Corrine Brown

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as I reach the end of my 24-year congressional career, I want to begin by thanking the constituents of Florida's 3rd (later renamed 5th) congressional district, for giving me the opportunity to serve you, and to serve the great State of Florida, and the United States of America. I will always remember and revere this remarkable institution of government, the House of Representatives, the People's House. As I look back on my years of service, among the many things my loyal and outstanding staff and I accomplished over the years, there are a few special items that stand out. First, I will always remember working day and night across the aisle to obtain a Congressional Gold Medal for the Montford Point Marines; the dedicated, African American patriots, who were often overlooked by the history books. These marines enlisted to defend our nation during a time when here at home, African Americans faced terrible discrimination and civil rights abuses. Years before Jackie Robinson and decades prior to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, they risked their lives and fought overseas to defend democracy against one of the most dangerous regimes ever to rule over much of Europe, that of Nazi Germany. And unlike the Tuskegee Airmen and others who were praised for their valiant efforts, the Montford Point Marines were never given recognition until I worked with my colleagues on Capitol Hill to pass a bill, which became law, to grant the marines who were trained at Montford Point a Congressional Gold Medal. I vividly remember when a handful of these now elderly gentlemen watched the final vote from the House gallery in tears, as the Members of Congress, defying House protocol for a brief moment, turned and gave them a standing ovation for their bravery. A short time thereafter, the Montford Point Marines were received with honors in the Capitol for a ceremony in their honor, granting them a Congressional Gold Medal. I am also very proud of my 24 years of service on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. In fact, I became the first African American female to serve as Ranking Member of the Committee, as I felt it was my duty after serving on the committee to take charge during an extremely tumultuous time at the Agency for Veterans' Affairs. During my two year term as Ranking Member we worked on a number of issues to improve the efficacy of the VA to better serve our nation's veterans, in particular, in the areas of veteran homelessness, assisting the rapidly expanding category of women veterans, psychological issues and PTSD, and working to decrease the wait times at VA health facilities. Since first coming to Congress, I have been fighting for the benefits that veterans were promised when they entered the service. When I first came to Washington, to offset the limited space for veterans' burials in Florida and around the country, I introduced legislation to establish new National Cemeteries in South Florida and in Jacksonville. I also introduced legislation to expand and improve the National Veteran's Cemetery system, and championed legislation expanding the health and long-term care benefits that America's veterans' receive, improving veterans' education benefits, and expediting claims processing. Most recently, I secured a new Veterans' Outpatient Clinic for Jacksonville. This facility consolidated most of the veterans' services that had been scattered around the city into one facility. In addition, the Gainesville VA Medical Center was completed with an additional $51.5 million included at my request, and the Orlando VA Medical Center, with my advocacy over the years, is finally completed and attending patients. And under my watch, Congress passed the largest budget in the history of the VA and also passed assured funding for the VA, which ensures that veterans' healthcare is not subject to the political winds of Washington. I am proud of my many accomplishments over the years in the arena of Transportation and Infrastructure development, where, in my role as a key member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I was able to make numerous positive, tangible contributions to our nation's transportation system. By obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars in federal projects, both for my congressional district (which is one of the most underserved in the State of Florida), and for my state, I was awarded with the slogan, ``Corrine Delivers.'' These projects ranged from bridge construction and reconstruction, to the building of courthouses, roads, ports and buildings. They also consisted of numerous multi modal transportation projects, such as SunRail in Central Florida, Lynx, and Amtrak passenger rail, to give Floridians and Americans across the nation the option to travel and commute without having to use an automobile. And across my district, from Gainesville to Jacksonville to Orlando and even the smaller cities in between, I obtained millions of dollars over the years for their public transportation system, including city buses. In Gainesville in fact, the newly upgraded bus depot was named after me. Yet perhaps my greatest achievement was in the arena of civil rights. I am proud to have been the first African American to serve the State of Florida as an elected federal Member of Congress. In this capacity, I served as the voice of minorities and the traditionally under served for more than two decades. I was given the platform and the ability to promote change and fairness in the areas of voting rights, health care parity, educational access and equality, access to fairly priced housing, accessible and moderately priced public transportation, greater gender equality, racial disparities in our criminal justice system, and of course, for full funding of our Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients. Lastly, in the area of higher education, I led the charge, along with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, to revise the strict requirements the Department of Education placed on those attempting to obtain or continue to use their Parent Plus Loans to further their college education. The excessive requirements were eventually revised in ways which allowed hundreds of thousands of previously adversely affected students, many at HBCU's in particular, to continue their studies. Yet I do not intend to abandon the fight for justice and equality that I have fought for all of my life. Even outside the halls of Congress, I will continue to advocate for minorities, for the less fortunate, and for those born on the ``other side of the railroad tracks.'' As I have said from the day I was first elected: ``to whom God has given much, much is expected . . . when you are born you get a birth certificate, and when you die you get a death certificate, but it's the dash in between that really matters.''

