Lane Evans

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. I rise to recognize the accomplishments of my good friend, the late Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota. Many have come before me to praise the character and actions of this faithful public servant who left us all too early last month. Many have lauded his commitment to the underdog, to those who lacked a voice, to the ``little guy.'' I speak of his commitment and passion for veterans. During his 12 years on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Paul was an active and committed member whose heart-felt concern about veteran's issues was often unmatched. Paul has been remembered for his courageous stands, in both Bush Administrations, against sanctioning military action in Iraq. At one time, Paul was criticized for making his views on this known at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. Even though the gesture may have been misinterpreted, to me, it was symbolic of his constant realization that war has consequences. We must be ever-cognizant of the often painful realities of putting our sons and daughters in harm's way and resort to force only as the last recourse. But Paul also consistently demonstrated that he believed part of the cost of war was being ready to assist those that were willing to put themselves on the line for their country. For his advocacy he was honored by numerous veterans' service organizations, including Vietnam Veterans of America, the Minnesota chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars. One of the things that drew people to Paul was his willingness to listen. I was impressed that the Senator rarely missed an opportunity to hear directly from veterans at their annual joint legislative hearings held here in the House. He would often bring the veterans to their feet exhorting them to fight for their rights. Last year, Paul introduced the Senate companion to my bill, Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans Assistance Act, S. 739. This bill addressed so many of the constituencies Paul held dear--and men and women without homes, individuals with mental illness, and veterans. I am proud to say, with Paul's help in the Senate, we enacted Public Law 107-95. Paul also got things done for ``atomic'' veterans. During his tenure, Congress identified many new diseases which were presumed connected to veterans who were exposed to ionizing radiation. Veterans could count on Paul as an ally in the budget process--he consistently put forth initiatives to increase funding for veterans health care. I believe my friend Paul would agree that we owe our veterans a great debt and he was already prepared to pay the bill. Paul and I also shared a chronic disability as a common foe. He dealt with his MS without complaint pushing himself to act when lesser men might have faltered. That is part of the personal courage he demonstrated on behalf of himself, his ideals, and the constituents who entrusted him with an office he used to its best advantage every day. Paul, you were a cherished friend to me, to veterans of this great Nation, and to every American who needed a voice, I will miss you.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4015, the Jobs for Veterans Act. This legislation will improve and modernize veterans' employment and training services currently administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) and delivered through various State employment agencies. I thank Chris Smith, our Chairman, and Mike Simpson and Silvestre Reyes, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Benefits Subcommittee, for their leadership on this measure. I also thank all staff for their hard work on H.R. 4015 and particularly Geoffrey Collver and Darryl Kehrer for their determined and excellent work on this legislation. H.R. 4015, as amended, will introduce many new features into the veterans' employment services system, including greater flexibility, creativity, incentives, and increased accountability. I was a strong supporter of H.R. 4015 when the bill originally passed the House in May of 2002 and am pleased the Senate passed the bill with relatively few changes. This legislation is timely and needed, especially given the slowing economy and traditionally difficult time many of our nation's disabled veterans have in obtaining quality employment. The men and women who have worn a uniform in defense of this country deserve first rate employment and training services. The bill, as amended, encourages the Federal, State and local governments to work together in providing high level, focused, employment and training services to veterans and certain spouses of veterans. The legislation requires a State to submit a ``plan'' describing the manner in which it will furnish outreach and employment services, as well as, sets forth conditions for receipt of DOL funds. In addition, the legislation encourages improved employment services through a program of employee incentive awards for excellent or substantially improved performance. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of the bill's new incentive and accountability provisions, they are important components of the overall delivery scheme. This measure also provides for ``priority of service'' to veterans wishing to participate in other DOL job training programs, and removes many outdated and rigid hiring constraints on the States and local governments. As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am especially pleased that the legislation broadens eligibility for non-competitive appointments of certain veterans within the Federal civil service. This provision will allow some veterans who have lost their jobs due to the poor economy, or their companies moving overseas for cheaper labor costs, to explore alternative career options with the Federal government. The Jobs for Veterans Act also includes many other important provisions that will affect many veterans and their families as they seek quality employment services: Federal contractors and subcontractors engaged in operations of $100,000 or more must take affirmative action to employ and advance qualified veterans; Revises the funding formula, which DOL provides to States to better reflect the proportion of veterans seeking employment in that State; Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to engage in on-going technical assistance, including corrective action plans, with respect to State and local governments receiving veterans' employment funds; Emphasizes that certain disabled veterans may need intensive employment services in order to obtain quality employment; Mandates that DOL develop and enhance the delivery of employment services by providing such services via the Internet and other electronic means; and Requires a GAO study and report on the implementation and effectiveness of the legislation to be delivered after the first two program years. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3253, the Department of Veterans Affairs Emergency Preparedness Act of 2002, as amended. After the tragic events of September 11th last year, our Chairman, Chris Smith, again demonstrated his leadership. He authored and introduced legislation authorizing an important role for the Department of Veterans Affairs in our national fight against terrorism. This is the primary purpose of the measure before us. VA provides medical care to millions of veterans each year. It conducts ground-breaking health care research. It also provides educational opportunities to many of our nation's health care providers. VA is truly an unparalleled national resource. This legislation provides the structure and authority for VA to leverage its expertise to combat terrorism. For VA to achieve this goal it must have adequate resources. Today, VA does not have enough resources. This is not my judgment. This is the judgment of the Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery to Veterans established by President Bush. I call on the President to fully fund the VA, to provide all funding needed by VA to deliver timely and quality care to our veterans. Mr. President, provide VA the resources it requires to combat terrorism. I am pleased H.R. 3253, as amended, has been approved by the other body. I urge all Members to support this important legislation so it can be sent to the White House for action by the President. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this legislation.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing H.R. 5583, ``Service- Disabled Veterans' Small Business Federal Procurement Preference Act of 2002.'' This bill would provide service-disabled veterans and ``other handicapped'' individuals who own small business firms a time-delimited preference in the award of Federal contracts. This legislation is clearly needed. While the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999 established a 3 percent goal for the award of Federal contracts to servcie-disabled veteran-owned small business firms under the Small Business Act, no practical means exists for Federal agencies to achieve this goal under existing statutory authorities. Not surprisingly, Federal agencies have failed to achieve the 3 percent goal. Compared to their non-veteran peers, veterans have postponed the opportunity to begin a small business while serving the nation in uniform. During their military service veterans have forgone establishing essential business credit and contacts which are pivotal to successfully starting a business. Due to their military service, our veterans are technically, an economically disadvantaged group compared to their non-veteran peers. Veterans have willingly sacrificed their lifetime earning potential to serve our nation in uniform. This is particularly so for service-disabled veterans who have sacrificed their mobility, health and well-being serving this country. Service-disabled veterans are additionally economically disadvantaged given the reluctance of many lenders to extend lines of business credit to handicapped individuals. Regardless of their abilities, when financial institutions perceive a service-disabled veteran to be a greater risk, service-disabled veterans are further disadvantaged. Service-disabled veterans and handicapped individuals, in general, are often perceived by society to be less capable. Like others, service- disabled veterans and handicapped individuals simply need the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities. This legislation provides that opportunity which for many is not otherwise available. Service-disabled veterans and other handicapped individuals are discriminated against both in financial markets, relative to their access to capital, and in the marketplace, relative to opportunities to equally compete. It is therefore in this sense, and in no other, that service-disabled veterans and other handicapped individuals are economically and socially disadvantaged. To provide service-disabled veterans real opportunity, this legislation provides a time-delimited preference in the award of Federal contracts. The existing statutory vehicle which provides a time-delimited preference is the 8(a) program under the Small Business Act. 8(a) was specifically established to assist economically and socially disadvantaged small business firms compete in the Federal marketplace. This bill adds both service-disabled veterans and other handicapped individuals to the list of identified individuals presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged under the Small Business Act 8(a) Program. In order to not lessen the opportunities for individuals already presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged under the Small Business Act 8(a) Program, this legislation retains the existing 5 percent goal for these groups. It also provides a separate 3 percent goal for service-disabled veteran owned small business firms and a separate 2 percent goal for other handicapped individuals. These changes increase the aggregate goal for the award of Federal contracts to socially and economically disadvantaged small business firms to 10 percent. Paralleling the newly specified goals for small business concerns owned and controlled by both veterans and other handicapped individuals, the Government-wide goal for participation by small business concerns is increased. The total value of all prime contracts and subcontracts awarded to small business concerns each fiscal year is increased from 23 percent to 28 percent. Last and not least, the Service-Disabled Veterans' Small Business Federal Procurement Preference Act of 2002, requires all Federal agencies to establish agency-specific procurement goals for small businesses, and each category of small businesses, that are at