[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 137 (Wednesday, November 12, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1531-E1532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           COMMEMORATING THE SACRIFICES OF AMERICA'S VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 12, 2014

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to all of the men 
and women who have worn the uniform of country and risked their lives 
to keep our nation free and safe.
  We come together to celebrate our veterans who have courageously 
defended our freedom, and honor the memory of those who have borne the 
battle, including the more than 4,400 American servicemen and women who 
have died in Iraq and more than 2,200 who have died in Afghanistan.
  We also honor the sacrifices of over 50,000 brave troops wounded in 
Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Let us pay tribute to those currently serving around the globe as 
well as veterans and service men and women who are with us today as 
they have served our nation with honor and distinction.
  Today, I reaffirm my commitment to the nation's more than 2 million 
troops and reservists, their families, and 22 million veterans, 
including 32,477 in the 18th Congressional District of Texas, that they 
will be provided the quality job opportunities they have earned.
  A grateful nation cares for its soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, 
and Coast Guardsmen, not only when they're abroad, but also upon their 
return home.
  Congress must communicate its wholehearted support for the security 
of the nation and build upon the historic improvements made in 
strengthening quality health care for veterans and offering the promise 
of college to those returning from the battlefields of Iraq and 
Afghanistan.
  On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. 
As a nation, it is our duty to leave no veteran behind.
  This day and every day, let us honor their service with actions that 
fulfill our commitment to our troops, their families, and our 
veterans--and that are worthy of our grateful nation.


            HELPING ENCOURAGE REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR VETERANS

  I introduced H.R. 4110, the Transitioning Heroes Act, which amends 
the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a business-related $1,000 
tax credit for each veteran hired.


                  ENSURING JOBS IN ENERGY FOR VETERANS

  I am proud to have authored legislation amending the Innovation Act 
(H.R. 3309) to include a provision requiring the PTO Director to 
evaluate the economic impact of the Innovation Act on the ability of 
veteran-owned small businesses to secure their right to their 
inventions and discoveries.
  This amendment was critical to our community of veterans and to the 
strength of our economy because historically veterans have struggled to 
adjust to life upon returning home.


                       HELPING HOMELESS VETERANS

  The House of Representatives unanimously adopted an amendment I 
offered to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation 
Act for FY 2015, which expresses the sense of Congress that programs 
designed to assist homeless veterans should receive priority 
consideration by the Department.
  Reducing and eliminating homelessness among veterans, those who 
risked their lives to protect our freedom, should be one of the 
nation's highest priorities. My amendment will help ensure that the 
rate of homelessness among veterans in the United States does not 
increase.
  The Jackson Lee Amendment helps remind us of our obligation to 
provide our veterans the assistance needed to avoid homelessness, which 
includes adequate funding for Veterans Administration Supportive 
Housing (VASH) programs that provide case-management services, adequate 
housing facilities, mental health support, and address other areas that 
contribute to veteran homelessness.


 GUARANTEEING MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS TO MEET THE LONG TERM NEEDS OF 
             OUR ARMED FORCES, VETERANS, AND THEIR FAMILIES

  I am also proud to have succeeded in amending H.R. 1960, the FY2014 
National Defense Authorization Act to include my amendment providing 
qualified and professional mental health care to serve our armed forces 
members, veterans, and their families.
  Without proper mental health services veterans will fall short of 
full recovery and be less able to function as productive citizens.


                 InCREASING PTSD FUNDING BY $5,000,000

  I succeeded in amending National Defense Appropriations Acts for 
FY2014 and FY2015 to include my amendments providing $10 million in 
increased funding to treat veterans suffering from PTSD.
  The additional funding is necessary to identify the research needed 
to combat these diseases that are crippling our men and women in our 
Armed Services and their respective families.
  As we look to PTSD, some of a soldier's wounds are invisible to the 
naked eye, for these are wounds that should be properly treated.
  One of the best ways to increase access to treatment is to increase 
the number of medical facilities and mental health professionals who 
are available to serve the needs of men and women currently serving and 
those who have become veterans.


