[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 187 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5707-H5710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JOHN GIBSON, DAN JAMES, WILLIAM SAPP, AND FRANKIE SMILEY VA CLINIC
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 593) to rename the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based
outpatient clinic in Hinesville, Georgia, as the ``John Gibson, Dan
James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Clinic.''
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 593
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY-
BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC, HINESVILLE, GEORGIA.
The Department of Veterans Affairs community-based
outpatient clinic in Hinesville, Georgia, shall after the
date of the enactment of this Act be known and designated as
the ``John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie
Smiley VA Clinic''. Any reference to such clinic in any law,
regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the
United States shall be considered to be a reference to the
John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA
Clinic.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 593, a bill to rename
the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Hinesville,
Georgia, as the John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, Frankie Smiley VA
Clinic.
I would take a moment to tell each of these Americans' stories of
service.
John Gibson was born in Riceboro, Georgia, and later joined the
Marine Corps where he rose to the rank of private first class. He
deployed to Vietnam in 1967, served 100 days in-country, 65 of which
were in combat. He was killed by small arms fire on February 7, 1968,
in Quang Nam, South Vietnam, during the Tet Offensive at just 21 years
old.
Dan Ninkey James was also a native of Riceboro, Georgia, and deployed
to Vietnam in 1968. He was an SP4 in the Army's 25th Infantry Division.
While in Vietnam, out of a total of 100 days in theater, he also saw 65
days of combat. Dan James was killed in action by small arms fire on
December 29, 1968, in Hua Nghia, South Vietnam. He was recently married
and was just 20 years old.
Their fellow Georgian, William Edward Sapp, was born on March 12,
1943. He joined the Army's 4th Infantry Division during the war,
reaching the rank of SP4. While deployed in Vietnam, he served 114 days
in combat out of a total of 175 days in theater. William Sapp was
killed in action on June 7, 1968, in Kon Tum, South Vietnam, at the age
of 25.
Last, but certainly not least, Frankie Lee Smiley was born in Miami,
Florida. He joined the Marine Corps and rose to the rank of lance
corporal in the 1st Marine Division.
He deployed to Vietnam in 1968. He served 205 days in theater, with
133 days of combat. Lance Corporal Smiley was killed by small arms fire
on August 25, 1968, in Quang Nam, South Vietnam, at the age of 24. He
is buried in Cay Cemetery in Dorchester, Georgia.
All of these men rose to the call of the Nation and made the ultimate
sacrifice. All of these men were 25 years old or less. To give your
life for your country at the dawn of your life is an incredible
sacrifice and one we can't forget. By naming the clinic after these
men, they will continue to be remembered and honored in the place they
called home.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Buddy Carter for introducing this
bill and his work in making this happen.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 593, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 593, a bill to
rename the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in
Hinesville, Georgia, as the John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and
Frankie Smiley VA Clinic.
I thank Representative Carter for introducing it and the Georgia
delegation for its support.
These individuals, all hailing from Liberty County, Georgia, were
killed in action during the Vietnam war. Four young men who made the
ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Private First Class John Gibson, a marine, was killed by small arms
fire in the Tet Offensive on February 7, 1968. He was 21 years old.
Specialist Dan James served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division and
was killed on December 29, 1968. He was 20 years old.
Specialist William Sapp served in the Army's 4th Infantry Division.
He was killed on June 7, 1968. He was 25 years old.
Marine Lance Corporal Frankie Smiley served in the 1st Marine
Division. He was killed on August 25, 1968. He was 24 years old.
These are four names out of the 58,000 who died in the Vietnam war
that we honor for their service and sacrifice. These four names will
continue to be honored at the VA clinic in Liberty County as it carries
on its mission to serve veterans.
The sacrifices of those who served in Vietnam and in other wars and
conflicts is particularly salient as we just commemorated Veterans Day,
and as we had the opportunity to reflect on the sacred obligation we
owe to veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to
do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), a very close friend.
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 593, which will
rename the Department of Veterans Affairs, as you have heard, the
community-based outpatient clinic in Hinesville as the John Gibson, Dan
James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Clinic.