least equal to legislatively specified government-wide goals. Currently, all goals specified for the award of Federal contracts under the Small Business Program are to be achieved collectively by all Federal agencies on a government-wide basis. Each Federal agency, on the other hand, is only required to establish goals which reflect the maximum practicable opportunity for small business concerns to participate in the contracts that it awards. It is therefore of little surprise that the achievement of SBA procurement goals, both across government and by individual Federal agencies, are significantly less than those specified in existing statute. Again, this legislation will benefit service-disabled veterans and other handicapped individuals without adversely impacting any other preference group. This legislation can help open the door to opportunity for service-disabled veterans which has been closed too long. I urge my colleagues to support and cosponsor this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I also gratefully acknowledge the assistance Pam Corsini has provided with the development of this legislation. A Brookings Institution LEGIS Fellow, Pam has been working with the Democratic Staff of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and has made many invaluable contributions to the work of the Committee and Congress. We are fortunate to have received her contributions and assistance. Thank you, Pam, for a job well done.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this resolution. I believe that taking action against Iraq at this time will take vital resources away from an even more pressing and dangerous threat: the war on al Qaeda. And this action, including the occupation and stabilization of the nation after the invasion, could drain our military resources for over a decade. I do believe that Saddam Hussein and his possession and development of weapons of mass destruction does pose a threat to our Nation. But we already have a policy that is containing the threat and positions us well if we have to move forcefully. I think our greater responsibility is to assess threats to our national security and then decide how to deal with them. I believe we have an even greater challenge that we must not divert precious resources from the global war on terrorism. The greatest danger facing our Nation comes from al Qaeda, the terrorist network that perpetrated the acts of September 11. And while a year has passed and we have prosecuted a successful war against al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the infrastructure of terror, however, remains in place. Our forces are still searching for bin Laden and his followers, and while these people remain at large, our Nation still focuses on the possibility of attacks from this group on an even larger scale than September 11. I am deeply concerned that prosecuting a war on Iraq will divert precious resources from this war. A campaign against Saddam Hussein could tie up 200,000 military personnel. Diverting these forces and the assets that will be needed to support them will stretch our military perilously thin. To do this while we are conducting an intense worldwide anti-terror operations is unwise. I believe it puts the lives of American citizens at risk. It will keep us from exerting the full range of military options we need to neutralize terrorist cells and to interrupt planned terrorist operations. And it could continue to weigh down our military for a number of years. It has been estimated that we will need up to 50,000 to remain behind for a period of years to help guarantee as much as can be possibly done for the civility of Iraq. No one knows how long this will take or what type of resources we will need. Add to this the potential for conflict between ethnic and political rivals in Iraq, and we could be entering a quagmire that we may not be able to get out of. The administration has not clearly outlined our exit strategy, and this is another thing that bothers my constituents. The war that the administration is entering into is a war on terror. Yet the case has not been made that links Iraq to support to al-Qaeda. The evidence to this point is sketchy, at best. In fact, the evidence really suggests that Iraq is a greatly weakened nation and that the threat posed by it has been deterred or reduced by the U.S. presence in the Gulf and the enforcement of the no-fly zones. The strategy of containment has kept Iraq at bay. It has worked and continues to work. We can continue this policy as well as allow the U.N. weapons inspectors to go in to do their jobs. If all of this ends in the conclusion that Iraq is in violation of U.N. resolutions and is near a real nuclear weapons capability, we can reevaluate our options. Until then, we should continue with the present policy. I think we have a great responsibility to our men and women who are going to fight this war and to the people who have, time and time again, come before this body and talked about how their sons or daughters and relatives have served in the Persian Gulf War and suffered from, let us say, Agent Orange disability. Because those that saw combat went over to the Persian Gulf healthy and came back ill. Many of them still suffer from the illnesses, the causes of which we still do not know. Before we send these young men and women off to war and expose them not only to the hazards of conflict but to a lifetime of dealing with the physical and emotional costs of combat, we must do everything to achieve our goals without resorting to force. In the case of Iraq, we can do this. If not, we face losing the war we must win, the fight against al Qaeda.