[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6500-S6503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Ms. Warren):
  S. 2730. A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a 
pilot grant program to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive 
mental health services programs in elementary schools and secondary 
schools, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the 
``Comprehensive Mental Health in Schools Pilot Program Act of 2021,'' 
which I introduced today.
  Millions of children and adolescents across the Nation struggle every 
day with mental health concerns that threaten their emotional well-
being and academic achievement.
  The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for comprehensive 
school mental health systems that can provide the support and services 
that students desperately need.
  This bill is a targeted effort to address the worsening mental health 
crisis in this country. If enacted, this legislation would help schools 
as they work to promote positive school climates, improve social and 
emotional learning, and reduce the prevalence and severity of mental 
illness.
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that between 
March and October of 2020, the proportion of children between the ages 
of 5 and 11 who visited an emergency department because of a mental 
health crisis climbed 24 percent compared to the same time period in 
2019, and climbed 31 percent for children between the ages of 12 and 
17. More people are reporting frequent thoughts of suicide and self-
harm than have ever been recorded. The full effects of increased 
learning loss, social isolation, uncertainty, and trauma may not 
manifest for years, and schools must be prepared to deal with this 
preventatively.
  That is why I am proud to introduce this bill, which would direct the 
Secretary of Education to establish a $20 million 4-year pilot grant 
program to help schools serving low-income students address mental and 
behavioral wellbeing, as well as academic, cognitive, and social and 
emotional development, through multi-tier, evidence-based interventions 
that foster positive learning environments. More specifically, this 
funding may be used for providing professional development 
opportunities, encouraging restorative policies, establishing racially, 
culturally, and linguistically appropriate trauma-informed practices, 
and hiring more school-based mental and behavioral health 
professionals.
  I want to thank Representative David Trone for introducing this bill 
with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this 
solution to our youth mental health crisis.

[[Page S6501]]

  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Markey, Mrs. 
        Feinstein, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Casey):
  S. 2738. A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United 
States Army Dustoff crews of the Vietnam War, collectively, in 
recognition of their extrodinary heroism and life-saving actions in 
Vietnam; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print my bill 
for introduction in the Congressional Record. The bill's purpose is to 
award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Army Dustoff 
crews of the Vietnam War, collectively, in recognition of their 
extraordinary heroism and life-saving actions in Vietnam.

