[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
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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--
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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-
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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.