MAKING SURE OUR DISABLED VETERANS RECEIVE THE HEALTHCARE AND DISABILITY 
                     COMPENSATION THEY HAVE EARNED

  I co-sponsored the H.R. 333, the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination 
Act, which increases veteran's pay and disability compensation and 
maintains secure, dependable and reliable veterans' programs, 
especially for disabled veterans is very important.
  I also strongly supported and voted to pass H.R. 3202, the Veterans 
Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, which expands access to 
health care for veterans and addresses the shortage of health 
professionals in the VA.
  This legislation also ensures access to care for rural veterans and 
provides funding to establish 27 new VA clinics, including a new 
research facility in Houston.
  The law also expands access to education for veterans and their 
families and extends a community-based housing program for veterans.
  From 2007 through 2010, when Democrats were the majority in both the 
House and the Senate, there was no government shutdown--the Congress 
made historic gains for America's troops, veterans and military 
families.
  That is why the American Legion said ``111th Congress Achieves Banner 
Year on Veterans Legislation.''
  The real successes were the passage of bills that affected nearly 
every veteran in America.
  For example, the Democratically-led Congress:
  Enacted the new Post 9-11 GI Bill to restore the promise of a full, 
four-year college education, that has already allowed over 700,000 
veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars to afford college, just like 
after World War II, along with tax incentives for hiring to expand job 
opportunities for returning soldiers.
  Strengthened health care for more than 5 million veterans, with a 
historic commitment--including the largest single increase in the 
history of the VA--for more doctors and nurses, better access for rural 
veterans, and expanded efforts to treat the signature injuries of the 
war, PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury, while enacting a law to guarantee 
timely and predictable funding for veterans' health care and to address 
the health care needs of our nearly 2 million female veterans.
  Provided troops and veterans the benefits they have earned and 
resources they need, giving troops a pay raise, restoring military 
readiness, providing the best training and equipment for the men and 
women serving in our Armed Forces, taking steps to reduce the backlog 
and wait for veterans trying to access their earned benefits, providing 
special payments for service members and veterans who were forced to 
serve under stop-loss orders since 2001, and making headway in ending 
the Disabled Veterans Tax and the Military Families' Tax.
  Strengthened support for military families, building more military 
child care centers and better military family housing, and enacting 
landmark legislation to provide much-needed support for family members 
and other caregivers for wounded veterans.
  Added $23 billion for veteran's health care and services, and 
accomplished a 60% increase in VA discretionary spending between 2007 
and 2010.

[[Page E1532]]

