Tom Barrett

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Take Care of America's Veterans Act. This package includes more than 60 bipartisan bills that modernize, enhance, and reform the delivery of healthcare and benefits for the entire veteran community. It also delivers numerous bills that veterans and VSOs across America have been vocal about, like the Major Richard Star Act, the Love Lives On Act, the ACCESS Act, the TAP Promotion and Expansion Act, and more. It also includes eight of my own specific bill priorities, including: The ASSIST Act and CRUISE Act, which will help disabled veterans and businesses make necessary and timely modifications to vehicles, ensuring that veterans have accessibility to move about. The Sharri Briley & Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act will finally deliver the first notable increase in over 30 years to our most severely disabled veterans and our Gold Star families who have sacrificed so much. My Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act and my Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act, which will ensure that every veteran can understand the messages and communications they receive from the VA in a simplified manner and even opt in to get them electronically. My Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, which will make it easier for veterans to schedule medical appointments closer to home and easier to access. The Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment Act to strengthen oversight of VA acquisitions with the ginormous contracts that they often enter into. And, finally, my Home Affordability for Guard and Reserve Act to empower more of our National Guard and reservists to take advantage of the VA Home Loan Program. Today, they would wait 6 years to qualify for the VA Home Loan Program. Under this bill, they will qualify once they return home from their training and are in good standing with their unit. Mr. Speaker, I worked hard on these bills for nearly 2 years, and they and more than 50 other bipartisan bills just like them are all major wins that will improve the lives of our Nation's heroes. I thank Chairman Bost for his work on this legislation, and I look forward to the passage of this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, legislation that I am leading with Chairman Bost to support the servicemembers and families who sacrificed the most for our Nation. When men and women sign up to serve in our Armed Forces, they willingly put their own lives on the line to defend the American people and the freedoms we too often take for granted. Some of those heroes make the ultimate sacrifice. Others who are lucky enough to come home do so with life-changing injuries. While we can never fully repay the debts that we owe to these men and women, that will never stop us from doing everything that we can. My bill will deliver a long overdue, historic increase in benefits to care for veterans who were severely injured in the line of duty, and it will support the Gold Star families who lost a spouse, a parent, a child, or a loved one in service to our country. H.R. 6047 is named in honor of two patriotic Americans. Sharri Briley persevered after her husband, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donovan Lee ``Bull'' Briley, was tragically killed in action when his Black Hawk went down in Mogadishu. In the face of hardship, she continued raising their daughter and providing for their family after his great sacrifice. Sergeant Eric Edmundson suffered a severe brain injury when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Iraq. His injuries have left him unable to speak, walk, or work, and his family provides full-time, around-the-clock care. I have had the privilege to meet and share time with Sharri, Eric and his family, and families throughout this process. Eric Edmundson and his family were here in Washington, D.C., just yesterday meeting with Members of Congress. Sharri Briley is here this week and joins us in the Capitol today. I can honestly say that we wouldn't be at this point without their strength, dedication, and hope. One thing that Sharri Briley told me as we were talking about this is that when she suffered this great tragedy, it was widows from the Vietnam and Korean war generation who stood up to help lead her through this process, and she is standing today to lead that effort on behalf of the generations of Americans who will follow behind her in hoping to lead and increase this benefit. This bill, named in honor of these families to increase support for survivors like Sharri and Eric, the catastrophically disabled, and Gold Star families, is critically important. Some will be eligible for an additional $10,000 a year to cover their expenses through a special monthly compensation for the catastrophically injured. For the first time since 1993, more than half a million surviving spouses, parents, and children will receive an additional disability indemnity compensation to help cover their needs as they continue without their loved ones. In addition to that, we are expanding the VA home loan to National Guard and Reserve component, men and women who signed on the dotted line to serve our country, so that they can have an opportunity at the American Dream and build their own home. My wife and I were fortunate to qualify for a VA home loan to buy our family home together years ago, and that is a benefit we want to extend to more families. I thank Chairman Bost again for his work on this bill. It is reminding me of an experience I had in basic training. We would line up beside our bunks before going to bed at night and recite the ``Soldier's Creed,'' and there is a line in the ``Soldier's Creed'' that said that the brave soldiers of the past would be proud of me. I know I am proud of the sacrifice that Sharri Briley, Eric Edmundson, and their families have made on behalf of this country, and I think we stand here, on the eve of Memorial Day, proud of the efforts we are taking to build upon the benefits that they so desperately need, and I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6047.

