Mike Bost

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 7153, the Department of Veterans Affairs Principles of Benefits Automation Act. The VA is embracing automation more than ever before. The early results are promising. When used properly, automation can improve claims processing for veterans. However, I am concerned that the VA has already started multiple automation projects without a clear plan or measurable goals. There is no consistent guidance from the VA on when, why, or how automation should be used. H.R. 7153 will establish the sense of Congress that the VA should increase automation in benefits processing, according to certain principles. Automation should increase the speed, accuracy, and consistency of claims processing. Automation should also enhance employee productivity. Automation should always protect veterans' privacy and preserve their rights to due process. However, automation should not necessarily eliminate or reduce the VBA workforce. Employees should always make the final decision about approving claims and granting benefits. Let me be clear: The sense of Congress is that automation should enhance and support VBA employees, not replace them. I think these guiding principles will improve the claims process for veterans and beneficiaries. Finally, my bill will require VA to submit a plan to Congress to modernize its benefits IT system over the next 5 years. This plan is crucial. The expansion of benefits for toxic-exposed veterans will put an incredible strain on these IT systems. We need to be ready. Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6376, as amended, the Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act. This bill will make changes to the VA work-study program to allow student veterans who are using the GI bill part-time to take advantage of the work-study benefit. The work-study benefit provides veterans with the opportunity to be paid for helping other veterans on campus or VA facilities. This is a win-win for the school and the veteran, as the school does not have to pay the veteran for their work, and the veteran receives a paycheck and great work experience. I am pleased that my amendment at the markup of this bill was accepted and that the bill is now fully offset. I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 6376, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2687, which would provide the VA inspector general with limited subpoena power. In some investigations, VA employees who may have important information have left the Department. At that point, the inspector general has no authority to compel their testimony, which can leave investigations weak or incomplete. This bill would give the inspector general the authority to subpoena those former employees. However, this authority is not without checks and balances. The bill would require the IG to notify the Attorney General before using the subpoena. The Attorney General may object and prevent the IG from issuing the subpoena if doing so would interfere with an ongoing investigation. This authority would sunset in May of 2025 and would require Congress to then evaluate the need for this authority and if it should be continued. This is a good bill to expand oversight of the VA, and it has my full support. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5754, the Patient Advocate Tracker Act. This is an excellent piece of legislation that is the brainchild of a veteran named Cameron Zbikowski. Cameron worked on VA's patient advocate program as a student veteran fellow for the VFW and Student Veterans of America. During his fellowship, he recognized that veterans would be better served if they could submit complaints to VA patient advocates online and track the status of those complaints online as well. Cameron was spot on, and this bill will require VA to make that happen. This will make patient advocates more accessible to veterans than ever before, and it will increase the transparency and accountability of the VA patient advocacy program so that we can make sure that it is working as it should for veterans across the country. I know Cameron is watching today, and from one veteran to another, I thank him for his great work. This bill is sponsored by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain). I thank her for her hard work on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I am a proud supporter of this bill today, and I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in supporting it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6604, as amended, the Veterans Eligible to Transfer School Credit Act. This bill, authored by my friend from Florida (Mr. Buchanan), would help student veterans continue to use their GI Bill benefits if their school closes in the middle of a semester. Under current law, when a school closes, an eligible student can have their GI Bill benefits restored for the time they spent attending the shuttered school. This bill would streamline that process for these students to use their restored benefits at a new school. This will help student veterans quickly transfer to a new school and complete their degree using their GI Bill benefits. H.R. 6604, as amended, also includes the text of Congressman Murphy's bill, H.R. 6458. This bill