Mr. Speaker, I have the honor and privilege of representing the First
Congressional District of Georgia. We have much to be proud of in the
First Congressional District of Georgia. We have a strong military
presence in our district. We are home to Hunter Army Airfield, to Kings
Bay Naval Base, and to Fort Stewart.
Fort Stewart is located in Hinesville, Georgia, in Liberty County.
Whenever I travel to Fort Stewart, whenever I travel to Liberty County,
I know that they know what they are talking about when they talk
about military affairs.
I submit to you that the community of Hinesville, Georgia, supports
their military as much if not more than any community in America.
However, I have to be quite honest with you. Last fall, I was called
to a meeting with them and with some community leaders in Liberty
County and they told me they wanted to name a VA clinic in Hinesville
after four veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam
war.
[[Page H5708]]
When I went into that meeting, I was skeptical. We can't do this. We
can't rename a VA clinic anyway, much less after four individuals. I
have to tell you when I left that meeting, not only was I convinced,
but I was committed to making this happen.
Mr. Speaker, you heard the bios that Chairman Bost just read of these
young men all in their 20s, all of them with their life ahead of them,
all of them gave the ultimate sacrifice. Let's think of what they could
have experienced in their life--children, graduations, family memories,
but they gave their lives, all four of them gave their lives, so that
we can enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy in this country.
I sat through that meeting that day and I listened to the families. I
listened to their friends tell the stories of their loved ones. I was
convinced this needs to happen. Each of them made an incredible
sacrifice on behalf of their country and on behalf of their community.
They serve as righteous examples of patriotism and selflessness that
are deserving of being memorialized permanently by naming the
Hinesville clinic after them.
This effort is supported by the families and by the community, and we
believe that all four deserve to be memorialized for their
extraordinary sacrifice and their valor.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the community members in Liberty County, in
Hinesville, the local elected officials who brought this idea to our
attention.
Secondly, I thank the Disabled American Veterans Southeast Georgia
chapter, The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the
Georgia State Department of Veterans Affairs for their support as well.
Last, but not least, I thank the entire Georgia delegation,
Republican and Democrat, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and all
the staff involved for their diligent work in getting this bill to the
floor.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I look forward to
working with my friends in the Senate to bring this piece of
legislation to passage and signed into law.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend we celebrated Veterans Day. These four
weren't with us to celebrate Veterans Day, but what they did gave us
the opportunity to celebrate Veterans Day. Let's at least do this for
the family and for the memory of these four heroes who gave the
ultimate sacrifice.
{time} 1745
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I
do believe it is important to remember the service and sacrifice of
servicemembers and veterans because we must keep close to mind our duty
to repay that service and uphold the promises we have made to those who
swore an oath to our country to protect and defend it. However, I fear
that we have fallen short this year. While I do urge support for this
naming bill, I am extremely disappointed that during National Veterans
and Military Families Month and Warrior Care Month, and 2 days after
Veterans Day, that this is the only veterans legislation the Republican
majority has brought to the floor for us to consider.
These young men who lost their lives in the Vietnam war sacrificed
everything they had for our country. If we really wanted to honor them
and the millions of Americans who have risked their life and limb in
service, we should be doing even more.
In this Congress so far, our committee has only originated three
bills that have been signed into law. By comparison, in the last two
Congresses, under Democratic leadership, we passed more than 70 bills
to expand access to care and benefits that are now law. This inaction
is unconscionable when there is such an acute need for assistance among
veterans and survivors.
It is not for a lack of good ideas. There are several worthwhile
bills that are ready to be voted on right now, bills that would change
and improve the lives of veterans and their families across the
country.
For example, H.R. 3848, the bipartisan Housing Our Military Veterans
Effectively, or HOME, Act of 2023, sponsored by Republican
Representative Chavez-DeRemer, would restore authorities that were
essential to ensuring America's most vulnerable veterans found or
stayed in housing during the pandemic.