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to include the following: Annie Mae Hicks was born August 18, 1935 in Culpeper, Virginia to the late William Festus Gray, Sr. and Laura Mae (Scott) Gray. She was the eldest of 6 children, William Jr. Regina, Claudine, Hattie and Lillian. Ann, as she preferred to be called, spent her formative years on her parents' farm where they raised livestock and grew vegetables, The Gray family was a loving family and her father believed in working hard. The Gray children all had chores, but Ann had a deep love for learning and would often be found doing homework or reading a book. Her siblings said she loved school so much that if she missed a day she would cry. At the young age of 16 she graduated from George Washington Carver High School and was offered a scholarship to Virginia Union College. Ann decided to attend college in Rochester, NY where she had a cousin named Regina Alexander. She was accepted at Brockport State College and worked as an elevator operator at a local department store while she attended college. Her bus ride to Brockport and back was an hour each way. Soon after arriving in Rochester she joined Mt. Olivet Baptist Church and she became active in the young adult fellowship program. It is there that she met a young man named Harry A.D. Hicks. At the time, Harry had already served in the Air Force and was working on his Bachelor's Degree at Rochester Institute of Technology. During this period, Harry learned about Ann's gift of gab and her ability to do homework at the same time. After graduating from Brockport State with a degree in Elementary Education, Ann became a teacher. But, she found that teaching was not her calling. She later became a Social Worker and worked for 28 years at Monroe County Department of Social Services, retiring in 1987. Ann worked hard and took her job seriously. She knew that there were individuals and families that needed to be connected to critical resources in the community. As a Social Worker, she traveled all over Monroe County meeting with families. In November 1975 she was one of the initial 19 members of a class action law suit against Monroe County Social Services for not hiring and promoting minorities in supervisory positions. Ann and countless others paved the way for those that followed them to be promoted into senior level positions. After retiring, Ann and Doug, as she affectionately called him, were able to travel to Italy, France, and England They also enjoyed traveling to Washington, DC and Florida to spend the winter with their daughter and family. Ann and Doug enjoyed a marriage 49\1/2\ years. Ann, surrounded by family left to be with her beloved Doug on November 14, 2016, She is survived by her sons Kevin and Keith Hicks, Rochester, NY; her daughter Santhea Hicks Brown; (Honorable Alvin Brown), Florida two grandsons, Joshua Andrew and Jordan Latham Brown, her siblings William Gray, jr. (Alice), Regina Grayson (Ed), Claudine Cottom (Jim), Hattie Hicks (Don), and Lillian Jones (Irving); nieces, nephews and extended family, church family and many friends. Ann will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and a child of God.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, U.S. Representative Corrine Brown, has been a member of the House Veterans Committee for 23 years becoming its Ranking Member at the beginning of the 114th Congress. Because of my long tenure my work in key policy areas bridges from one Congress to the next. With that said, here are a few highlights of my accomplishments in the 114th Congress: Restructuring the VA Budget I sponsored the Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Planning Reform Act, H.R. 216, which restructures the VA's budget based on how much it costs to deliver services to veterans. It sets down the requirements for knowing what their needs are and then draws up a budget that will meet those needs. In its present form, the Department of Veterans Affairs budget process does not provide sufficient information on not only current resource requirements, but also future funding needs. To improve the budget formulation process and by extension, the Committee's understanding of the Departments goals and the resources needed to meet those goals H.R. 216 reforms the manner in which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines, plans for, and delivers health care, benefits and services, by requiring the VA to periodically review and assess veterans' needs, identify a plan of action to meet these changing needs, and align its resource requirements with its current, and future, operations. H.R. 216 passed the House on March 24, 2016 by a vote of 420-0, and awaits action in the Senate. Clearing Logjams In Hospital Construction Funding caps, contractor lawsuits and design changes have delayed and even threatened the opening of new VA medical facilities. By consistently concentrating on getting hospitals open I helped the Veterans Committee bypass the partisan infighting and legislative stalemates that threatened to shutter new construction projects. I led the effort to garner support among the Democratic Caucus for down-to-the-wire emergency funding necessary to finish new construction projects, while at the same time, working in close coordination with VA Secretary McDonald and the Chairman of the House Veterans Committee to provide necessary assurances that those at the VA responsible for malfeasance in new hospital construction would be held accountable. The funding passed the House September 30, 2015 as part of an omnibus bill to continue to fund the government after a previous continuing resolution expired. choice program Veterans cite access to health care, both physical and mental care, as their most important benefit. The Veterans Choice program was enacted by the 113th Congress as a temporary program in the wake of the wait time scandal that