[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 128 (Friday, July 28, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H6531-H6538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BONUS TRANSPARENCY ACT
General Leave
Mr. ROE of TENNESSEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material in the Record on S. 114, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 480,
I call up the bill (S. 114) to amend title 38, United States Code, to
require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit an annual report
regarding performance awards and bonuses awarded to certain high-level
employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and ask for its
immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 480, the
amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in House Report 115-
262, shall be considered as adopted, and the bill, as amended, is
considered read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``VA Choice
and Quality Employment Act of 2017''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--APPROPRIATION OF AMOUNTS FOR VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM
Sec. 101. Appropriation of amounts for Veterans Choice Program.
TITLE II--PERSONNEL MATTERS
Sec. 201. Modification to annual determination of staffing shortages in
Veterans Health Administration.
Sec. 202. Establishment of Department of Veterans Affairs Executive
Management Fellowship Program.
Sec. 203. Accountability of leaders for managing the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 204. Reemployment of former employees at Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Sec. 205. Promotional opportunities for technical experts at Department
of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 206. Employment of students and recent graduates by Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 207. Encouragement of transition of military medical professionals
into employment with Veterans Health Administration.
Sec. 208. Recruiting database at Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 209. Training for human resources professionals of Veterans Health
Administration on recruitment and retention.
Sec. 210. Plan to hire directors of medical centers of Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 211. Exit surveys at Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 212. Requirement that physician assistants employed by the
Department of Veterans Affairs receive competitive pay.
Sec. 213. Expansion of direct-hiring authority for Department of
Veterans Affairs in case of shortage of highly qualified
candidates.
Sec. 214. Comptroller General of the United States assessment of
succession planning at Department of Veterans Affairs.
TITLE III--MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES
Sec. 301. Authorization of certain major medical facility leases of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 302. Authorization of appropriations for medical facility leases.
TITLE IV--OTHER MATTERS
Sec. 401. Extension of reduction in amount of pension furnished by
Department of Veterans Affairs for certain veterans
covered by medicaid plans for services furnished by
nursing facilities.
Sec. 402. Extension of requirement for collection of fees for housing
loans guaranteed by Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 403. Extension of authority to use income information.
TITLE I--APPROPRIATION OF AMOUNTS FOR VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM
SEC. 101. APPROPRIATION OF AMOUNTS FOR VETERANS CHOICE
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated,
and is appropriated, to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated,
$2,100,000,000 to be deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund
under section 802 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and
Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C.
1701 note).
(b) Availability.--The amount appropriated under subsection
(a) shall remain available until expended.
TITLE II--PERSONNEL MATTERS
SEC. 201. MODIFICATION TO ANNUAL DETERMINATION OF STAFFING
SHORTAGES IN VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.
Section 7412(a) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
[[Page H6532]]
(1) by striking ``the five occupations'' and inserting ``at
a minimum, the five clinical occupations and the five
nonclinical occupations''; and
(2) by striking ``throughout the Department'' and inserting
``with respect to each medical center of the Department,''.
SEC. 202. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Fellowship Program.--Chapter 7 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new subchapter:
``SUBCHAPTER III--EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
``Sec. 741. Executive Management Fellowship Program
``(a) Fellowship Program.--There is in the Department an
Executive Management Fellowship Program. The purpose of the
program shall be to provide--
``(1) eligible employees of the Veterans Benefits
Administration and the Veterans Health Administration with
training and experience in the private sector; and
``(2) eligible employees of a private-sector entity with
training and experience in the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
``(b) Fellowship.--(1) A fellowship provided under this
section is a 1-year fellowship during which--
``(A) with respect to a Department participant, the
participant receives training and experience at a private-
sector entity that is engaged in the administration and
delivery of health care or other services similar to the
benefits administered by the Secretary; and
``(B) with respect to a private-sector participant, the
participant receives training and experience at the Veterans
Benefits Administration or the Veterans Health
Administration.
``(2) The Secretary shall enter into such agreements with
private-sector entities as are necessary to carry out this
section.
``(c) Selection of Recipients.--(1) In August of each year,
the Secretary shall select--
``(A) not fewer than 18 and not more than 30 eligible
employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration and the
Veterans Health Administration to receive a fellowship under
this section; and
``(B) not fewer than 18 and not more than 30 eligible
employees of private-sector entities to receive a fellowship
under this section.
``(2) To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall select
eligible employees under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of
paragraph (1) from among eligible employees who are veterans
in a manner that is reflective of the demographics of the
veteran population of the United States and that whenever
practicable provides a preference to such employees who
represent or service rural areas.
``(d) Eligible Employees.--For the purposes of this
section, an eligible employee is--
``(1) with respect to an employee of the Veterans Benefits
Administration or the Veterans Health Administration, an
employee who--
``(A) is compensated at a rate of basic pay not less than
the minimum rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-14 of the
General Schedule and not more than either the minimum rate of
basic pay payable to a member of the Senior Executive Service
under section 5382 of title 5 or the minimum rate of basic
pay payable pursuant to chapter 74 of this title, as the case
may be;
``(B) enters into an agreement with the Secretary under
subsection (e); and
``(C) submits to the Secretary an application containing
such information and assurances as the Secretary may require;
and
``(2) with respect to an employee of a private-sector
entity, an employee who--
``(A) is employed in a position whose duties and
responsibilities are commensurate with an employee of the
Department described in paragraph (1);
``(B) enters into an agreement with the Secretary under
subsection (e); and
``(C) submits to the Secretary an application containing
such information and assurances as the Secretary may require.
