[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 86 (Thursday, May 24, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2911-S2914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    VA MISSION Bill and Memorial Day

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, a lot of our colleagues have been coming 
down to the floor today and had come down yesterday to talk about two 
things that are actually very connected. The first is the VA MISSION 
bill, which we just passed, that is going to significantly transform 
how we treat our veterans and how we make sure our vets are getting the 
care they have earned and deserve. Also, appropriately, as that bill 
has just passed the Senate and is heading to the President's desk, we 
are talking about Memorial Day and the Memorial Day

[[Page S2912]]

weekend that is fast approaching--a very important, sacred time for our 
country and, certainly, for my State, the great State of Alaska.
  What I would like to do is to talk a little bit about the bill and 
then reflect a little bit more on the importance of Memorial Day as we 
move forward into this weekend.
  One of the things we all do is, certainly, with regard to legislation 
like this is to look at the national implications. We also look at how 
our own constituents will be impacted and make sure their interests are 
served when there is broader, national legislation that we have been 
working on for months. Many of us had been working on this bill for 
almost a year. The Presiding Officer and I are on the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee, so we were very focused on it.
  In my State, we proudly claim more veterans per capita than in any 
State in the country, but we also have unique challenges. Alaska is a 
very, very big place. With regard to enabling our veterans to get the 
healthcare they need and the services they need from the VA, it can be 
a challenge. So one of the things that we worked hard on was to make 
sure that if a veteran lives in a big State in a very rural part of 
America, they will still get the benefits they have earned as a 
veteran.

