Mike Bost

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 980) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the provision of on-campus educational and vocational counseling by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 980, as amended.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 980, as amended, offered by my friend and colleague, Representative Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin. This bill would make improvements to the VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment, or VR&E, program. Over the last 2 years, my committee has uncovered disastrous wait times, fraud, waste, and abuse in the VA VR&E program. This bill would move the program in the right direction by providing more transparency on these failures. Mr. Speaker, it is our duty to make sure that veterans who complete this workforce program are earning more and are better off than they were before entering the program. VR&E currently does not track those results. In fact, the only thing VR&E does track is the 45 percent of veterans who have completed programs and simply reentered them later. There remains continued fraud, waste, and abuse in the VR&E program, and the return on investment for the veterans is unknown. Mr. Speaker, in fact, it shows me that VR&E needs an overhaul. This bill would reduce the bureaucracy and red tape that the VA has used in the past and would modernize the requirements for the VetSuccess on Campus officers, or VSOCs, by removing the master's degree requirement to a bachelor's degree in the relevant field of study. This bill would also include increasing oversight and transparency of the VR&E program by implementing a call center specifically for the VR&E program. For VR&E to work well, there must be transparency to veterans who are using the program. Finally, this bill would also allow veterans in the VR&E program to pursue noncollege degrees, like flight training. Mr. Speaker, this bill is a step in the right direction of putting veterans first at the VA. I thank my friend and colleague, Representative Van Orden, for sponsoring this bill to improve the VR&E program. I also thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hamadeh) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte) for championing the other provisions of this language. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 980, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden), who is the chief sponsor of the bill.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), who has done a tremendous amount of work to help with this bill.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers. I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, oh, how I missed my colleagues last week. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3123) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to laws relating to the payment of certain benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that are affected by death, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3123, as amended.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3123, as amended, offered by my colleague Representative Elise Stefanik of New York. This bill would require VA to pay out a due and unpaid pension to a veteran's next of kin in cases where the VA issues a decision granting a claim for a pension to a veteran, but the veteran passed away before VA had issued the first payment. In the rare circumstances where an elderly veteran dies in the period between their VA pension being approved and receipt of their first payment, a surviving family should be able to rely on those funds as a source of support to honor their veteran's legacy. Veterans eligible for the VA pension must be at least 65 years old and meet the annual net worth limit. A great portion of eligible veterans served in the Korean war, Vietnam war, and Gulf war. This legislation would close the loophole and prevent VA bureaucracy from being forced to take back benefits delivered to the veteran who earned it through their service. Families grieving a veteran's passing should not have to worry that VA will go after them to recover a pension payment. This legislation would prevent those situations while recognizing our commitment to honor those who have served this country. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3123, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 658) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish qualifications for the appointment of a person as a marriage and family therapist, qualified to provide clinical supervision, in the Veterans Health Administration, as amended.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 658, as amended.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 658, as amended. This bill was introduced by my colleague Representative Julia Brownley of California. Under current law, only one accrediting body has power over who can work as a marriage and family therapist in supervisory roles at the VHA. This is an unnecessary burden. It unnecessarily restricts access to licensed marriage and family therapists who can help veterans grow and maintain healthy familial relationships. With Representative Brownley's bill, the law would include more eligible licensors to ensure a sufficient pipeline of therapists are able to work at VA and help our Nation's veterans, if they need it. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Brownley for her bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I encourage everyone to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1458) to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the criteria for approval of certain independent study programs for purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as amended.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1458, as amended.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1458, as amended, offered by my friend and colleague, Representative Juan Ciscomani of Arizona. This bill would modernize the GI Bill by approving hybrid and online independent study programs to meet veterans' needs. During the COVID pandemic, these institutions offered classes in both online and hybrid settings to stop the spread of COVID. These institutions also received GI Bill funding during that time. Many of these institutions were even told to move their programs to fully remote. This bill would allow these education programs to receive funding again and get more veterans into successful programs. It is clearer than ever that VA education programs need to meet veterans where they are and not the other way around. Additionally, this bill would ensure guard and reserves who get called up on orders during a semester can receive a grade. This bill would also give school certifying officials, or SCOs, time to prepare for a required survey to ensure there is no fraud, waste, or abuse at the GI Bill-eligible institution. Finally, this bill would also allow servicemembers and veterans who paid into the Montgomery GI Bill to receive their $1,200 refund if they chose to fully use their post-9/11 GI Bill. I am fully supportive of this bill as we must ensure that VA services veterans first. This bill would not only give freedom of choice for what institution veterans can attend, but when a veteran does go to school, they would receive more protection when they are called up to protect this country. I thank Representative John James of Michigan and Representative Ronny Jackson of Texas for introducing important provisions to this language, and I thank my friend, Representative Ciscomani, for introducing this bill and continuing to be a champion of improving education opportunities for veterans and their dependents. My committee will continue to seek ways to level the playing field for veterans seeking education and employment so that every veteran has access to the opportunities that they want, all the while protecting the taxpayers' investment and these programs. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1458, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the concerns of the minority, and I would like to dispel some misinformation provided by the ranking member. H.R. 1458 would expand the way in which the GI Bill benefits can be used by veterans, but it would not remove any of the guardrails in place to keep out bad actors. In fact, the bill would require regular and additional interaction between students and instructors, which would add an additional meaningful guardrail for veteran providers. In the most recent VA ``Annual Benefits Report,'' only 3.5 percent of veterans pursued vocational or technical education, even though skilled trades are among the fastest growing career opportunities in the United States. This bill would help tackle the current workforce shortage in skills and trades in the U.S. while maintaining the oversight that VA has over bad actors. Now the GI Bill already has limits on tuition payments approval and quality standards to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the program. Often, veterans may need to attend school or training online or hybrid, not due to performance but due to the necessity of taking care of their families or loved ones. This bill would respond to those realities, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get the bill signed into law. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Ciscomani), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.