                                S. 2738

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam 
     War Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) a United States Army Dustoff crewman (pilot, crew 
     chief, and medic) is a helicopter crew member who served 
     honorably during the Vietnam War aboard helicopter air 
     ambulances, which were both non-division and division assets 
     under the radio call signs ``Dustoff'' and ``Medevac'';
       (2) Dustoff crews performed aeromedical evacuation for 
     United States, Vietnamese, and allied forces in Southeast 
     Asia from May 1962 through March 1973;
       (3) nearing the end of World War II, the United States Army 
     began using helicopters for medical evacuation and years 
     later, during the Korean War, these helicopter air ambulances 
     were responsible for transporting 17,700 United States 
     casualties;
       (4) during the Vietnam War, with the use of helicopter air 
     ambulances, United States Army Dustoff crews pioneered the 
     concept of dedicated and rapid medical evacuation and 
     transported almost 900,000 United States, South Vietnamese, 
     and other allied sick and wounded, as well as wounded enemy 
     forces;
       (5) helicopters proved to be a revolutionary tool to assist 
     those injured on the battlefield;
       (6) highly skilled and intrepid, Dustoff crews were able to 
     operate the helicopters and land them on almost any terrain 
     in nearly any weather to pick up wounded, after which the 
     Dustoff crews could provide care to these patients while 
     transporting them to ready medical facilities;
       (7) the vital work of the Dustoff crews required consistent 
     combat exposure and often proved to be the difference between 
     life and death for wounded personnel;
       (8) the revolutionary concept of a dedicated combat life-
     saving system was cultivated and refined by United States 
     Army Dustoff crews during 11 years of intense conflict in and 
     above the jungles of Southeast Asia;
       (9) innovative and resourceful Dustoff crews in Vietnam 
     were responsible for taking the new concept of helicopter 
     medical evacuation, born just a few years earlier, and 
     revolutionizing it to meet and surpass the previously 
     unattainable goal of delivering a battlefield casualty to an 
     operating table within the vaunted ``golden hour'';
       (10) some Dustoff units in Vietnam operated so efficiently 
     that they were able to deliver a patient to a waiting medical 
     facility on an average of 50 minutes from the receipt of the 
     mission, which saved the lives of countless personnel in 
     Vietnam, and this legacy continues for modern-day Dustoff 
     crews;
       (11) the inherent danger of being a member of a Dustoff 
     crew in Vietnam meant that there was a 1 in 3 chance of being 
     wounded or killed;
       (12) many battles during the Vietnam War raged at night, 
     and members of the Dustoff crews often found themselves 
     searching for a landing zone in complete darkness, in bad 
     weather, over mountainous terrain, and all while being the 
     target of intense enemy fire as they attempted to rescue the 
     wounded, which caused Dustoff crews to suffer a rate of 
     aircraft loss that was more than 3 times that of all other 
     types of combat helicopter missions in Vietnam;
       (13) the 54th Medical Detachment typified the constant 
     heroism displayed by Dustoff crews in Vietnam, over the span 
     of a 10-month tour, with only 3 flyable helicopters and 40 
     soldiers in the unit, evacuating 21,435 patients in 8,644 
     missions while being airborne for 4,832 hours;
       (14) collectively, the members of the 54th Medical 
     Detachment earned 78 awards for valor, including 1 Medal of 
     Honor, 1 Distinguished Service Cross, 14 Silver Star Medals, 
     26 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 2 Bronze Star Medals for 
     valor, 4 Air Medals for valor, 4 Soldier's Medals, and 26 
     Purple Heart Medals;
       (15) the 54th Medical Detachment displayed heroism on a 
     daily basis and set the standard for all Dustoff crews in 
     Vietnam;
       (16) 6 members of the 54th Medical Detachment are in the 
     Dustoff Hall of Fame, 3 are in the Army Aviation Hall of 
     Fame, and 1 is the only United States Army aviator in the 
     National Aviation Hall of Fame;
       (17) Dustoff crew members are among the most highly 
     decorated soldiers in American military history;
       (18) in early 1964, Major Charles L. Kelly was the 
     Commanding Officer of the 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter 
     Ambulance), Provisional, in Soc Trang, South Vietnam;
       (19) Major Kelly helped to forge the Dustoff call sign into 
     history as one of the most welcomed phrases to be heard over 
     the radio by wounded soldiers in perilous and dire 
     situations;
       (20) in 1964, Major Kelly was killed in action as he 
     gallantly maneuvered his aircraft to save a wounded American 
     soldier and several Vietnamese soldiers and boldly replied, 
     after being warned to stay away from the landing zone due to 
     the ferocity of enemy fire, ``When I have your wounded.'';
       (21) General William Westmoreland, Commander, Military 
     Assistance Command, Vietnam (1964-1968), singled out Major 
     Kelly as an example of ``the greatness of the human spirit'' 
     and highlighted his famous reply as an inspiration to all in 
     combat;
       (22) General Creighton Abrams, Westmoreland's successor 
     (1968-1972), and former Chief of Staff of the United States 
     Army, highlighted the heroism of Dustoff crews, ``A special 
     word about the Dustoffs . . . Courage above and beyond the 
     call of duty was sort of routine to them. It was a daily 
     thing, part of the way they lived. That's the great part, and 
     it meant so much to every last man who served there. Whether 
     he ever got hurt or not, he knew Dustoff was there.'';
       (23) Dustoff crews possessed unique skills and traits that 
     made them highly successful in aeromedical evacuation in 
     Vietnam, including indomitable courage, extraordinary 
     aviation skill and sound judgment under fire, high-level 
     medical expertise, and an unequaled dedication to the 
     preservation of human life;
       (24) members of the United States Armed Forces on the 
     ground in Vietnam had their confidence and battlefield 
     prowess reinforced knowing that there were heroic Dustoff 
     crews just a few minutes from the fight, which was 
     instrumental to their well-being, willingness to fight, and 
     morale;
       (25) military families in the United States knew that their 
     loved ones would receive the quickest and best possible care 
     in the event of a war-time injury, thanks to the Dustoff 
     crews;
       (26) the willingness of Dustoff crews to also risk their 
     lives to save helpless civilians left an immeasurably 
     positive impression on the people of Vietnam and exemplified 
     the finest American ideals of compassion and humanity; and
       (27) Dustoff crews from the Vietnam War hailed from every 
     State in the United States and represented numerous ethnic, 
     religious, and cultural backgrounds.

     SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
     behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate 
     design in honor of the Dustoff crews of the Vietnam War, 
     collectively, in recognition of their heroic military 
     service, which saved countless lives and contributed directly 
     to the defense of our country.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, 
     and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Defense.
       (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
       (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
     honor of the Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War, the gold medal 
     shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will 
     be available for display as appropriate and available for 
     research.
       (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Smithsonian Institution should also make the gold medal 
     awarded pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere, 
     particularly at appropriate locations associated with the 
     Vietnam War, and that preference should be given to locations 
     affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.

     SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
     the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 at a price 
     sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 
     materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

     SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

       (a) National Medal.--The medal struck pursuant to this Act 
     is a national medal for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, 
     United States Code.
       (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of chapter 51 of title 
     31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act 
     shall be considered to be numismatic items.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authority to Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to 
     be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 
     Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of 
     the medals struck under this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be 
     deposited

[[Page S6502]]

     into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Mr. Crapo):
  S. 2742. A bill to establish the COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance 
Fraud Task Force, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.

                                S. 2742

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Recovering Fraudulent Claims 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. COVID-19 UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FRAUD TASK FORCE.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
     of enactment of this section, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Secretary, shall establish the COVID-19 
     Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force (in this section 
     referred to as the ``Task Force'').
       (2) Duties.--
       (A) Investigation.--The Task Force shall investigate fraud 
     with respect to COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits, 
     including an identification of and investigation into--
       (i) subject to paragraph (3), any alleged instance of 
     fraudulent payment of COVID-19 unemployment insurance 
     benefits to any individual, entity, or organization (either 
     foreign or domestic) that was not eligible to receive such 
     benefits; and
       (ii) any alleged instance in which an individual, entity, 
     or organization (either foreign or domestic) stole or 
     attempted to steal the identity or personally identifiable 
     information of any United States citizen in an effort to 
     obtain COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits, including 
     any instance of synthetic identity theft.
       (B) Submission of findings to attorney general.--The Task 
     Force shall submit to the Attorney General the Task Force's 
     findings with respect to the investigation conducted under 
     subparagraph (A) to assist the Attorney General in the 
     prosecution of fraud concerning COVID-19 unemployment 
     insurance benefits.
       (3) Clarification.--The investigation conducted under 
     paragraph (2)(A) shall not include an identification of or 
     investigation into any improper payment of COVID-19 
     unemployment insurance benefits to any individual that was 
     eligible to receive such benefits.
       (b) Membership.--
       (1) In general.--The Attorney General, in consultation with 
     the Secretary, shall appoint to the Task Force a 
     representative from each of the following:
       (A) The Office of the Inspector General of the Department 
     of Labor.
       (B) The Federal Bureau of Investigation.
       (C) The Department of Homeland Security.
       (D) The Internal Revenue Service.
       (E) The United States Postal Service.
       (F) The Office of the Inspector General of the Social 
     Security Administration.
       (G) The Office of the Inspector General of the Department 
     of Homeland Security.
       (H) A nonprofit organization representing State workforce 
     agencies.
       (I) A national law enforcement organization.
       (J) Any other organization the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Secretary, determines to be 
     appropriate.
       (2) Prohibition on compensation.--The members of the Task 
     Force shall not receive any compensation from the Federal 
     Government by reason of their service on the Task Force.
       (c) Report to Congress.--
       (1) Preliminary report.--Subject to paragraph (3), not 
     later than 1 year after the date on which the Task Force is 
     established under subsection (a)(1), the Task Force shall 
     submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 
     that contains a detailed description of the following:
       (A) The Task Force's findings with respect to the 
     investigation conducted under subsection (a)(2)(A), including 
     the following:
       (i) The total number of individuals and an itemized list of 
     entities and organizations (either foreign or domestic) that 
     were identified by the Task Force as having allegedly 
     obtained or attempted to obtain fraudulent payments of COVID-
     19 unemployment insurance benefits, including the amount of 
     such benefits that were identified by the Task Force as 
     having been obtained.
       (ii) The total number of individuals and an itemized list 
     of entities and organizations (either foreign or domestic) 