For the period of the public health emergency, the Department of
Veterans Affairs was able to provide food, clothing, bedding, hygiene
items, shelter, transportation services, and communication devices to
veterans experiencing homelessness. VA also had temporary authority to
increase reimbursements to grant and per diem providers which ensured
veterans in transitional housing received the care and services they
needed. Unfortunately, these authorities and funding expired with the
end of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration in May 2023,
and there has been since no congressional action to restore them.
To aid in this effort, Representative Nikema Williams introduced H.R.
491, the Return Home to Housing Act, and Representative Sheila
Cherfilus-McCormick introduced H.R. 645, the Healthy Foundations for
Homeless Veterans Act. These bills are both included in the HOME Act,
which was reported out of our committee by voice vote on July 26, 2023.
That is right, a bill with strong unanimous support has been
languishing for months for no clear reason.
Earlier this year, Chairman Bost and I were standing in these exact
spots, and he made a promise to me that we would pass this legislation.
I understand from staff conversations that Chairman Bost has been
imploring the Speaker to schedule that bill for a vote. I, too, sent a
letter to the newly elected Speaker imploring him to bring this bill to
the floor.
In the book of Matthew 25:35 it says: ``For I was hungry and you gave
me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you
clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me . . . Then the righteous
will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger
and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see
you sick or in prison and go visit you?' ''
Do we not take these words as a call to action? There are homeless
veterans suffering as we speak. It is our responsibility to take care
of the most vulnerable veterans. Every night a veteran spends on the
street is a night this Congress could have acted to shelter them. You
can feel the cold setting in here in Washington, D.C.
The HOME act would fill the basic needs of veterans experiencing
homelessness to help get them on a path to stable housing. Whether it
be emergency shelter to escape the cold, a warm meal, or clothes to
wear and a ride to a job interview, this bill allows VA to help
homeless veterans in the most fundamental ways.
Veterans service organizations and advocates have called on Congress
to pass legislation to continue the flexible funding and authorities
for critical VA homelessness programs. These authorities resulted in a
reduction in veteran homelessness by over 11 percent over the last 2
years during the pandemic. This was an amazing feat during one of the
most difficult times in our recent history, and yet this House has not
seen fit to bring this bill to the floor.
If the House fails to act or continues to delay action, I fear that
veteran homelessness will undoubtedly increase and critical gains made
during the pandemic will be lost. We are about to enter the winter
months. Will this Congress allow veterans to remain on the streets or
lacking access to basic necessities?
The other bill I have urged the Speaker to bring to the floor is H.R.
542, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act. This bill, introduced by
Representatives Brownley and Bergman, was also reported out of
committee with unanimous support in July. It would require VA to
provide access to all home and community-based services, such as home
health aides, home-based primary care, and respite care to all veterans
and caregivers who need them. Currently, elderly and disabled veterans
only have access if their VA medical centers have chosen to offer these
services.
This legislation will enable veterans to remain at home, safely age
in place, and avoid or delay admission to nursing homes and other
costly institutional settings of care. It will also help connect
veterans' caregivers to respite
[[Page H5709]]
care and other supportive services that help them care for veterans at
home and improve VA's coordination with other Federal long-term care
programs that promote aging at home.
Finally, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act will require VA to create a
website where veterans and their families can more easily obtain
information about VA's home- and community-based services programs and
assess whether any of these programs may be right for them.
Nearly every veteran will, at some point, face the need for
additional care at home or, if they can't get it, spend their last
years in a nursing home setting. This legislation is an investment in
care for millions of veterans and current servicemembers who need this
help now or may in the future. We can afford to do this. We must do
this.
Senator Elizabeth Dole, alongside all other major veterans service
organizations, has spoken to several committee members and its chairman
about the urgency of passing this bill this year. The health and well-
being of thousands of veterans depends on it. I have heard that certain
Republican Members object to the Dole act. I would ask those Members
with concerns to speak to me or the bill's sponsors so that we can try
to address those concerns. That would be the fair and honest thing to
do, so that we can tell the advocates for this bill what the actual
holdup is.
The Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act has the support of every major
veterans service organization, including Disabled American Veterans,
Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American
Legion, Wounded Warrior Project, and the Military Officers Association
of America. It is also supported by AARP, the National Association of
Counties, the National PACE Association, and the Elizabeth Dole
Foundation.