eliminates the existing requirement for the servicemember to set a specific date for when any transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits would expire. Thus, this bill would prevent those who are entitled to these benefits from accidentally inputting the wrong date. These wrong dates have led to dependents being barred from taking advantage of their education benefits. For example, there have been instances where a servicemember has put in their child's 18th birthday by accident which then prevents the child from using the benefit. If the servicemember is alive, they can easily change this date in the system. However, if the servicemember has passed away before they make this change, then it is irreversible and the child can't use their GI Bill benefit. I thank the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, for bringing this transfer issue and solution to us. I also thank both Congressman Buchanan and Congressman Murphy for their hard work on these bills. I encourage all my colleagues to support H.R. 6604, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7500, the bill that would authorize VA major medical facility construction projects in Mississippi, New York, Texas, California, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Missouri. It is well known that the VA healthcare system has very serious infrastructure issues. The average VA medical center is decades older than the average private-sector hospital. Authorizing these projects won't fix that, but it will help thousands of veterans who live in those eight States to have better access to the care that they have earned and deserve. I appreciate Congressmen Allred and Ellzey for their work introducing this important bill. It has my full support today. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support 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, I rise today in support of S. 2514, a bill to rename the Provo Veterans Center in Utah after Colonel Gail Halvorsen. Colonel Halvorsen is a Salt Lake City native who joined the Army Air Corps in 1942, in the midst of World War II. He served as a transport pilot and participated in the Berlin Airlift. It was in Berlin where he earned the nickname ``The Candy Bomber'' for handing out pieces of candy to local children and, later, dropping candy from his aircraft while flying missions over the city. Colonel Halvorsen retired from the military in 1974 after 31 years in uniform. He spent his civilian life as an active volunteer in his church and community. He passed away in February of this last year at age 101. Mr. Speaker, it is with the deepest respect for Colonel Halvorsen's long life of service that we support the bill to allow the Provo Vet Center to bear his name. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3527. When Congress acts to name a VA medical facility in law, the name should stay with that facility even if it moves to another location in the same area. That is common sense, and it is what this bill would allow. A lot of thought and hard work goes into honoring a veteran or other individual by naming a VA facility after them. The person who is honored this way often has a storied history that becomes important to the veterans served by that facility. That should not be taken away, and it should not be taken lightly. I am grateful to Senator Tester for his work on this legislation. I urge all of my colleagues to join in supporting this bill today, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to support 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, I rise today in support of S. 1760, a bill to name the VA community-based outpatient clinic in Oahu, Hawaii, after World War II veteran and former Hawaiian Senator, Daniel Akaka. Senator Akaka has a long and proud record of service in a uniform and out. Following his time in the Army, he represented his fellow Hawaiians in both the House and the Senate. During that time in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Veterans Affairs' Committee, where he also represented his fellow veterans. Mr. Speaker, it is only fitting that the community-based outpatient clinic in his hometown of Oahu be named in his honor. I am proud to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7375, a bill that would streamline the payment of GI Bill benefits. Specifically, the bill would require that, within 90 days of enactment, VA update the electronic fund transfer system for education benefits. Without this change, an overseas school is required to maintain a U.S.-based bank account so that VA can electronically transfer payments for VA beneficiaries who attend their institution. This requirement has kept some schools from participating in the GI Bill. This leads to fewer educational choices for our veterans. I am pleased that this bill would address this issue and expand opportunities for veterans to use their hard-earned education benefits. Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 7375, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, to protect all Americans from Biden's border crisis.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 3807.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding. You know, a lot of people are saying a lot of things here about Don tonight as we are talking about his life and his service. Now, let's put it in perspective. Many of the people in this House, whenever he first came in, many weren't even born. In my case, I was in seventh grade, never knowing that I would meet somebody like Don Young. When I first came into this great assembly, there was a gruff, noisy person that sat back in that chair that we have talked about all along, yelling about this and talking about that, and I just wondered who he was. After serving with him on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, getting to know him, I realized that that gruff and that noise, let me explain something to you, has a heart that was bigger than the noise ever could be. The kindness that he didn't want to show when you were around him for just a little bit, you understood. But, also, what is so great is the amount of us that were able to tap into his knowledge of the institution, of the things that he has seen; ten Presidents, nine Speakers, someone said over 2,000 Members that have come through that have served with Don Young. Anytime someone has been in a position that long, the knowledge that they gain and the way that they can deliver for their district is amazing. This last week when we found out Don passed--unfortunately, in the world of social media, you put things out, and you put it out as positive as possible. But there was one person that responded in a statement, when I said he was there 50 years, well, that is why we should have term limits. Really? Don Young had term limits. Every 2 years. He went back to the people of Alaska, and the people of Alaska spoke every 2 years. Why did they do that? They did that because they had a great Representative that knew and understood and loved the State that he represented. Now, think about this. He sat in this House when he could have moved on to the Senate. It was the same run. He could have been Governor, but he chose to stay in this House because he believed in this House and the job he was doing for the people of Alaska. He served them well. I was blessed by the fact that I got to go and participate in the fundraiser that his first wife had put together, and that is a fishing tournament that allows for that money to be given to the native children of Alaska that are in need. After that, he married Anne. And to Anne and the family, his first love was his family, and we thank them for giving him to us, not only the ones that serve here today but the ones that have served over the past 50 years, and to this Nation that will be forever grateful for a man who stood up, told the truth, and used this institution to make this Nation better.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I was unavailable to vote in the House. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 58 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 59.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I was unavailable to vote in the House. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YEA'' on rollcall No. 55, ``NAY'' on rollcall No. 56, and ``NAY'' on rollcall No. 57. members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress Aguilar (Gomez) Amodei (Balderson) Babin (Duncan) Barragan (Gomez) Bass (Kelly (IL)) Blumenauer (Beyer) Brown (MD) (Connolly) Cardenas (Gomez) Cawthorn (Boebert) Cherfilus-McCormick (Beatty) Correa (Gomez) Costa (Takano) Cuellar (Connolly) DelBene (Kuster) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Doyle, Michael F. (Connolly) Dunn (Cammack) Evans (Mfume) Fallon (Van Duyne) Gohmert (Boebert) Gonzalez, Vicente (Gomez) Gosar (Greene (GA)) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Hudson (Murphy (NC)) Issa (Van Duyne) Jackson (Van Duyne) Johnson (SD) (Armstrong) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Kahele (Takano) Keating (Cicilline) Kelly (PA) (Keller) Lawson (FL) (Soto) Letlow (Garbarino) Lofgren (Jeffries) Manning (Beyer) Neal (Beyer) Nehls (Garbarino) Norman (Donalds) Payne (Pallone) Pocan (Garcia (IL)) Raskin (Cicilline) Reschenthaler (Armstrong) Roybal-Allard (Takano) Rush (Jeffries) Salazar (Cammack) Sewell (Kelly (IL)) Sires (Pallone) Speier (Escobar) Strickland (Jeffries) Suozzi (Beyer) Swalwell (Gomez) Tiffany (Fitzgerald) Trone (Connolly) Underwood (Jeffries) Van Drew (Burgess) Veasey (Beyer) Wagner (Walorski) Wilson (FL) (Cicilline)

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I was unavailable to vote in the House. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 51, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 52, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 53, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 54. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Aguilar (Correa) Amodei (Balderson) Babin (Norman) Barragan (Correa) Bass (Kelly (IL)) Blumenauer (Beyer) Brown (MD) (Connolly) Cardenas (Gomez) Cherfilus-McCormick (Beatty) Cuellar (Correa) DelBene (Kuster) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Doggett (Beyer) Doyle, Michael F. (Connolly) Evans (Mfume) Fallon (Jackson) Gohmert (Boebert) Gonzalez, Vicente (Correa) Gosar (Greene (GA)) Granger (Van Duyne) Green (TN) (Timmons) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Johnson (SD) (Armstrong) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Kahele (Correa) Kelly (PA) (Keller) Kind (Connolly) Lawson (FL) (Soto) Lofgren (Jeffries) Manning (Beyer) Payne (Pallone) Pocan (Garcia (IL)) Raskin (Cicilline) Roybal-Allard (Takano) Rush (Jeffries) Sewell (Kelly (IL)) Sires (Pallone) Strickland (Jeffries) Suozzi (Beyer) Tiffany (Fitzgerald) Trone (Connolly) Underwood (Jeffries) Van Drew (Reschenthaler) Veasey (Beyer) Wilson (FL) (Cicilline)

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend, Congresswoman Kat Cammack from Florida, for her organization of this Special Order tonight. Madam Speaker, I know that these Special Orders go long, and I know quite often the person who is sitting in the Speaker's chair quite often focuses on whatever is going on on their cell phones, but I really hope that you are paying attention tonight because my district is right across from yours. Last year, two families in my district received the call that every law enforcement family just dreads--a call informing them that their loved ones will not be returning home. On August 4, Brooklyn, Illinois, Police Officer Brian Pierce Jr. was deploying spike strips on a bridge during a car chase. He was hit and fatally injured by the fleeing vehicle. Brian was only 24 years old. On October 26, we lost Pontoon Beach, Illinois, Police Officer Tyler Timmins. He was tragically killed while investigating a stolen vehicle at a gas station. Tyler was only 36 years old, Madam Speaker, and a 14- year veteran of the force. He left behind his wife, Linsey, whom he had just married 1 month before as well as his daughter, Chloe. Sadly, their families are not alone in their pain. In 2021, 73 officers were killed in the line of duty--the highest number in 26 years. The liberals at the Federal law level, at the State level, and at the local level push to defund police, Madam Speaker. I want you to understand that that agenda has made our communities less safe. Even in the State of Illinois on a lame-duck session in the middle of the night they passed the bill that made it to where we defunded police and endangered our police officers. Their rhetoric has emboldened criminals, putting our brave officers' lives in danger. Despite it all, our police officers continue to show up and run towards the danger to protect our communities every day, even if they are being shot at. Madam Speaker, do you know why this is so personal to me? My son-in-law is a deputy sheriff in Jackson County, Illinois. This issue is personal to me and my family. Why? Because I see the crap he sees every day. But I know that he is doing it because he cares about those who need help. I will always stand for our men and women of law enforcement and will do all that I can to ensure they get the support that they deserve. I only wish that all of my colleagues would join in with me to do that and stop spreading the rhetoric of defunding police.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend Rodney Davis for yielding time to me and for organizing this Special Order. Tonight you are going to hear several words from our colleagues that will echo the same resounding words, and, that is, Vicki Dixon should be recognized for all that she did in her life. But most of all, she was kind. She was a friend. When the delegation got together, she was always there to welcome newcomers to D.C. that she may have known from a time in Illinois. She dedicated her life to serving our country, which she loved deeply. In her 30-plus years here in Washington, D.C., she worked for several Members of Congress as well as seven Cabinet Secretaries. Vicki will be deeply missed by those of us who knew her, whether in Illinois, Washington, or Florida, where she just retired to in the fall. She left our Capitol community and our Nation better off than it was before. She was loved. She will be missed tremendously. When the Illinois delegation got together over at the club, it was always amazing how quick she would come up to greet everyone, show friendship and kindness, give you some advice now and again on how to deal with this place, as crazy as it is at times. Both Tracy and I send our prayers to her mother, Peggy; her sister, Kristi; and all of her many nieces and nephews; and we want to say a special thank you for how she has touched each one of our lives.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Carbondale, Illinois, resident Dwight Barr's 100th birthday. Dwight was born to parents Wes and Blanche Barr on January 21, 1922, in Akin, Illinois. He grew up playing on his family's farm with brothers Robert, Bill, and Ed. Dwight enlisted in the Army during World War II, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant in the 63rd battalion of the 11th Armored Infantry Division. On June 6, 1956, Dwight married Maxine Chapman and the couple planted their roots in Carbondale. They had four children; David, Mary, Danny, and James. They were later blessed with six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Dwight currently spends his days reading, spending time with his friends at the Voyage living center, and keep up with his family. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Dwight Barr on his milestone 100th birthday. On behalf of Southern Illinois, I thank him for his service to our nation and happy birthday.

