cancer and wants to use
marijuana to improve the condition they are in and suffering from the
nausea--and there is a lot of evidence that it is better than Marinol--
then we don't have to worry about the situations that the doctor
mentioned about possibly causing somebody heart disease over a period
of years, which we know tobacco does and it is sold all around and
legal.
We are talking about saving people pain, and we are talking about a
VA doctor being able to distinguish between allowing somebody who might
be in the last months or years of life and alleviating their pain with
one of the best agents known to man to do that, rather than a situation
where somebody might be young.
We don't have that many veterans who are as young as the AMA study
discussed and their ability to think. That was talking about kids who
were teenagers. They are not veterans.
I would submit that there are times the doctor should have
discretion. We are not talking about the doctor dispensing marijuana.
We are talking about a directive from the Federal Government
prohibiting the doctor from saying: I think like Dr. Fleming, and
I don't think that you should use marijuana, I don't think you should
go to another physician if you could afford it outside the VA system
and try to get him to give you a directive to where you can go and get
marijuana.
This prohibits the VA doctor from allowing Dr. Fleming, if he worked
at the VA, to tell his patient not to do it. The VA doctor should be
able to speak the truth.
This is censorship by our Federal Government--a directive--which I
think most of the people on the other side of the aisle have certainly
been against Federal Government influence in medical policies and have
done all they can to stop the Federal Government from influencing
medical decisions. Here is a situation where you are saying the doctor
should be censored.
There is a lot of evidence that medical cannabis helps, but
particularly with nausea. I know the Chair knows people in east
Tennessee, as I know in Memphis, who have contacted me and asked me to
allow them to be able to get medical marijuana.
They can't do it in Tennessee yet. They would like to do it in
Tennessee at the veterans' hospitals, but where it is legal in the
State, the doctor should not be muzzled and censored.
This Congress should be in favor of the freedom of speech and in
favor of the doctor being able to use their best efforts to help their
patients and exercise their Hippocratic oath to do what they think is
best, which may be to say no.
[[Page H3349]]
I yield to Mr. Blumenauer to add to this discussion because he was
exactly right. This doesn't say anything about dispensing marijuana. It
doesn't say you are for marijuana. It simply says you allow the VA
doctor to exercise their judgment.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate it. It is hard to improve upon your
eloquence because you are speaking in favor of Dr. Fleming being able
to advise a veteran, if he was back at the VA, to say don't use medical
marijuana.
This directive would prohibit him from saying to his patient, no,
don't do it, and reciting all the facts and figures. Why would we
muzzle Dr. Fleming from his professional responsibilities, one way or
another, in terms of medical marijuana?
{time} 1745
The literature is being built. I just visited with dozens of medical
professionals who want to do more research, who want to deal with this
in a clinical, thoughtful way. We have got stupid Federal policies that
prohibit the research. I have met with parents who have children with
violent epileptic seizures, and they are moving to States in which they
can get medical marijuana, because they can get it. The physicians
cannot get medical marijuana to study, but it is making a difference
for these families.
We just ought not to confuse what we are talking about here. We are
talking about VA hospital doctors being able to do something that is
not prohibited under Federal law, which is talking about the pros and
cons of treatment. That ought to be our objective, and that is why this
amendment should be approved.
The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentleman from Tennessee has
expired.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Oregon will
be postponed.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Runyan
Mr. RUNYAN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), add the
following new section:
Sec. 417. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to propose, plan for, or execute a new or additional
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from New Jersey is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. RUNYAN. Mr. Chairman, this amendment, which is cosponsored by
Representative Barber, states that none of the funds made available by
this act may be used to propose, to plan for, or to execute a new or an
additional round of BRAC.
There is no doubt that we recognize the defense budget pressures that
we face today in this fiscal environment, and we should direct our
limited dollars to addressing the current mission, infrastructure, and
readiness needs in support of our warfighters. Based on the cost of
previous Base Realignment and Closure, a new round of base closures
will likely entail large up-front costs and will end up costing much
more than originally estimated. For example, the GAO says that the last
BRAC in 2005 had an actual cost of $35.1 billion. That is an
approximately 67 percent increase from the September 2005 BRAC
Commission's original cost estimate of $21 billion.
I know many Members of this Chamber want Congress to continue to have
the close oversight of our military installations and infrastructure.
This bipartisan amendment ensures that we can do that. I urge my
colleagues to support this amendment, which helps ensure that the funds
in this bill address current needs, rather than to support a new round
of BRAC.
I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Barber, for
offering this amendment with me, and I thank the chairman and the
members of the subcommittee for working with me on this important
issue.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BARBER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. BARBER. I want to thank my colleague for cosponsoring this
important bipartisan amendment. Congressman Runyan understands very
well, I think, that we have to have a commitment in order to make sure
that we do the right thing by our military.
Mr. Chairman, we are in difficult times. There is no question we are
in times when the budgets are constrained, but as we draw down our
forces from war in Afghanistan and shift our strategic focus to the
Pacific, reducing Active Duty personnel and equipment across the
services, there is absolutely no doubt that we must reevaluate where we
are in terms of the Department of Defense's infrastructure. However,
this does not mean that we should take on another round of Base
Realignment and Closure, or BRAC.
Our military installations across the Nation have a profound impact
on the families of the communities that support these installations. In
my district, for example, we have two installations--the Davis-Monthan
Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca. Both the communities of Tucson and
Sierra Vista have storied histories that go back over eight decades in
support of these installations. They have become inextricably linked,
with the bases and the cities growing and prospering together.
Mr. Chairman, while sequestration and the current fiscal outlook
demand that we make prudent decisions about spending across the
government, now is not the time for another costly round of BRAC. The
2005 round of BRAC cost our taxpayers money, and we have yet to see any
savings from it. It doesn't seem prudent to start another one while we
are still looking for savings. Our military communities, including
those in southern Arizona, cannot afford the uncertainty of another
round of BRAC.
Again, I want to thank Congressman Runyan for his leadership on this
issue, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support
this important amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan).
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Colorado is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to talk about two issues
of great importance to veterans in Colorado and throughout the Rocky
Mountain West.
First, I want to talk about the new stand-alone hospital, the U.S.
Department of VA's replacement medical center in Aurora, Colorado. This
hospital has been one of my top priorities for 7 years, which is when I
arrived in Congress. This hospital has been promised to our veterans
for nearly 15 to almost 20 years. The project has gone through a number
of iterations over the years under two Presidents and four Secretaries
of the VA. Once completed, this medical facility will serve hundreds of
thousands of veterans across the Rocky Mountain West. The 182-bed
facility will include a full range of medical, laboratory, research,
and counseling services, a 30-bed spinal cord injury unit, a 30-bed
community living center, and a PTSD rehabilitation clinic.
