Mike Bost

Mr. BOST

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

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ellzey), the main sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5516, as amended, the VITAL Assessment Act. This bill is sponsored by, as was said, our newest member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Congressman Jake Ellzey. With this bill, he is fulfilling the promise he made on the campaign trail to put the needs of our fellow veterans front and center. His bill will make a number of improvements to the VA's Veterans Integration to Academic Learning, or the VITAL program. VITAL provides mental health support to student veterans on college campuses. Preventing veteran suicide and supporting veterans as they transition out of the military are two of our committee's highest goals, and this bill would get us closer to realizing both of them. I urge every Member to support H.R. 5516, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of 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 H.R. 4591, as amended, the VA Electronic Health Record Transparency Act. Since the very beginning of the Electronic Health Record Modernization, or the EHRM, program, this committee has been requesting accurate and up-to-date lifecycle cost estimates from VA. Despite our requests, VA has never provided a credible lifecycle cost estimate. VA's cost estimates could not withstand even the most basic scrutiny. This bill would require quarterly reports on the costs of the EHRM program. It would also capture the roughly $5 billion of costs the Inspector General found were unaccounted for and any other costs that VA has not been including. Of course, cost is not everything. The electronic health record program needs to help the VA medical staff better care for veterans. That is why this bill would also require VA to report on performance and safety metrics. These data points will allow us to evaluate the program and determine whether it is making VA medical centers safer, faster, and better. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the bipartisan work of the Technology Modernization Subcommittee, and I am also pleased to be the original cosponsor of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 4591, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Moore), my friend.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1095, the Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act of 2021. This bill would expand the in-State tuition requirements to dependents and survivors of eligible veterans through the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance, or the DEA program. The DEA program provides $1,224 a month in tax-free benefits directly to the eligible participants to help cover the costs of higher education or training. Dependents are eligible for this program if the veteran died while on Active Duty, is a former prisoner of war, or has a permanent and total service-connected disability rating or dies from a service-connected disability. By expanding the in-State tuition requirements, we will make it easier for DEA participants to complete their studies without additional debt. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the bill is named in honor of Colonel John McHugh. Colonel McHugh was killed in action on May 18, 2010, by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan after serving his country for 24 years. This bill honors his sacrifice. I thank Senator Moran, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, as well as Congressman Moore, for their hard work in crafting this commonsense piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support S. 1095, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support the 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. 1031, sponsored by Senator Raphael Warnock. I would also like to recognize Chairman Takano for leading this effort in the House. As you all know, when the men and women of our military sign up to serve, we make a promise to care for them upon their separation, regardless of age, ethnicity, race, or gender. The Veterans' Affairs Committee has heard concerns from veterans who say that they have been treated unfairly in the VA benefits system based on their minority status. However, we have no objective data to determine whether there is a bias against the minority groups in the VA through the claims process. S. 1031 would help address this question by requiring a GAO study to determine whether any differences exist in the way the VA administrators compensate benefits based on the veteran's background. This report would provide Congress and VA with the information we need to determine what biases exist and, if so, how to address them. I support S. 1031, and I hope that my colleagues will do the same. 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 today in support of S. 894, the Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021. This bill was introduced by Senator Mike Braun of Indiana. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) introduced the House companion bill. I thank them both for their efforts on this excellent piece of legislation. The Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act would help accomplish three important goals: The first is supporting servicemembers as they transition out of the military. The second is helping veterans find meaningful work in their civilian lives. The third is ensuring that VA medical facilities are well staffed to provide timely, high-quality care to veterans. This bill would require VA to work with DOD to identify separating servicemembers with backgrounds in healthcare, and it would require VA to refer those servicemembers who are interested in working in the VA healthcare system to recruiters for possible placement in VA medical facilities with open positions. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to support this bill today. I hope all of my colleagues will do the same on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I did have a speaker here that was en route, but I will close. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this bill. I appreciate the people who worked on this bill, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, 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 today in support of H.R. 3665, a bill to name the VA medical center in San Diego, California, the Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center, and to support naming a component of such medical center in honor of Kathleen Bruyere. Jennifer Moreno, a native of San Diego, California, received her initial commission in the United States Army as a Nurse Corps officer. Jennifer was assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Jennifer served there as a clinical staff nurse in the medical-surgical unit and earned her certification as a medical-surgical registered nurse. Following that assignment, Jennifer volunteered for and was selected into the Special Operations Command Cultural Support Team program. Captain Moreno deployed to Afghanistan in June 2013 with the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. On October 6, 2013, Captain Moreno was attached to a U.S. Army Ranger unit on a night mission in the Zhari district in Kandahar province to capture a high-value target when four explosive devices were triggered. Captain Moreno heard a call for help and did not hesitate to respond. As she made her way to help her fellow soldier, Captain Moreno triggered a fifth explosive and sadly became the first nurse Combat Support Team member to die in action. Heroism obviously knows no gender. It is only fitting that the San Diego VA Medical Center be renamed in Jennifer's honor. This bill also honors Navy Captain Kathleen Mae Bruyere by naming a space within the San Diego VA Medical Center after her. Captain Bruyere was a trailblazer who dedicated her career to advancing opportunities for servicewomen who played an instrumental role in revising restrictions that prevented women from serving on combat aircraft and ships. Notably, Captain Bruyere helped conduct a study that led to 9,000 sea-duty and command jobs opening for women on 24 combatant ships. And as is true for so many servicemembers, Kathleen's service did not end upon retirement from the military. Until shortly before her death, Captain Bruyere was an active volunteer at Miramar National Cemetery. While there, Captain Bruyere devoted almost 4,300 hours to help visitors locate their loved ones' graves and provided information about veterans' burial benefits. By naming a dedicated space in the Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center after Captain Bruyere today, we will further ensure that her influence and services are forever remembered. Currently, of the 1,255 VA healthcare facilities, only two are named for women veterans. It is time to recognize the many contributions and the heroism of women who have served, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation and for all that it stands for. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of 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 H.R. 5671, as amended. This bill will authorize VA to give flu shots to certain nonveterans this flu season. Earlier this year, the chairman and I worked with the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs' colleagues to allow VA to vaccinate all veterans, as well as their spouses and certain caregivers against COVID-19. The bill we are considering today would allow VA to provide flu vaccines to those individuals as well this flu season. Preventing a bad flu season this year is important for many reasons. It could help save lives, most importantly. It could help avoid adding further burden to the shoulders of the doctors and the nurses who have already sacrificed so much throughout this pandemic. It could also help ensure that COVID- 19 recovery efforts stay on track as we continue to try to get back to life as we knew it before March 2020. This is an important public health initiative and I am glad to support it today. I hope this bill will have the support of all of my colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Gilbert George Prosek, a World War II hero who lost his life in the Pacific Theater in 1944. Gilbert was born October 1, 1921, to George and Theresa Prosek of Chester, IL. He was known to his friends and family as ``Gib,'' and he was familiar for his happy-go-lucky perspective on life. Gilbert lost his father when he was five years old, with he and his mother looking after one another until she remarried to Ben Sebastian. Gilbert had three half-sisters: Helen, Shirly, and Joyce. At 16 years old, Gilbert took a job at the Prim Hosiery Knitting Mill. He enlisted in the Marines at 21, in 1942. The last time most of Gilbert's family saw him was at his going away party, the day he left for basic training. After receiving a Private First Class ranking, Prosek was stationed on Cape Gloucester, New Britain Island. There, he made three charges across a stream to put an enemy gunman out of action and provide covering fire for another member out of his platoon. During this act of heroism, Gilbert's position was exposed and he lost his life. His family was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Gilbert George Prosek of Chester, IL, as we mark 100 years since his birth. On behalf of Southern Illinois, we thank him and his family for their selfless sacrifice in defense of our freedoms.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, the average cost of a gallon of gas in my hometown of Murphysboro, Illinois, is $3.60 and rising. That is not all. Tonight's temperatures will dip down to about 29 degrees in southern Illinois and families will be dialing up the thermostat. Many of my constituents rely on propane to heat their homes during these colder months. According to the Energy Information Administration, midwestern families that use propane this winter can expect to pay as much as 54 percent more in their heating bills; potentially an additional $1,800 this winter. Southern Illinois and southern Illinoisans are feeling that crunch. Yet, many of my Democrat colleagues only care about passing their socialist spending spree with higher taxes on natural gas. As winter approaches, we can't allow them to leave our families out in the cold.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. General Bergman is doing a great job. Madam Speaker, I am proud to join my friends and fellow veterans here today to honor the generations of men and women who have served this great Nation. From the Greatest Generation of veterans to the youngest generation of veterans, we are undeniably lucky to have men and women who are willing to lay down their lives for others. This Veterans Day comes exactly 2 months after the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. In that sense, it is an even more poignant reminder than usual of the sacrifices veterans have made so that we can be free. For 20 years, soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardsmen, reservists, and Special Forces units, in and around Afghanistan prevented another terrorist attack on the homeland. For 20 years, they made the world safer. For 20 years, they gave the Afghanistan people a taste of freedom; the freedom for Afghan women and girls to pursue education and a career; the freedom to play sports, the freedom to be Christian; the freedom to live without oppression and terror. Like generations of veterans before them, they spent days, months, and years thousands of miles from home. They missed births, birthdays, weddings, funerals, anniversaries and holidays. They protected those they will never meet. They looked our enemies dead in the eye and refused to accept defeat. As a veteran, a father, and a grandfather of Active Duty servicemembers, and the lead Republican on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I could not be prouder of the millions of men and women who selflessly answered our country's call throughout our history. This Veterans Day, I encourage all Americans to pause and remember those who have defended our way of life. Their service should always, always be honored and celebrated. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. Last, and certainly not least, I want to share a message for those who may be struggling. If you are a veteran or you know someone who is a veteran who is going through a tough time, please reach out and ask for help. It is the right and brave thing to do. Your service mattered. You matter. The Veterans Crisis Line offers free, confidential support to all veterans. Simply call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1. Once again, that is: 1-800-273-8255 and press 1. Or you can text, 838255. Once again, you can text 838255, or visit www.veteranscrisisline.net. May God bless our veterans, their families, and the United States of America. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, preventing domestic violence and supporting survivors should never be a partisan issue. Unfortunately, this bill makes it one. First, by removing the prohibition on reimbursements for healthcare services, my colleagues across the aisle would allow for Federal funding from this bill to be used to pay for abortion services. Secondly, it includes provisions that will effectively bar faith- based organizations from participating in these domestic violence prevention and survivor support programs. These organizations play a vitally important role in providing support to women, children, and families who are in need. We should be providing survivors with as many lifelines as we can, not alienating care providers based on their religious beliefs. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill to protect the lives of the unborn and request we revisit a clean reauthorization of this legislation.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, $10,000 a year, an average of $200 a week. Under the Democrats' IRS surveillance plan, that is all you will need to spend before they require the IRS to collect personal information on your bank transactions. Let's put that in perspective. According to the USDA, an average family of four on a low budget paid roughly $196 per week for groceries in 2019. That is almost enough right there to require your bank to turn over your information. Now, with skyrocketing inflation and the costs getting higher and higher--and what if you pay rent, have credit card bills, a car payment, or need to buy gas that you can drive back and forth to work to support your family? That can easily exceed the threshold, and probably five times over. This proposal is not simply targeting the richest Americans or big corporations. It means the IRS would have the personal information of almost every American with a bank account. This is an invasion of your privacy and a serious cybersecurity risk.