[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21266-21268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0145
                HOMELESS VETERANS ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2004

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4248) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
extend the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make 
grants to expand or modify existing comprehensive service programs for 
homeless veterans, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4248

       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 ``Homeless Veterans Assistance 
     Act of 2004''.

     SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR 
                   FISCAL YEAR 2005.

       Section 2013 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
     striking ``$75,000,000'' in paragraph (4) and inserting 
     ``$99,000,000''.

     SEC. 3. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   TO OPERATE SEXUAL TRAUMA COUNSELING PROGRAM.

       Section 1720D(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``During the period 
     through December 31, 2004, the'' and inserting ``The''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``, during the period 
     through December 31, 2004,''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida). Pursuant 
to the rule, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 4248, as amended, the 
Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2004.
  I point out to my colleagues that this legislation builds on the 
historic law signed by President Bush, the Homeless Veterans Assistance 
Act of 2001. I also want to point out to my colleagues and remind them 
that as we wrote those provisions and held several hearings to 
ascertain the need, the best practices, the policies that are more 
likely to work to try to mitigate the problem of homelessness, all of 
us, on both sides of the aisle, were utterly struck by the large number 
of veterans who were indeed homeless. The number that seemed to be most 
accurate at the time was something on the order of 275,000 homeless 
veterans on any given night.
  Many of these men, some are women, but most are men, had post-
traumatic stress disorder or some problem with alcohol or drugs or both 
or all three. We decided working with the VA, working with the NGOs, 
with the VSOs, Veterans Service Organizations, and others, to devise 
legislation that would comprehensively try to mitigate and hopefully 
end this terrible problem of homelessness among our veterans.
  The good news is that the number, and it is still unconscionably 
high, has dropped precipitously over the last several years since 
enactment of the law. Secretary of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
Tony Principi, testified at the beginning of this year that he believes 
that the number has dropped to about 200,000. Still too high, but far 
less than the 275,000, again, on the streets on any given night.
  The legislation we have before us is a bipartisan piece of 
legislation, and I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Evans), who has played a key role in working with us on 
this. I also want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), 
who has also played a very important role, and the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), the chairman of our Subcommittee on Health, 
and all of the Members who have tried to contribute to make this an 
important piece of legislation.
  Let me point out to my colleagues specifically on the legislation 
that the VA's Homeless Grant and Per Diem program is authorized to 
provide competitive grants to community-based, including faith-based, 
organizations that offer transitional housing or service centers for 
homeless veterans. This program has proven to be the most economical, 
flexible, and innovative method to provide time-limited or transitional 
housing with supportive services for homeless veterans in all 50 States 
and the District of Columbia. Over 6,000 transitional housing beds are 
now available to veterans through the grant and per diem program.
  In 2003, 66 percent of the veterans discharged from these programs 
were discharged to either independent housing or residential program 
housing, and 43 percent of all treatment episodes were documented as 
successful. This successful rate is the highest combined level of 
success ever achieved and ever recorded and remarkable, given the 
serious psychiatric disorders or substance abuse problems that often 
challenge recovery for homelessness.

[[Page 21267]]