  There are a number of things in the VA MISSION Act, which we just 
passed, that focus on the unique elements of Alaska. I will give a 
couple of examples that are now in the legislation that will be signed 
by the President in a couple days.
  The bill requires access to community care--non-VA care--where the VA 
does not operate a full-service facility in the State. Well, there is 
no full-service VA facility in Alaska. So what this enables our 
veterans to do is to get care from other medical service providers, 
particularly our veterans who are in some of the more rural parts of 
the State.
  It has a specific Alaska fee schedule for the reimbursement of 
providers because healthcare costs are structurally so much higher in 
my State, as are transportation costs. There is a fee schedule that the 
VA uses in this bill just for Alaska. It continues to allow the VA to 
have Tribal sharing agreements with members of Tribal organizations 
that, again, have a very far reach and provide excellent care to so 
many Alaskans, both Natives and non-Natives.
  By the way, Alaska Natives serve at higher rates in the U.S. military 
than any other ethnic group in the country. There is incredible 
patriotism from those constituents in my State, whom we are all very 
proud of.
  The bill creates standards for timely payments to community care 
providers. One of the big challenges we had in the VA was that non-VA 
medical providers provide care for veterans, and then the VA does not 
reimburse them for months. This causes enormous challenges, including 
collection agencies calling the very veterans who got the care and 
services. This is completely unacceptable. We are trying to change 
that, and this bill will do it.
  Finally, a bill that I had with Senator Tester from Montana is called 
the Serving Our Rural Veterans Act, which is now part of the broader 
bill. What this does is create VA residency programs in States such as 
Alaska and Montana that don't have medical schools and where there are 
very few residency programs. Studies show that after doctors do their 
residency, well over 50 percent of the doctors stay in the States where 
they do residency programs. That is a great advantage if you have a lot 
of residency programs, but we don't. What this bill does is set up a 
pilot program by the VA to work with Native health organizations, DOD 
health organizations, IHS health organizations, and establish residency 
programs through the VA so that we can get doctors in Alaska who will 
do service for our veterans and then stay.
  Those are just a few examples of how this bill helps not only 
veterans nationwide but certainly helps the veterans in my State. Of 
course, the implementation of this bill is going to be key. One thing 
that concerns me, to be frank, is that right now there is very little 
leadership at the highest levels of the VA. As a matter of fact, we 
have had four secretaries in 4 years. We need to start putting 
established, secure leaders in the VA to start implementing this 
important piece of legislation. We will continue the oversight role in 
Congress, but this is a good start.
  More importantly, this bill also sends a strong message to our 
veterans throughout the country that the Senators in this body, 
Democrats and Republicans, have focused on them and have their backs, 
as do Americans all across the Nation.
  This is what I want to talk about for the remainder of my remarks 
this afternoon, on the eve of Memorial Day weekend--looking at and 
reflecting for a little bit on the Senate floor about the ebb and flow 
of how we, as Americans, have treated our veterans and memorialized 
their service because that is what this weekend is all about.
  We know and we continue always to lionize and celebrate our World War 
II veterans and the over 400,000 Americans who gave their lives 
defending freedom. That is who we are thinking about this weekend. 
During World War II, from ticker tape parades when they came home to 
Honor Flights that continue today, this ``greatest generation'' of 
Americans, both living and dead, has received the respect and honor 
that all of our veterans should have, and with good reason. Their 
sacrifice saved the world from authoritarian takeover, whether it was 
from Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan. So we always had the ``greatest 
generation'' up here in terms of how we view them, how we memorialize 
them--the veterans, those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
  Then, just 5 years later came the Korean war, and the respect we gave 
to the tens of thousands of veterans returning home from Korea started 
to decline, something akin to benign neglect. Many in American society 
during that time seemed as if they didn't want to be bothered by what 
was going on in Korea or didn't want to think about the tens of 
thousands who were killed in action, the over 8,000 who are still 
declared missing in action, and the over 100,000 American 
servicemembers wounded in the Korean war. This is reflected even today 
in the name that many historians have given this conflict, the 
``Forgotten War.''
  I have never liked that phrase. I think it is actually borderline 
disrespectful. The better way to memorialize the sacrifice of our 
Korean war veterans is in the words etched into the marble of the 
incredibly moving Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, just 
a few miles from here. That memorial--for those who haven't visited, I 
highly recommend you do; for those who are visiting Washington, 
particularly on this weekend, it is great to go down there. But there 
is a simple phrase there: ``Freedom is not free.''
  Freedom is not free. If this weekend means anything, it is the 
importance of that phrase on the Korean War Veterans Memorial. That 
memorial also states: ``Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who 
answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they 
never met.''
  If you want to see an example of American bravery and what it meant, 
take a look at the difference between North and South Korea today. 
There is a satellite photo that is very famous. It shows the Korean 
Peninsula at night. The North is dark; even today it is dark. The South 
is full of light, vibrancy, and energy. The reason that happened--the 
reason that happens to this day is because of the bravery, the service, 
and the sacrifice of American military members.
  These are powerful words on the Korean War Veterans Memorial in 
Washington, DC, and to me the rightful tribute to that war and our 
veterans shouldn't be the ``Forgotten War''; it should be the ``Noble 
War.'' Think about what our men and women did. As I mentioned, they 
were sent overseas to ``defend a country they never knew and a people 
they never met.'' To this day, our troops are on the peninsula right 
now, keeping the peace--28,000 of them.
  So we had benign neglect in the Korean war, and then what happened? 
Well, then came the Vietnam war.
  We all know what happened. Yet to this day, we really don't know why 
it happened. Our country kind of went off-kilter, and in terms of the 
honor and respect we showed our Vietnam veterans and their wounded and 
fallen comrades, America hit rock bottom--

[[Page S2913]]