The hospital is well underway, but, unfortunately, the VA is involved
in an ongoing contract dispute with the prime contractor, putting the
cost and schedule for completing this project in jeopardy. At the heart
of the dispute is the cost of the final design, which is leading to
hundreds of change orders submitted to the VA by the contractor with
very few approved and paid. The original design called for an
approximately $1.1 billion state-of-the-art medical center, but
Congress authorized and appropriated $800 million for the acquisition
of approximately 40 acres of land and several buildings as well as
design and construction. The original design appears not to have
significantly changed and, consequently, a funding gap exists between
the authorized amount for the contract and
[[Page H3350]]
the overall cost of the project. This contract dispute will be heard
next month by the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.
I am working constantly with the VA and with other members of the
Colorado congressional delegation to find solutions to improve the
construction process of this medical center and finish the project.
Unfortunately, it is becoming clear to me that the VA and Congress have
underestimated the cost to build this facility, and in the coming
months, our delegation will be asking for additional appropriations. I
am not happy about this, but we have promised this hospital to our
veterans for more than a decade, and we must finish the facility.
I want to thank Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop for
continuing a dialogue with our delegation and the VA to ensure we will
have the resources necessary to finish this hospital as quickly as
possible.
I also want to talk today about an important issue about our veterans
who are returning home. During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, we saw a
dramatic increase in traumatic brain injuries among our veterans. One
of the common neurological disorders due to TBI is the development of
epilepsy. Data from prior wars indicate that as many as 50 percent of
individuals experiencing penetrating brain trauma will develop
epilepsy.
Because of this increase, I worked with Senator Patty Murray and the
Bush administration in 2008 to establish Epilepsy Centers of Excellence
within the VA Health Administration. These centers have done an
excellent job in dealing with people in our veterans' community who
have developed seizure disorders. The VA currently has 16 centers
across the country, creating a national network of facilities prepared
to diagnose and treat veterans with epilepsy.
These centers need to be fully funded. I ask that the committee
continue to work with the VA to make sure that the funding for those 16
centers continues unabated.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SCHWEIKERT. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. SCHWEIKERT. Mr. Chairman, I am doing this, actually, to try to be
efficient because we are moving on a bit.
May I request that the gentleman from Texas enter into a quick
colloquy with me.
Mr. CULBERSON. Certainly.
Mr. SCHWEIKERT. We attached the Rothfus amendment earlier, and I
believe the amendment I was going to be offering in a couple of moments
would have probably been a little duplicative, but I want to make a
specific point.
We have had a series of amendments here and discussions in regards to
bonuses for VA leadership. There are frustrations and concerns
particularly when we look at previous GAO reports which say the
matrix--some of the data, some of the collection--on wait times and
other things that substantially the bonuses are based on, as this GAO
report says, may actually be very inaccurate.
If the performance bonuses continue to exist, Mr. Chairman, would you
be willing to work with someone like me and my office to try to find a
better way? My fear is that right now, in the way it is designed, we
incentivize playing games with the wait times. The world works on
incentives and disincentives.
Can we work together to come up with a better methodology of how we
incentivize good acts so that we are all comfortable that we are moving
towards, shall we say, a proper analysis of the outcomes, and,
therefore, we reward those?
Mr. CULBERSON. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. SCHWEIKERT. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CULBERSON. Absolutely. Of course. I look forward to working with
you and your office.
Mr. SCHWEIKERT. That is all I wanted to accomplish here.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Takano
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title) insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available in this Act for the All-Volunteer Force Educational
Assistance Program under chapter 30 of title 38, United
States Code, or the Post 9/11 Educational Assistance Program
under chapter 33 of such title and provided to an institution
of higher education (as defined in section 102 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)) may be used for
recruiting or marketing activities.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. A point of order is reserved.
The gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would prevent Federal student
aid for veterans, including post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, from being used
by colleges for marketing and recruiting purposes.
A Senate Health Committee report showed that many for-profits used
more than 22 percent of their revenue on marketing and recruiting but
less than 18 percent on academic instruction. At the same time, many of
these schools received more than 80 percent of their revenue from
Federal student aid, including post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and other
veterans' education benefits.
{time} 1800
That's a lot of veteran's education assistance and taxpayer money
going to for-profit schools to market to and recruit students. It has
been well documented that some of these schools use overly aggressive,
deceptive, and fraudulent practices to get students to attend their
schools. Thirty-eight State attorneys general, the CFPB, the SEC, FDIC,
and DOJ are all investigating the practices of for-profit colleges. We
need to address this abuse of student veterans' and taxpayer dollars. I
urge you all to support my amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Point of Order
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chair, I make a point of order against the
amendment because it proposes to change existing law and, therefore,
constitutes legislation in an appropriation bill in violation of clause
2 of rule XXI.
The rules states in pertinent part that an amendment to a general
appropriations bill shall not be in order if it changes existing law.
This amendment, Mr. Chairman, requires a new determination, and I
would ask for a ruling from the Chair.
The Acting CHAIR. Does anyone else wish to speak on the point of
order? If not, the Chair is prepared to rule.
In pertinent part, the amendment restricts funds for marketing
activities.
Absent a showing of a statutory or regulatory definition of marketing
activities, the amendment would require a Federal official to define
what activities constitute marketing activities. Such a requirement
constitutes a new duty in violation of clause 2 of rule XXI.
The point of order is sustained, and the amendment is not in order.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Gosar
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have my first amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title) insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to create or maintain any patient record-keeping
system other than those currently approved by the Department
of Veterans Affairs Central Office in Washington, D.C.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I rise to stand with veterans throughout the
country and offer a simple amendment that seeks to prohibit funds in
this bill from being used to create or maintain any unofficial
recordkeeping system at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
As many of you know, numerous news reports have surfaced that assert
that the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System has been using
secondary, unofficial records of veterans' claims and appointment
requests. These allegations claim that the reasoning behind these
actions was to misrepresent the actual wait times the veterans faced as
they sought health care.
A whistleblower has come forward and alleged the facility was taking
the
[[Page H3351]]
vets' application information, transcribing that information to an
unofficial shared document, and only putting veterans' information and
requests into the real system when they knew that the veterans were
likely to receive an appointment within a 2-week timeframe. If true, on
paper, the VA central office here in Washington would be under the
impression that the wait time goals for appointments were being met.