Democrats on the committee remain ready to help pass both of these
bills and many others that have passed out of the committee with broad
bipartisan support.
Weeks were spent waiting for the Republican Conference to select a
new Speaker, and significant time has been wasted on partisan
appropriations bills that have no chance of being signed by the
President. We are here using precious floor time on poison pill
amendments at worst or symbolic gestures at best, but none of these
things will actually help veterans get the care and benefits they
deserve.
Last year, we came together to pass the largest expansion of veterans
benefits in a generation, my Honoring our PACT Act, but we cannot and
should not stop there.
Every bill brought to the House floor represents a choice and makes a
statement about priorities. From my experience, whenever I had a
veterans bill that was ready or timely, Speaker Emerita Pelosi made way
for it because for her veterans issues are sacred. They are not fodder
for negotiation or collateral. I hope our current Speaker comes to that
same understanding. There is always time for veterans legislation.
We ask servicemembers to leave their families to protect our country,
and we have a responsibility to honor our pact with them, that we will
take care of them when they come home. That includes our most
vulnerable veterans, such as homeless, elderly, and disabled veterans.
We must get these bills passed and honor our commitment to veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 593. I ask my colleagues to do the same,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley), my friend, and the ranking
member of the Subcommittee on Health.
Ms. BROWNLEY. Mr. Speaker, I, too, support the renaming of the VA
outpatient clinic in Hinesville, Georgia, after the four servicemembers
who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country in Vietnam. Like a
majority of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I will support
this bill because it is the right thing to do.
This weekend, so many of us returned to our districts to honor the
men and women who have served our Nation in uniform in theaters and
eras from World War II to our veterans who served multiple deployments
in Iraq and Afghanistan. We recognized every man and woman who has
answered the call to duty because it is the right thing to do.
However, it is incumbent upon all of us in this Chamber to do more
and to do better. Our words ring hollow if we don't do our part to
fulfill our Nation's solemn promise to serve our veterans and their
families as well as they have served our country. These words cannot
only be spoken, but we must act upon them, live upon them.
While I believe it is important that we recognize John Gibson, Dan
James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley, I ask myself how do we best
serve the next generation of our Nation's veterans? How do we show them
the respect that they have shown us? How do we let them age with
as much dignity as they deserve and as much as possible?
Long-term care is one of the biggest challenges facing our aging
population and their families. That is why I am calling on Speaker
Johnson to bring before the House my bill, H.R. 542, the Elizabeth Dole
Home Care Act, for a vote. This bill, which has overwhelming
bipartisan, bicameral support and passed out of the House Veterans'
Affairs Committee unanimously almost 4 months ago, would be a fitting
honor for the service and sacrifice of the Vietnam veterans advocating
for this bill.
It would be the single largest expansion of long-term care services
at VA in decades. It would impact nearly every veteran living with
catastrophic disabilities or living with the effects of aging.
Currently, every veteran enrolled in VA has the right to nursing home
care if clinically eligible, but it is important to note that nursing
homes are not where veterans want to live their golden years. They want
to be home. They want to be with their families. They want to be in
their communities and with their communities. I doubt there is a person
here today who has not grappled with how best to care for an aging or
disabled loved one. Every veteran should have the right to dignity in
their later years.
VA home- and community-based services enable veterans to do just
that. However, these services are not available at all VA medical
centers, and my bill changes that.
In addition to listening to what veterans want, home- and community-
based services are also a far less expensive option for taxpayers and
an investment in the elder care infrastructure this country so
desperately needs. Even more important is, the health outcomes of those
who are cared for at home are far, far better than the outcomes of
those who receive care in an institution.
The chairman spoke about the Elizabeth Dole bill and said that CBO
has scored it in a way that has caused him to have to revisit the bill.
I don't know what he means because we got a CBO score. We had one CBO
score that was astronomical. Then, finally, we won with CBO, and CBO
went back and looked at the bill again and said, oh, no, it is just a
very minimal cost. The beauty of this bill is the health outcomes of
veterans are much better, it is less expensive than institutionalized
care, and we can use that money to invest in other programs for our
veterans.