World War II, here; Korean war, benign neglect; Vietnam, disgraceful 
conduct toward the men and women serving in the military.
  We have all heard the stories; they are sad and tragic. We have all 
heard the stories of young men and women who went to serve their 
country and fight overseas in Vietnam, who came home to protesters, 
were spit on, and called baby killers.
  I remember hearing about one such episode from a senior marine 
officer when I was a young marine infantry lieutenant. He came home 
from combat and met his dad, who was a World War II veteran, at the 
airport. He was in his service alphas--the green uniform that marines 
wear--sea bag over his shoulder. His dad was with him. He came outside 
of the airport, and protesters were there, and someone threw red paint 
on him and his father.
  Think about that. A dad and a young man who just came home from 
fighting in Vietnam--and that is what he got. But here is the amazing 
thing, and it is why our country owes such a debt of gratitude to our 
Vietnam veterans. Instead of being racked and incapacitated by 
bitterness and anger, these veterans did something amazing, something 
remarkable. They set out to make sure that future veterans of America's 
wars and their fallen comrades would receive better attention and 
better treatment and better respect than they did. They made it their 
mission in life that we as a nation would once again honor our military 
as we honored the veterans coming home from World War II--at the 
highest level. That is what they did.
  Here is the amazing thing. They succeeded. They succeeded, and we 
need to really be thinking about our Vietnam veterans and those killed 
in action in Vietnam this Memorial Day.
  Again, for those who haven't been there, if you want to go to a 
moving memorial about America's war sacrifices and war dead, there is 
nothing more moving than the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
  As someone who has seen what our Vietnam veterans have done for the 
next generation of veterans, I have also seen this throughout my own 
military career: When we come home from doing our duty, it is the 
Vietnam veterans who are there making sure that the current generation 
of American soldiers, American warriors, gets the respect and honor 
that these veterans never got.
  Let me give you one example. Many years ago, I was commanding a 
Marine recon unit in Alaska. One of my soldiers--one of my sergeants, 
one of my marines, a great marine--was killed. We had a memorial 
service. It was a small memorial service for this young Marine sergeant 
at Fort Richardson. It was outside. We were in our dress blues in a 
very somber service. Four guys pulled up on Harley Davidson 
motorcycles. They were older. They pulled up on their bikes, and they 
just sat there through the whole service--a very, very powerful 
presence.
  At the end of the service they came up to me. I was a captain at the 
time. They asked if I was the senior officer, and I told them I was. I 
said: Thanks for coming. What are you doing here? Did you know my 
sergeant?
  They said: No, we just read about the service in the paper today, and 
we wanted to be here to show our respect and honor for this young 
Marine sergeant.
  Think about that. Vietnam vets who weren't treated well at all when 
they came home were making sure that one Marine Corps sergeant in 
Alaska got the respect and dignity he deserved as a veteran. Our 
Vietnam vets used their painful experience to become our Nation's 
guardians of military respect, honor, and dignity.
  So, right now, where are we as a country? Well, I think we are back 
at that high level. I think we are back at that high level of not only 
respecting members of the military--veterans, Active Duty, Reserves--
but certainly our wounded and fallen warriors. It is, in large measure, 
because of the efforts, sacrifice, and courage of our Vietnam veterans. 
So we can't thank them enough. As Alaska's Senator, I am so honored to 
represent so many veterans and so many Vietnam veterans.
  Here is what I think is important to talk about on the Senate floor. 
As we move into Memorial Day weekend, let's resolve--not just as a 
community, in places like Alaska, but as a country, as a Senate--that 
we will always, always stay at this high level of respect for our 
fallen, for our veterans and their families, and, particularly, for 
those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and the men, women, wives, 
husbands, and children they have left behind.
  I think this is also important. Even though we are back as a nation 
at this very high level--you always hear it; you always hear it; it is 
always in the background--some start to question the service and 
sacrifice of America's military. You have heard it a little bit when 
ISIS was running amok in Iraq and Syria. You heard some people say: 
Geez, we took these places with a lot of blood and treasure, and now 
they have fallen to terrorists. Was that worth the cost of the young 
men and women who died in those battles? Did our soldiers, marines, and 
sailors die in vain?
  I think it is really important to answer that question right here on 
the Senate floor, and it is something I hope we can all agree on. No 
American who has ever worn the uniform of our country to fight for 
freedom and defend our Nation and die for this country--whether at 
Valley Forge, Iwo Jima, Hue City, Ramadi, Fallujah--has ever, ever died 
in vain. We always need to remember that, particularly as we are coming 
upon Memorial Day weekend.
  I wish to thank again all of the members of the military and their 
families who protected our freedom for centuries and will continue to 
do so. We are working hard in the Senate to make sure our veterans are 
taken care of. The VA MISSION Act, which we just passed and which is 
going to the President's desk for his signature, is part of that sacred 
commitment we have to our veterans and their families. I wish to thank 
them all as we come upon Memorial Day weekend.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                      Tribute to Federal Employees