According to reports, veterans were waiting for months and months on
end.
The House Veterans' Affairs Committee is conducting an investigation
into the matter and so far has said as many as 40 veterans suffered and
died while waiting for appointments through the Phoenix VA system.
Their investigation is ongoing, and they fear there could be many more
deaths as a result of this negligence.
I would like to thank the full committee chairman, Chairman Miller,
and Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee Chairman Coffman for their
efforts on this front.
The inspector general's office at the VA is also conducting
investigations into these allegations. It is my hope that we get to the
full truth soon and that those responsible are held accountable.
Depending on the findings, criminal charges may even be in order. In
the meantime, my goal is to ensure that such recordkeeping practices
are not allowed to take place.
I have said this before, it is sad that we have to legislate in this
way. When government bureaucrats don't use good judgment and common
sense, regulations and laws must be changed to prevent bad behavior. No
matter what the investigation shows and no matter who was involved,
this practice must be prevented in the future. My amendment seeks to do
just that.
Only the official systems approved by the Veterans Administration's
Central Office should be used. This way, we have oversight,
accountability, and uniformity. It is my hope that one day we also have
a little more efficiency in these processes.
Thank you for your consideration, and I urge my colleagues on both
sides of the aisle to support the passage of my commonsense amendment.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Seeing no additional speakers, the question is on
the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Grayson
Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), add the
following new section:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to enter into a contract with any offeror or any of
its principals if the offeror certifies, as required by
Federal Acquisition Regulation, that the offeror or any of
its principals:
(A) within a three-year period preceding this offer has
been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against it
for: commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection
with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public
(Federal, State, or local) contract or subcontract; violation
of Federal or State antitrust statutes relating to the
submission of offers; or commission of embezzlement, theft,
forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records,
making false statements, tax evasion, violating Federal
criminal tax laws, or receiving stolen property; or
(B) are presently indicted for, or otherwise criminally or
civilly charged by a governmental entity with, commission of
any of the offenses enumerated above in subsection (A); or
(C) within a three-year period preceding this offer, has
been notified of any delinquent Federal taxes in an amount
that exceeds $3,000 for which the liability remains
unsatisfied.
Mr. GRAYSON (during the reading). Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent
that it be considered as read.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Florida?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Florida is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is identical to language
that was inserted by voice vote into this bill last year, as well as
every other appropriations bill that was considered by an open rule.
This amendment would expand the list of wrongdoing parties with whom
the Federal Government is prohibited from contracting. That list should
contractors who have been convicted of fraud, who have violated Federal
or State antitrust laws, who have been convicted of embezzlement,
theft, forgery, bribery, violation of Federal tax laws and other items
outlined in section 52.209-5 of title 48 of the Code of Federal
Regulations.
These are all offenses which any contractor doing business with the
Federal Government must disclose to the contracting officer in every
offer. Oddly enough however, without this amendment, the contracting
officer is then free to ignore these transgressions and award contracts
to the offending offeror.
I commend the authors of this bill for their inclusion of sections
413 and 414, which are relevant to this issue. I submit, however, that
we can improve this bill by prohibiting agencies from contracting with
those entities who have engaged in the criminal and fraudulent
activities that I have described.
It is my hope that this amendment will be noncontroversial, as it was
last year, and again be passed unanimously by voice vote by the House.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Seeing no additional speakers, the question is on
the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Grayson).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Gosar
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I have my second amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. The amounts otherwise provided by this Act are
revised by reducing the amount made available for
``Department of Veterans Affairs--Departmental
Administration--General Administration'', and increasing the
amount made available for ``Department of Veterans Affairs
Departmental Administration--Information Technology
Systems'', by $3,215,910.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer an amendment that seeks to
redirect funds that would otherwise be spent on Department of Veterans
Affairs bureaucrats and administrative expenses and puts those monies
towards timely service for our veterans.
Although this amendment is a dollar-for-dollar transfer within this
bill, which will result in a neutral impact on the bill's budget
authority, the amendment will actually decrease budget outlays for 2015
by $1 million according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The general administration account for the Department of Veterans
Affairs is funded at $321,591,000. Funds to this account can be spent
on things that have nothing to do with administrating critical services
for our veterans. Examples include things like receptions, conferences,
uniforms, and excessive travel for bureaucrats.
It is no secret that the VA, like other Federal agencies like the GSA
and the IRS, has in recent years abused the trust of the American
people by spending exorbitant amounts of money on conferences and
travel expenses. I think we all know that the VA has had its share of
problems in the past few years. Meanwhile, wait times for claims
processing and appeals processing are horrendous.
The most recent report put forth by the VA indicates there are more
than 600,000 veterans' claims pending with the VA. Even more troubling
is the fact that 319,363 claims have been pending for more than 125
days.
Many of our veterans are simply giving up. They are either giving up
on trying to obtain the benefits they deserve, or worse, some of them
are giving up on life altogether. It is a travesty, and this appalling
trend must by reversed.
It is disheartening to me that such wasteful spending occurs while
veterans are crying out for help. It is distressing that it occurs
while veterans are taking their own lives. It is truly disturbing that
it occurs when we have veterans dying as they wait for care.
I appreciate the committee's hard work and its acknowledgment of the
importance of reducing the backlog in this bill. Having said that, I
think we
[[Page H3352]]
can do more and should focus on prioritizing funding for efforts that
will lead to timelier care for our Nation's heroes as opposed to
administrative expenses. That is why I proposed redirecting a mere 1
percent of the funds in the general administration account away from
the funding for conference expenses and bureaucrats and shifting those
funds towards reducing the VA backlog.
It is unfair to say that all VA employees and officials have abused
the trust of the American people and the veterans that they are meant
to serve. There are many within this Department who work tirelessly to
get through their claims and streamline processes. To those people, I
say ``thank you.''
Our veterans and the American taxpayers are not pleased with the
overall production level at the VA. It is time to remember and act on
the mission at hand: serving our veterans who have given so much for
this Nation.
I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the
passage of my commonsense amendment.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Seeing no additional speakers, the question is on
the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Ms. Jackson Lee
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act for
benefits for homeless veterans and training and outreach
programs may be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in
contravention of subchapter III of chapter 20 of title 38,
United States Code.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Texas is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I want to thank Mr. Culberson and Mr.