  Secured advance appropriations for the Veterans Administration for 
the first time--creating an uninterrupted source of funding for medical 
care for veterans.
  The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act helped 
veteran caregivers with training, access to mental health counseling, 
and 24-hour respite care in veteran's homes.
  1. The law helped veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and 
Operation Iraqi Freedom by allowing them to select a caregiver who 
would receive a financial stipend along with travel and lodging 
expenses associated with the veteran's care.
  2. This law also expanded and improved services for the then 1.8 
million women veterans, and provided for the expected increased number 
of veterans that would transition from active duty to civilian life.
  3. The law authorized the VA to provide healthcare for newborn 
infants of women veterans.
  It is important that we preserve and build upon this record of 
achievement.
  Veteran homelessness was addressed in the Housing and Economic 
Recovery Act of 2008 by increasing the VA loan limit which helped 
veterans with refinancing their homes by making low-interest home loans 
more available to veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, all members of this body were deeply concerned over the 
troubling disclosures reported in the media regarding conditions as 
some of the nation's VA facilities.
  I am pleased to report that the Department of Veterans Affairs, at 
the direction of President Obama and mandated by Congress, has made 
substantial progress in improving the performance of VHA healthcare 
now, developing a positive service culture, transitioning from ``sick 
care'' to ``health care'' in the broadest sense, and developing agile 
business systems and management processes that are efficient, 
transparent and accountable.
  For example, The ``Road to Veterans Day'' initiative, launched on 
September 8, 2014 by Secretary Robert A. McDonald, has resulted in 
significant progress for Veterans over the past 3 months
  During that time, DVA has taken deliberate actions to improve service 
delivery for Veterans, rebuild trust, increase accountability and 
transparency and put the department on the path to long-term excellence 
and reform.
  Secretary McDonald has traveled extensively during his first few 
months in office, visiting 41 DVA facilities in 21 cities while also 
making 11 recruiting visits to medical schools.
  To improve service delivery, VA has prioritized efforts to accelerate 
Veterans off of wait lists and into clinics through the Accelerated 
Care Initiative begun by Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson this summer.
  Through this initiative, VA medical centers have increased access to 
care inside and outside of VA, added more clinic hours and work days, 
deployed mobile medical units, and shared their best practices from 
VA's high-performing facilities throughout the organization.
  Significant improvements have resulted nationally:
  1. Scheduling more than 1.2 million more appointments in the past 
four months than in the same period last year.
  2. In total, VA medical centers have scheduled over 19 million 
Veteran appointments from June to October 1, 2014.
  3. Reducing the national new patient Primary Care wait time by 18 
percent.
  4. Completing 98 percent of appointments within 30 days of the 
Veterans' preferred date, or the date determined to be medically 
necessary by a physician.
  5. Authorizing 1.1 million non-VA care authorizations, a 47 percent 
increase over the same period last year.
  Secretary McDonald addressed all employees via Video Teleconference, 
where he directed each employee to reaffirm the mission and core values 
of the Department.
  A new award program has been initiated to highlight employees who 
truly embody DVA's ICARE values--Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, 
Respect, and Excellence. The first nominations for this new incentive 
program will be accepted in January 2015.
  Since June 2014, DVA has proposed disciplinary action against more 
than 40 employees nationwide related to data manipulation or patient 
care.
  DVA is also working diligently to cooperate with the over 100 
investigations currently being undertaken by the VA Inspector General, 
the Justice Department, and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC).
  On October 3, OSC certified DVA under their Whistleblower Protection 
Certification Program after DVA worked to achieve compliance and 
protect employees who identify or report problems from unlawful 
retaliation.
  DVA also worked closely with OSC to successfully resolve 
whistleblower retaliation complaints filed by three individuals from 
the DVA Phoenix Health Care System.
  DVA has posted data online on a regular basis since the beginning of 
June showing the number of appointments on waiting lists and the 
average wait times at each medical center across the country.
  Additionally, each medical center and benefits office has conducted a 
town hall with Veterans and the public to collect feedback. These town 
halls will continue at each facility every three months.
  DVA is reviewing options to reorganize the department for success, 
guided by ideas and initiatives from Veterans, employees, and all of 
our stakeholders.
  This reorganization will be known as ``MyVA'' and is designed to 
provide Veterans with a seamless, integrated, and responsive customer 
service experience--whether they arrive at VA digitally, by phone, or 
in person.
  Long-term reform of DVA also means making sure DVA has the medical 
professionals we need to best care for our patients, which is why 
Secretary McDonald launched a national recruiting effort in August, 
visiting medical schools in an effort to bring the best and brightest 
to work at DVA.
  On September 17, DVA announced an increase in the salary pay scale 
for DVA doctors and dentists to aid in recruiting and retention.
  As part of the ``Road to Veterans Day,'' Secretary McDonald has 
reaffirmed DVA's homelessness program and the Veterans Benefits 
Administration's Claims Transformation Strategy.
  DVA remains committed to working with its federal, state and local 
partners to end homelessness among Veterans, which has been reduced by 
33% since 2010.
  With the backlog of disability claims reduced by 60% since its peak 
in March of 2013, DVA is also on track to eliminate the backlog in 2015 
and will continue to expand online claim-submission capability in all 
programs.
  Mr. Speaker, as we honor and remember the sacrifices of the millions 
of veterans who have served our country throughout its history, let us 
always remember that the first obligation of a grateful is, as 
President Lincoln reminded us long ago, ``to care for him who has borne 
the battle, and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may 
achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with 
all nations.''

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