 Stephen Curren, Guy Demeter, Matt Nims, Andy Neal, and David Huizenga

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to call attention to the 
important efforts made each day by our public servants.
  At the beginning of this month, this very body honored our public 
servants by adopting a resolution marking the first week of May as 
Public Service Recognition Week. We need to do more to continue that 
sentiment year round. But on the same day the Senate adopted a 
resolution honoring our public servants, Congress received a letter 
from the administration looking to use Federal employees to solve our 
budget problems, with cuts to retirement and freezes in pay. Is this 
really in the best interest of our public servants? Is this really the 
best method to attract and retain the best and the brightest to work 
across vital agencies to keep our government running?
  That is why today I wish to continue the longstanding tradition of 
honoring exemplary Federal employees--a tradition that was begun by my 
friend Senator Ted Kaufman from Delaware. It is my hope that the story 
of these five Virginians will remind my colleagues and the 
administration that public servants go to work every day with the sole 
mission to make this country a better and safer place to live.
  First, I would like to acknowledge Stephen Curren. In Stephen's 
capacity as Director of the Division of Resilience at the Department of 
Health and Human Services, he coordinated the national response to help 
protect public and private healthcare computer systems from the worst 
effects of WannaCry, a global cyber attack that threatened patients' 
health and safety.
  Stephen's team applied existing processes for dealing with physical 
disasters like hurricanes and tornados and adapted them to prepare for 
a cyber attack response. They continue the critical work necessary to 
improve the collaboration on cyber security with private healthcare 
agencies and the public.
  Next, I would like to share a bit about Guy Demeter, the FBI's first-

[[Page S2914]]

ever data scientist. In his work, Guy develops technological solutions 
to organize the Bureau's data and has helped the FBI to track down 
child predators, identify banks evading sanctions, assist 
counterterrorism investigations, and guard against internal threats. 
His innovative strategies are efficient, cost-effective, and have been 
a crucial part of increasing our national security.
  Third, I would like to recognize the work of Matt Nims, the Acting 
Director of the Office of Food for Peace at USAID. Under Matt's 
leadership, last year his office distributed emergency food and 
nutrition assistance to 20 million people facing severe hunger and 
starvation in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and northeast Nigeria as a 
result of drought, extreme poverty, and violent armed conflicts.
  Matt's team used data from USAID's Famine Early Warning Systems 
Network to anticipate food shortages before they became full-fledged 
crises and then developed innovative ways to deliver food, plan managed 
food distribution, and keep up with the day-to-day challenges of 
working under difficult and dangerous conditions, saving countless 
lives.
  Next, I would like to recognize Andy Neal. Andy is the Branch Chief 
for Actuarial and Catastrophic Modeling at FEMA. We have all seen the 
devastating effects of floods across the country, but what many don't 
know is that the National Flood Insurance Program provides critical 
financial help to victims of hurricanes and other storms. By the end of 
2016, the program was $25 billion in debt.
  In response, Andy led his team in an unprecedented effort to persuade 
private reinsurers for the first time to assume some potential flood 
damage liability. They were extremely successful. The government paid 
25 private insurance companies $150 million in premiums in 2017, and 
the insurers ended up covering more than $1 billion of the $7.6 billion 
in claims to policyholders in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and 
has secured even more coverage for 2018.
  Last, but certainly not least, I would like to recognize David 
Huizenga, the Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Defense 
Nuclear Nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security 
Administration.
  In his everyday work, David confronts some of our most pressing 
international threats, formulating national security policy, monitoring 
compliance with nuclear agreements, and working with other nations to 
safeguard nuclear stockpiles and reduce the threat of nuclear 
terrorism.
  In the past 3 years, David has worked to remove nuclear material from 
Poland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Japan, and Ghana, relying on relationships 
with his international counterparts to make the world more secure. Here 
in the United States, David and his team have also worked to reduce the 
amount of radioactive materials used in medical and commercial 
applications. A Federal employee for 28 years, David's work as a 
nonproliferation expert is widely respected both in the United States 
and around the world.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring these outstanding 
individuals, as well as government employees at all levels around the 
country, for their excellent work and their commitment to public 
service.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.