Neal Dunn

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tom Neubauer, the recipient of the 2018 Defense Community Leadership Award. Tom is a highly respected leader of the defense community in Florida and a personal friend of mine back in Bay County, which is my home. Tom has been the leading communicator between our military and civilian communities for as long as I can remember. He was instrumental in bringing the MQ-9 Reaper Wing to Tyndall Air Force Base and worked tirelessly to support and protect the Military Mission Line. Both Tom and his wife, Margaret, are Air Force brats. Their love for our soldiers, sailors, and airmen shines through in all that they do. Tom has been building better relations and a tighter sense of community between military and civilian communities not only in Bay County, but throughout Florida and the Nation. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Tom Neubauer on receiving this prestigious award and thanking him for his work for military communities throughout this country.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Panama City, Florida, native Major General Patrick D. Sargent for assuming command of the U.S. Army Health Readiness Center of Excellence at Fort Sam Houston. I had the pleasure of meeting General Sargent last year in Washington. He has had a decorated Army career, serving our country for more than three decades. He grew up in Bay County and attended Florida State University before joining the Army in 1985. General Sargent is board certified in healthcare administration, and he is a medevac pilot. He has been a leader in providing healthcare to our troops for many years. He was in charge of all medical care in Iraq as the Commander of the Medical Task Force Iraq. In his own words, he has worked to bring humanity to the battlefield, and I believe he will brilliantly continue that work in his new post. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Major General Patrick Sargent on his new posting.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank my colleagues in the House for standing up and recognizing that we must get serious about the opioid epidemic that is plaguing America. In 2016, more than 42,000 Americans died from opioid overdose, almost 5,000 in Florida alone. We can no longer be satisfied with lip service about this problem. Over the next 2 weeks, we will be voting to crack down on the flow of dangerous synthetic drugs through our postal system and strengthen support systems for those who are battling addiction. We will give our law enforcement the tools they need to get these drugs out of our communities and increase medical research on alternatives to opioid pain medication. Police and community leaders in my district have made it clear: They need our help. It is time to tackle the opioid epidemic head-on, and I believe we are finally committed to doing exactly that. I urge all my colleagues to support these bipartisan bills.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. Providing robust funding to the VA is a step in the right direction to ensure our veterans receive the best possible care. This legislation increases funding to the VA to the highest level ever. That funding will go towards providing for America's heroes. We are increasing funding for homeless veterans' services, mental healthcare, suicide prevention, opioid abuse, traumatic brain injury research and treatments, and rural health initiatives, just to name a few. As the son of an Army family and an Army surgeon, I have seen firsthand many issues that our veterans face. As chairman of the VA Subcommittee on Health, I am working to instill real changes at the VA. This means better care for our men and women who have served our Nation. Funding these important initiatives is a crucial part of repaying those who fought for our freedoms. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Brad and Sue Penney, and congratulate them on retiring after 30 years of service to the Levy County School system. Brad and Sue both began their careers at Cedar Key School in 1988, the very school that they are retiring from on May 31st. They have led a life of service to Levy County and represent the best of America. Sue spent her career instilling a love of books and reading in students in the library and media center. She also served as a substitute teacher, assisting teachers and students of all ages. She went above and beyond for her students over the years, serving as a class and club sponsor, track coach, and cheerleading coach. She received ESP of the Year for the second time this year. Brad began his career as the janitor, moving into the roles of physical education teacher, and computer lab specialist. He then went back to school to earn his teaching degree; going on to teach history, social sciences, and Spanish. Throughout his time in education, he also served as the track and basketball coach, as well as Athletic Director and Assistant Principal. He was awarded Teacher of the Year, as well as Teacher of the District in 2006-2007. Brad and Sue have 4 daughters, all of whom graduated from the same school where they teach. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Sue and Brad Penney on their retirement and thanking them for their dedication to enriching the lives of students across the Second District of Florida.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Harry Archer Buzzett who passed away peacefully at the age of 94 on April 7, 2018. Harry Buzzett is a decorated war veteran, devout Catholic, and dedicated family man. Harry graduated from West Point on June 6, 1944. On this date, Harry would also learn that his brother Julian Rexall Buzzett (``Rex'') was killed in action during the D-Day invasion. Harry fought in WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War at the ranks of 2nd Lieutenant and later Full Colonel. During his 30 years of service, Harry received the Bronze Star (Valor), the Army Air Medal (Valor), and in 2014, Harry was awarded the French Legion of Honor. Harry Buzzett not only embodied a lifestyle of service while fighting for our country, but also back home (in the states) through dedication to his family and church. Harry married Catherine Neil Austin and together, the two of them would go on to raise six children. The Buzzett family lived in Massachusetts for several years, before moving back to their hometown in Franklin County, FL in 1985. Mr. Buzzett will be missed by many. May his service to our country always be remembered and venerated and may he rest in peace.