     that were identified by the Task Force as having allegedly 
     stolen or attempted to steal the identity or personally 
     identifiable information of any United States citizen in an 
     effort to obtain COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits, 
     including any instance of synthetic identity theft.
       (iii) The total number of individuals and an itemized list 
     of entities and organizations (either foreign or domestic) 
     that were identified by the Attorney General during the 
     period beginning on the date of enactment of the CARES Act 
     (Public Law 116-136) and ending on the date of the 
     establishment of the Task Force under subsection (a)(1) as 
     having allegedly obtained or attempted to obtain fraudulent 
     payments of COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits.
       (iv) The total number of individuals and an itemized list 
     of entities and organizations (either foreign or domestic) 
     that were identified by the Attorney General during the 
     period beginning on the date of enactment of the CARES Act 
     (Public Law 116-136) and ending on the date of the 
     establishment of the Task Force under subsection (a)(1) as 
     having allegedly stolen or attempted to steal the identity or 
     personally identifiable information of any United States 
     citizen in an effort to obtain COVID-19 unemployment 
     insurance benefits, including any instance of synthetic 
     identity theft.
       (v) The total number of individuals the Attorney General 
     has prosecuted for fraud concerning COVID-19 unemployment 
     insurance benefits, including a list of the criminal charges 
     brought and any prison sentences or accompanying fines 
     imposed.
       (B) The steps the Attorney General or the head of any other 
     relevant Federal or State agency is taking, or is planning to 
     take, to prosecute or otherwise penalize the individuals, 
     entities, or organizations described in subparagraph (A).
       (C) Any challenge or impediment the Attorney General or the 
     head of any other relevant Federal or State agency has 
     encountered in prosecuting or otherwise penalizing such 
     individuals, entities, or organizations.
       (D) The efforts the Attorney General or the head of any 
     other relevant Federal or State agency is taking, or is 
     planning to take, to recover any fraudulent payment of COVID-
     19 unemployment insurance benefits, and the challenges 
     associated with such efforts.
       (E) The total amount of fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment 
     insurance benefits that were issued by States, including a 
     State-by-State breakdown of such amount.
       (F) The total amount of fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment 
     insurance benefits that the Attorney General or the head of 
     any other relevant Federal or State agency has been able to 
     recover.
       (G) The specific challenges the Task Force encountered in 
     carrying out subsection (a)(2)(A).
       (2) Final report.--Subject to paragraph (3), not later than 
     1 year after the submission of the report under paragraph 
     (1), the Task Force shall submit to the appropriate 
     Committees of Congress a final report that includes updated 
     information regarding subparagraphs (A) through (G) of 
     paragraph (1).
       (3) Disclosure of return information.--No return 
     information (as defined in section 6103(b) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986) may be included in a report submitted 
     under paragraph (1) or (2), except as authorized by such 
     section 6103.
       (d) Sunset.--The Task Force shall terminate on the later 
     of--
       (1) the date on which the Task Force submits the final 
     report under subsection (c)(2); or
       (2) a specific date selected by the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Secretary, that falls after the date 
     set forth in paragraph (1).
       (e) Definitions.--
       (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Finance of the Senate;
       (B) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
       (C) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate;
       (D) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (E) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (F) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits.--The term 
     ``COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits'' means 
     unemployment insurance benefits provided under any of the 
     programs under section 2102, 2104, or 2107 of the CARES Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 9021, 9023, 9025).
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Labor.
       (4) Synthetic identity theft.--The term ``synthetic 
     identity theft'' means the use of a combination of personally 
     identifiable information to fabricate an individual or entity 
     in order to commit a dishonest act for personal or financial 
     gain.

     SEC. 3. GAO STUDY AND REPORT.

       (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
     (in this section referred to as the ``Comptroller General'') 
     shall conduct a study on unemployment insurance fraud with 
     respect to COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits (as 
     defined in section 2(e)). Such study shall include an 
     analysis of--
       (1) how the amounts appropriated under section 2118 of the 
     CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9034), as added by section 9032 of the 
     American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2), are 
     being utilized by States to--
       (A) detect and prevent fraud in any such program; and
       (B) recover any fraudulent payment of COVID-19 unemployment 
     insurance benefits;
       (2) any reason that such appropriated amounts were not used 
     by States to detect and prevent such fraud and to recover 
     such fraudulent payments;
       (3) whether such appropriated amounts were successful in 
     helping States to detect and prevent such fraud and to 
     recover such fraudulent payments; and
       (4) any other area determined appropriate by the 
     Comptroller General.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this section, the

[[Page S6503]]

     Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report 
     containing the results of the study conducted under 
     subsection (a), together with recommendations for such 
     legislation and administrative action as the Comptroller 
     General determines appropriate.

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