``(e) Agreements.--(1) An agreement between the Secretary
and a Department participant shall be in writing, shall be
signed by the participant, and shall include the following
provisions:
``(A) The Secretary's agreement to provide the participant
with a fellowship under this section;
``(B) The participant's agreement--
``(i) to accept the fellowship;
``(ii) after completion of the fellowship, to serve as a
full-time employee in the Veterans Benefits Administration or
the Veterans Health Administration for at least 2 years as
specified in the agreement; and
``(iii) that, during the 2-year period beginning on the
last day of the fellowship, the participant will not accept
employment in the same industry as the industry of the
private-sector entity at which the participant accepts the
fellowship.
``(C) A provision that any financial obligation of the
United States arising out of an agreement entered into under
this subchapter, and any obligation of the participant which
is conditioned on such agreement, is contingent upon funds
being appropriated.
``(D) A statement of the damages to which the United States
is entitled under this subchapter for the participant's
breach of the agreement.
``(E) Such other terms as the Secretary determines are
required to be included in the agreement.
``(2) An agreement between the Secretary and a private-
sector participant shall be in writing, shall be signed by
the participant, and shall include the following provisions:
``(A) The Secretary's agreement to provide the participant
with a fellowship under this section.
``(B) The participant's agreement to accept the fellowship.
``(C) Such other terms as the Secretary determines are
required to be included in the agreement.
``(f) Treatment of Recipients.--(1) A Department
participant shall be considered an employee of the Department
for all purposes, including for purposes of receiving a
salary and benefits, and shall remain eligible for all
promotion and incentive programs otherwise available to such
an employee.
``(2) A private-sector participant shall be considered an
employee of the private-sector entity that employs the
participant for all purposes, including for purposes of
receiving a salary and benefits, and during the fellowship
shall be treated as a contractor of the Department.
``(g) Reports.--(1) Not later than 60 days after completing
a fellowship under this section, a recipient of the
fellowship shall submit to the Secretary a report on the
fellowship.
``(2) Each such report shall describe the duties of the
recipient during the fellowship and any recommendations of
the recipient for the application by the Secretary of
industry processes, technologies, and best practices.
``(3) Not later than 7 days after receiving each such
report, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives
such report without change.
``(h) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `Department participant' means an employee
of the Veterans Benefits Administration or the Veterans
Health Administration who is participating in the fellowship
under this section.
``(2) The term `private-sector entity' includes an entity
operating under a public-private partnership.
``(3) The term `private-sector participant' means an
employee of a private-sector entity who is participating in
the fellowship under this section.''.
(b) Deadline for Implementation.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall implement the Executive Management
Fellowship Program required under section 741 of title 38,
United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
(c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new items:
``subchapter iii--executive management fellowship program
``741. Executive Management Fellowship Program.''.
SEC. 203. ACCOUNTABILITY OF LEADERS FOR MANAGING THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 7 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 725. Annual performance plan for political appointees
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct an annual
performance plan for each political appointee of the
Department that is similar to the annual performance plan
conducted for an employee of the Department who is appointed
as a career appointee (as that term is defined in section
3132(a) of title 5) within the Senior Executive Service at
the Department.
``(b) Elements of Plan.--Each annual performance plan
conducted under subsection (a) with respect to a political
appointee of the Department shall include an assessment of
whether the appointee is meeting the following goals:
``(1) Recruiting, selecting, and retaining well-qualified
individuals for employment at the Department.
``(2) Engaging and motivating employees.
``(3) Training and developing employees and preparing those
employees for future leadership roles within the Department.
``(4) Holding each employee of the Department that is a
manager accountable for addressing issues relating to
performance, in particular issues relating to the performance
of employees that report to the manager.
``(c) Definition of Political Appointee.--In this section,
the term `political appointee' means an employee of the
Department who holds--
``(1) a position which has been excepted from the
competitive service by reason of its confidential, policy-
determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character;
or
``(2) a position in the Senior Executive Service as a
noncareer appointee (as such term is defined in section
3132(a) of title 5).''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 7 of such title is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 723 the following new
item:
``725. Annual performance plan for political appointees.''.
[[Page H6533]]
SEC. 204. REEMPLOYMENT OF FORMER EMPLOYEES AT DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding sections 3309 through 3318
of title 5, United States Code, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs may noncompetitively appoint a qualified former
career or career conditional employee to any position within
the competitive service at the Department of Veterans Affairs
that is one grade or equivalent higher than the grade or
equivalent of the position at the Department most recently
occupied by the employee.
(b) Limitation.--The Secretary may not appoint a qualified
former employee to a position that is more than one grade (or
equivalent) higher than the position at the Department most
recently occupied by the employee.
(c) Definition of Qualified Former Employee.--For purposes
of this section, the term ``qualified former employee'' means
any individual who--
(1) formerly occupied any career or career conditional
position at the Department of Veterans Affairs within 2 years
before applying for reemployment at the Department;
(2) voluntarily left such position, or was subject to a
reduction in force, and had a satisfactory performance record
while occupying such position; and
(3) since leaving such position has maintained licensing
requirements, related to the position, if any, and gained
skill, knowledge, or other factors related to the position.