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their endorsement of this critical piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, the men and women who served and sacrificed for our Nation deserve the best healthcare that our country can offer, and they certainly shouldn't have to wait weeks or longer just to find out if they can make an appointment to see a doctor. This is an issue that has plagued the VA healthcare system for decades. The good news is that the VA community care program is helping us turn things around by allowing veterans to receive medical services from local healthcare providers outside of the traditional VA hospitals and clinics right in their own communities closer to home. But the system is far from perfect. Veterans across the country will tell you that community care appointments can be harder to schedule and too often are not even offered as an option. This has led to longer wait times, farther drives to appointments, and greater inconvenience. I personally experienced this myself when trying to get scheduled for a routine audiology appointment. I got called by a VA scheduler, then they had to call a number of providers, then they called me back, and when they actually set the appointment, it was on a date that I was here in Washington and not back home in Michigan. I had to reschedule the entire thing and start all over again. Obviously, this isn't what we want for any of our veterans, and that is why I urge my colleagues to support my Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, the bill before us today. This bill would permanently require VA facilities to use a single digital interface called the External Provider Scheduling system to finally allow VA staff to simultaneously view all available appointments at both VA facilities and those participating in the community care program. It would all be in one centralized interface. The VA has already rolled this out nationwide through internal process as we were working on this bill, and the results speak for themselves. VA employees today can now book as many as 25 appointments each day compared to just a small handful through the manual process they were following before. My legislation simply makes this positive change permanent by requiring the VA to keep this simplified, streamlined system in place beyond the pilot program they have today. Ensuring this progress is not undone by a future administration will give our veterans the access and certainty that they have earned. It may sound simple, but the least we can do for those who served is make sure they can get a doctor's appointment when they need it. I thank Congresswoman Budzinski for working with me on this important legislation to support our Nation's heroes, and I thank Chairman Bost and the full committee for bringing it to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Madam Speaker, I am grateful to Chairman Graves and Chairman Rogers, as well as the entire Armed Services Committee and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for addressing these gaps, including provisions from my Safety in Shared Skies Act, Military ADS-B Out Loophole Act, and Next-Gen Collision Avoidance Assistance Act. We are making real progress with these provisions today to improve safety and accountability across the airspace. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and we give our prayers to the families.

Mr. BARRETT. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member, as well. I rise today in support of the ALERT Act, the bill before us today. This bill will strengthen aviation safety and includes key provisions from several of my bills focused on the ADS-B signaling system, technology that could have prevented the deadly collision between the commercial airline flight and a military helicopter over the Potomac River last January, which claimed the lives of 67 individuals. This tragedy was a breakdown across multiple different systems. For example, the commercial aircraft was transmitting ADS-B Out, signaling their position to other aircraft, but it lacked ADS-B In, the ability to see what was going on around them. The helicopter, the Army Black Hawk, had ADS-B In but was not transmitting ADS-B Out to alert others of their position. The American Airlines flight had TCAS, the collision avoidance system that sends an alert to pilots in the cockpit, but the helicopter did not.

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate World Hearing Day. Individuals and organizations under the umbrella of the World Hearing Forum and the World Health Organization join together each year to raise awareness about hearing loss, deafness, and how to promote ear and hearing care. I helped refound the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus because I recognize how important awareness is to all communities, including the elderly, veterans, and even children. This year, the organizations of the World Hearing Forum are promoting hearing care for children. Hearing loss remains chronically undetected in children, with 90 million young people worldwide untreated for hearing loss. This impacts almost every facet of their lives, and critically, their ability to learn in school. These lifelong impacts can often be avoided or minimized with early detection and treatment. Systematic routine screenings at school can be a key part of these efforts. That is why the work of physicians, audiologists, and hearing aid specialists matters so deeply. I am proud to support the critical work they do preventing and treating hearing loss while providing high- quality care for their patients.

