Bob Filner

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, with all the huffing and puffing, I am glad the minority ranking member supports the bill. Let me remind people what this bill is all about. It is about our veterans. It is about our veterans. A DOD study after Vietnam found in fact that 15 percent of veterans with severe traumatic brain injury, TBI, developed epilepsy soon after their injury. We know how many TBI victims we have from Iraq and Afghanistan. So as more and more veterans move from DOD health care to the VA health care system, the VA must be prepared to treat TBI and epilepsy. The Epilepsy Centers of Excellence in this bill by Mr. Perlmutter of Colorado would function as centers of research on the diagnosis, treatment and long-term effects of epilepsy. It gives the VA the tools to provide to veterans with epilepsy the quality of care that they deserve. I join my ranking member in urging my colleagues to support H.R. 2818, as amended. General Leave

Mr. FILNER. I am the closing speaker on our side, Mr. Speaker, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Before I yield to my colleague on the committee, I just want to point out to the 25 million veterans of our Nation, 100 million people who constitute their families, all of this Nation who cares about health care for our veterans, the benefits for our veterans, all of those who understand that this war is costing us enormous personal tragedies, brain injuries, amputations, psychological wounds, that we have millions of veterans from earlier wars who are suffering, need help from the VA. All of that health care, all of that concern for the VA has been called by my colleague, the ranking member from Indiana, ``filling the time.'' I am happy to fill the time with bills that refer to the health and well-being of all our veterans, whether from this war or from earlier wars. I would yield such time as she may consume to a very important member of our committee for 16 years, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown).

Mr. FILNER. Would the gentleman yield?

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to the gentleman from Colorado, I heard the gentleman from Indiana object to the naming bills. I guess that would be a unanimous consent request to tell Mr. Hastings from Washington, Mr. Miller from Florida, Mr. Fortuno from Puerto Rico and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen from Florida that he doesn't want to hear their bills. That is what I heard. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Salazar).

Mr. FILNER. Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, clause 1 of rule XVII says: ``A member is required to confine himself or herself to the question under debate,'' which is the establishment of epilepsy centers in this country, ``and may not stray from the subject under discussion. If so, a Member may be subject to a point of order that his or her remarks are not relevant to the debate.'' And I raise that as a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I'm prepared to close, and I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1098 to support the goals and ideals of the Year of the American Veteran. This resolution encourages the American people to recognize and acknowledge the sacrifices the American veteran demonstrates in the name of freedom; encourages the education of the American people on the many great contributions of the American veteran to American society; and supports the goals and ideals of the Year of the American Veteran. The Commission on the Future for America's veterans has designated 2008 as the ``Year of the American Veteran,'' and today we are joining them in remembering our veterans. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution, and for us to strive together to remember our veterans not only this year, but in the years and decades to come. Mr. Speaker, I would say that George Washington over 220 years ago had it right when he said the most important factor in the morale of our fighting troops is the sense of how they are going to be treated when they come home. So we have a job to do for the veterans not only of this war, but of all the previous wars that we have carried out. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. I urge my colleagues to join our committee unanimously to support House Resolution 1231.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Resolution 1231.

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

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, yesterday the GAO sustained a protest filed by Boeing Company over the Air Force's decision to award a lucrative contract for aerial refueling tankers to a team led by Northrop Grumman and the European firm behind Airbus. GAO's decision followed a 100-day review of the Air Force's selection process for the $35 billion tanker program. In the decision, GAO recommended that the Air Force reopen discussions with the contractors, obtain revised proposals and make a new decision. The Air Force was also directed to reimburse Boeing for the cost of the protest. I am very pleased, as many Members of this body are, as millions of people across America are, and we hope the Air Force completely rebids the contract. But this opens a whole bigger issue that we ought to be discussing. We need to step back, take a look at the bigger picture--the impact of the Defense Department contract outsourcing on American jobs. As we know, the American economy was founded with a base of manufacturing jobs. Today, it is still those jobs that keep the economy strong. Right now the stock market is down, the dollar is down, unemployment numbers are up. It doesn't take a Harvard MBA to see our economy is faltering because of the erosion of manufacturing jobs. Let's keep our jobs in America!

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on rollcall 388, I was unable to vote because I away from the Capitol region in my capacity as Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on rollcall 389, I was unable to vote because I was away from the Capitol region in my capacity as Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on rollcall 390, I was unable to vote because I was away from the Capitol region in my capacity as Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 373, I was unable to vote because of pressing business with my constituents in my home district. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Chairman, on rollcall 376, I was unable to vote because of delays in my air travel. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. Matheson

Mr. FILNER. Madam Chairman, on rollcall 375, I was unable to vote because of delays in my air travel. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Welch of Vermont

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 379, I was unable to vote because of delays in my air travel. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER. Madam Chairman, on rollcall 377, I was unable to vote because of delays in my air travel. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 371, I was unable to vote because of pressing business with my constituents in my home district. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 370, I was unable to vote because of pressing business with my constituents in my home district. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 372, I was unable to vote because of pressing business with my constituents in my home district. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''