SEC. 205. PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNICAL EXPERTS AT
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a
promotional track system for employees of the Department of
Veterans Affairs that the Secretary determines are technical
experts pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Secretary
for purposes of carrying out this section. Such system
shall--
(1) provide any such employee the opportunity to advance
within the Department without being required to transition to
a management position; and
(2) for purposes of achieving career advancement--
(A) provide for the establishment of new positions within
the Department; and
(B) notwithstanding any other provision of law, provide for
increases in pay for any such employee.
SEC. 206. EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES BY
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
prescribe regulations to allow for excepted service
appointments of students and recent graduates leading to
conversion to career or career conditional employment of a
student or recent graduate of a qualifying educational
institution, as defined by the Department.
(b) Applicability.--The conversion authority described in
subsection (a) shall be applicable to individuals in good
standing who--
(1) are employed in a qualifying internship or fellowship
program at the Department;
(2) are employed in the Department in a volunteer capacity
and performing substantive duties comparable to those of
individuals in internship or fellowship programs and meet the
required number of hours for conversion;
(3) are employed in the Department under a contract or
agreement with an external nonprofit organization and
performing substantive duties comparable to those of
individuals in internship or fellowship programs;
(4) have received educational assistance under chapter 33
of title 38, United States Code; or
(5) graduated from a qualifying educational institution, as
defined by the Department, and have not reached 30 years of
age.
(c) Uniformity.--For the purposes of paragraphs (2) and (3)
of subsection (b), hours of work performed by an individual
employed shall be considered equal to those performed by an
individual employed in a qualifying internship or fellowship
program by the Department.
SEC. 207. ENCOURAGEMENT OF TRANSITION OF MILITARY MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS INTO EMPLOYMENT WITH VETERANS
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a program
to encourage an individual who serves in the Armed Forces
with a military occupational specialty relating to the
provision of health care to seek employment with the Veterans
Health Administration when the individual has been discharged
or released from service in the Armed Forces or is
contemplating separating from such service.
SEC. 208. RECRUITING DATABASE AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a single database that lists--
(1) each vacant position in the Department of Veterans
Affairs that the Secretary determines is critical to the
mission of the Department, difficult to fill, or both; and
(2) each vacant position in the Department of Veterans
Affairs for a mental health professional.
(b) Qualified Applicant.--If the Secretary determines that
an applicant for a vacant position listed in the database
established under subsection (a) is qualified for such
position but does not select the applicant for such position,
the Secretary, at the election of the applicant, may consider
the applicant for other similar vacant positions listed in
the database for which the applicant is qualified.
(c) Prolonged Vacancies.--If the Secretary does not fill a
vacant position listed in the database established under
subsection (a) after a period determined appropriate by the
Secretary, the Secretary--
(1) may ensure that applicants described in subsection (b)
are considered for such position; and
(2) may use the database established under subsection (a)
to assist in filling such position.
(d) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress
a report on the use and efficacy of the database established
under subsection (a).
SEC. 209. TRAINING FOR HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS OF
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION ON RECRUITMENT
AND RETENTION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
provide to human resources professionals of the Veterans
Health Administration training on how to best recruit and
retain employees of the Veterans Health Administration,
including with respect to any recruitment and retention
matters that are unique to the Veterans Health Administration
pursuant to chapter 74 of title 38, United States Code, or
other provisions of law.
(b) Virtual Training.--Training provided under this section
shall be provided virtually.
(c) Amount of Training.--The Secretary shall ensure that
each human resources professional of the Veterans Health
Administration receives the training described in subsection
(a)--
(1) as soon as practicable after being hired by the
Secretary as a human resources professional; and
(2) annually thereafter.
(d) Certification.--The Secretary shall require that each
human resources professional of the Veterans Health
Administration, upon the completion of the training described
in subsection (a), certifies that the professional received
the training and understands the information provided by the
training.
(e) Annual Report.--Not less frequently than annually, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives a report on the training described
in subsection (a), including the cost of providing such
training and the number of human resources professionals who
received such training during the year covered by the report.
SEC. 210. PLAN TO HIRE DIRECTORS OF MEDICAL CENTERS OF
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Plan.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall develop and implement a plan to hire highly qualified
directors for each medical center of the Department of
Veterans Affairs that lacks a permanent director as of the
date of the plan.
(b) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize under the
plan developed under subsection (a) the hiring of directors
for medical centers that have not had a permanent director
for the longest periods.
(c) Matters Included.--The plan developed under subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) A deadline to hire directors of medical centers of the
Department as described in such subsection.
(2) Identification of the possible impediments to such
hiring.
(3) Identification of opportunities to promote and train
candidates from within the Department to senior executive
positions in the Department, including as directors of
medical centers.
(d) Submittal of Plan.--Not later than 120 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives the plan developed under subsection (a).
(e) Semiannual Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than 180
days thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report
containing a list of each medical center of the Department
that lacks a permanent director as of the date of the report.
SEC. 211. EXIT SURVEYS AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Exit Surveys Required.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
develop and carry out a standardized exit survey to be
voluntarily completed by career and noncareer employees and
executives of the Department of Veterans Affairs who
voluntarily separate from the Department.
(2) Consultation.--Such exit survey shall be developed in
consultation with an appropriate non-Department entity with
experience developing such surveys.
(b) Survey Content.--The survey shall include, at a
minimum, the following:
(1) Reasons for leaving the Department.
(2) Efforts made by the supervisor of the employee to
retain the individual.
(3) The extent of job satisfaction and engagement during
the employment.
(4) The intent of employee to either remain employed within
the Federal Government or
[[Page H6534]]
to leave employment with the Federal Government.
(5) Such other matters as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(c) Anonymity of Survey Content.--The Secretary shall
ensure that data collected under subsection (a)--
(1) is anonymized, including through the use of a location
that allows for privacy;
(2) is not directly visible by another employee; and
(3) does not require the departing employee to input any
personally identifiable data.
(d) Sharing of Survey Data.--The Secretary shall ensure
that the results of the survey required by subsection (a)
are--
(1) aggregated at the Veterans Integrated Service Network
level; and
(2) shared on an annual basis with directors and managers
of facilities of the Department and the Veterans Integrated
Service Networks.
(e) Annual Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than once
each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report containing the aggregate results of
the exit survey under subsection (a) covering the year prior
to the report.
(2) Contents.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1)
shall include, for the period covered by the report, the
following:
(A) An analysis of the most common reasons employees choose
to leave the Department.
(B) The steps the Secretary is taking to improve retention,
particularly for mission-critical occupations.
(C) The demographic characteristics of employees choosing
to leave the Department.
(D) Any legislative barriers to improving employee
retention.
(E) The total number of employees who voluntarily separated
from the Department and the number and percentage of whom
took the exit survey under subsection (a).
SEC. 212. REQUIREMENT THAT PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS EMPLOYED BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RECEIVE
COMPETITIVE PAY.
Section 7451(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraph (B):
``(B) Physician assistant.''; and
(3) in subparagraph (C), as redesignated by paragraph (1),
by striking ``and registered nurse'' and inserting
``registered nurse, and physician assistant''.
SEC. 213. EXPANSION OF DIRECT-HIRING AUTHORITY FOR DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS IN CASE OF SHORTAGE OF
HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES.
Section 3304(a)(3)(B) of title 5, United States Code, is
amended by inserting ``(or, with respect to the Department of
Veterans Affairs, that there exists a severe shortage of
highly qualified candidates)'' after ``severe shortage of
candidates''.
SEC. 214. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES ASSESSMENT
OF SUCCESSION PLANNING AT DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Assessment.--
(1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United
States shall assess the extent to which key succession
planning policies and guidance at the Department of Veterans
Affairs, including the Veterans Health Administration, the
Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery
Administration, are consistent with leading practices for
succession and workforce planning identified by Comptroller
General.
(2) Additional matters.--In carrying out the assessment
required by paragraph (1), the Comptroller General may assess
such other matters as the Comptroller General considers
appropriate.
(b) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report on the assessment carried out under
subsection (a).
(c) Sense of Congress on Study on Compliance With Policies
and Guidance.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Comptroller General should conduct a study to
examine the extent to which a sampling of installations of
the Department of Veterans Affairs are complying with
policies and guidance of the Department, as well as
applicable leading practices; and
(2) the scope and timeframe of a study conducted as
described in paragraph (1) may be dependent upon the findings
of the Comptroller General with respect to the assessment
carried out under subsection (a).
TITLE III--MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES
SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF CERTAIN MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY
LEASES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out the
following major medical facility leases at the locations
specified and in an amount for each lease not to exceed the
amount specified for such location (not including any
estimated cancellation costs):
(1) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Ann Arbor,
Michigan, an amount not to exceed $4,247,000.
(2) For a new outpatient mental health clinic, Birmingham,
Alabama, an amount not to exceed $6,649,000.
(3) For new research space, Boston, Massachusetts, an
amount not to exceed $6,224,000.
(4) For a replacement research space, Charleston, South
Carolina, an amount not to exceed $7,274,000.
(5) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Corpus Christi,
Texas, an amount not to exceed $6,556,000.
(6) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Daytona Beach,
Florida, an amount not to exceed $12,198,000.
(7) For a replacement Chief Business Office Purchased Care
office space, Denver, Colorado, an amount not to exceed
$14,784,000.
(8) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Fredericksburg,
Virginia, an amount not to exceed $45,015,000.
(9) For a new outpatient clinic, Gainesville, Florida, an
amount not to exceed $7,891,000.
(10) For an outpatient mental health clinic, Gainesville,
Florida, an amount not to exceed $4,320,000.
(11) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Hampton Roads,
Virginia, an amount not to exceed $18,141,000.
(12) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Indianapolis,
Indiana, an amount not to exceed $7,876,000.
(13) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Jacksonville,
Florida, an amount not to exceed $18,623,000.
(14) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Missoula,
Montana, an amount not to exceed $6,942,000.
(15) For a replacement outpatient mental health clinic,
Northern Colorado, Colorado, an amount not to exceed
$8,904,000.
(16) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Ocala, Florida,
an amount not to exceed $5,026,000.
(17) For a new outpatient clinic, Oxnard, California, an
amount not to exceed $5,274,000.
(18) For a new outpatient clinic, Pike County, Georgia, an
amount not to exceed $5,565,000.
(19) For a new outpatient clinic, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
an amount not to exceed $6,247,000.
(20) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Portland, Maine,
an amount not to exceed $6,808,000.
(21) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Raleigh, North
Carolina, an amount not to exceed $21,870,000.
(22) For a replacement outpatient clinic, phase II,
Rochester, New York, an amount not to exceed $3,645,000.
(23) For a replacement research space, San Diego,
California, an amount not to exceed $4,852,000.
(24) For a new outpatient clinic, Santa Rosa, California,
an amount not to exceed $6,922,000.
(25) For a replacement mental health clinic, Tampa,
Florida, an amount not to exceed $13,387,000.
(26) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Lakeland, Tampa,
Florida, an amount not to exceed $10,760,000.