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3481, the Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act. This important legislation is a bipartisan effort to finally bring the VA into the 21st century by changing the way veterans are notified about their benefits. Right now, under current statute, veterans across America are left digging through the mail, often intermixed with junk mail and other notices that they may receive, just to find important updates from the VA, which often leads to things getting lost and delays in their benefits. In fact, it was not that long ago when I was in college and required to manually call in to a hotline for the VA every month to notify them that I was still a student enrolled in courses to receive my GI Bill benefits. H.R. 3481 fixes these issues by authorizing the VA to send GI Bill and Solid Start updates to veterans digitally through their devices that so many of us carry around every single day. This is an opt-in program that doesn't obligate any veteran to do this, but it is an easy and effective solution that will help veterans take advantage of the benefits they need when transitioning back into their communities after service. As the chairman said, this is also supported by The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America because they understand the importance of what we are trying to do in this legislation. By updating the way the VA communicates, we are guaranteeing veterans receive convenient and timely updates wherever they are, on their computer, phone, or tablet. Like so many students, they may live remotely from their home address, which would prevent them from receiving these updates. It will also reduce postage costs, allowing the VA to spend money in ways that better serve our Nation's heroes. It is a win-win overall. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Mr. Van Orden and Mr. Tran, for their help in introducing this bill as we continue to work to improve the lives of veterans everywhere. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2591) to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revise regulations for certain individuals carrying out aviation activities who disclose a mental health diagnosis or condition, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the record on H.R. 2591, as amended.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2591, the Mental Health in Aviation Act. I thank Mr. Casten, Mr. Stauber, Ranking Member Larsen, and Mr. Mann for their work on this legislation and leadership on this important issue. Mr. Speaker, one in four Americans today deal with mental health challenges over the course of their lifetime. We need to make sure pilots get the help they need and still keep flying. This legislation is intended to reduce the barriers preventing pilots, air traffic controllers, and other aviation professionals from reporting and seeking mental health care. The bill builds on the bipartisan work of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from last Congress to hold the Federal Aviation Administration accountable to Congress and the Aeromedical Innovation and Modernization Working Group that we created in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. Additionally, H.R. 2591 requires the FAA to annually review the process of mental health-related special issuances for pilots and air traffic controllers and strengthen the hiring of medical examiners to clear the backlog of special issuance requests. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, mental health issues are often underreported, and many times those who do not report an issue face difficulty accessing care because of burdensome regulations and lengthy wait times for aviation professionals to return back to work. H.R. 2591 encourages and enables aviation professionals to report and access critical mental health care. Additionally, this bill will strengthen the FAA's hiring of medical examiners to help clear the backlog of special issuance requests. As you heard today, Mr. Speaker, this bill will keep pilots flying, air traffic controllers working, and airspace safe while getting people the help that they need. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3055) to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop an action plan on members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling and veterans becoming supply chain employees, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 3055, as amended.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support my bill, H.R. 3055, the TRANSPORT Jobs Act. This bill was introduced to address common barriers that veterans and members of the Armed Forces often face when transitioning to civilian occupations. The bill requires the creation of a veteran to supply chain employee action plan, which will identify and match the skills, knowledge, and abilities of veterans and members of the Armed Forces with supply chain jobs. We have all seen issues within the supply chain of unfilled jobs that are critical for the delivery of the ever-important goods and services moving throughout our economy and veterans who move home after their service looking for employment opportunities. The Secretary of Transportation will develop the action plan in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Labor. This bill provides veterans and those soon-to-be-discharged from the armed services with the support that they deserve and addresses the continued labor shortages in our Nation's critical supply chains. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, September 3, 2025. Hon. Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Graves: I am writing to you concerning H.R 3055, the ``Transitioning Retiring and New Service Members to Port Ocean Rail and Truck Jobs Act'' or the ``TRANSPORT Jobs Act.'' As you know, there are provisions in this legislation that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this legislation, I am willing to waive consideration of the bill by my Committee. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill. I also request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee that may be established to consider such provisions. Please place this letter in the committee report on H.R. 3055 and in the Congressional Record during consideration of this legislation on the House floor. Sincerely, Mike Bost, Chairman.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Ms. Scholten, for introducing this legislation with me in support of our Nation's servicemen and -women. I was glad the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure favorably reported this measure and look forward to the House passing this legislation. H.R. 3055 is one small step that we can take to ensure we provide our servicemembers with the resources they need as they transition back to the civilian workforce, many of whom have never worked in the civilian workforce before joining the military. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3423) to amend title 49, United States Code, to include aircraft deicing storage facilities in the definition of airport development, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 3423, as amended.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in support of H.R. 3423, the Facility for Runway Operations and Safe Transportation Act, which will allow storage facilities for aircraft deicing fluids and equipment to be acquired through the Airport Improvement Program, AIP, funds. Under the current structure, AIP funds can be used to acquire aircraft deicing equipment, and when it comes to the storage facilities that house that very same equipment, airports are forced to utilize alternative and less reliable funding mechanisms. If you can use AIP funds to purchase the equipment, you should be able to use those same funding mechanisms to acquire the necessary facilities to house and protect the equipment. I thank Mr. Wied for his leadership on this commonsense piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Wied), my friend who knows a little bit about snow and ice.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, aircraft deicing equipment is critical, as we all know, for ensuring safe aircraft operations and the ability to maintain aircraft performance during colder months and during inclement circumstances. The Airport Improvement Program was established to fund essential airport infrastructure projects that enhance safety and mitigate issues that cold weather can bring. H.R. 3423 is simple yet effective. It ensures storage facilities for aircraft deicing fluids and equipment can be acquired with the Airport Improvement Program funds. I took a tour of an airport in my district not long ago, and this very issue came up as a frustration they were facing. As such, I am proud to support this commonsense piece of legislation, and I urge support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3424) to require the Administrator of the General Services Administration to collaborate with Federal tenants with respect to shared-space arrangements, and for other purposes.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 3424.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3424, the Shared Property Agency Collaboration and Engagement Act of 2025, or SPACE Act, directs the Administrator of the Government Services Administration, the GSA, to work with Federal tenants to develop a criteria that facilitates the expanded use of space sharing or collocating. This legislation also directs the GSA Administrator to establish measurable objectives to quantify the success of the shared-space framework. The SPACE Act achieves this by building upon the important public building reforms that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee made last Congress in the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Onder) for his leadership on this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Onder).