was endemic across the VA in 2014. In the first full year after enactment, VA made 1.6 million more appointments than it did the year before. Though she was not the Ranking Member of the Veterans Committee at the time of enactment, she was a conferee and participated fully in the negotiations that led to the program's inception. Since I became the Ranking Member, VA has proposed following the current Choice program with a more permanent program and has presented the Committee with a long-term strategy for consolidation of community care programs. One of the essential elements is that the plan streamlines eligibility requirements for veterans to receive increased access to care in their communities from non-VA providers. The goals of the new Choice program include making access to community care easier to understand, improving the veterans' experience, clarifying the program for VA staff, and make it easier for community providers to partner with VA, provide seamless connections between VA and community providers and apply best practices from the private sector. I have taken a leadership role in three key areas to help in the implementation of the new program: 1. Encouraging veterans to sign up for care. In opening statements before Full Committees hearings and repeatedly in public forums at home and in Washington, I have expressed frustration that too many veterans don't sign up for the VA care they are entitled to. In order to overcome any doubts about the quality of care veterans may have after the drumbeat of negative news about the VA after the wait time scandals in 2013, I counter the negative images summarizing survey figures indicating that once they are in the system and receiving care, veterans are extremely satisfied with the quality of that care. 2. Recognizing that there were implementation problems and that unusually close coordination between Congress and the VA would cut through them faster, I called meetings with Democratic House Members and VA Secretary Robert McDonald to allow members to air concerns, prioritize changes that needed to be made, and determine whether legislation would be needed to fix the problems. 3. The absence of a workable provider agreement proved to be a major logjam in the delivery of Choice Program care. Upon discovering this, I led an effort among House Committee members to put in place a simple two-page provider agreement so more private care doctors could begin delivering services to veterans and be paid in a timely manner. opioids Opioid abuse is a rampant problem which cuts across all socioeconomic classes. Recognizing that wounded veterans are at risk for the over prescription of opioids for pain treatment. I advocated for VA to initiate a program of ensuring alternative treatment techniques. In May, 2016, the House passed a bipartisan package of bills to battle America's growing epidemic of painkiller abuse and heroin addiction focusing on opioid addiction, treatment and prevention. An important element was the PROMISE Act, which will help improve VA opioid safety, and provide Veterans with safe, personalized care to deal with their physical and invisible wounds including using alternative treatment techniques. From the beginning, the PROMISE Act is a bipartisan bill. It is currently being conferenced with similar legislation which passed the Senate. women veterans I introduced H.R. 1575, which makes permanent a highly successful pilot program to provide counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated from service in the Armed Forces. Women veterans transitioning from active duty experience readjustment issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), military sexual trauma, substance abuse, and homelessness similar to their male counterparts, yet there are indications that military service may affect women differently than men. Research has shown that women exposed to stressful situations like combat or military sexual trauma react differently than their male counterparts, and female veterans commit suicide at nearly six times the rate of other women. Ensuring that VA is properly addressing the unique needs of women veterans is an essential component of the Committee's oversight efforts. During the 111th Congress, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (P.L. 111- 163, 124 Stat. 1130) required VA to conduct, through the Readjustment Counseling Service Vet Center Program (RCS), a pilot program to evaluate the feasibility and advisability of providing reintegration and readjustment services in group retreat settings to women veterans recently separated from service in the Armed Forces after a prolonged deployment. The pilot program ran for two years. Evaluation data was gathered pre-retreat, immediately post-retreat, and 2-month post- retreat. Written feedback from the veteran participants immediately after the retreats was unanimously positive for both years and RCS received several letters from participants expressing their gratitude for the opportunity. More importantly, the majority of the women veterans who participated in the retreats showed improvements in their psychological well-being, decreased stress symptoms, improved stress coping skills, and a reduction in the severity of their PTSD symptoms immediately both following the retreat and 2-months post retreat. H.R. 1575 was reported to the House by the Veterans Committee on November 2, 2015, and awaits consideration on the House Floor. I cosponsored H.R. 1948, the Veterans' Access to Child Care Act, sponsored by Rep. Julia Brownley, Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee. It expands and makes permanent a successful pilot which provides drop off child care services for veterans with appointments at a VA medical center. Studies of the four original sites in the pilot showed that the program is extremely popular with veterans, particularly veterans who are grandparents. The program also proved to have been effective in reducing ``no show'' appointments at