(27) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Terre Haute,
Indiana, an amount not to exceed $4,102,000.
(28) For a replacement outpatient clinic, Rapid City, South
Dakota, an amount not to exceed $4,532,000.
SEC. 302. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR MEDICAL
FACILITY LEASES.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2018 or the year in which
funds are appropriated for the Medical Facilities account
$274,634,000 for the major medical facility leases authorized
in section 301.
TITLE IV--OTHER MATTERS
SEC. 401. EXTENSION OF REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OF PENSION
FURNISHED BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR
CERTAIN VETERANS COVERED BY MEDICAID PLANS FOR
SERVICES FURNISHED BY NURSING FACILITIES.
Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and inserting
``September 30, 2027''.
SEC. 402. EXTENSION OF REQUIREMENT FOR COLLECTION OF FEES FOR
HOUSING LOANS GUARANTEED BY SECRETARY OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
Section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A)--
(A) in clause (iii), by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and
inserting ``September 30, 2027''; and
(B) in clause (iv), by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and
inserting ``September 30, 2027'';
(2) in subparagraph (B)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and
inserting ``September 30, 2027''; and
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and
inserting ``September 30, 2027'';
(3) in subparagraph (C)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and
inserting ``September 30, 2027''; and
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and
inserting ``September 30, 2027''; and
(4) in subparagraph (D)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and
inserting ``September 30, 2027''; and
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and
inserting ``September 30, 2027''.
[[Page H6535]]
SEC. 403. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO USE INCOME INFORMATION.
Section 5317(g) of title 38, United States Code, is amended
by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and inserting ``September
30, 2027''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and
the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 114, as amended, the VA
Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017.
It has been a long week of negotiations, but we are here today with
an agreement we--and, more importantly, our veterans--can all be proud
to support. I know that I am.
Ranking Member Walz and I have worked feverishly with our Senate
counterparts to find a solution that can pass both Chambers and ensure
that veterans will continue to be able to access care in the community.
The VA Choice and Quality Improvement Act of 2017 would expand
veteran access to care both inside and outside the Department of
Veterans Affairs healthcare system by, number one, providing $2.1
billion to sustain the Choice Program for the next 6 months,
authorizing 28 VA medical center facility leases, and improving VA's
ability to recruit and retain high-quality employees by including many
of the provisions of H.R. 1367, as amended, which were sponsored by Dr.
Brad Wenstrup, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, and
unanimously approved by the House in March. I would be remiss if I did
not impress upon my colleagues a sense of urgency about this
legislation.
The Choice Program was created 3 years ago in response to the
nationwide VA access crisis that began with 40 veteran patients who
died while waiting for VA care in Phoenix, Arizona. Due to much higher
than expected veteran demand for Choice care, the program is slated to
run out of money by mid-August. It would leave devastating consequences
for veterans in its wake.
Starting with an extremely tight 90-day implementation period and
countless contract modifications with third-party administrators, I
will be the first to admit that the Choice Program has been plagued
with problems. But I will also tell you that the program has come a
long way from where it once was and is responsible for more than 1
million veterans getting the care they need closer to home and in a
more timely manner. The good Lord only knows how many lives have been
saved or prolonged. That is a success.
If Choice were to end 3 weeks from now, Mr. Speaker, VA's most senior
leaders, including Secretary Shulkin, have warned that waiting times
for veteran patients will increase to pre-Choice Phoenix levels. They
also said continuity of care would be disrupted for veterans across the
country, and some of our most vulnerable veterans may not be able to
get care without either a long, possibly debilitating wait time or an
excessive travel distance. That is failure.
Passage of this bill today, followed by swift passage by our
colleagues in the Senate, would preserve Choice for the next 6 months.
That would allow the program to continue serving veterans while we
continue the hard work of creating a stronger, more integrated VA
healthcare system for the years ahead.
Some stakeholders have expressed frustration that Congress has not
been adequately supporting VA's internal capacity for care and too much
attention has been paid since the 2014 access crisis to addressing
issues with growing veteran demand for community care programs, Choice
included. They argue that providing increased funding for Choice
without identical increases in funding for VA medical facilities is
harmful to veterans. I totally disagree.
I do not believe that argument is fair or constructive, given the
historic funding increases that VA has received in recent years and the
growth in staffing, programming, and the VA physical footprint that has
resulted from those increases. In fact, VA's budget--that is the
healthcare budget, not total budget. The VA's healthcare budget has
grown more than $83 billion since I came to Congress in 2009.
Mr. Speaker, we were spending $93.7 billion when I was sworn into
this House in 2009. The President's request this year is $186.5
billion. In the same time, the number of VA full-time employees has
increased by almost 63,000. What is more, we just passed a MILCON-VA
Appropriations bill which includes a $3.9 billion increase for VA
medical care.
Nevertheless, I have listened to the concerns of those stakeholders,
which include many veterans service organizations, and I respect their
viewpoints and their willingness to be strong advocates for our
Nation's veterans. As a matter of fact, I belong to many of these
organizations.
That is why this bill includes provisions to increase VA internal
capacity by authorizing 28 medical facility leases, most of which are
for community-based outpatient clinics, and by enhancing VA's ability
to maintain a robust, highly qualified workforce in recognition of the
many challenges VA has in competing for workers in an extremely
competitive hiring market.
To offset a significant portion of the costs of this legislation, we
have used offsets that have been used routinely on a bipartisan basis
over the last decades and that were included in the legislation which
first created the Choice Program 3 years ago.
As I alluded to earlier, this bill was crafted as the result of
negotiations between myself; my friend, Ranking Member Sergeant Major
Walz; and Senators Isakson and Tester, the chairman and ranking member,
respectively, on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. I am
grateful to them for this work.
I am also grateful to my friends and colleagues in the House
leadership for their efforts and willingness to do the sometimes
difficult work of finding a solution that is in the best interests of
both veterans and taxpayers and to our VSO partners for their input and
support throughout the past weeks.
There is still much work ahead. This is only a 6-month patch to the
Choice Program. The ranking member and I have a framework agreement for
moving forward, but that will require the cooperation and buy-in from
all my colleagues in the House and Senate.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting
this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today and associate myself with the words of my friend and our
chairman, the gentleman from Tennessee. I strongly recommend support
for the newly amended S. 114, a bill, as the chairman so clearly
stated, that not only extends veterans' access to care in the
community, but provides additional funding for 28 critical leases to
expand capacity and also makes sure we can recruit and retain the best
medical professionals.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that on Monday, someone, another
Member, mentioned that they felt a disturbance in the force on Monday
is the way they described it. There has been a reputation that I think
is rightfully earned from the leadership of the chairman and the
members of the committee that the House Veterans' Affairs Committee is
here to do the business of this Nation's veterans and the taxpayers and
that the politics that are necessary and that are a part of getting
things done take a backseat to that.
What you saw on Monday were disagreements. We could not come to an
agreement. But instead of the theatrics of partisanship and instead of
the politics of deconstruction, it was the politics of the possible. So
instead of sulking away or sending out competing press releases, we
came back together to try to find compromise on this. For that I am
grateful.
I am grateful as a veteran, and I am grateful as a citizen that, on a
morning when many Americans are waking up wondering about our politics
and seeing the theatrics that go on, I am here to tell you that under
the chairman's leadership, the honorable gentleman from Tennessee, he
is guiding this House and tying it into the Senate in the best
interests of our Nation's veterans, taking in the concerns of the
minority side and taking in the concerns of the veterans service
organizations in a way that also means compromise on my Republican
colleagues' side.
That is hard to do, asking people to put their own personal ideology
aside if
[[Page H6536]]
it is in the best interests of building a coalition and producing a
piece of legislation that can pass through this House, the Senate, and
be signed by the President. That is a tough order around here right
now, and I am proud to stand with someone who has done it. I am proud
to give my little piece of what it takes to do that.
I would encourage my colleagues, let's show a strong sign not just to
our veterans, not just to this piece of legislation that, the gentleman
was right, is absolutely critical for the care of our veterans; let's
send a sign to our fellow citizens that this democracy still can
function, this democracy still can find answers, this democracy can put
American citizens first, and we can walk away from this knowing that
our job was to come here and do exactly that, and it will be done.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Maine (Mr. Poliquin), who is my good friend. I had the privilege
of visiting Bruce Poliquin's beautiful State last summer.
Mr. POLIQUIN. Mr. Speaker, I would remind you that ``Maine is
Vacationland.'' If you have not booked your Maine vacation, there is
still plenty of time.
I would like to thank Chairman Roe, who is a Vietnam veteran himself
and a doctor, in leading us down this path for better healthcare for
our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, it was, I believe, our first Commander in Chief, George
Washington, who said, and I paraphrase, that we can never expect young
men and women in this country to step forward and fight for their
country and give us the freedom that we all enjoy unless and until we
take care of those who have already sacrificed on the battlefield. That
is what this is about.
Mr. Speaker, in our State, we have about 125,000 veterans, and we
love our veterans in the State of Maine. More than half of them are in
the Second Congressional District that I represent, which is mostly
central, down east, western, and northern Maine. Let me tell you, Mr.
Speaker, we know how to shoot straight up in Maine, and we just need to
make sure we take care of our veterans who live in rural areas.
One of the great concerns I have--and I know the chairman and others
on the committee have the same concern--is that what about if you are a
veteran that lives far away from a medical hospital, a veterans
hospital. In the State of Maine, we have one veterans hospital. It is
called Togus. It is the first VA hospital in the country--about 150
years old--and it was put together first to take care of those who have
served on the battlefield in the Civil War.
In northern Maine, you might live in Fort Kent or Van Buren or
Madawaska and be a 5-hour drive away from Togus. If you are not feeling
well, it is February and the snow is blowing sideways, it might be
really tough to get down to Togus. That is why this Choice Program is
so important. It allows our veterans who live far away from medical
facilities to get their treatment close to home. This is something that
I am a huge advocate of, and it is something we need to keep doing.
Now, one more thing I want to mention if I may, Mr. Speaker, is that
we all know that veterans heal better with other veterans. We are not
in any way trying to replace the veterans' facilities. We have
healthcare facilities in this country. But the Choice Program allows us
to augment that care through the Choice Program where they are able to
go to private facilities.
Now, this emergency funding is absolutely critical. It will extend
this program for 6 months instead of letting it run out of money in 3
weeks. It also includes something that is highly important. I am so
grateful to the chairman for including it. It includes the ability to
authorize a lease in Portland, Maine, for a brand-new, state-of-the-
art, if you will, VA facility, a CBOC facility, an outpatient facility,
that will serve about 4,000 veterans in the State of Maine.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Jody B. Hice of Georgia). The time of
the gentleman has expired.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an
additional 30 seconds.