Mr. BOST

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

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 4673, the Ensuring Veterans' Smooth Transition, or EVEST Act. This bill would require VA to automatically enroll every eligible separating servicemember into the VA healthcare system. As a veteran, I know firsthand that the transition from military to civilian life can be hard. One of the goals is to remove barriers to care for veterans, whether they left the military decades ago or just last week. I believe the intention of the EVEST Act is to further that goal by connecting more at-risk servicemembers with the VA as they leave the service. I support the intention. I know many other Members do as well, which is why I expect the bill to pass the House, and probably on a bipartisan basis. However, as the ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have a different perspective on this bill than many of my colleagues. I have taken a long, hard look at this legislation, and what I have seen is a bill that may be well intended but has several potential problems. To start with, the EVEST Act enrolls separating servicemembers into the VA healthcare system without their knowledge or consent. Only after they have been enrolled does the bill require VA to inform the veterans of their enrollment, the status of their enrollment, and how to opt out by disenrolling themselves. We shouldn't be signing veterans up for a government program they aren't asking for and may never need without at least letting them know first. And we shouldn't be telling them that if they don't like it, they can figure out how to disenroll themselves. That is backwards. Veterans deserve better than that. Veterans also deserve better than a bill that has been rushed through Congress without due diligence. There has never been a single hearing on the EVEST Act in this Congress. You may hear the chairman say that there has been a hearing on this bill last Congress. That is true. But last Congress and this Congress are very different. We had a different administration last Congress; we had a different VA Secretary last Congress. I believe more than 70 Members are new this Congress. More than half of the membership of the Veterans' Affairs Committee is new as well. And, regardless, VA did not provide testimony at the hearing last Congress. We have no idea if VA can implement the bill without disrupting service to the veterans already in the VA health system, further burdening VA's already overworked staff, or increasing the strain on VA's already overfull facilities. Every Member of the House hears from veterans in our districts who are waiting too long for care they need, stuck in crowded VA facilities, and being treated by VA staff who are struggling and overwhelmed. I am concerned that this bill could make each of those things worse. I am not the only one who thinks so. Last week, right before this bill was considered by the Rules Committee, the Biden administration issued a Statement of Administration Policy on the EVEST Act. The statement reads, ``There may be challenges implementing this bill as drafted, and the administration looks forward to working with Congress. . . .'' In other words, even the President recognizes that this bill needs more work. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the Statement of Administration Policy. Statement of Administration Policy H.R. 1836--Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021--Rep. Levin, D- California, and nine cosponsors H.R. 4673--Ensuring Veterans' Smooth Transition (EVEST) Act--Rep. Takano, D-California The Biden-Harris Administration supports efforts that ensure veterans receive timely access to high-quality benefits and services that they have earned. The Administration supports H.R. 1836, which would expand eligibility criteria for certain education benefits. Current law defines the term ``active duty'' as those individuals who are on full-time duty in the active military service of the United States, including full-time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in the active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary of the military department concerned. H.R. 1836 would expand eligibility criteria to include those training in full-time National Guard duty, which includes the National Guard, the Army National Guard, and the Air National Guard, as well as those same members when performing active duty. The Administration supports the EVEST Act's goal of seamless enrollment in health care coverage. As currently written, H.R. 4673 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to automatically enroll new veterans into VA health care, and notify veterans of their enrollment and instructions on how to un-enroll, if desired. There may be challenges implementing this bill as drafted, and the Administration looks forward to working with Congress on how best to operationalize its objective.