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about a plague wreaking havoc on our nation . . . a sickness that brings in its wake the death of innocent children in communities all across the United States . . . mass shootings in our elementary schools, on our playgrounds, in our homes, stores, restaurants, and places of work. Innocent people are being slaughtered by criminals using military style weapons. . . . like the ruthless killer who shot and killed 49 young kids out having fun at a disco in my congressional district in Orlando, Florida. Few countries make it easier than the United States for someone to buy an assault weapon to kill their victims in a matter of minutes. The horrific massacre in Orlando is only the latest example, and Mr. Mateen was able to kill so many people mainly because the assault rifle he was using could fire 30-round clips as fast as he could pull the trigger. No civilian anywhere should be allowed to have that ability. These types of weapons should be reserved only for our brave men and women in the military. And so I take to the House floor once again, to demand that the House majority allow a vote on commonsense gun violence prevention legislation. Although not a cure all, we need to do all we can to help keep military type assault weapons out of dangerous hands so mass killings like the one that took place just last month in my district, which was, incidentally, the worst mass shooting in our nation's history, never happens again. Month after month--Republicans in the House of Representatives have refused to increase funding to combat a dangerous public health crisis that is already hitting our country, and that has already arrived in my State of Florida: Zika virus. Along with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the Florida congressional delegation, I am imploring the House of Representatives to consider fully funding efforts to combat this horrible disease. Indeed, over 250 people in the State of Florida have been diagnosed with Zika, including 43 pregnant women. This virus is not only a threat to our health and the health of pregnant mothers, but also to our economy and our everyday lives. And shifting funds from one public health crisis like Ebola, to another, is absolutely NOT an acceptable solution. If we do not act immediately, we will see more and more babies born with Zika virus, and trying to figure out why Congress did not do more to help them. Congress needs to immediately provide the funding necessary for mosquito eradication, vaccine research, and our local community health centers so they can provide screenings and comprehensive health services.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3936. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of Mr. Costello's bill, H.R. 3936, that would establish a 3-year pilot program to assist veterans in receiving timely decisions on their claims. Under this administration, the VA has nearly eliminated the claims backlog. At the height of the backlog in 2013, there were more than 600,000 claims. Today, that number has been reduced to fewer than 75,000. The VA has made incredible strides on claims, and I applaud its hardworking staff who has made this happen. However, we also owe it to our veterans to look at and test new methods to improve services and continue refining the VA claims process. This legislation is a step in that direction. However, I must note that the VA's success in the timely processing of claims has come at the cost of a new backlog--appeals. There is an appeals inventory of 450,000. The average wait for a veteran to have his appeal resolved is almost 5 years. We need to address this in our closing legislative days. If we do not act now, the VA predicts veterans will have to wait 10 years for a decision on their appeal. Now, I know we all agree that that simply is unacceptable. I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to fix this issue immediately. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5317. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5317, a bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare center in Center Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as the Abie Abraham VA Clinic. Born in 1913, Abie Abraham was a decorated World War II veteran who served in both the United States Navy and the United States Army and served in the Philippines, China, Germany, and Panama. As the text of the bill states, he was captured by the Japanese in the Philippines and survived the Bataan Death March and 3\1/2\ years as a prisoner of war. Not only did he survive that ordeal, but when General MacArthur asked him to stay and help identify the remains of his fallen comrades, he did so for almost 3 more years, making sure those who died in the Philippines received proper military funerals. He wrote his first book, ``Ghost of Bataan Speaks,'' in 1971 and wrote his second book, ``Oh, God. Where Are You?'' in 1997. His intent was to help the public better understand what took place with regard to our brave men being POWs at the hands of the Japanese. Abie Abraham had received numerous medals for his service, including the Purple Heart. He was a life member of the VFW, the American Legion, the Purple Heart Combat/Infantry organization, the Ex-Prisoners of War organization, the Disabled American Veterans, and the American Defenders of Bataan. He had been a volunteer at the VA Butler Healthcare Center since 1988 and had volunteered over 38,000 hours. One of his favorite pastimes was helping other veterans. For all that Mr. Abraham did during and after the war, I rise in support of this legislation to name this VA facility after him--a true American. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4590. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney).