{time} 1045
Mr. POLIQUIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Chellie Pingree from
the First District of the State of Maine. I represent the Second
District.
I encourage everyone in this body, Republicans and Democrats, to
please take care of our veterans. Please vote for S. 114 to renew the
authorization in the emergency fund for the Choice Program.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano), my good friend, the vice ranking member of the
full Committee on Veterans' Affairs, who is also from a great vacation
State.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for mentioning
that so that it doesn't detract from my time. But please visit
California, especially Riverside, California.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 114, which prevents a
funding lapse in the VA Choice Program while making critical
investments to strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs.
This legislation is a significant improvement over the bill we
considered earlier this week. It now includes leasing authorizations
for VA medical facilities in 17 States across the country, and it
includes several provisions that I introduced that will help address
the VA's workforce shortages. This is what I hope to be the first step
in providing the VA the tools it needs to meet its internal workforce
challenges.
As I have often said, the VA's ability to provide quality and timely
care to our Nation's veterans will be determined by who it hires.
There are nearly 50,000 vacancies at the VA that need to be filled.
This bill strengthens and streamlines the VA's ability to recruit,
hire, and retain talented and dedicated individuals. But more needs to
be done to expand the VA's own internal capacity to provide care for
our veterans.
The VA Choice Program is a well-intentioned program, but it has not
delivered on its promise to consistently cut wait times or improve
care. We do not want to be back here in January passing another short-
term fix.
Starting today, we have 6 months to come together and develop a more
efficient and effective system to connect veterans with the care they
need.
Earlier this week, I expressed my desire to vote for a bill that
avoids a funding gap in the Choice Program, while also recognizing the
importance of a strong and sustainable VA. This legislation meets that
standard, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Arrington), chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic
Opportunity on the full Committee of Veterans' Affairs.
Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 114, which will
continue funding the Choice Program, an important reform to make sure
that our veterans have access to quality care.
For too long, our veterans, Mr. Speaker, have been trapped in a
system that has failed them. They are in a single-payer system. We put
them in a system that the Members of Congress wouldn't sign up for. For
years, we haven't give them the same choice that we have given Medicaid
patients and Medicare patients.
The Choice Program isn't just common sense, it is common decency. We
have asked these men and women to serve and to sacrifice for our
freedom. They deserve the very best care. The only way they are going
to get the best care is to have choice when they have geographic
challenges or are waiting in line.
We have all read the reports about how our veterans have waited in
line, have gotten sicker, and some even died. It is unconscionable and
unacceptable.
I am so grateful that, in an institution that has a reputation of
gridlock and dysfunction, we have a committee with leaders like
Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz who will come together and put
America first. So I am heartened by this and I applaud their
leadership.
I support this continuation of funding and the improved access to
care for our heroes. I thank the chairman for the privilege of serving
under the leadership of his committee.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Brownley), my good friend, a long-time champion of
veterans, and
[[Page H6537]]
the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health.
Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Minnesota, our ranking member; and the gentleman from Tennessee, the
chair, for their commitment to bipartisan solutions which helped get us
the agreement that the House is considering today.
I am extremely proud to work on the Veterans' Affairs Committee
because we have shown that we can tackle the big issues in a bipartisan
way. That is why I rise today in support of S. 114, which will address
the immediate shortfall in funding for the Choice Program, while making
needed investments in direct VA-provided care.
I am so pleased that this bipartisan agreement includes my
legislation authorizing 28 new VA healthcare facilities across the
country. This bill will bring more care closer to home for veterans
from coast to coast.
The demand for VA healthcare is increasing, and many veterans face
long wait times because outdated facilities are too small to
accommodate the growing number of men and women seeking care.
The leases authorized by this bill are located in 17 States, with
nearly 12 million veterans living in them, who have been waiting years
for improved access to care. This includes a new, larger clinic in the
city of Oxnard, in my district, which will bring much-needed specialty
care closer to home for our veterans in Ventura County.
Veterans in my community and communities across the country have
waited long enough for these expanded services, and I thank my
colleagues on both sides of the aisle and our veterans service
organizations for working with me to deliver this win for them.
We can fund the VA Choice Program and fund other programs critical to
the VA's mission, my mission, and the mission of my colleagues on both
sides of the aisle: provide the care our veterans, who have risked
their lives for our country, have earned and deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation
and help ensure veterans get the care they need and to make the
investments we need to build a modern, veteran-centric 21st century VA.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Correa), a good friend and new member of the Veterans'
Affairs Committee.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank all of our veterans
for their service and sacrifice for our great country.
I come from California, the home of the greatest number of veterans
in this great country. On their behalf, I would like to thank Chairman
Roe and Ranking Member Walz for their tremendous job and leadership in
addressing the needs of all of our veterans.
I am pleased that we reached the bipartisan agreement, and I hope the
rest of this place learns from the work the Veterans Affairs' Committee
has done. I hope that tomorrow, when we wake up and open up those
newspapers, this is a front-page story, because it deserves to be.
Democrats and Republicans, everybody coming together to work for our
veterans, that is the way it should be done.
Three years ago, Congress created the Choice Program. This was an
alternative to make sure that our veterans didn't have to wait to get
the health services they needed.
This bill will provide additional funding and short-term
sustainability for this program called the Choice Program. This bill
will also allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to open up more
clinics and to hire additional doctors to make sure that our veterans
get the service they deserve.