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which will accelerate the modernization of the F-22 fighter wing at Tyndall Air Force Base. This is one of only three F-22 training wings in the Air Force. We have the most highly trained and dedicated military in the world. But if we are not giving them the resources to maintain their planes and training them in the most realistic environments possible, we are doing them a disservice. Over the last year, we have begun to correct that problem and rebuild our military and invest in our servicemembers. Modernizing the training wing of F-22s at Tyndall Air Force Base is another step in that process and is essential to the safety and security of the airmen we ask to achieve air superiority over battlefields all around the globe. We are giving certainty to our warfighters with this NDAA, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1972) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to waive the requirement of certain veterans to make copayments for hospital care and medical services in the case of an error by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 1972, as amended.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1972, as amended, the VA Billing Accountability Act. This bill would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to waive copayment requirements if veterans are not notified of their need to pay a copayment for a given service in a timely manner. VA's untimely processing of claims is well-documented. The negative impact those challenges have on recruiting and retaining community providers is also well-documented. However, those challenges also have a negative impact on our veterans. Three years ago this June, the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, initiated a review of past processes on veteran inpatient copayment charges for the years 2011 to 2015. Following that review, thousands of veterans in Minnesota and Wisconsin were charged copayments for services that they had received as much as 4 years earlier. Receiving a large bill out of the blue for care that was received, in some cases years ago, understandably caused great concern and upset among veterans. The VA Billing Accountability Act would prevent that. The VA MISSION Act that the House passed last week included several provisions that would make it easier for the VA to process and pay claims accurately and on time. This bill would protect veterans by setting specific notification procedures that the VA must abide by when a veteran is going to be charged a copayment for a VA service and by authorizing the VA to waive a copayment if an error committed by the VA caused a delayed notification. I am grateful to my colleague from Pennsylvania, Representative Lloyd Smucker, for introducing this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), my friend and classmate. He is also the gentleman who introduced this bill.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer), who has been working very hard on this bill.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ranking Member Walz. I once again encourage all Members to support H.R. 1972, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3642) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to improve the access to private health care for veterans who are survivors of military sexual trauma, as amended.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 3642, as amended.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3642, as amended, the Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment Act. It is a tragic fact that there are an increasing number of veterans who report experiencing sexual harassment or assault while serving on Active Duty in our Armed Forces. These veterans deserve the very best care and treatment that we can offer them for the psychological trauma that they may be feeling as a result of that experience. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to furnish care in the community to veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma. This would ensure the veterans in pilot locations are able to choose a provider that best meets their specific needs and that they are most comfortable with. This bill is sponsored by Representative Andy Barr from Kentucky, and I thank him for his tireless advocacy to ensure access to care for veterans who have experienced this trauma. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), who is the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, Mr. Walz. Once again, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 3642, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3832) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the executive director of a national network of State-based prescription monitoring programs under which Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers shall query such network, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 3832, as amended.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 3832, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 3832, as amended, the Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act. More than 140 individuals every day are dying from opioid abuse in the United States, and opioids have resulted in the deaths of more Americans than the Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam wars put together over the same period of time. Unfortunately, the news is even worse for our veterans. Former VA Secretary McDonald stated: Veterans are 10 times more likely to abuse opioids than the average American, and that is among the leading cause of homelessness among veterans. In 2016 alone, the VA treated 66,000 veterans for opioid addiction. Mr. Speaker, it is clear that we are failing our Nation's heroes, and, frankly, that is unacceptable. That is why I introduced the Veterans Opioid Prevention Act, to ensure that no veteran slips through the cracks. My bill increases opioid prescribing transparency at the VA and allows Veterans Administration doctors to do what most private sector doctors are already doing. They access State databases listing all opioid prescriptions from all providers. This allows physicians to easily identify patterns of opioid use that puts patients at risk for addiction. Once physicians are able to accurately identify patterns of use and abuse, we can curb this epidemic and ensure our veterans are getting the best possible care. Mr. Speaker, as a veteran and a doctor, I take my responsibility to serve those who fought for our freedoms very seriously. We can do more for our veterans, and we must do more to support them and to protect them. I believe my Veterans Opioid Prevention Act does exactly that. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3946) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Statesboro, Georgia, the Ray Hendrix Veterans Clinic''.