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, as ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, one of my top priorities is protecting the constitutional rights of our veterans. Today, I want to raise awareness of a policy that strips law-abiding veterans of their Second Amendment rights; specifically, the policy that requires VA to report veterans who need help managing their VA benefits to the NICS program, thereby making it illegal for them to possess firearms. To illustrate this practice, I would like to tell you a story about a hypothetical veteran named Joe. Joe likes to go on hunting trips with his fellow veterans. These trips are therapeutic for Joe. They give him stress relief and a fun hobby and an opportunity to connect with other veterans. Unfortunately, Joe begins to suffer from headaches and memory loss, which he believes is linked to an in-service blast injury. He files a claim for VA disability compensation benefits. During the claims process, the VA learns that Joe struggles to pay his bills on time because of this traumatic brain injury. This triggers the VA's requirement to determine if Joe is capable of managing his own VA benefits. Ultimately, VA decides that Joe requires assistance handling his VA compensation payments. The VA appoints a fiduciary to receive and manage Joe's VA benefits on his behalf. As a result of the VA's appointment of a fiduciary, VA must--not by law, but by administrative rule--report Joe to the FBI NICS list. And just like that, without evidence that Joe is a danger to himself or others, without involving a judge to ensure that Joe's legal rights are protected, without the opportunity for Joe to present his case in court on why he should be able to possess a firearm, Joe loses his Second Amendment rights. That means that Joe can no longer go on hunting trips with his friends or family. He can no longer own the hunting rifle his grandfather gave him. And when Joe's friends learn about it and have learned what happened to him, they decide that they would rather go without their VA benefits and services, instead of risking the same thing happening to them. That story may be fictional, but some version of it happens across this United States all the time. The truth is that some veterans forego seeking VA services out of concern that they would lose their constitutional rights; not because there are laws in place, but there is an administrative rule in place. According to the VA's regulations, the purpose of the fiduciary program is to protect certain VA beneficiaries who cannot manage their VA benefits. Clearly, the program was never intended to review someone's right to own a firearm. A decision on a constitutional right should be left to a judicial authority, plain and simple. Now, my bill, H.R. 1217, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, would make sure that it is. H.R. 1217 would prevent VA from reporting veterans to the NICS list, unless there is an order from a judge or magistrate that says the veteran may be a harm to himself or herself or others. This bill allows VA to focus on its mission of caring for veterans, and leaves decisions about whether to strip a veteran of their constitutional rights to the judicial branch as it is supposed to be and it is for any other person who is not a veteran. If a court finds that that veteran is a danger to themselves or others, then they should not be allowed to own a firearm. However, it is time we end this policy that the VA has put in place, and we should make sure that we change this, we correct this problem for veterans that are discouraged from seeking help from the VA because of this rule. We must make this change. If you want to ensure that veterans who need VA are willing to walk through VA's doors, that is how we do it. We make sure that they know their rights are protected. I urge swift passage of H.R. 1217.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Daniel Heins, who will be retiring at the end of this month from his position as national president of the United Postmasters and Managers of America (UPMA). Dan began his accomplished postal career in Minneapolis, Minnesota in March of 1981 as a distribution and window clerk. He rose through the ranks as a letter carrier, a supervisor, a station manager, and then in 2010, he was appointed postmaster in Stewartville, Minnesota. Prior to his election as UPMA national president, Dan served in various leadership positions within the Minnesota Chapter of UPMA, including district director, executive vice-president, secretary- treasurer, and nine years as a chapter president. Nationally, Dan served in roles as vice-president and secretary-treasurer before being elected president on November 1, 2018. UPMA has 25,000 active and retired members including postmasters, managers, supervisors, retirees and associate members. Dan is committed to making sure that UPMA does everything possible to improve the lives of their members at all levels of the organization. As the organization's first president, Dan worked hard to establish UPMA as a