Again, I am glad that we are here today and that we could work to
make sure that our veterans get the services they earned. I urge all my
colleagues to support this bipartisan measure.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Maine (Ms. Pingree), who is also on the Maine Tourism Board.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Ranking Member for yielding and
allowing me to reinforce my colleague from the State of Maine and say:
if you haven't made your plans, it is not too late. Lobster season is
just picking up. I highly recommend a visit to the Maine coast or
anywhere in the State of Maine.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill to provide the VA Choice
Program with additional funds and to authorize several provisions to
improve care for our Nation's veterans.
Specifically, I want to recognize the authorization of a lease
included in this bill for a community-based outpatient clinic in
Portland, Maine, that will provide much-improved services to the
veterans in that area. The new facility will be a huge step in
improving the care for veterans in my district.
The proposed facility will go a long way toward a more efficient,
patient-centered approach to care and will provide a wide range of
services, including audiology, dental, physical therapy, prosthetics,
and women's health.
Most of the veterans served by this new CBOC will be coming from the
surrounding areas, and this new clinic will result in a much shorter
commute for those veterans living in the most densely populated area of
Maine.
The entire Maine congressional delegation has worked for the
authorization of this lease, including my colleague, Mr. Poliquin from
Maine's Second District.
I thank Congresswoman Brownley for introducing legislation earlier
this year to authorize these leases and for her work on this issue.
I am proud to support S. 114, and I thank Ranking Member Walz and
Chairman Roe for their work on this legislation. The authorization of
this lease represents a tremendous step for our State in providing
veterans the proper care they have earned.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, since we are doing a Maine
advertisement here today, I will say one thing negative about Maine. I
herniated a disk in my back climbing Mount Katahdin with my good
friend, French Hill from Arkansas, last summer. It wasn't all good.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, as you heard here today from numerous members of the
committee and others, this is how business should be done: looking out
for our veterans, compromises being made.
I do want to extend my thanks to Senator Isakson; Senator Tester;
Secretary Shulkin; the DAVs and the other VSOs; and the staff on both
sides of the aisle who are the ones who are carrying out late-night
negotiations.
I think the gentleman from Tennessee, Chairman Roe, did bring up a
good point: this is the beginning of tough decisions that need to be
made, tough negotiations.
I hope everyone here understands that the continued good will and
bipartisanship is going to be needed, because we have an opportunity to
transform the VA into that 21st century VA, one that is more responsive
to the needs of veterans, one that takes into account the realities of
modern-day medicine that involves many outpatient clinics and different
ways of delivering service, especially to rural veterans who we
represent.
This is a great start. It is one that I think we go from a stop on
Monday to what I hope can be a unanimous vote for a good, smart piece
of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to associate my remarks with those of the
ranking member.
We have a lot of thanks to go around, but the major thanks go to our
veterans who serve this great Nation. I think it would be remiss on us
and a pox on this body if we didn't do what is right for our veterans.
And we are.
As Mr. Walz said, this is just the first step, although a major one,
in a transformative process that we have been given the opportunity on
this committee to do.
We serve 21 million veterans in this country that have served this
Nation honorably. We have a great organization. I think a lot of times
it doesn't get said that the VA does a lot of good work.
I don't go home where there is not a day that I don't run into
somebody at the grocery store or somewhere that
[[Page H6538]]
tells me of a positive thing that happened to them at the VA. It is not
everywhere, though.
I also get stopped and told and have stacks of documents on my desk
that tell me the problems with the VA. We hear those loud and clear. I
think both of us do.
But I think it is an opportunity for us as a body--not just this
committee, but the entire body--to thank our veterans, pass this bill
unanimously, send it to the Senate, and then to the President's desk
for his signature.
I, once again, thank Mr. Walz, his committee and staff, and our
committee and staff for working in a bipartisan way to pass this.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support S. 114, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Amendment in the
Nature of a Substitute to S. 114 that provides for a 6-month extension
of the Choice program, as well as funding for VA recruitment and
retention programs.
Extension of the Choice program is good news for veterans in my
district. The Northern Marianas is the only jurisdiction in our country
that does not have a VA medical clinic and does not have a single,
dedicated VA doctor or mental health professional. There is one
physician contracted by the VA on a part-time basis. But she is at
capacity and cannot take on any more veteran patients.
So, it is the Choice program that allows the veterans I represent to
obtain health care, where they live, rather than having to fly hundreds
or thousands of miles, to Guam or to Hawai'i, for treatment.
It was to ease that burden that I was one of the Members who
identified and spoke up about the problem of access to service for
veterans in remote and rural areas of America; and advocacy by Members
from underserved areas helped lead to the creation of Choice.
Make no mistake, the Choice program does not solve all of the issues
of health care access that trouble Marianas veterans. A VA health
clinic with VA staff in the Marianas remains my goal. But S. 114--short
of a full-fledged clinic--does provide recruitment and retention
authorities that could lead to having more VA staff in my district.
That would be step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, and until we have a real, full-time, fully staffed and
equipped VA clinic in the Northern Marianas, the Choice program will
continue to be needed to fill the gap and provide the care that
veterans deserve.
My thanks to Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz and to their staff
for the time and effort that has gone into ensuring that Choice can
continue for veterans in the Marianas--and in rural, remote, and
underserved areas throughout America.
I am also grateful to the many veteran service organizations, who
have advised on this legislation and who have been steadfast in their
commitment to improve the Department of Veterans' Affairs for those who
served our Nation.
{time} 1100
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 480, the previous question is ordered on
the bill, as amended.
The question is on the third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be read a third time, and was read the third
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
____________________