{time} 1800
As you all know too well, our healthcare system is facing a silver
tsunami as the largest generation, baby boomers, enter their later
years. VA is not exempt from this tsunami, and preparation is critical.
Almost half of VA's patient population is over 65. Without an
aggressive expansion of home care, in the next 15 years, VA will have
doubled its spending on institutional, long-term care services, nearing
$15 billion, to meet these needs.
Without the option of receiving care at home, veterans will have to
languish on wait lists or move to facilities far away from their
families.
All this aside, the Elizabeth Dole act is the right thing to do right
now. As both Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano have stated, this
is the right time. The Elizabeth Dole act is the right bill for this
Congress to pass and move forward.
It is too late for this bill to go to the President's desk before
Veterans Day,
[[Page H5710]]
as I had hoped, but we cannot delay any further. Our veterans, their
caregivers, and their families cannot wait any longer. To further delay
this bill is really absolutely cruel.
Let us work together. Let's work with Senator Elizabeth Dole to
fulfill our promise to America's veterans. Let us act, and let us act
now, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in
supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me say that, as the chairman of the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, along with working with the leadership, several
times during this time here since January, certain things have been
said: One, that we were going to cut funding for veterans back whenever
the caps were increased, and that proved out that we did not do that.
I have told the ranking member and the Democrats who work with the
committee that these two bills are vitally important, but we must be
wise. We must move forward, and we must make sure they get across the
threshold.
Now, also know this: On Elizabeth Dole, I want the bill. As my
colleague from the other side of the aisle made a statement, she loved
working with Elizabeth Dole. Well, I am going to tell you, I have been
working with Elizabeth Dole for about 30 years on most things that she
brought up back when she was a Senator, back when her husband was
running for President.
We are going to be working to try to figure it out. It was said from
the other side of the aisle that the CBO score came back, but there is
still a cost. That cost has to be calculated.
I explained, when we passed the PACT Act, that there was a problem,
not that we weren't going to provide exactly everything that the PACT
Act said, but the TIF had some language problems that actually double-
counted some of the things we are providing for our veterans already.
Now, if someone will work with me, let's get this working with this
side of the aisle and across the rotunda to try to figure this out so
that we can make sure we can provide all of these other things that we
want to provide.
As far as the fact of how fast we brought them forward, let me say
this: Whether you want to admit it or not, when the other side of the
aisle joined with the eight to remove the Speaker of this House and
then caused the chaos that occurred for 3 weeks, that is 3 weeks we
have lost and can't get back. We are going to work very hard to try to
get it back, and we are going to try to pass everything that they have
talked about.
The ranking member quoted some Scripture, so let me quote some, and
then I am going to shift to something else. Proverbs 29:11 said: A fool
gives full vent to his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.
At this time, I am going to hold those feelings back about the things
that were said. Let me say that what we are really talking about here
is the naming of a CBOC for four amazing people who made a sacrifice.
For those of us with more gray hair who have seen the nightly news
when we sat around the dinner tables back in the time when these
valiant soldiers and marines fell, we remember what it was like to see
Walter Cronkite come on and give a list of where the battles had been
and a list of how many people were dead, how many were wounded, where
the next battle was looking like it was going to come up.
Later on, right after you followed up with your local news, there was
a list of young servicemembers who wouldn't be coming home, at the
local level.
Good heavens, with that war for the first 13 years of my life, I
thought you were born, raised, got out of high school, and then went to
Vietnam. If you survived Vietnam, you could actually go home and live a
real life. These guys didn't get the chance to do that.
Mr. Carter has worked very hard on making sure that we are going to
name this in tribute to them, as we should.
I will still continue to have the other debates and discussions. I am
sorry we had to do that now, that we had to at the sacrifice of what we
were debating here, that all of this floor time couldn't have been
given to those four heroes.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support the
gentleman's resolution and this bill, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 593.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. BOST. 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 motion will be postponed.
____________________