Mike Bost

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3482, 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. 3482, as amended, offered by my friend and colleague, Representative Tom Barrett of Michigan. This bill would make much-needed improvements to make community care work better for our veterans. For far too long, the scheduling process has posed structural barriers that delay our veterans from accessing the timely healthcare that they have earned. Veterans often face administrative red tape that makes getting their care difficult when they are trying to see a provider in their own community. This bill would cut through that bureaucracy by bringing the VA's scheduling into the 21st century. This bill would authorize the External Provider Scheduling program across every VA medical center. It would equip VA employees with a modernized system to view, search, and sort real-time availability for both VA and non-VA providers. Under this bill, a VA scheduler could book an appointment and send the referral documents electronically without endless phone calls. This would let veterans across the entire country schedule many of their community care appointments in minutes, instead of waiting days on end. This bill would also include rigorous performance benchmarks to hold VA accountable for achieving real results to deliver better healthcare. VA would be required to track patron satisfaction and wait times so we can ensure taxpayer resources are making a real impact. Finally, thanks to an amendment adopted in committee, the costs associated with this legislation are fully offset. It is our duty to make sure veterans receive timely access to the healthcare they need right in the communities where they live. I also thank the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs, Concerned Veterans for America, the National Rural Health Association, and The American Legion for their support of this truly bipartisan legislation. This is a good, commonsense bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3482, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Barrett), who is the sponsor of this bill.

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

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2393) to authorize a major medical facility project for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri, and for other purposes.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on S. 2393.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2393, the Senate companion to my bill, H.R. 6710, the Fiscal Year 2025 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, offered by Senator Moran. For veterans in southern Illinois, the St. Louis VA Medical Center is an essential part of the VA healthcare network. S. 2393 authorizes up to $1.76 billion to modernize and expand the St. Louis VA, including new clinical space, a bed tower, and a dedicated mental health and substance abuse clinic. Many of the veterans I represent travel there for care, and this bill would help ensure that the campus is prepared to meet the needs of veterans across the region for years to come. This new clinical space would give care teams more room to serve patients, while the mental health and substance abuse clinic would strengthen access to important services for veterans and their families. Campus infrastructure improvements, including parking, utilities, and site work will also help the St. Louis VA operate more efficiently as a regional medical center. The bill also supports the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that makes high-quality care possible, from upgraded utilities and a central utility plant to improved parking, security entrances, water systems, administrative space, and service facilities. These investments would expand capacity, support specialized care, and improve the overall experience for veterans, caregivers, providers, and staff. I am proud to support this bill because it is a practical, forward- looking investment in the veterans who depend on the St. Louis VA. This will help modernize care, improve access, and better serve veterans in my district and veterans across the country. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2393, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2954) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to approve multi-State apprenticeship programs for purposes of veterans educational assistance, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2954, 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. 2954, as amended, offered by my colleagues, the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas) and the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans). This bill, as amended, would allow the VA to approve the commercial driver's license apprenticeship program that operates in more than one State. This bill would cut the red tape and stop an interstate company from having to seek approval in every State they operate in. This bill would also allow more veterans to pursue careers in the trucking industry. I come from a trucking family. As a former driver and a manager and operator of the family trucking business, I know how important it is to have qualified drivers. Trust me, I know. The American Trucking Institute publishes a report that shows there is a shortage of 82,000 drivers and an anticipated shortage of 160,000 drivers by 2031. This bill would allow veterans to meet the demand by using their education benefits through the VA apprenticeship programs. I am supportive of the intent of this bill as we must ensure that veterans find meaningful employment, while meeting the demand of an important industry in our Nation's economy. My committee will continue to seek ways to help create meaningful employment for veterans and streamlining veterans' programs. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2954, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation. Let the veterans and the truckers roll. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3726) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make temporary lodging facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs available for certain TRICARE beneficiaries on a space-available basis, 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. 3726, 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. 3726, the Fisher House Availability Act of 2026, offered by Representative Dr. Miller-Meeks. The Fisher House Foundation has done great work for our military and veteran families by providing a place to stay while their loved one received medical care. Helping to ease the emotional and financial burdens, this bill would further that mission by extending eligibility to servicemembers' families, allowing them to stay in these temporary VA lodging facilities. Simply put, if these homes have space, our military families should be able to use them. Dr. Miller-Meeks' bill would also improve coordination between VA and DOW, so that we can ensure our military families have the best quality of life. This bill would also maximize the use of existing resources and help ensure veterans' families have access to safe and affordable lodging when they need it most. This is a practical solution that makes better use of resources already available to support both those who have served our Nation and their families. I thank my friend, our Health Subcommittee chairwoman, Dr. Miller- Meeks, for her work on expanding healthcare access. Mr. Speaker, our servicemembers, veterans, and their families have sacrificed greatly on behalf of this country. I believe we should ensure they have the support and stability they have earned while receiving medical care. This bill answers the call. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3726, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), the sponsor of this bill.

