Bob Filner

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), a great supporter of veterans in our Nation. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1293) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues' total support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER

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 H.R. 3219, as amended, and urge my colleagues to unanimously support the bill.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to one of our dynamic new members of our committee, Mrs. Halvorson of Illinois.

Mr. FILNER. I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3219) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to insurance and health care, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. FILNER. I thank the Speaker, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of passage of this bill, the Veterans' Insurance Health Care Improvement Act of 2009, H.R. 3219. This important legislation was assembled with the help of many members of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, without whose efforts this bill would not have been possible. I'm surprised to see my friend, Mr. Stearns, managing the bill, having just railed against nationalization of health care, which is not what the Obama plan has, but then he's a great supporter of the veterans' health system, which I think may come under his definition. So I'm pleased that he supports so strongly the Veterans Administration health care system, which is nationalized care, but I wish he would support Mr. Obama's health care plan, which has nothing to do with nationalization. But I want to recognize and applaud the outstanding effort of especially two dynamic members on the committee who sponsored major insurance provisions of the bill under consideration. Mrs. Halvorson of Illinois sponsored the Families of Veterans Financial Security Act, H.R. 2774, which has become section 101 of this bill. And Mrs. Kirkpatrick of Arizona sponsored the Veterans and Service Members Accelerated Benefit Option Equity Act of 2009, H.R. 2988, which is now section 103 of this bill. These measures represent commonsense yet critical insurance provisions intended to ensure that our veterans, servicemembers and their families who have insurance-related needs receive the full measure of the benefit offered and that the survivors have ample replacement income to meet their needs. All of the provisions would give veterans and servicemembers greater flexibility in their insurance choices, and, consequently, greater peace of mind. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office reports that none of the bills would increase Federal direct spending for veterans' insurance programs. And I want to applaud, also, the chairman of our Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee on these measures, Mr. Hall of New York, for his leadership on these measures. The legislation further provides for a wide variety of health care improvements in recognition of veterans who have sacrificed so much for the safety and freedom of the Nation. It enhances the lives of the Nation's veterans, from World War II to the current conflicts. Other members also contributed to the health care provisions of this, and I want to thank them for their efforts. For example, Mr. Mitchell of Arizona, who wrote H.R. 1197, the Medal of Honor Health Care Equity Act of 2009, which assigns a higher priority status for VA hospital care and medical services for veterans who are recipients of the Medal of Honor. Another provision by Mr. Hare of Illinois, H.R. 1302, would establish a position of director of physician assistant services within the Office of the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health. And Mrs. Halvorson from Illinois also sponsored H.R. 1335, which would prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled from non-service- connected causes and have income above the means tested level. Mr. McNerney from California sponsored H.R. 1546, the Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act, and that has been incorporated to establish a committee on the care of veterans with traumatic brain injury to assess the VA's ability to treat and rehabilitate veterans with TBI--that is traumatic brain injury--and to provide recommendations on how to more effectively treat these veterans. Mr. Nye of Virginia introduced H.R. 2926, which was incorporated into the bill to provide hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicides and also veterans of the Persian Gulf War. Mr. Buyer's bill, H.R. 2270, would establish a compensation fund for all civilian groups who are given veteran status under the G.I. Bill Improvement Act of 1977, and that is also in the bill. And finally, we have a bill introduced by Mr. Teague of New Mexico to waive the housing loan fee for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities called to active service. So I want to thank all of the members of our committee who've worked so hard to put together the important legislation we are considering today, and I hope my colleagues will support H.R. 3219 as amended Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I recently introduced legislation (H.R. 3248) intended to simplify the charitable giving rules for automobile donations. As you know, in 2004, Congress enacted legislation that imposed new reporting requirements on individuals and charities for automobile donations. This legislation has had the unintended consequence of reducing the number of automobiles donated to charities in my district. The corresponding loss in revenue and reduction in services offered by these charities has hurt the San Diego region. To correct this situation, my bill will exempt certain charities from the reporting requirements of the 2004 law. My bill is targeted only to those charities that operate ``in-house'' vehicle donation programs and that retain at least 80% of the proceeds from their vehicle donation programs. I invite my colleagues to join me as co-sponsors of this legislation to simplify the vehicle donation process for charitable organizations across the United States.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 531, I was unable to vote, as I was in New York to receive an award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. I thank Mr. Duncan for bringing us this wonderful story of Bill Tallent, and I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 402. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this naming bill comes to us from the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan). He is a great supporter of veterans and of this Nation, and I am going to leave it to him to explain what Mr. Tallent has done to deserve this honor. I reserve the balance of my time.

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 to include extraneous material on H.R. 402.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 402) to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the ``William C. Tallent Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic''.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. I yield back the balance of my time.

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 H.R. 1037, as amended.

Mr. FILNER. I have no further speakers and am prepared to yield back.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1037) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a five-year pilot project to test the feasibility and advisability of expanding the scope of certain qualifying work-study activities under title 38, United States Code, as amended.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity of the Veterans' Committee, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota, for introducing this bill, the Pilot College Work Study Programs for Veterans Act of 2009. It would direct the VA to conduct a 5-year pilot project to expand on existing work study activities for student veterans to participate in work study positions in academic departments and in student services. As this committee's chairman and a former university professor, I understand the financial hurdles of paying for college and strongly support all methods to make education more affordable for our brave veterans. This legislation provides an additional avenue for student veterans to help pay for college and places them on a par with other students in the same financial situation. Furthermore, these new work study positions would provide student veterans with much needed job skills that they can use in their professional career. Our chairwoman, