Lane Evans

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his fine work on the Subcommittee on Benefits this year. We have really defined the impact that we have had by working on a bipartisan basis to achieve this. We have worked on a nonpartisan basis with our chairman, and the ranking members of other subcommittees, such as the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), have worked with the other body in finalizing this legislation, and I think they deserve a strong salute from veterans across the country. I am very proud to be an original cosponsor of many of the provisions contained in this act. I am especially pleased for children of veterans who were exposed to herbicides in Korea, and who now are suffering from spina bifida, like a lot of the kids that were exposed in the Vietnam War. We must realize we have an obligation to those children and their families, and I think we have started down that road as well. The bill recognizes the contributions made by the Guard and Reserve in making their home loan program permanent and reducing the funding fees that they are charged. I am most pleased we are providing long- term benefits to our Gold Star wives of the Filipino Veterans. This bill also includes important veterans education benefits and extends business opportunities for veterans. H.R. 2297 is a good bill, and I urge all my colleagues to show their support for our troops and Veterans by voting for it.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his leadership. I rise to point out that this conference report does not adequately address the needs of our disabled military retirees. Later today we will be considering a motion to recommit. And I strongly urge Members to support that motion and urge that we fix a tremendous injustice in this conference report. The conference report provides no relief whatsoever to two-thirds of disabled veterans who are now paying the Disabled Veterans Tax. Further, it provides only limited relief from the unfair tax burden to those it does cover. Under this report, veterans with disabilities rated at 50 percent or more would have to wait 10 years before receiving their full military retirement pay. The vast majority of eligible veterans are left out. In fact, 400,000 veterans with disabilities rated under 50 percent would not receive any relief at all. In other words, some veterans who lost their limbs while serving their country are not considered worthy of relief after they get back to the States. This is not ``full concurrent receipt'' as has been claimed. This is clearly not a victory for veterans. It is an attempt to divide and conquer veterans so as to deprive most retirees of their earned retirement benefits. A vote for the motion to recommit is a vote for full concurrent receipt and an end to the tax on our disabled veterans. I urge all Members to vote for this motion and support what 374 Members have already said by cosponsoring legislation for full, not partial, concurrent receipt. Mr. Speaker, I believe the veterans of our country are wise enough to make judgments about where they want to go, and I salute them for raising the issues that we have been dealing with the last few years.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to address the current state of affairs in Burma. For years, Burma's military rulers have retained control through the use of rape, murder, torture, and imprisonment. Many of my colleagues and I co-sponsored the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003, H.R. 2330, in an effort to sanction this regime for its egregious human rights violations and to shed light on the atrocities being committed. Another action taken to help bring about change in Burma was the assignment of a United Nations envoy to this chaotic region. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues and I now feel that the United Nations process put in place to help bring about change in Burma is seriously flawed. The UN envoy to Burma has done more to diffuse international pressure on the junta than he has to improve human rights conditions there. Conditions are not improving, they are worsening. Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the country's true government, remains under house arrest while the people of Burma are being slaughtered. Just a few days ago, members of Burma's military regime shot at a crowd of demonstrating monks, killing at least one and injuring many more. In addition, Thailand, Burma's neighbor, has become increasingly friendly with the SPDC, the regime responsible for this bloodshed. Thai authorities deport Burmese migrant workers and other refugees with little concern for their welfare, turning a blind eye to the oppression that awaits them and in violation of international law. The UN has done little to change the relationship between these two nations. As we approach the next meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, we must be cognizant that the process has failed. We need to strengthen the authority of the UN envoy and replace him with someone capable of rallying international support for change. The present system is not working--let's fix it.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 3387, the Veterans Health Programs Improvement Act of 2003. Mr. Speaker, many of the provisions in the bill I am introducing with my colleague, the ranking member of the Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Mr. Rodriguez, are supported by the administration and have been offered to us previously in its request for draft legislation. Specifically, sections 2 through 6 of this bill are found in the draft bill, Omnibus Veterans Health Care and Benefits Act of 2003 requested by Secretary Principi on August 15, 2003. Other provisions of this bill extend authorities or reports which already exist in law, but which are expiring. I believe it is critical that some of these activities continue to be mandated and carefully overseen by Congress. VA has asked for the authority to provide up to 14 days of care to the newborn infants of women veterans. This allows VA to provide a more complete spectrum of care to women--particularly the younger women who are now serving in the military in record numbers. VA may, under current law, offer all maternity care, including labor, delivery and recovery, but once the infant is born, VA is forced to find other payers--often Medicaid if the mother has no other health care benefits--to finance the care of the child. The cost of providing this benefit to the newborn infants of women veterans is negligible. VA has also asked for authority to provide certain rehabilitative services under its medical care authority. A vital part of therapy for many of VA's homeless, psychiatric, and substance use disorder recovery programs is the vocational activity. Successfully engaging in productive activity is viewed as a critical part of therapy and integral to complete rehabilitation. Although VA does offer a range of training programs, often VA must shuttle veterans between programs to meet all the veterans' needs. This makes case management difficult. Instead of allowing one person to work through job training, placement and support, veterans could be forced to work through several agencies and multiple points-of-contact adding complexity and confusion when veterans are already at a vulnerable turning point in their rehabilitation. This provision allows VA medical personnel to provide continuous care throughout vocational training. Last year the clock ran out on special health care eligibility for herbicide-exposed veterans of the Vietnam-era and also for our Persian Gulf veterans. I spent much of my early tenure here fighting for compensation for veterans who believed their illnesses were associated with exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides. Learning from that experience, Congress gave veterans who served in the first Gulf war more of the benefit of the doubt by allowing them to be compensated for vaguely defined conditions and illnesses that are not generally related to military service, but for which they seem to be at high risk. There seems to be a pretty serious schism between what we are doing to compensate veterans and the provision of care for conditions which they believe may be associated to their service. Without this special priority, some veterans who have not previously sought VA health care, may never be able to receive it. VA wants to continue to offer priority specialized treatment to veterans in these special priorities, and I fully support them in this effort. VA would also like to require veterans to provide information from their health insurers. Too often these private-sector payers are raking in the cost-sharing from veterans or their spouses without paying toward their VA treatment. Veterans should be willing to share this information if they are receiving care at VA facilities and their health plans should be willing to reimburse VA as the veterans' provider-of-choice. It is only fair to ask veterans to offer this information as VA continues to mull tough choices of limiting services and those it will serve. Finally, VA also requested permission to extend its authority to provide acquired properties to homeless service providers. These partners can purchase VA-acquired properties at discounts ranging from 20 to 50 percent. Through fiscal year 2002, 188 properties have been sold to homeless providers under the program, including two that were sold to a VA medical center for the compensated work therapy program. The shelters established in these properties have provided approximately 372,000 nights of shelter to homeless veterans. The VA has also entered into 52 leases with homeless providers. Most of these were subsequently converted into sales to homeless providers. I hope that we can support VA's efforts to continue to offer these properties to homeless providers. In addition to the VA-requested provisions, I am proposing several extensions of reports and additional authorities that I strongly believe we must continue. Congress created two advisory committees--one that advises the Under Secretary on Health exclusively about Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder and one that makes recommendations for a variety of programs serving Severely Mentally Ill veterans. We have relied on the reports of these Committees to ensure Congress that these mental health programs are receiving adequate attention as VA continues to reform its health care delivery. It has become clear that since 1996, and likely before, VA has continued to pare back the resources it commits to its mental health programs. Congress is still awaiting the report due last Spring that demonstrates VA's maintenance of these programs' capacity in fiscal year 2002. These Committees serve as much needed internal spokespeople and advocates for their programs and are particularly vital in more fiscally constrained times. I am hopeful that my colleagues will agree that we continue to require the oversight of these internal watchdogs. In addition to extending these reporting requirements, I would like to see Congress committed to allowing Vietnam-era veterans to continue to seek readjustment counseling at Vet Centers. As a Vietnam-era veteran myself, I have seen too many of my peers have significantly delayed reactions to the traumatic events of long ago. Many World War II veterans continue to struggle with the past we might have suspected they left long ago--look at how many veterans from that war had strong emotional reactions to Saving Private Ryan. As we all recall, there were unique challenges to returning home from service during the Vietnam War--a war that did not enjoy public support. While we've learned from this experience to ``love the warrior, if not the war'' I would like to ensure that Vet Centers remain accessible to Vietnam-era veterans who had unique adjustment challenges upon their return to service. Finally, my bill would eliminate the sunset of authority for VA's sexual trauma counseling program currently set to expire December 31, 2004. Surveys from a few years ago continued to demonstrate that women in the Armed Services are at a high risk for sexual harassment and, even sexual assault. Sadly, it is apparent that sexual trauma will continue occurring in military service and elsewhere. VA has served as a valuable outlet to women who have believed the military and the government had otherwise abandoned them. We must ensure that VA's programs continue to exist to serve for the indefinite future. Mr. Speaker, this bill supports proven programs that are already offering invaluable assistance to the veterans that are able to avail themselves of them. I want veterans to continue to be able to rely upon them.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I am greatly disappointed that conferees have disregarded the House-approved motion to instruct and eliminated the provision to add $1.3 billion to veteran's health care. While I understand the need for additional funding may be addressed in VA-HUD appropriations, I am concerned that if we add funds to that bill contingent upon the President's designating them emergency spending the effort will be in vain. The Administration has already told Mr. Young and Mr. Obey it does not support additional funds for veterans' health care. Let's not break yet another commitment to our veterans by giving them this empty promise in exchange for funding that would have been real. The cost of not adding significant funds for veterans' health care will be great. VA has been making progress with waiting times, but it is likely to regress under the administration-proposed budget. The Secretary is likely to propose more copayments for our veterans; more overblown ``management efficiencies''; more service restrictions; and, even more groups of veterans it will refuse to enroll. If we want to deal with these consequences, continue to support the President's budget as requested. If we don't, we'll add some real appropriated dollars for veterans' health care.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1516, the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003, as amended by the Senate. We all know the men and women of the Greatest Generation who have served this country so grandly in World War II and Korea have reached their senior years. Approximately 1,500 veterans from all eras pass each day from this planet, and the rate is projected to increase in years to come. It is our responsibility to provide proper final resting places for all these heroes. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1720, as amended. I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith), our Subcommittee on Health chairman, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), for allowing me the time to speak on this bill. One provision that I am particularly pleased that the bill includes language that would rename the West Side division of VA Chicago after the Honorable Jesse Brown. The late Honorable Jesse Brown served as Secretary for Veterans Affairs and was a strong advocate in our budgetary battles at that time in the Clinton Administration. As Secretary, Jesse made good on his promise of putting veterans first. Sadly, he left us much too soon after a struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease. It is fitting that we rename the West Side division of VA Chicago in his name. This bill would also give Congress and the VA an opportunity to reinvigorate VA's flagging major medical construction programs. VA is at a critical juncture, where it must make billions of dollars worth of improvements to ensure its ability to provide modern, high-quality and efficient health care services. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. I thank the chairman of the full committee for getting it through, and, again, for the way we work together.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2744, designating the post office in Moline, Illinois, after my good friend Dave Bybee, who passed away in May of last year. Dave served as a letter carrier and union leader for 33 years within the very building I seek to name after him. He became a letter carrier for the postal service in 1967, and after only 2 years on the job, was elected president of Letter Carriers Local 318. Dave Bybee held various positions within the Illinois State Letter Carriers Association from 1971 to 1977. He was elected National Business Agent for the National Association for Letter Carriers for the entire Chicago region in 1980. He held this position and also served as vice president of the AFL-CIO until his untimely death on May 31, 2002. Dave worked hard on behalf of America's letter carriers, traveled thousands of miles to fight for them and advocate for their interests. He was well respected by retirees, who knew they had a good friend fighting for their interests and benefits. Dave Bybee's dedication to his fellow workers did not interfere with his devotion to his wife and two sons, Michael and John. In addition to a full and rewarding family life, he also found time to serve his community as the fire chief of Carbon Cliff and as a school board member, and to remain active on the Moline Elks Club. He had a wonderful sense of humor; and no matter how tired he was from work and travel, he could always manage to make any group he was visiting or speaking to laugh and smile. When he passed away, letter carriers and postal officials from across the State and the Nation traveled to pay their respects to Dave Bybee. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to sponsor this legislation in honor of Dave Bybee, a nationally known letter carrier, who served not only his fellow workers but also his community and friends. It is my hope his name will forever be identified within the institution to which he dedicated so much time and energy. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2744, to rename the U.S. post office in Moline, Illinois, after my good friend, Dave Bybee. Mr. Speaker, today we will address legislation to name the United States Post Office at 514 17th Street in Moline, Illinois after my friend, David Bybee, who passed away in May of last year. Dave Bybee served as a letter carrier and union leader for 33 years within the very building I seek to name after him. It is my hope that his name will forever be identified with the institution to which he dedicated so much time and effort. Dave became a letter carrier for the Postal Service in 1967 and after only two years on the job was elected President of Letter Carriers Local 318. He then became the Regional Administrative Assistant and concurrently the Secretary to the Illinois State Association of Letter Carriers from 1971 to 1977. In 1980, Mr. Bybee was elected the National Business Agent to the National Association of Letter Carriers for the 17,000 strong Chicago Region. He held that office and concurrently served as a Vice President of the Illinois AFL-CIO until his death on May 31, 2002. Dave worked tirelessly on behalf of Illinois' letter carriers, traveling thousands of miles in Illinois and across the nation to represent them. Dave was also well-respected by retirees, who knew they had a good friend and leader fighting for their benefits. In 1992, recognizing Dave's hard work and lifetime of dedication, the building housing Letter Carriers Local 318 was named the David M. Bybee Branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers in his honor. David Bybee was also civically active, and had many friends within the Illinois Congressional delegation and state legislature on both sides of the aisle. He served as a member of the Electoral College in two national elections. His dedication to his fellow workers did not interfere with his devotion to his wife, Judy, and their two sons, Michael and John. In addition to a full and rewarding family life, he still found time to serve his community as the fire chief of Carbon Cliff and as a school board member, and remain active in the Moline Elks Club. Dave had a wonderful sense of humor and no matter how tired he was from work and travel, he could always manage to make any group he was visiting or speaking to laugh and smile. When he passed away, letter carriers and postal officials from all over the state and nation traveled to Moline to pay their respects. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to sponsor this legislation in honor of David Bybee, a national labor leader who served not only his fellow workers, but also his community and family. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2744, to rename the U.S. Post Office in Moline, Illinois after my friend David Bybee.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the motion to instruct conferees today to add $1.3 billion to the supplemental for veterans health care. This motion to instruct offered by Mr. Obey recognizes caring for our veterans is a continuing constant war. Last week, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs heard testimony from four veterans who spoke about the terrible injuries they and their families sustained in combat in the global war on terrorism. The costs of caring for these veterans, 2,000 who have used VA to date and hundreds of thousands more who will be eligible for VA health care when they return to the United States, all should be considered part of the cost of this war. I urge my colleagues to support this motion. Let us not let our veterans down with a budget that will not meet the needs of returning troops or those it currently serves.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his fine work on the Subcommittee on Benefits package this year. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2297, a legislative package encompassing a number of important measures that help our veterans. I would like to take the time to recognize the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), chairman of the full committee, who has done a great job working hand in hand together. As we get back in session, we have got a few things to cover, and I look forward to working with him on that. I want to thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), Mr. Speaker, for his hard work in bringing this important legislation to the floor. This has been truly a bipartisan effort. I am very proud to have been an original cosponsor of this package. I am pleased that this bill incorporates a number of measures from bills I have introduced. I am also pleased that it has included provisions to provide long-term, overdue benefits to our Gold Star Wives and Filippino veterans. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2297 is a good bill, and I urge all Members to show their support for our troops and veterans by voting for it.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 342, a resolution recognizing the National Railroad Hall of Fame in my district in Galesburg, Illinois. Galesburg is a city rich in railroading history. In 1849, the Peoria and Oquawka Railroad first connected Galesburg to the railroad system in western Illinois. Soon after, the people of Galesburg worked hard to develop connections between Chicago and the Mississippi River, eventually expanding the railroad into the West. By 1886, Galesburg became one of the few places in the world to be served by two major railroads. Because of this rich history, a private group in Galesburg formed to develop the National Railroad Hall of Fame in Galesburg, Illinois. The mission of the Hall of Fame is focused on honoring the men and women who have developed, maintained and strengthened one of the world's greatest forms of transportation. The Hall of Fame is being built to inspire future generations to continue in America's tradition of growth and ingenuity. This resolution simply recognizes the project put together by the National Railroad Hall of Fame to maintain that history and go forth in the next step in its development. Before I finish, I would like to thank my colleagues, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), for their support. This would not have happened without the support of their staff people. I also want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for their quick action on this bill. I want to thank Bob Bondi of Galesburg, who has worked tirelessly to get this organization on its feet and with my staff to pass this resolution. Also I would like to thank Ken Johnson, who has been of tireless help to us. Ken, it would not happen without your support. Finally, I would like to thank the Committee on Energy and Commerce and Erin Doyle on my staff for her work on this bill. This represents good bipartisan support. It is something long overdue.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 342, a resolution which recognizes the National Railroad Hall in Galesburg, Illinois. The development of a national railroad system from coast to coast in the United States had major impacts on our economy, national defense, and national lifestyle. As the railroad grew, it allowed an increasing ease in transporting goods and people. However, the development and expansion of the railroad could not have occurred without the hard work and ingenuity of individuals in the industry. For that reason, a private group has gathered in Galesburg, Illinois to create a National Railroad Hall of Fame. The mission of the Hall of Fame focuses on the men and women who developed and maintained one of our nation's greatest forms of transportation. They are building the Hall of Fame to inspire us to continue in the American tradition that built our railroad system. To show how this tradition has continued through history, inductees are selected from three eras in railroad history. The first is the Birth and Development Era, from 1800 to 1965. The second is the Golden Era, from 1866 to 1945. And the final period is the Modern Era, from 1946 to present day. The reason the founders of the Hall of Fame choose these time periods is to reflect the different stages of railroad development and the continuing growth through today into the future. In 2002, they introduced three inductees. The people that they recognized were George Pullman, Sanford Fleming, and Louis Menk, all of who provided enormous contributions to the success of the railroad industry. George Pullman is probably the most recognized of the inductees, having invented the Pullman sleeper car and an entire village for the employees who made it. His contribution to American railroading was profound because it made traveling great distances over rail comfortable, even luxurious. Sanford Fleming, the inductee from the Golden Era, arranged a system that each of us utilize when we travel, Standard Time. Prior to Mr. Fleming's system, train stations ran on local time. Local time was determined by the sun. Traveling on a schedule set by each station's local time became a headache for station managers and railroad passengers alike. To address this problem, Sanford Fleming divided the world map into 24 sections, thus creating the Standard Time which we all follow now. Finally, Louis Menk was inducted from the Modern Era. Mr. Menk is an example of the American dream. Having started out as a telegraph messenger for Union Pacific Railroad, he worked his way to the top of the railroad industry to become President and CEO of Burlington lines. He doubled the size of the company and merge it with a number of other lines to stretch across the Western United States. Placing this history in Galesburg, Illinois is appropriate to the history of the railroad as well. Galesburg has a long history with railroading. In 1849, the Peoria and Oquawka Railroad was established providing Galesburg with the opportunity to connect to a rail system. After that, Galesburg quickly became an important link between Chicago and the West. Finding a need to connect Iowa with the east coast, Galesburg worked as a community to expand the rail system from Chicago to the Mississippi River and then over into Iowa. This allowed for the extension of a rail system that eventually reached coast to coast. By 1886, Galesburg secured the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway and became one of the few places in the world served by two major railroads. Currently, Galesburg is still a central point in the railways for shippers moving good across the country. Additionally, Carl Sandberg College of Galesburg, Illinois, was one of the first institutions to establish an education curriculum in railroading. Currently, the College continues this program offering a certificate program and an associates program in railroad operations. This shows how basic the tie between Galesburg and the railroad is. In honor of this history in Galesburg and the history of the ingenuity of those that shaped the railroad industry, a group of people got together in Galesburg, Illinois and developed the National Railroad Hall of Fame, Inc. The main purpose of the Hall of Fame is to continue the memory of the leaders, inventors, engineers, riders, teachers, and all other participants in this proud industry. However, the Hall of Fame also seeks to inspire future generations to continue this proud tradition of growth and invention. Finally, they seek to provide a home to research surrounding the railroading industry and provides an opportunity for local history students to work on the history of the railroad industry. By working with local college students to enhance the background information for recommended inductees, the Hall of Fame expands the historical information and the people that study it. What the National Railroad Hall of Fame in Galesburg has asked for its simple recognition of its and its mission. The people who have put this project together have raised the money necessary for the building on their own. Additionally, they simply wish to continue the project of creating a deposit of history and inspiration for the work ethic that built the industry that built this country. In return, all they request is recognition. Before I finish, I would like to thank my colleague Mr. LaHood for working with me to pass this resolution, and Andrea Tebbe on his staff. I also want to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Transportation Committee for this quick action on this bill. I want to thank Bob Bandi of Galesburg, who has worked tirelessly on to get this organization on its feet and with my staff to pass this resolution. Also, I would like to thank Ken Johnson from the Energy and Commerce Committee for his assistance and enthusiasm for his hometown. Finally, I would like to thank Erin Doyle on my staff for her work on this bill. Once again, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and pay tribute to the history of the railroading industry.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega). (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Guam (Mr. Bordallo). (Mr. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. This will correct the terrible error that is depriving Native American veterans access to home loans under the Native Americans Veterans Housing Program. While the necessary funding for this loan program has already been appropriated, the administration requested a cap of $5 million on the loans of fiscal year 2003. By the time that fiscal year 2003 appropriations bill was signed, the cap had already been exceeded. Some Native Americans in Hawaii have partially built their homes but now are unable to complete that construction. This is no way to treat the brave Americans who fought for our country. This is a mistake that must be corrected now. Mr. Speaker, this bill would simply remove the existing cap on expenditures under this program. No additional funding is needed to restore the program to its original intent. I urge all Members to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall).

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case). (Mr. CASE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this resolution. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) for recognizing the need to assure health care for veterans who participated, often unwittingly at times, in the tests of Deseret Test Center. I also want to acknowledge the commitment of Mr. Mike Thompson, whose persistence in uncovering the truth about these tests has been extraordinarily noteworthy. It is remarkable to think that the military would have knowingly exposed troops to some of the agents we now know were involved in these tests. I am pleased that we will be offering these veterans an opportunity to receive health care services in order to address some of the conditions they believe may have been involved in this exposure. There are other important personnel issues addressed in this legislation. For several years, the VA has been committed to converting to an all- bachelor's degree program. While this goal may be admirable, it may also be unattainable, particularly on the cusp of the severe nursing shortage confronting the whole health care industry, both private and public. It also fails to acknowledge the very real contributions of associate degree-trained nurses who receive similar practical training. It is also appropriate to give nursing assistants the same access to Saturday premium pay as their nursing counterparts. Mr. Speaker, I hope all the Members will join me in supporting this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to express my concerns regarding both the Chile Free Trade Agreement and the Singapore Free Trade Agreement. While, I support free trade with Chile and Singapore in principle, this agreement is a serious erosion of the noble position we stood up for in prior agreements in regards to upholding labor rights. I recognize that free trade has the potential to provide an opportunity to expand markets for U.S. goods and services. However, if we do not first guarantee fair trade; we do not have free trade. Fair trade agreements are an important way to maintain the United States' leadership in upholding fundamental human rights. By entering into free trade agreement with countries that already abide by labor standards equivalent to our own, we can prevent the exploitation of the weak, the uneducated, the poor, and others. Children should not be working 60 hour weeks in unsafe factories for pennies a day. Not one person in this Congress wants that to happen, but unfair trade agreements mitigate these abuses to occur by ignoring the opportunity to set minimum standards. This is not to say that either Chile or Singapore do not abide by the five core, internationally-recognized, labor rights. However, the so- called ``enforce your own labor protections'' provisions in the Chile and Singapore Agreements are dangerous templates for future negotiations. The maintenance of minimal labor standards must be insured through explicit requirements outlining our expectations for workers' protection. Not only have we not defined labor standards in these current agreements, we have also not given ourselves a means to address any violation of labor rights in the future. This is simply unacceptable. The negotiation of the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement sought this explicit protection for workers. The Chile and Singapore Free Trade Agreements are a definite step in the wrong direction in regards to labor rights. As a nation, we have continuously stood up for the rights and protection of all workers. We cannot sacrifice workers and their protection to save a buck on a pair of shoes simply because they are somewhere around the world. We must factor in the cost of abdicating our responsibility to protect both our workers and workers the world over. Without explicit protection for laborers it is not free trade because there is no price for human dignity. Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that I come here to oppose these agreements. Congress gave away its ability to amend trade agreements last year and, therefore, the only option I have to express my opposition to the labor rights provisions is to vote against the trade agreements in whole. Therefore, I will oppose these agreements and urge my colleagues to vote them down.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to introduce a Resolution that would recognize the National Railroad Hall in Galesburg, Illinois. The American Railroad industry has enjoyed a long history in this country. Its impact on the economy, science, technology, national defense, and our national lifestyle is immeasurable. For that reason, a private group has gathered in Galesburg, Illinois to create a National Railroad Hall of Fame. The mission of the Hall of Fame focuses on the men and women whose ingenuity and labor built, developed and maintained one of our nation's greatest forms of transportation. They are building this to remind us of the history of this industry and to inspire us to continue the American ingenuity that developed our railroad system. For 2001, they introduced the first inductees. The people that they recognized were George Pullman, Sanford Fleming, and Louis Menk, all of whom provided enormous contributions to the success of the railroad industry. Instead of focusing on the founders of the industry, the inductees come from three eras in railroad history: Birth & Development 1800-1865, Golden Era 1866-1945, and Modern Era 1946-Present. In highlighting all these periods, the Hall of Fame seeks to show the continuing growth of the railroad industry. Currently, the National Railroad Hall of Fame in Galesburg is simply looking for Congressional recognition. The same thing that they have been doing since 1995, when I first introduced this resolution. It is high time that we recognize this self-funded, self-directed program for the contribution that it is bringing to preserving the history of this mighty industry and therefore this nation.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I am here to speak against the rule on the VA-HUD appropriations bill. Our troops are beginning to return from their service in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sadly, these have not been bloodless wars. None of them are in history, and certainly many of these brave men and women will now rely upon the VA for their health care. They do not deserve delayed or rationed services. Ultimately, this Congress did the right thing in approving a budget resolution that increased funding for veterans programs by $1.8 billion. We want to ensure that we keep the promise that we gave our veterans and add these funds to the appropriation for veterans health care. Please give us the opportunity to do so. Mr. Speaker, Sunday is the 50th anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty for the Korean War. Veterans have gathered here in Washington and elsewhere to commemorate this event. Some of these veterans are gathered in the halls of this Congress today. It comes down to this, Mr. Speaker, with the vote on this rule: You are either for or against veteran health services for veterans. What will you say to the veterans watching today and your veterans at home tomorrow who are showing great interest in this issue? Do you support them or not? Vote no on this rule.