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4085. This measure provides a cost-of-living increase for our Nation's veterans. It will assure our Nation's veterans that the value of their benefits will not be reduced due to cost-of-living increases. I want to start out by thanking the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his leadership on this bill, as well as many other bills during the session that he alluded to. I also want to thank the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), the ranking democratic member of the subcommittee, for their support of this legislation. This bill deserves the support of every Member of this body, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to publicly thank a member of the committee's Democratic staff for her exceptional service to our Nation's veterans. Beth Kilker, executive assistant to the Subcommittee on Benefits, will be retiring this December after almost 25 years of outstanding service to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and our Nation's veterans. Beth began her career working for the FBI. After working for the FBI and the House Select Committee on Assassinations, Beth joined the committee staff in March of 1978 as a staff assistant. She has been a dedicated and effective advocate for our veterans and their families. She is highly respected by veterans' service organizations as well as employees of the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor and Defense. Everybody Beth has worked for has become her friend. Committee members will miss Beth's helpfulness, her smile, and her sense of humor as well. Our Nation's veterans will be hurt by losing her presence and the diligent efforts she has made to resolve problems and to bring problems to the attention of VA officials. I want to thank her for her years of great service and her many acts of kindness. Beth, we will miss you deeply and sorrowfully, and we thank you for the years of service you have given to this country. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ 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 yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3731. I again want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith) and the leaders of our subcommittee, the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), for their effective leadership on this important issue. As an original cosponsor, I urge all Members to support this bill. The purpose of this legislation is straightforward. It provides that the funding authorized for the State approving agencies for fiscal year 2003 is not less than the amount provided in fiscal year 2002. Mr. Speaker, the State approving agencies play a vitally important role in the administering of educational benefits under the GI Bill. These are benefits our veterans and service members have earned. We must respect that. If Congress fails to move this legislation, SAA funding will be reduced. This would be harmful to veterans' educations. Congress has recently added responsibilities and duties to the State approving agencies at a time when State budgets are being drastically cut. Congress must make sure that these agencies have adequate resources to do their job. Mr. Speaker, I support the passage of this legislation, and I urge Members to do the same.

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, today marks the fourteenth anniversary of the bloody rise to power of the military dictatorship in Burma. This despotic regime has denied its people basic liberties and freedoms including democratic representation, free speech, and an independent press. Allegations have also come to light that this regime has used the mass rape of women and children to instill fear. They have imprisoned and murdered thousands of their political opponents and closed thirty universities since 1995 to suppress popular student opposition. I would like to speak specifically to the issue of labor rights in Burma. It is an undisputed fact that the Government of Burma has forced thousands of its citizens into forced labor. Bonded servitude is woven into the social fabric of many nations, but in Burma it is even more contemptuous because it is nothing more than slavery at its core and it is sanctioned by the government and employed by its military. For many years, international organizations including the International Labor Organization, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights have attempted to get the regime to emancipate it's slaves. Burma has flaunted international sanctions and continues to be uncooperative and deny access to human rights organizations investigating these and many other human rights abuses. Burma's military regime emphatically rejects core labor rights including prohibitions on child labor, forced labor, and freedom of association. This is even more disconcerting because the military elite prop up a system of sweatshops producing textile products for western markets. Even under strict quotas, Burmese textile exports have exploded into the U.S. market creating a direct source of hard currency for the military dictatorship. And there are credible allegations being investigated that many goods skirt sanctions by masking their country of origin. Textile exports are the life support for the Burmese regime and we need a complete ban on Burmese exports until we see freedom and an end to slavery. I commend my colleagues and the Administration that have stood up for human rights in Burma and kept the pressure on the regime. Now is not the time to relax sanctions, but instead tighten the noose on one of the world's worst totalitarian governments.

Mr. EVANS

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

Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of the Veterans Affairs Emergency Preparedness Act, as amended. After the tragic events of September 11 last year, our chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), again demonstrated his leadership. Chairman Smith introduced legislation authorizing an important role for the Department of the VA in our Nation's fight against terrorism. That is the primary purpose of this measure today. It provides medical care to millions of veterans each year and conducts groundbreaking health care research, and it also provides educational opportunities to many of our Nation's health care providers. The VA is truly an unparalleled national resource. This legislation provides the structure and the authority for the VA to leverage its expertise to combat terrorism. For the VA to achieve this goal, it must have adequate resources. Today, the Veterans Affairs does not have enough resources. That is not my judgment, but it is the judgment of the Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery to Veterans established by President Bush. I call on the President to fully fund the VA. I ask him to provide all funding the VA needs to deliver timely, quality care to our veterans, today and tomorrow; provide the resources the VA needs to combat terrorism. And I thank the chairman once again for his leadership. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, the devastating acts committed against the United States on September 11th will never be forgotten. Today we remember those who perished in the attacks and extend our continuing support to their families. We honor and thank thousands of individuals--doctors and nurses, police and firefighters, military personnel, volunteers and blood donors and others--for their incredible acts of valor and courage and service to our nation. We salute postal workers and letter carriers who were threatened and felled by a threat they never saw. They, too, were innocent victims of these horrific acts. Our thoughts this day are with the men and women in uniform half a world away. They are on duty to preserve and defend our nation against the scourge of terrorism. We honor their service and thank them from the bottom of our hearts. Since September 11, our country has stood united in its resolve to overcome these horrific acts. I and fellow Members of Congress have joined together and supported President Bush in the war against terrorism. We have taken steps to make our country safer, assist those who have been affected by these acts of terrorism, and give law enforcement and the military the resources necessary to protect us from further acts of violence. Those who carried out these acts can try to attack our way of life and democracy, but they cannot and will not defeat it or destroy it. We will continue to work together to ensure that these acts will never be perpetrated again. Terrorism can never undermine our national spirit and character. We are a great nation. We are brave and courageous people. The values that guide us remain unbent and unbroken. They will endure. Throughout our history, we have met great challenges. In every instance, we have overcome every test, every danger. And each time we have moved forward a stronger, greater nation with a brighter future. This solemn anniversary reminds us of a great tragedy. But it also helps reinforce our national strength and what it means to be an American. Our purpose and resolve are undeterred.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of his retirement, it is my pleasure to recognize an exceptional United States Marine, Master Gunnery Sergeant Michael Thomas Fletcher. Master Gunnery Sergeant Fletcher has served our Nation with distinction for over three decades in the United States Marine Corps, rising from Private to Master Gunnery Sergeant. He has served in times of both war and peace and has gone from patrolling the jungles of Vietnam to walking the halls of Congress. During the Vietnam War, he was awarded: the Combat Action Ribbon; the Vietnam Service Medal with one star; the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; and the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation of the Gallantry Cross. His personal awards have included two Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals, a Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and he has been recently recommended for the Legion of Merit. During Master Gunnery Sergeant Fletcher's last six years of service, he has been the Administration Chief in the United States Marine Corps' Office of Legislative Affairs. That office supports Members of Congress and Congressional committees in matters of legislation, protocol, and logistics for Congressional travel. Master Gunnery Sergeant Fletcher brought a wealth of managerial expertise and leadership to this office and contributed significantly to the successful accomplishment of its mission. During these six years, Master Gunnery Sergeant Fletcher has helped carry the Corp's message to the Congress. He has enabled the Marine Corps' Office of Legislative Affairs to provide consistent and timely responses to the United States Congress, and in doing so, has made a lasting contribution in the containment of today's readiness and shape of tomorrow's Marine Corps. Particularly noteworthy have been his efforts in directing, organizing, and escorting Members of Congress and their staffs around the world. His attention to detail in making these important trips logistically successful is yet another indication of this Marine's talent and professionalism. Master Gunnery Sergeant Fletcher has made immeasurable contributions to both today's Marine Corps' and to the Corps of the 21st Century. His superior performance of duties highlights the culmination of more than 30 years of honorable and dedicated Marine Corps service. By his exemplary competence, sound judgment, and total dedication to duty, he has served well this body, the United States Marine Corps and our Nation. Please join me in wishing Master Gunnery Sergeant Fletcher, his wife, Barbara, and their sons, Joel and Gary, all the best as he begins this new chapter in life.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, today, I want to end my support as an original cosponsor of the ``Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act of 2002'' being introduced by the Chairman of our Committee, Chris Smith. The bill, supported by all of the major veterans' service organizations, would create a mandatory spending stream for veterans' health care and medical construction in the Department of Veterans Affairs. VA medical care is one of the biggest domestic discretionary accounts in the federal budget. While Congress has historically improved upon inadequate Administration budget requests, VA has still suffered from ebbs and flows in its funding streams that often have little to do with the number of veterans served or the cost of the services they receive. We, in Congress often must work within artificially constrained budget limitations that do not allow the growth in funding VA needs or our veterans deserve. This has been particularly difficult in recent years in which the growth in veterans seeking care in the system, often for the first time, has been unprecedented and unpredictable. A mandatory funding stream, such as that which the Chairman of our Committee proposes, will bring increased stability and predictability in funding the health care system designed to meet the needs of our nation's veterans. The Chairman's bill would use medical inflation and growth in the VA's enrollment to ensure that these uncontrollable factors are appropriately addressed. The bill would also require a one-time ``bump'' of twenty percent in the appropriation