Bishop for doing an outstanding job as they have done and make a
bipartisan statement that as the first bill of the appropriations
season comes forward we stand in solidarity against veterans waiting,
against veterans' claims not being processed, and against veterans
dying because they have not been treated.
I don't think any Member of Congress would adhere to that kind of
abuse of our veterans, and I hope that we find solutions in a
bipartisan way. I also believe the administration and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, a military retiree himself, would stand in solidarity
to stop this kind of treatment of our veterans.
One of the groups that we have a solidarity and commitment to are the
Nation's homeless veterans. We know that there are over 100,000
homeless veterans and 1,000-plus homeless veterans in Houston, Texas.
My amendment reinforces and reaffirms our commitment in looking to
ensure that funds are not cut in subchapter 3, dealing with homeless
matters, enhancement of comprehensive services, in particular,
hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care, which used to be only for
homeless veterans who were suffering from mental health issues, now
access to all veterans. So the Jackson Lee amendment is here to ensure
that reducing, eliminating homelessness among veterans is of paramount
responsibility and commitment to those who risk their lives to protect
our freedom.
My amendment will remind us of our obligation to provide our veterans
the assistance needed to avoid homelessness, which includes adequately
funding for programs, Veterans Administration's support of housing that
provides case management services, adequate housing facilities, mental
health support, and address other areas that contribute to veterans'
homelessness, such as the homeless matters, enhancement of
comprehensive services.
Mr. Chairman, our veterans deserve the best service available, and I
believe that we could do much for them. I know that in this particular
appropriations bill there has been a standard of excellence to put our
veterans first. Many other veterans are considered homeless or at-risk
because of their poverty, lack of support from family and friends, and
dismal living conditions. So that means the number of 107,000 goes up.
Contrary to popular belief, ending homelessness among veterans
remains a big challenge. My own city of Houston has its own share of
homelessness.
Let me take note of the homeless centers in my community: Salvation
Army, Joshua House for Men, Magnificent House, Modest Family Health
Care, Open Door Mission, Salvation Army, Harbor Light--of which I
participate in their Thanksgiving ceremonies or Thanksgiving dinner
almost every year that I have served in the United States Congress--
Star of Hope, Ultimate Changes, and my good friend Mr. Jones who is on
Lyons Avenue who has a facility that opens its doors to anyone who will
knock, a man who needs the resources that have been cut over the years.
My amendment is to reinforce that, as this bill is passed, we will
ensure that the provisions given to us under title III, section 301
that emphasizes the utilization of facilities for veterans who happen
to be homeless, all veterans, would not be diminished. That is at least
our minimal responsibility--minimal responsibility.
But as we approach this Memorial Day where we honor those who lost
their lives, let us not leave their fellow brothers and sisters along
the highway of despair.
{time} 1815
On a personal note, let me indicate that as a member of the local
elected government, for many years I used to participate in the
standdown, where you got to talk and interact with our veterans. I can
tell you firsthand the experience.
Our veterans welcome our help and need our help, for they have helped
this Nation.
Mr. Chair, Thank you for this opportunity to describe my amendment,
which simply provides that: ``None of the funds made available by this
Act for the Department of Veteran Affairs--Benefits for Homeless
Veterans and Training and Outreach Programs may be used in
contravention of the title 38, Part II, Chapter 20, III of the U.S.
Code.
This amendment will help ensure that the rate of homelessness among
veterans in the United States does not increase.
I thank Subcommittee Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Bishop for
their hard work in shepherding this important legislation to the floor.
I offer the Jackson Lee Amendment because I believe reducing and
eliminating homelessness among veterans, those who risked their lives
to protect our freedom, should also be one of the nation's highest
priorities.
Homelessness among the American veteran population is on the rise in
the United States and we must be proactive in giving back to those who
have given so much to us.
My amendment will help remind us of our obligation to provide our
veterans the assistance needed to avoid homelessness, which includes
adequately funding for programs Veterans Administration Supportive
Housing (VASH) that provide case-management services, adequate housing
facilities, mental health support, and address other areas that
contribute to veteran homelessness.
VASH is a jointly-administered permanent supportive housing program
for disabled Veterans experiencing homelessness in which VA medical
Centers provide referrals and case management while Public Housing
Agencies (PHAs) administer the Section 8 housing vouchers.
Mr. Chair, our veterans deserve the best services available, and I
believe that we could be doing much more for them.
Today, in our country, there are approximately 107,000 veterans (male
and female) who are homeless on any given night. And perhaps twice as
many (200,000) experience homelessness at some point during the course
of a year.
Many other veterans are considered near homeless or at risk because
of their poverty, lack of support from family and friends, and dismal
living conditions in cheap hotels or in overcrowded or substandard
housing.
Contrary to popular belief, ending homelessness among veterans
remains a big challenge.
In my hometown of Houston for example, between the years 2010 and
2012, the number of homeless veterans increased from 771 to 1,162.
We must be vigilant and continue to fight for those who put on the
uniform and fought for us.
Providing a home for veterans to come home to every night is the very
least we can do.
Mr. Chair, you should know that programs like VASH have succeeded in
changing lives. In 2012 alone, 35,905 veterans lived in the public
housing provided by VASH.
[[Page H3353]]
I have seen the impact of such grants in my home state of Texas, and
within my congressional district in Houston, and I am sure that this
funding has positively impacted many communities across this country.
In Texas, there are committed groups in Houston, working to eradicate
the issue of homelessness.
For example, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center has been
involved in changing veterans' lives in a mighty way by providing
Veterans and their families with access to affordable housing and
medical services that will help them get back on their feet.
Mr. Chair, we cannot let this issue of homelessness continue. I urge
my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee Amendment and commit ourselves
to the hard but necessary work of ending veteran homelessness in
America.
National Coalition
for Homeless Veterans,
Washington, DC, August 7, 2012.
Bill to Reauthorize, Improve Critical Homeless Veteran Programs Signed
Into Law
Washington.--In mid-July 2012, the U.S. Senate unanimously
passed H.R. 1627, the ``Honoring America's Veterans and
Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012.'' As reported
by NCHV, (http://nchv.org/index. php/news/headline article/
senate_unanimously passes_bill_ to_reauthorize_
improve_critical_ homeless_Vet/). This bill would reauthorize
and improve several homeless veteran programs that are
critical to the success of the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA)'s Five-Year Plan to End Veteran Homelessness. On July
31, the U.S. House of Representatives proceeded to pass H.R.
1627, and less than one week later, the bill was signed into
law by President Barack Obama.
This bill represents a comprehensive agreement between both
parties in both the House and the Senate. NCHV's most recent
Congressional Leadership Award recipients (http://nchv.org/
index. php/news/headline_ article/highlights_from_ the_
2012_annual _conference/)--Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), Chairman
of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and Sen. Patty
Murray (D-WA), Chairman of the Senate of the Senate Committee
on Veterans' Affairs--were at the center of this compromise.
Throughout the 112th Congress, NCHV has regularly advised
the congressional committees of jurisdiction on the
provisions in H.R. 1627 that would greatly impact homeless
veteran assistance. Descriptions of these individual
provisions are provided below.
For more information on H.R. 1627, visit the following
links:
The full text of the bill can be downloaded here (http://
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1627eas/pdf/BILLS-
112hr1627eas.pdf) (PDF).
The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has set up a
webpage with a title-by-title overview of the bill and
supplementary information. This page can be accessed here
(http://veterans.house.gov/HR1627).
H.R. 1627, ''Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune
Families Act of 2012''
Title II--Housing Matters
Sec. 211. Modification of authorities for enhanced-use leases
of real property
Authority for VA's Enhanced-Use Lease (EUL) program expired
on Dec. 31, 2011. This section provides a modified
reauthorization for the program. The VA Secretary may now
enter into a EUL ``only for the provision of supportive
housing,'' which is defined in the bill as ``housing that
engages tenants in on-site and community-based support
services for veterans or their families that are at risk of
homelessness or are homeless.''
Title III--Homeless Matters
Sec. 301. Enhancement of comprehensive service programs
This section would allow Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program
capital grants to be used for the new construction of
facilities. Additionally, these applicants would be able to
use funding from other private or public sources, so long as
the applicant ``demonstrates that a private nonprofit
organization will provide oversight and site control for the
project.''
Within one year, VA must also ``complete a study of all
matters relating to'' the GPD per diem payment method, as
well as develop a more effective and efficient method for
adequately reimbursing GPD capital grant recipients.
Sec. 302. Modification of authority for provision of
treatment and rehabilitation to certain veterans to
include provision of treatment and rehabilitation to
homeless veterans who are not seriously mentally ill
This section expands VA's authority to provide ``hospital,
nursing home, and domiciliary care'' (Title 38, section 1710,
U.S. Code). Current law only allows homeless veterans who are
suffering from serious mental illness to receive this care--
H.R. 1627 will allow all homeless veterans to access these
services.
Sec. 303. Modification of grant program for homeless veterans
with special needs
This section expands the VA's Special Needs Grant Program
to organizations that are eligible for GPD funds. Current law
only allows existing GPD providers to receive Special Needs
grants.
Additionally, male homeless veterans with minor dependents
would become eligible for services through the Special Needs
Grant Program. Current law restricts these services to women
veterans with minor dependents. H.R. 1627 authorizes these
dependents to directly receive services through the program.
Sec. 304. Collaboration in provision of case management
services to homeless veterans in supported housing
program
This section states that the VA Secretary ``shall consider
entering into contracts or agreements'' with eligible
organizations to help provide case management through the
HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. Training and
technical assistance may be provided to help facilitate these
efforts.
Within a year and a half of H.R. 1627's enactment, VA must
report to Congress on this collaboration.
Sec. 305. Extensions of previously fully funded authorities
affecting homeless veterans
This section reauthorizes programs that are critical to the
success of the Five-Year Plan to End Veteran Homelessness:
The Grant and Per Diem Program is reauthorized at $250
million for FY 2013--the same level at which it is currently
authorized.
The Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP),
administered by the Department of Labor-Veterans' Employment
and Training Service (DOL-VETS), is reauthorized at $50
million for FY 2013--the same level at which it is currently
authorized.
The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program
is reauthorized at $300 million for FY 2013--$200 million
above the level at which it is currently authorized.
The Special Needs Grant Program is reauthorized at $5
million for FY 2013--the same level at which it is currently
authorized.
For more information on policy and legislative issues that
affect homeless veteran service providers, visit http://
nchv.org/index.php/policy/ (http://nchv.org/index.php/
policy/).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Seeing no other speakers, the question is on the
amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Farenthold
Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to pay the salary of any officer or employee of the
Federal Government with respect to whom the President of the
Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives has
certified a statement of facts to a United States attorney
under section 104 of the Revised Statutes (2 U.S.C. 194).
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order.
The Acting CHAIR. A point of order is reserved.
The gentleman from Texas is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. FARENTHOLD. This amendment actually implements what I have
proposed in H.R. 4447, which is that any employee of the Federal
Government--in this case, we are limiting it to the subject of this
appropriations bill--not be paid if they have been held in contempt of
Congress.
We have seen, unfortunately, that even though we have held Eric
Holder in contempt of Congress, the Justice Department has failed to
pursue that, and we are delayed on the civil contempt in the court
system.
What I am trying to do here is put a little teeth into contempt of
Congress, using the power of the purse.
The Constitution gives this body the power to decide how the Federal
Government spends their money. And if somebody is in contempt of this
body, they should not be paid. If you are in contempt of your employer
in the private sector, most likely you are going to be unemployed and
not get your paycheck.
I intend to offer this amendment for all the appropriations bills as
a way to possibly get it through the Senate, where nothing is
happening.
It is critically important that we do this in the Veterans Affairs
appropriations bill because as we begin to investigate the horrifying
allegations of secret waiting lists and folks dying because they are
not getting timely treatment in the VA, it is certain there is going to
be a congressional investigation. We need all the tools we have in our
tool chest to get to the bottom of this and make sure people cooperate
and make sure people testify.
[[Page H3354]]
We have seen time and time again where various investigations, be it
Lois Lerner, whatever, that we are not getting cooperation from this
administration. The contempt power and putting some teeth into it is
one way we can do that.
So I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense
amendment that doesn't pay people who don't cooperate with Congress. We
have the power of the purse. We need to use it. We very possibly may
need to use it for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a result of
some of the things that they appear to be up to.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Point of Order
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order against
the amendment because it proposes to change existing law and
constitutes legislation in an appropriation bill and, therefore,
violates clause 2 of rule XXI.
The rule states, in pertinent part:
``An amendment to a general appropriation bill shall not be in order
if changing existing law.''
The amendment imposes additional duties or requires a new
determination.
Mr. Chairman, I ask for a ruling from the Chair.
The Acting CHAIR. Does any other Member wish to be heard on the point
of order?
Mr. FARENTHOLD. I would like to address the point of order.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas is recognized.
Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Chair, it is my belief that this puts no other
duty on anyone. Someone being found in contempt of Congress is
something that is widely publicized. And as all people are charged with
knowing what the law is, it seems common sense that the Department of
Veterans Affairs, if it had a member subject to contempt, would know
that that person is in contempt.
We are not asking anybody to do anything else, other than not pay
somebody who is in contempt of Congress.
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair is prepared to rule.
The Chair finds that this amendment imposes new duties on the
Department of Veterans Affairs to track the status of certain
certifications.
The amendment, therefore, constitutes legislation in violation of
clause 2 of rule XXI.
The point of order is sustained, and the amendment is not in order.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Peters of Michigan
Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the
desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for a contract that includes first-class travel by
the contractor.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Michigan is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, as of Monday, there were
596,061 veterans waiting for their claims to be processed by the
Veterans Administration. More than half of these claims have been
pending for more than 125 days.
This is outrageous and simply unacceptable. We are failing our
veterans who have put their lives on the line for this Nation and rely
on services at the VA for their health care and other benefits upon
retirement.
As a former lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, I am
extremely disappointed with the inability to eliminate the paperwork
backlog at the Veterans Administration. The men and women who have
served our country honorably, and their families, deserve so much
better.
In my home State of Michigan at the Detroit Regional Veterans
Administration Office almost 49 percent of claims have been pending for
more than 125 days. While this number may seem high, it is actually
lower than the combined national average, where 53 percent of claims
have been pending for more than 125 days.
It is unacceptable that, as hundreds and thousands of veterans wait
months to have these essential benefits processed, government
contractors are able to use taxpayer dollars to purchase first-class
travel. There is no way to justify spending on luxury travel for
contractors while the VA is dealing with months-long backlogs. It just
doesn't make sense.
Mr. Chairman, this is why I am putting forward a simple amendment
barring the use of funds in this bill to be spent on first-class travel
for government contractors.
I believe this amendment sends an important message that Congress,
the administration, and contractors are accountable to American
taxpayers. This amendment is about making efficient use of taxpayer
dollars and reducing wasteful government spending. Federal contractors
simply should not be using Federal tax dollars on first-class flights.
I ask my colleagues to stand with me and support this commonsense
amendment. Let us send a strong message to our veterans and other
constituents about our priorities as we work on behalf of them here in
Washington.
Please support this amendment which will bring further accountability
and fiscal sensibility to our government.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Peters).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Nunes
Mr. NUNES. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the closure or abandonment of any facility
located at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. NUNES. Mr. Chairman, first, I would like to thank the chairman
and ranking member for their support of this amendment. And I will be
very quick here.
This base is a very important location for us in the middle of the
Atlantic. Over the last decade, we have invested about $150 million
into the infrastructure there.
Now the Air Force is talking about actually tearing down facilities
there. It is starting to spend money to tear it down.
This doesn't make a lot of sense to me, nor does it to the Congress,
because last Congress, both in the NDAA and in the Defense
Appropriations bills, the Congress said very specifically that this was
a facility that needed to be used. The military needed to figure out a
use for it. They were not to draw down the forces there.
Instead, the Air Force continues to ignore the Congress, so much so
that now they want to use funds to tear down facilities.
This is a complete rejection of, I think, Congress' prerogative and
Congress' intent of the laws from last year. So now we have to go into
the Military Construction Appropriations bill to make sure that we hold
people accountable.
I would say that this is, I think, just a placeholder. Because when
you start to look at the money that has been spent over the last 10
years--as I said, $150 million--if this is something the Air Force
didn't want, then I think it is time for to ask for the GAO to come in
and really study who it was that did the planning to spend the $150
million in first place, and possibly even an IG investigation.
I look forward to working with the chairman and the ranking member,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Seeing no additional speakers, the question is on
the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Nunes).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Mrs. Walorski
Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to implement
sole source contracting at the national level for the
selection of devices and test strips for the self-monitoring
of blood glucose.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Indiana is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mrs. WALORSKI. Thank you, Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member
[[Page H3355]]
Bishop, for your assistance with this amendment.
I rise to offer an amendment that will protect veterans with
diabetes.
Specifically, this amendment will ensure the VA continues to offer
diabetes patients a variety of glucose monitoring supplies through the
competitive bid process.
Mr. Chairman, almost 25 percent of veterans in the VA health care
system have diabetes, compared to about 8.3 percent of the general
public. As a result, diabetes care places a significant cost burden on
the VA's budget, accounting for almost 4 percent of the overall VA
health care budget and costing almost $1.5 billion annually.
Presently, each of the 21 Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or
VISNs, competitively bid for monitoring devices and test strips. This
competition is good for the patient, and it is good for the
marketplace, allowing the VA to utilize significant purchasing power.
Because of this competition and the competition in the non-VA market,
vendors are pushed to reduce costs and to innovate.
VA physicians rely upon the patient to be a partner in disease
management and treatment. Therefore, it is critical for patients and
caregivers to be comfortable with the devices they use so they can best
monitor the disease, resulting in better health outcomes.
As a member of the VA Committee, I learned recently the Department of
Veterans Affairs is actively considering a national contract with a
single provider for diabetic supplies. While this may sound like a good
idea initially, both the House and the Senate, under the leadership of
both Democrats and Republicans, have consistently agreed this is not
prudent.
Sole sourcing could dramatically increase costs and deny patients the
ability to use devices they are most comfortable with. The cost to
reeducate and retrain patients and caregivers throughout the VA
population would be significant.
Finally, because of the size of the VA diabetes population, a sole-
source contract would likely reduce the number of vendors for future
competitive contracts and also reduce innovation.
I urge my colleagues to support passage of this commonsense
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Collins of Georgia). The question is on the
amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment Offered by Mrs. Noem
Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to prepare an environmental impact statement in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with respect to a health care
facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs that is--
(1) designated as a National Historic Landmark by the
National Park Service; and
(2) located in a highly rural area.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from South Dakota is recognized for
5 minutes.
{time} 1830
Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Chairman, as you may know, the Department of Veterans
Affairs manages thousands of historically significant parties, and
according to a recently released study and report by the National Trust
for Historic Preservation, the VA has a track record for neglecting
these national treasures.
By neglecting these properties, veterans in South Dakota and across
the country have suffered by creating obstacles, so veterans can't gain
access to health care. Many of them have to travel many, many hours for
just a simple checkup.
My amendment is very simple and straightforward. It protects rural
veterans access to health care by ensuring that no funds will go
towards closing rural hospitals in high-need areas that are designated
as national historic landmarks.
Reports have shown that the VA needs to pay more attention to these
national landmarks it is entrusted with and focus on the veterans that
these facilities serve. I urge my colleagues to support this
commonsense amendment.
I want to thank the chairman, ranking member, and the committee staff
for helping me offer it today, and I ask for your support.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem).
The amendment was agreed to.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, proceedings
will now resume on those amendments on which further proceedings were
postponed in the following order:
Amendment No. 5 by Mr. Moran of Virginia.
An amendment by Mr. Blumenauer of Oregon.
The Chair will reduce to 2 minutes the time for any electronic vote
after the first vote in this series.
Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Moran
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Moran) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which
the noes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 168,
noes 249, not voting 14, as follows:
[Roll No. 185]
AYES--168
Amash
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Bera (CA)
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brown (FL)
Bustos
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Caardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Courtney
Crowley
Cummings
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle
Duckworth
Duncan (TN)
Edwards
Ellison
Engel
Eshoo
Esty
Farr
Fattah
Foster
Frankel (FL)
Fudge
Gabbard
Garamendi
Gibson
Grayson
Green, Al
Hahn
Hanabusa
Hastings (FL)
Heck (WA)
Higgins
Himes
Holt
Honda
Horsford
Hoyer
Huffman
Israel
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
Kuster
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Levin
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujaan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lynch
Maloney, Carolyn
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
Meeks
Meng
Michaud
Miller, George
Moore
Moran
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Nolan
O'Rourke
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters (CA)
Pingree (ME)
Pocan
Polis
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rangel
Roybal-Allard
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Saanchez, Linda T.
Sanford
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sherman
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Speier
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Velaazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Waxman
Welch
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NOES--249
Aderholt
Amodei
Bachus
Barber
Barletta
Barr
Barrow (GA)
Barton
Benishek
Bentivolio
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Boustany
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Broun (GA)
Brownley (CA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burgess
Byrne
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Chabot
Chaffetz
Coble
Coffman
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Conaway
Cook
Cotton
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Cuellar
Culberson
Daines
Davis, Rodney
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Ellmers
Farenthold
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallego
Garcia
Gardner
Garrett
Gerlach
Gibbs
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Griffith (VA)
Grijalva
Grimm
Guthrie
Hall
Hanna
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (WA)
Heck (NV)
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
[[Page H3356]]
Holding
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, Sam
Jolly
Jones
Jordan
Joyce
Kelly (PA)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kirkpatrick
Kline
Labrador
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Lankford
Latham
Latta
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Long
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Maffei
Maloney, Sean
Marchant
Marino
Massie
Matheson
McAllister
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
Meadows
Meehan
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Mullin
Mulvaney
Murphy (FL)
Murphy (PA)
Negrete McLeod
Neugebauer
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Olson
Owens
Palazzo
Paulsen
Pearce
Perry
Peters (MI)
Peterson
Petri
Pittenger
Pitts
Poe (TX)
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Rahall
Reed
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (SC)
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Royce
Ruiz
Runyan
Ruppersberger
Ryan (WI)
Salmon
Sanchez, Loretta
Scalise
Schock
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Sewell (AL)
Shea-Porter
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Sinema
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Southerland
Stewart
Stivers
Stutzman
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Vela
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westmoreland
Williams
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IN)
NOT VOTING--14
Bachmann
Brady (TX)
Enyart
Green, Gene
Griffin (AR)
Gutieerrez
Harper
Hinojosa
Lewis
Nunnelee
Richmond
Schwartz
Stockman
Whitfield
{time} 1901
Messrs. RUPPERSBERGER, BRIDENSTINE, COBLE, COFFMAN, RIGELL, AMODEI,
and Mrs. CAPITO changed their vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
Mr. ISRAEL changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Stated for:
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 185, had I been
present, I would have voted ``yes.''
(By unanimous consent, Mr. Crawford was allowed to speak out of
order.)
Moment of Silence to Honor the Victims of the Devastating Storms
Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be joined here by my
colleagues from Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, and the
States that have been impacted by the devastating storms that occurred
earlier this week.
While we had hoped that the entire Mississippi and Arkansas
delegations could join us, Representatives Gregg Harper and Alan
Nunnelee from Mississippi, and Representative Tim Griffin from Arkansas
are back home today coordinating with Federal, State, and local
officials who are organizing disaster assistance efforts. Tomorrow,
Representative Griffin will be touring the devastation in Arkansas'
Second District with Secretary Johnson from the Department of Homeland
Security.
All these delegations have spent hours keeping in close contact with
one another and with officials in Arkansas, in particular, regarding
the tornado that ripped through Vilonia, Mayflower, El Paso, and Paron,
leaving a path of destruction in central Arkansas. And the same is true
for other affected States.
The destruction we have witnessed is heartbreaking, and our prayers
go out to all those affected by all these devastating storms,
especially those who lost loved ones.
Our delegations would like to thank the first responders, volunteers,
and neighboring communities for all of their assistance, donations,
prayers, and tireless efforts during this difficult time. Their hard
work and dedication has saved lives.
We also urge those who can to continue to help in any way they can to
assist in the recovery and rebuilding of the neighborhoods and
communities that were impacted by these storms.
We also honor and remember those we lost, and Representative Griffin
asked that I share a story of one of his constituents, U.S. Air Force
Master Sergeant Daniel Wassom, who served as a loadmaster instructor
with the 189th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Master Sergeant Wassom lived in Vilonia, Arkansas, with his wife,
Suzanne, and his two young daughters. According to reports, Master
Sergeant Wassom sacrificed his own life to shield his 5-year-old
daughter from falling debris. His example of selflessness and bravery
during this disaster is one all Americans and Arkansans can admire.
I now ask for a moment of silent prayer to honor all the victims of
those recent tragic events.
Amendment Offered by Mr. Blumenauer
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, 2-minute voting will continue.