  The current authority for the grant and per diem program expires on 
September 30, 2005. In testimony before the Subcommittee on Health 
earlier this year, however, the administration stated that the total 
amount of grants made under this program was expected to exceed the 
current $75 million authorization in fiscal year 2005. To meet this 
growing demand for services for homeless veterans, the President's 
budget proposal requested an increase in the authorized level from $75 
million to $100 million for the 4 years. Section 2 of H.R. 4248, as 
amended, would increase the authorization to $99 million for 2005. It 
will be up to the next Congress to extend the authorization beyond its 
September 30 expiration date.
  Mr. Speaker, in 2003, the VA reported that more than 31,000 males and 
27,000 female veterans responded to relevant screenings indicating 
unwanted sexual experiences that occurred during their military service 
time. Under current law, the authority to provide sexual trauma 
counseling for eligible veterans expires on December 31 of this year. 
H.R. 4248, as amended, would recognize the continuing need for these 
programs within the VA by permanently authorizing the counseling and 
treatment authority.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the Members again who have worked on 
this.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, and I rise in support of the Homeless Veterans Assistance Act 
of 2004.
  Let me first of all take this opportunity to thank the gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Smith), our chairman, for his activities in this area 
end his support of this particular piece of legislation.
  The bill, as reported, includes provisions from the bill I 
introduced, H.R. 3849, the Military Sexual Trauma Counseling Act of 
2004, to permanently extend the VA authority to provide counseling and 
treatment for women and men who have experienced sexual trauma during 
their service in the military. Current authority for the program 
expires at the end of this year, and it is critical we pass this 
particular piece of legislation today.
  Since the military's sexual trauma program was authorized, the VA has 
embraced the challenge of developing unique resources to serve both 
women and men who have suffered such abuses during their military 
service. An overwhelming demand has been demonstrated for the sexual 
trauma program, with thousands of veterans, in addition to Reservists 
and National Guardsmen taking advantage of the resources available to 
them.
  As the number of women serving in the military will continue to grow, 
the need for this program is sadly more evident. According to the VA 
report, more than half, 55 percent, of all women in the VA patient 
population said they had experienced sexual harassment while in the 
military and almost one quarter claimed to have been sexually 
assaulted.
  Although the military is moving to address some of the longstanding 
problems it has had in managing sexism of all kinds in its increasingly 
integrated Armed Services workforce, we cannot expect the problem to 
disappear overnight. Already we hear media reports that more than 100 
troops returning from both Iraq and Afghanistan have stated that they 
were raped during their service.
  The VA's sexual trauma counseling programs are designed to create a 
secure and sensitive environment in which both women and men who serve 
in the military can deal with the emotional burdens of being a victim 
of sexual abuse. I am pleased that we are on the road to ensuring that 
these programs will be here for current and future veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I am also supportive of the provisions to increase the 
funding levels available for the homeless grant and per diem programs 
from the $75 million to the $99 million for 2005. We still have a very 
long way to go in meeting the Congress' goal to eliminate chronic 
homelessness by 2011, but this bill definitely takes us in the right 
direction.
  Again, I wish to thank my friend, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. 
Simmons) for his cooperation in including the authority for the 
military's sexual trauma program in this particular piece of 
legislation as well as Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Evans for 
their support.
  Mr. Speaker, let me also indicate, in terms of the data for the 
homelessness, the VA estimates that more than 299,321 veterans are 
homeless on any given night, and more than half a million experience 
homelessness over the course of a year. Roughly 25 percent of the 
homeless people out there are veterans. Additionally, 45 percent of the 
homeless veterans that are out there do suffer from mental health 
disorders. And in order to solve these chronic homelessness problems, 
we must provide comprehensive care for veterans, including housing, job 
training, and mental health care.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Homeless Veterans 
Assistance Act of 2004.
  I'd like to thank my colleague Ciro Rodriguez for the provisions in 
this bill that originated in his bill, H.R. 3849, the Military Sexual 
Trauma Counseling Act of 2004. I'd also like to thank Chairman Smith 
for helping in this bipartisan effort.
  I am pleased that this legislation will permanently allow the VA to 
provide sexual trauma counseling to those men and women who experience 
such trauma during their service for our country. Unfortunately, the 
problems of sexual harassment and assault are not going away, and VA 
should continue to be available to veterans who need help picking up 
the pieces after these traumatic events.
  Another much needed provision of this legislation will increase the 
FY 2005 funding level available for VA's homeless grant and per diem 
program to $99 million. VA's Homeless Grant and Per Diem Providers are 
a critical source of support to the mission of caring for our nation's 
homeless veterans.
  Troops demobilizing from a difficult deployment in which many 
experienced combat and other stressors will likely add to the 
challenges of meeting the needs of homeless veterans. We have to 
continue to be the advocate for our homeless veterans who are often not 
able to advocate for themselves.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a strong supporter 
of H.R. 4248, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Reauthorization Act of 
2004 which would amend title 38 of the United States Code, to extend 
the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to 
expand or modify existing comprehensive service programs for homeless 
veterans. I want to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Evans for 
bringing this necessary piece of legislation before this entire body.
  Veterans are some of America's most valued members of society. These 
are people who served our nation in a time of need, people who risked 
their lives to protect our own. Yet, it pains me to say that many of 
these same veterans who fought so bravely and risked so much in lands 
far abroad have come back to their nation and are now homeless. The 
problem of homeless veterans is far more prevalent than we would like 
to believe. About one-third of the entire adult homeless population has 
served their country in the Armed Services. On any given day, as many 
as 250,000 veterans, both male and female, are living on the streets or 
in shelters, and perhaps twice as many experience hopelessness at some 
point during the course of a year. Many other veterans are considered 
near homeless or at risk because of their poverty, lack of support from 
family and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap hotels or in 
overcrowded or substandard housing.
  This legislation is necessary not only because this problem is so 
devastating and prevalent, but also because homeless veterans have 
special needs that are unique from those faced by the rest of the 
homeless population. Almost all homeless veterans are male, with three 
percent being female, the vast majority are single, and most come from 
poor, disadvantaged backgrounds. Homeless veterans tend to be older and 
more educated than homeless non-veterans. But similar to the general 
population of homeless adult males, about 45 percent of homeless 
veterans suffer from mental illness and slightly more than 70 percent 
suffer from alcohol or other drug abuse problems. Roughly 56 percent 
are African American or Hispanic. H.R. 4248 helps to address the 
homeless veteran population by increasing and extending through FY 2008 
the

[[Page 21268]]

authorization of appropriations for homeless assistance to veterans 
furnished through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Homeless 
Veterans Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2004 gives authority to the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs through FY 2008 to make grants to furnish 
the assistance to homeless veterans through: outreach; rehabilitative 
services; vocational counseling and training; and transitional housing. 
This comprehensive program is needed if we are to fight this scourge 
that is a blight upon our nation. Our nation's veterans did not risk 
their lives abroad so that they could come home and feel a cold 
shoulder. We must all have outrage that so many of our nation's 
veterans live this way, only then can we find a way to correct this 
injustice.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
4248, a bill to expand comprehensive service programs for homeless 
veterans. This bill is important because veterans have and continue to 
make an enormous contribution to our nation. The sacrifice of our men 
and women serving throughout the world should never be forgotten. They 
are serving to promote an secure the ideals of liberty, freedom, and 
democracy.
  Therefore, it is important that when they return home they have 
access to transitional housing programs, counseling and specialized 
services to help them in their transition from military service. Too 
often veterans come home and their service is not fully appreciated. 
This has led to an issue of chronic homelessness among veterans. The 
Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are more than 
300,000 homeless veterans on any given night or more than half a 
million experience homelessness over a given year. This is unacceptable 
in America.
  In addition, to chronic homelessness many veterans suffer from lack 
of access to health care services, and job training. This bill is a 
step in the right direction. However, much work remains to be done to 
provide the level of services and outreach needed to ensure that we 
drastically reduce the number of homeless veterans.
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4248, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to amend 
title 38, United States Code, to increase the authorization of 
appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to 
existing comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans, and for 
other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________