to adjust VA's baseline, deemed by our major veterans' service organizations to be significantly under-funded for the last several years. Our veterans' health care system is struggling to accommodate significant growth in use by veterans. Finding that VA is a source of inexpensive prescription drugs, aging middle-class veterans have recently enrolled in record numbers. About five years ago, lower priority veterans (those who are not service connected or medically indigent) constituted about 2-3 percent of the veterans' patient population; they now constitute about 30 percent of the 6 million veterans enrolled in the system. Appropriations have simply not kept pace with veterans' increased demand for VA health care. As a result VA has unmanageable waiting times and is neglecting its core population--the veterans with service- connected conditions, with certain exposures or service or the veterans who are considered medically indigent. I recently received data from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that indicates that there are more than 300,000 veterans either waiting for their first VA appointment or who have waited longer than six months for care. I believe that all veterans deserve access to their health care system, but we cannot pretend that they have this access simply because we allow it. The system must be funded to ensure that it is able to meet the demand veterans produce. I believe the Chairman's bill will address the problems Congress has chronically been unable to redress. I applaud his innovation and look forward to working with him on this bill.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security. We will never forget the tragic events of September 11th. That day truly ushered in a new era when we, as a nation, can never take for granted the security of our borders or terrorist threats. If anything, the tragedies that unfolded on that day demonstrated that we have much work to do to guarantee the safety of average Americans. There were too many warning signs that should have been acted on by our government. It is clear that there are many gaping holes between numerous agencies in responding to terrorist threats and that those same agencies have not cooperated properly in analyzing and working to eliminate these threats. The legislation before us today addressed areas such as border security, immigration enforcement, and infrastructure preparedness, that must be immediately reorganized to better deal with these threats. This reorganization will better facilitate communication and intelligence sharing between many of these agencies that are on the front line of fighting and preventing terrorist acts. The reorganization will also prepare our communities to address weaknesses in physical cyber-security. Despite the strengths of the legislation, I do have serious reservations about some provisions that needlessly restrict the rights of Americans and would not contribute to the goals of a more secure homeland. For example, provisions in this legislation unnecessarily abridge civil service protections for the 170,000 federal employees being transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. We should not view civil service protections as a hindrance to fighting terrorism, nor should the cover of anti-terrorism be used to roll back these protections. This legislation would allow employees transferred to the new department to have their salaries arbitrarily reduced, as well as deny thousands of federal servants due process in merit board proceedings. Many Americans are making sacrifices to fight terrorism, but to ask federal employees to forfeit these basic job protections is callous and unnecessary. There are some in this body that would like to eliminate all civil service protections, but using the cover of terrorism is offensive. The bill also has a blanket waiver for contractors who produce anti- terrorist devices and products from civil product liability. Contractors who even exhibit fraud or willful misconduct in manufacturing could not be brought to justice under the act. This would even apply to the very servicemen and women who would use this equipment. I believe this is unconscionable and should not be allowed to stand. I am also very disappointed that the committee did not include an amendment by Representative DeLauro to deny government contracts to American firms that skirt their tax liability by using offshore havens. The DeLauro amendment would have restored a similar bipartisan provision that passed unanimously in the Ways and Means but was deleted by the Republican leadership when they drew up their version of the legislation to be offered on the floor of the House. I believe that Companies that avoid their tax liability should not be eligible for contracting and procurement for a department with a budget the size of Puerto Rico's entire economy. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation and support the Morella and DeLauro amendments when they come up for a vote. Their addition would help improve what is largely a worthwhile and effective piece of legislation that will greatly aid our nation in its war on terrorism.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I cannot support this fast track conference report as submitted. This agreement clearly does not reflect the needs and concerns of my constituents. In the last two years, I have witnessed two major steel mills close in my district and several factories shift production lines overseas. This legislation gives the President unabridged authority to enter into more trade agreements that send good paying jobs overseas, while weakening existing trade laws. As I have said before, I do not share President Bush's vision for unfettered free trade that hurts the workers of the 17th district of Illinois. The President has continually threatened to veto any agreement that contains language preventing him from weakening anti- dumping statutes. This agreement fulfills the President's desire to freely trade away anti-dumping protections. The President has indicated one of his first steps after passage of fast track will be to expand NAFTA to include all of Central and South America. This expansion benefits a few importers at the expense of thousands of workers and farmers in my district. Never has there been a worse time in the economy to give the President so much authority to trade away jobs. We should not give the President this far reaching authority, especially during an economic crisis. This agreement also does not include strong transitional assistance to workers whose company moves overseas or shuts down due to unfair trade. Mr. Speaker, I have assisted thousands of my constituents with the poorly funded TAA program and cannot afford to watch more families turned away from needed assistance. This plan also expects families to cover high health insurance costs with a tax credit. To expect families during an unforeseen lay off to benefit from a tax credit which they would not see until the next year is ineffective and insulting. Mr. Speaker, I support free trade when it benefits American workers. But, I do not believe we should grant the President fast track to negotiate trade agreements in this form. I urge my colleagues to vote down this conference agreement, which makes no improvement on previous attempts to implement fast track.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I urge my colleagues to oppose the resolution before us. I have heard several people talk about what this is all about and to make a good faith attempt to try to set the limits of the debate and to move forward. But what I think I can add to this debate is that I have been to Vietnam and seen the work of the Joint Task Force on Full Accounting, our military presence tasked with looking for our missing- in-action. I visited these young men and women, and they are among the bravest and most motivated soldiers I have ever met. Everyday, from the jungle battle sites to the excavation of crash sites on mountain summits, they put their lives in harm's way to find our missing. It is talking with them that it was clear to me their mission was one that they totally believed in. Last year, seven Americans of this task force, along with nine Vietnamese, lost their lives in a helicopter crash on the way to a recovery mission. We should not forget these American heroes, or soldiers, who gave their lives to accomplish the mission they had believed was their highest duty and honor. If we pass this resolution of disapproval, we would be hindering this mission. The only way to carry this out is to be in Vietnam. Maintaining that presence means honoring our promises to Vietnam. Passing this resolution would send the wrong signal to the Vietnamese, not to mention the brave Americans who are still searching, as we meet here today, in the rice paddies and mountains of Vietnam. This is the fifth year that this House will vote on a resolution of disapproval. Since we first voted on this, the House has each time, with growing and overwhelming support, voted down this resolution. With last year's passage of the Bilateral Trade Agreement, we are truly embracing a successful policy that will advance our Nation's interests and goals of achieving a more open and cooperative Vietnam. Let us stay the course. Please vote against this resolution.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3645, the Veterans Health Care and Procurement Improvement Act of 2002, as reported, deserves the support of every Member of this House. When enacted, H.R. 3645 will improve the delivery of important benefits to veterans, expedite the process associated with enhanced use of VA assets and improve the cost- effectiveness of VA procurement of medical and surgical items resulting in wiser and more effective use of taxpayer dollars to provide medical care to our Nation's veterans. Other key provisions of this bill add or strengthen benefits for certain Filipino veterans or for U.S. former prisoners of war. As the author of H.R. 3645, I appreciate and recognize the cooperation and assistance provided by the Chairman of our Committee, Chris Smith, in guiding H.R. 3645 through Committee consideration. I am also grateful to the Chairman and Ranking Member of our Health Subcommittee, Jerry Moran and Bob Filner, for their conscientious efforts to improve H.R. 3645. Their contributions are both welcome and appreciated. I also appreciate the work and contributions of other Members and staff from both sides of the aisle. Last year, VA reportedly spent approximately $1.5 billion on medical supplies and prosthetics. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General has repeatedly documented inefficient and wasteful procurement of medical supplies and prosthetics by VA. Sporadic and uncoordinated purchasing practices do not allow VA to leverage its significant purchasing power to obtain the best prices for the government. The result is chronic over spending for items VA could buy at lower costs; diminished accountability for items purchased locally; and limited availability of cost effective health-care items. The procurement reforms in H.R. 3645 will unquestionably result in procurement cost savings for VA when fully implemented. The Congressional Budget Office agrees this provision will save scarce VA and taxpayer dollars. Last May, VA's Office of the Inspector General (VA IG) published an evaluation of VA purchasing practices that found a pressing need for reform. That evaluation identified numerous deficiencies in current purchasing practices and linked the cause of deficiencies to an earlier decision not to require health-care item purchases from the cost- effective Federal Supply Schedule (FSS). By eliminating the mandate for FSS procurements, VA decentralized the contracting and procurement process. This provided a financial incentive for many vendors of health-care items to remove their products from the FSS and to seek product sales in generally more profitable local markets. The VA IG found that local-market purchases had proliferated, often under contracts without the advantage of audit requirements or most- favored customer pricing for the government. Some much ballyhooed success in local purchases of health-care items were overshadowed by many other, less efficient, local contracts. In June 2001, Secretary Principi created an internal task force to evaluate the procurement system and recommend improvements. Earlier this year, in May 2002, VA issued the Procurement Reform Task Force Report. The report recognized the need for a hierarchical approach to purchasing by using supply schedules or blanket purchase agreements to procure most of its medical supplies. The approach would share some of the characteristics from the