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Oregon
(Mr. Blumenauer) on which further proceedings were postponed and on
which the noes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This is a 2-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 195,
noes 222, not voting 14, as follows:
[Roll No. 186]
AYES--195
Amash
Beatty
Becerra
Benishek
Bera (CA)
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brooks (AL)
Broun (GA)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Bustos
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Caardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Collins (NY)
Connolly
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Courtney
Crowley
Cummings
Daines
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle
Duckworth
Edwards
Ellison
Engel
Eshoo
Esty
Farr
Fattah
Foster
Frankel (FL)
Fudge
Gabbard
Garamendi
Garcia
Grayson
Green, Al
Grijalva
Hahn
Hanabusa
Hanna
Hastings (FL)
Heck (NV)
Heck (WA)
Higgins
Himes
Holt
Honda
Horsford
Hoyer
Huffman
Hunter
Israel
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Jones
Kaptur
Kelly (IL)
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
Kuster
Langevin
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujaan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Massie
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McClintock
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Michaud
Miller, George
Moore
Moran
Mulvaney
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Negrete McLeod
Nolan
O'Rourke
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters (CA)
Peters (MI)
Pingree (ME)
Pocan
Polis
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rangel
Reed
Rigell
Rohrabacher
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Saanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sanford
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schweikert
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Speier
Stivers
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Tsongas
Upton
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Velaazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Waters
Waxman
Welch
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
Young (AK)
NOES--222
Aderholt
Amodei
Bachmann
Bachus
Barber
Barletta
Barr
Barrow (GA)
Barton
Bentivolio
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Boustany
Bridenstine
Brooks (IN)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burgess
Byrne
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Chabot
Chaffetz
Coble
Coffman
Cole
Collins (GA)
Conaway
Cook
Cotton
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Cuellar
Culberson
Davis, Rodney
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Ellmers
Farenthold
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallego
Gardner
Garrett
Gerlach
Gibbs
Gibson
[[Page H3357]]
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Griffith (VA)
Grimm
Guthrie
Hall
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (WA)
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
Holding
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hurt
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, Sam
Jolly
Jordan
Joyce
Keating
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kirkpatrick
Kline
Labrador
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Lankford
Larsen (WA)
Latham
Latta
Levin
Lipinski
Long
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Marchant
Marino
Matheson
McAllister
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
Meadows
Meehan
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Mullin
Murphy (PA)
Neugebauer
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Olson
Palazzo
Paulsen
Pearce
Perry
Peterson
Petri
Pittenger
Pitts
Poe (TX)
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Rahall
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (SC)
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Royce
Runyan
Ryan (WI)
Salmon
Scalise
Schock
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Sewell (AL)
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Southerland
Stewart
Stutzman
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Turner
Valadao
Vela
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Wasserman Schultz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westmoreland
Williams
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Yoho
Young (IN)
NOT VOTING--14
Bass
Brady (TX)
Enyart
Green, Gene
Griffin (AR)
Gutieerrez
Harper
Hinojosa
Lewis
Nunnelee
Richmond
Schwartz
Stockman
Whitfield
Announcement by the Acting Chair
The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There is 1 minute remaining.
{time} 1912
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will read the remainder of the bill.
The Clerk read as follows:
This Act may be cited as the ``Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2015''.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise
and report the bill back to the House with sundry amendments, and with
the recommendation that the amendments be agreed to and that the bill,
as amended, do pass.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Holding) having assumed the chair, Mr. Collins of Georgia, Acting Chair
of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported
that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R.
4486) making appropriations for military construction, the Department
of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2015, and for other purposes, directed him to report the
bill back to the House with sundry amendments adopted in the Committee
of the Whole, with the recommendation that the amendments be agreed to
and that the bill, as amended, do pass.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under House Resolution 557, the previous
question is ordered.
Is a separate vote demanded on any amendment reported from the
Committee of the Whole? If not, the Chair will put them en gros.
The amendments were agreed to.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third
reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
Under clause 10 of rule XX, the yeas and nays are ordered.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 416,
nays 1, not voting 14, as follows:
[Roll No. 187]
YEAS--416
Aderholt
Amash
Amodei
Bachmann
Bachus
Barber
Barletta
Barr
Barrow (GA)
Barton
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Benishek
Bentivolio
Bera (CA)
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Boustany
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Broun (GA)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burgess
Bustos
Butterfield
Byrne
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Capito
Capps
Capuano
Caardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Carter
Cartwright
Cassidy
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chabot
Chaffetz
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Coffman
Cohen
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Conaway
Connolly
Conyers
Cook
Cooper
Costa
Cotton
Courtney
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Daines
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
Davis, Rodney
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle
Duckworth
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Edwards
Ellison
Ellmers
Engel
Eshoo
Esty
Farenthold
Farr
Fattah
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foster
Foxx
Frankel (FL)
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia
Gardner
Garrett
Gerlach
Gibbs
Gibson
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (MO)
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Griffith (VA)
Grijalva
Grimm
Guthrie
Hahn
Hall
Hanabusa
Hanna
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Heck (NV)
Heck (WA)
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
Higgins
Himes
Holding
Holt
Honda
Horsford
Hoyer
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huffman
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurt
Israel
Issa
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Jenkins
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jolly
Jones
Jordan
Joyce
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kinzinger (IL)
Kirkpatrick
Kline
Kuster
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Langevin
Lankford
Larsen (WA)
Latham
Latta
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren
Long
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujaan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lummis
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Marchant
Marino
Massie
Matheson
Matsui
McAllister
McCarthy (CA)
McCarthy (NY)
McCaul
McClintock
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
Meadows
Meehan
Meeks
Meng
Messer
Mica
Michaud
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Moore
Moran
Mullin
Mulvaney
Murphy (FL)
Murphy (PA)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Negrete McLeod
Neugebauer
Noem
Nolan
Nugent
Nunes
O'Rourke
Olson
Owens
Palazzo
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Paulsen
Payne
Pearce
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Perry
Peters (CA)
Peters (MI)
Peterson
Petri
Pingree (ME)
Pittenger
Pitts
Pocan
Poe (TX)
Polis
Pompeo
Posey
Price (GA)
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reed
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (SC)
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Ruiz
Runyan
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Salmon
Saanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sanford
Sarbanes
Scalise
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schock
Schrader
Schweikert
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sessions
Sewell (AL)
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Sinema
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Southerland
Speier
Stewart
Stivers
Stutzman
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tierney
Tipton
Titus
Tonko
Tsongas
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velaazquez
Visclosky
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Waxman
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Welch
Wenstrup
Westmoreland
Williams
Wilson (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Womack
Woodall
Yarmuth
Yoder
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IN)
NAYS--1
Labrador
NOT VOTING--14
Braley (IA)
Enyart
Gingrey (GA)
Griffin (AR)
Gutieerrez
Harper
Hinojosa
Larson (CT)
Lewis
Nunnelee
Richmond
Schwartz
Stockman
Whitfield
{time} 1921
So the bill was passed.
[[Page H3358]]
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________