trusted voice among policymakers on Capitol Hill. He was singularly determined to advocate on both sides of the aisle for comprehensive postal reform to ensure that the USPS continues to exist. Dan shared his personal belief in the importance of reform so future employees could have the same opportunities for personal growth that Dan had been blessed with. His passion for being a postmaster and his professional commitment to a successful USPS have been unassailable. In 2019, Dan led a successful UPMA convention and followed up on his commitment to building and growing a dynamic association by having record attendance at the Congressional Summit in early 2020. Hundreds of postmasters who came to Washington under Dan's leadership last year to advocate for postal reform and their benefits. About a month after that successful summit, the COVID-19 public health crisis struck. Dan immediately jumped into action, communicating to policymakers on Capitol Hill the dire situation the USPS was in and the need for supplemental funding to provide PPE and ensure the timely delivery of the unprecedented volume of packages from local stay-at- home orders. In the summer of 2020, Dan and his wife, Karen, traveled the country to a number of UPMA state conventions, demonstrating his commitment to the vitality and success of the Association. Even though the 2020 national convention welcomed only a fraction of its usual attendance, Dan made sure that postmasters continued to come together and be recognized for the essential work they do. In the fall of 2020, as postmasters throughout the country prepared for record vote-by-mail turnout, Dan was a steady voice to his members assuring them that postmasters and postal employees would rise to the challenge. I was proud to meet with my local postmasters from Southern Illinois during this year's Congressional Summit and thank them for the essential service they do every day. Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize Dan Heins for his leadership as president of the United Postmasters of America. I also recognize his wife, Karen, a true partner to Dan whose steadfast support has helped him achieve his success. As a new president takes office, I know that a solid foundation has been built by UPMA because of the work of President Dan Heins.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, the NDAA is one of the most important bills Congress passes annually. In fact, the past decade, the NDAA has been enacted every year. As such, the NDAA often becomes a grab bag for a variety of priorities. To protect the integrity of this process, I believe the NDAA should focus on strengthening the Department of Defense--its systems, its programs, and its personnel. This amendment would provide an unprecedented $25,000 one-time payment from the VA to World War II merchant marines. Therefore, we should not be discussing this proposal as part of the NDAA. I thank Representative Green for his advocacy on behalf of the merchant marines, and I support the merchant marines. I am also grateful for the bravery of these men who served during World War II. They faced danger, and some made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. That said, their service has been recognized. The GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977 provided a pathway to VA care benefits for civilian groups, known as active duty designees, who supported the Armed Forces in World War II. The merchant marines are considered active duty designees and, as such, received veteran status and eligibility for VA benefits decades ago. However, this amendment carves out a new benefit for merchant marines unlike anything Congress has authorized in the past, not even for our most highly decorated veterans. I have heard that merchant marines feel they were shortchanged because they did not receive the GI Bill benefits. However, this bill creates an inequity among other veterans and active duty designees by providing a thank-you payment for merchant marines. Ultimately, this amendment unfairly singles out one group of service above another. I also have questions about how many merchant marines would be covered under this amendment and why $25,000 was deemed as the appropriate amount. Considering this bill under regular order before the House Committee of Veterans' Affairs would allow us to ask those questions. It makes more sense to have it done that way. This is why I cannot support this amendment's inclusion in the NDAA tonight. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, as I mentioned, this amendment would provide an unprecedented $25,000 one-time payment for VA World War II merchant marines. It did not go through regular order. It did not go through the committee of jurisdiction. This amendment should be placed in the committee that has jurisdiction to justify so that if not only this group but other groups would be able and should be able to receive benefits, as this amendment requires, we would be able to do that. Madam Speaker, I support our merchant marines. I always have. My 20 years in the State legislature, I did just that. As a matter of fact, at every veteran ceremony, I mentioned and brought up our merchant marines as our veterans. That being said, this is not the way to handle this bill. I plead with the Members of this body not to accept this. I am adamantly opposed. I would love to take it up in the committee, not in this bill where it is not the proper place. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.