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 4590, the Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Veterans Affairs Seismic Safety and Construction Authorization Act. The major duty of this committee is to make sure that our veterans have access to the best care they can receive, and authorizing construction or ensuring that existing facilities are structurally sound is very important. All the facilities included in this bill--San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Alameda, Livermore in California; Perry Point, Maryland; and American Lake, Washington--are all in need of major renovations to make them safe. I am glad we are passing this bill today, and I look forward to breaking ground on these projects sooner rather than later. I urge all Members to support this important legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart. I have had the honor of representing Orlando, Florida, for the last 24 years. Yes, Orlando is one of the number one destinations in the country and it is very sophisticated and very diverse, but it is a family-oriented community. We have a very heavy heart. Although there are numerous unanswered questions at this time, the fact that this attack took place at a nightclub frequented by members of the LGBT community and that it took place as our Nation celebrates LGBT Pride Month leaves one to believe that this was motivated by deep hate and prejudice. I spent Sunday night and Monday in Orlando working to ensure that the State and local officials receive the Federal resources they need to make sure that this never happens again. Mr. Speaker, the community is coming together, but a little girl gave me this picture. This picture, so simple. This picture says ``Orlando Strong.'' Orlando is strong, but, you know, I don't know how much longer we are going to stand and have a moment of silent prayer. A moment of silent prayer, and then what? You know, to whom God has given much, much is expected. He expects us to do more than stand and rise for a moment of silent prayer when one person killed over 50 people and sent out over a hundred bullets. It is just unacceptable. People around the world are looking at us, and they think there is something wrong with us. People in America, what is wrong with you? How much longer, how much longer are we going to rise for a moment of silent prayer? Prayer without work is in vain.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. For too long, through too many wars and too many deployments, we have treated our active duty servicemembers and their families as expendable once their usefulness on the battlefield has ended. We hear too many stories of members of the military who do not have the right tools to adapt back into civilian life. The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program was aimed at helping address the unique challenges facing the National Guard and Reserve Component community during this transition. The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program has helped these Guard and Reserve servicemembers with: accessing benefits, geographic isolation, lack of access to military family support groups in local communities, continued and repeated deployments, and unemployment and underemployment. The Yellow Ribbon program has also helped to educate servicemembers on the rigors of deployment, implement reintegration curriculum throughout the deployment cycle, and inform servicemembers and their families about the resources available and connect members to service providers who can assist them in overcoming the challenges of reintegration. The Yellow Ribbon program has been successful in making sure the backbone of our society, those men and women who pursue their chosen profession, but also choose the military as an obligation to secure the liberties and freedoms we hold most dear. It is only right that we help speed the transition of those active duty servicemembers who have essentially put their lives on hold while they serve in the military full time. They need to have the same access to services and information. My legislation will expand this successful program to all active-duty servicemembers and their families. This will give these young men and women the ability and information to transition successfully to civilian life after protecting of our freedoms for so long. Once they leave the military and are the responsibility of the VA, it is too late. We need to speed the transition to civilian life and in the process, reduce suicide, and get these soon-to-be veterans in to the VA system for their health and claims benefits. Many of these men and women, when they leave the military, do not have the support structures they need to successfully reintegrate into civilian society. One young man I know of was homeless and could not have custody of his child and go to school on the GI Bill because he had stayed in the service on the first day of the month. He was ineligible for his housing stipend due to his service and was homeless. This is unacceptable and it is obvious that these men and women are being sent out into society unprepared for the decisions they must make: when to wake up, what clothes to buy, how to get housing. The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program has been successful in what it was designed to do. We need to expand it to make sure all those who serve get the benefit of the lessons learned from this program. I am pleased to introduce this legislation to expand the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program to all servicemembers. With this, we can take the next step to ensuring that the young men and women who protect those of us here at home will have a home to return to.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As we enter into the Memorial Day celebration, I want to point out that, like Master Chief Petty Officer Dean and many Vietnam veterans, when they returned, this country did not receive them as we should have and thank them for their service. Of the 22 veterans who commit suicide every day, only 3 of them are part of the VA system. I would like for all of us to reach out to the Vietnam veterans and to first thank them all for their service and then for all of us to soldier up and man up and to let them know we love them, that we appreciate them, and that we appreciate their service. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3969, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3969, as amended, which would designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Laughlin, Nevada, as the Master Chief Petty Officer Jesse Dean Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic. Master Chief Petty Officer Dean, who passed away in 2014, was a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who served 27 years in the Navy before retiring in 1992. He settled in Laughlin and joined the American Legion where he was revered by fellow members for his selfless service and dedication. By all accounts, Master Chief Petty Officer Dean was an exemplary sailor and beloved citizen, husband, and father. I understand that when Congressman Heck asked his constituents to recommend a veteran to name this clinic after, Officer Dean was the only name mentioned. Mr. Speaker, Master Chief Petty Officer Dean's dedication to duty, his community, and his country reflected great credit upon himself and was in keeping with the finest ideals of service, selflessness, and giving, making him the ideal namesake for the new veterans clinic in Laughlin, Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3956, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3956, as amended. This bill finds that multiple VA centers are managed by acting or temporary directors--some of these centers have lacked a permanent director for a long time; there are time limits as to how long a Senior Executive Service employee can be placed in a temporary position--that there is frequent turnover of medical center directors, impeding the medical center's ability to engage in long-term planning and other necessary functions; and that the VA should develop a comprehensive plan to recruit permanent directors at each medical center that lacks a permanent director. This bill requires the VA to come up with a plan to fill all of the positions that are not currently held by a permanent director. They then will report back to Congress on their progress. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank the bipartisan committee for coming up with this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster).

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support H.R. 1762, as amended, which names the new veterans clinic in The Dalles, Oregon, in honor of Loren R. Kaufman, a soldier in the United States Army during World War II and the Korean war. Sergeant First Class Kaufman joined the Army the week after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served in North Africa and Europe during World War II. Later, during the Korean war, he earned the Medal of Honor for his quick counterattack on enemy combatants, which so surprised the enemy that they retreated in confusion. At the age of 28 years old, while serving in Company G, 9th Infantry Regiment, the 2nd Infantry Division, Sergeant Kaufman was killed in action. As stated in the citation for his Medal of Honor award, the leadership of Sergeant Kaufman was ``directly responsible for the success of his company in regaining its positions, reflecting distinct credit upon himself and upholding the esteemed traditions of the military service.'' Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1762, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 960, as amended, to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Newark, Ohio, as the Daniel L. Kinnard Department of Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic. Specialist Kinnard served in the Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry, the 101st Airborne Division, better known as the Screaming Eagles. As a Vietnam medic, he was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor in 1968 for dodging enemy bullets to reach two wounded men and providing first aid while remaining exposed to enemy fire. Specialist Kinnard died at the age of 18 in March 1968 while providing care to fellow paratroopers. In addition to the Bronze Star, he was awarded numerous other medals. Specialist Kinnard made the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country in the Vietnam war. We are grateful to Specialist Kinnard for acting with courage and dignity in looking after his brothers in combat. I am pleased to support H.R. 960, as amended, in his memory today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our Vietnam veterans. When they came home from the war, we did not properly recognize them, as we should have, as a Nation. I want to say that we are very grateful for their service and their sacrifice. When we hear that 22 veterans a day commit suicide, only three of five of them are involved in the VA, and many of them are Vietnam veterans. At this time, I think that we all should soldier up, reach out to those Vietnam veterans, let them know that we appreciate their service, and recommend that they get involved in the VA. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 960, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. According to the VA, adult day health care is a program which veterans can go to during the day for social activities, peer support, companionship, and recreation. The program is for veterans who need skilled services, case management, and help with activities of daily living. Examples include helping with bathing, dressing, fixing meals, or taking medication. This program is also for veterans who are isolated or their caregiver is experiencing burdens. Adult day health care can be used in combination with other home and community-based services. Health services such as care from nurses, therapists, social workers, and others may also be available. Adult day health care can provide respite care for a family caregiver and also help veterans and their caregivers gain skills to manage the veteran's care at home. This legislation would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into agreement with State veterans homes to provide adult health care for a veteran who is eligible for but does not receive nursing home care. Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and urge its passage. I reserve the balance of my time.