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

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation. This is an opportunity to take advantage of the kindness of family and to continue to do that with everybody who needs this. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as chairman of the Fire Services Caucus and as a former firefighter myself to speak in support of the reauthorization of FirstNet. This bill is about making sure that the people are on the front lines and can do their jobs safely and effectively. This year, we mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, one of the darkest days in American history. After September 11, we learned what happens when communications fail. Firefighters, police, and EMS could not talk to each other across agencies. That breakdown made an already dangerous situation even worse. Congress created FirstNet to fix that by building a dedicated nationwide network just for public safety. The legislation keeps the network in place and makes it stronger. It extends FirstNet for another 10 years so departments aren't left guessing about whether the system will still be there. It increases public safety representation on the board of FirstNet from three to five members, which means more firefighters and first responders helping guide how the network is built and improved. It also allows the network to invest in newer technology, not just what was defined over a decade ago. Anyone who is in the fire service knows the tools change. Communications systems have to keep up, or they fall behind very quickly. There are also real accountability measures here such as annual reports on cybersecurity, independent evaluations of the contractors, and requiring plans to restore service after disasters. If there is an outage, departments have to be notified within 30 minutes. That is the kind of standard first responders expect. When I first joined the fire service, we did not always have dedicated networks like this. You were dealing with radios that did not always connect across jurisdictions. You were relaying messages instead of getting them directly. A system like this would have cut through that and made the response more coordinated. This is not complicated. Better communications lead to better coordination, and that saves lives. This passed out of committee 51-0. This agreement shows how important it is. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this effort.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Daryl Murphy, head coach of Murphysboro High School basketball team who recently secured his 600th win for the Red Devils. Coach Murphy has led his team with commitment, discipline, and heart since 1996. His teams have been models of consistency, including an incredible 34-1 record during the 2010-2011 season. That year, the Red Devils finished second in the State of Illinois, with their only loss coming at the championship game. Coach Murphy's legacy goes far beyond the wins and losses. It is found in the character he builds in his players and the pride he brings to his community. That same Murphysboro pride that I was taught when I was in school there myself, which emphasizes punctuality, respect, integrity, discipline, and excellence, is always front and center when the Murphysboro Red Devils step on the court. Coach Murphy is a staple in our community, a devoted husband to his wife, Diana, and father to his son, Daryl. Being a lifelong resident of Murphysboro and a graduate of Murphysboro High School myself, I congratulate Coach Murphy, his wife, Diana, and their son, Daryl, on this remarkable moment. I know Coach Murphy won't let this accomplishment slow him down. As a matter of fact, I think he has had three other wins since that time. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Daryl Murphy for all he has done for the city of Murphysboro and the young people of that community.

Mr. BOST

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Jordan for allowing me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Woman's Relief Corps, the oldest national women's patriotic organization and the auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, which was our first VSO in the United States. This organization has a long history of service and patriotism, with strong ties to Illinois and to my hometown, Murphysboro, not Murfreesboro. That is in Tennessee. I am speaking of Murphysboro, M-u- r-p-h-y-s-b-o-r-o. There is only one in this world, and it is Murphysboro. Murphysboro is also the hometown of former Member of Congress, former U.S. Senator, and Civil War General John A. Logan, who was a strong advocate for our Nation's veterans. He played a key role in establishing Memorial Day as a national holiday in his 11th general order when he was commandant of the Grand Army of the Republic. His legacy of service continues to inspire Americans today. It is fitting that the Woman's Relief Corps has made its home at the General John A. Logan Museum in Murphysboro, Illinois. Although the Woman's Relief Corps received its congressional charter many years ago, the charter still lists Washington, D.C., and Springfield as its official location. That is why I introduced legislation to update the charter to recognize Murphysboro, my hometown, as the Woman's Relief Corps' home. This change reflects where the organization is actually based and honors its close connection to John A. Logan and the southern Illinois communities that support its work. I am proud to support this measure and am grateful for the opportunity to assist an organization that has done so much for veterans and our communities. The Woman's Relief Corps stands for patriotism, service, and community. By recognizing Murphysboro as its home, we honor its history and support its continued work. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and in recognizing Murphysboro, Illinois, as the home of the Woman's Relief Corps.