oft-praised approach VA takes to purchasing pharmaceuticals. The approach used for the National Drug Formulary ensures that VA closely assesses all the medications within a drug class and makes educated purchases for its facilities based on both the price and the quality of each pharmaceutical in that class. The savings from the National Drug Formulary approach is now estimated at over $200 million annually. While VA supports the goal of procurement reform, it wants to use its own unidentified means to ensure that it makes better use of its purchasing power. My concern is that VA will slow walk its own effort through by allowing the vital savings that would accrue to its financially ailing health care system to slip through its fingers. Mr. Speaker, I believe the time for enacting needed VA procurement reform legislation is now. As I noted before, H.R. 3645 contains numerous provisions. One of these provisions authorizes health care benefits to Filipino veterans. While this provision has long-standing bipartisan support, it has been championed by one Member, Bob Filner. At Bob's request, as then Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, I conducted a hearing near San Diego on the importance of providing Filipino veterans health care services. I commend the dogged determination of the Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee, Bob's Filner, for his work in attempting to win health and benefits parity for certain Filipino veterans. I have long supported his efforts and am pleased the health benefits are included in the legislation. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Chairman Smith and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee for a true collaboration on the measure before us today. This measure reflects the best of the bipartian tradition of the House Committee on Veteran' Affairs. I urge all Members to support H.R. 3645, as amended.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of H.R. 3214, the AMVETS Charter Amendment Act, I am pleased this important measure has been considered and favorably reported by the Committee on Judiciary. This measure amends the AMVETS charter to bring the charter into conformance with current practices. It deserves the support of every Member. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the gentleman from Florida, Mike Bilirakis, for his leadership on this issue. As the author of H.R. 3214, Mike Bilirakis has been a strong and committed advocate for H.R. 3214 and his efforts in large measure are responsible for this important legislation being considered by the House today. Again, I urge all of my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 3214, the AMVETS Charter Amendment Act.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, today's seniors increasingly depend on prescription drugs to live healthy lives. But with prescription drug prices skyrocketing, medication is out-of-reach for too many of our Nation's seniors. All too often, we hear of seniors on tight budgets who are forced to choose between medication and their next meal. Congress must ensure that all seniors have access to afforable prescription drug coverage, but the plan that the Republicans have offered falls short. A voluntarily benefit added to Medicare would guarantee all seniors access to affordable coverage. I support a plan that provides a voluntary, guaranteed, defined benefit under the Medicare program. A Medicare prescription drug plan would leave nothing to surprise. Seniors would know how much to expect to pay in premiums and co-payments. All seniors would be eligible to participate. Moreover, this plan would allow Medicare to negotiate the same price breaks for Medicare beneficiaries that are currently enjoyed by other large scale buyers like HMOs and insurance companies. The Republican plan is riddled with flaws. First, it is not a Medicare benefit, rather it relies on private insurers who have already made clear that they have no intention of providing drug only plans to Medicare beneficaries. Second, the Republican proposal falls to rein in the high costs of prescription drugs for seniors. Private insurers will not be limited to what they may charge Medicare beneficiaries and will do little to reduce the high out-of-pocket costs that seniors already pay. Third, the GOP plan will only create more hardships for seniors who will be forced to jump through the hoops of their private insurer and be subjected to limited power provider and drug choices.

Mr. EVANS

Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Amanda Schaecher, who deserves our thanks and recognition for her efforts to make sure our troops and veterans are not forgotten. When Amanda was crowned Miss Henry County Fair, she had no specific cause to promote or project for which she wanted to raise funds. But following the terrorist attacks of September 11, a cause found her. She has used whatever resources were at her disposal as queen to help our troops and veterans. Last November, in honor of Veteran's Day, Amanda printed special certificates of recognition which she presented, along with an American flag, to more than 50 veterans residing in nursing homes and independent living centers in Henry County. Just before Christmas, she launched an ongoing project to encourage contributions to the USO, so current troops overseas are not forgotten. She has recorded public service announcements for local radio stations and placed a public service ad in the Kewanee Star Courier newspaper and taped up posters at various locations around Henry County. Earlier this year, when she heard the Kewanee National Guard unit would not be able to hold its annual fundraiser at its armory because of heightened security precautions, she arranged for it to be held at Wethersfield High School. There are many examples of patriotism and service in the aftermath of Sept. 11. Amanda Schaecher exemplifies those values. The time, talent and energy she has given cannot be calculated--they are priceless. Our veterans and military personnel have no better friend and supporter than Amanda. I am proud and honored to recognize her tireless and extraordinary efforts. I Join the entire community and America's veterans and military personnel in thanking and honoring Amanda.

Mr. EVANS

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

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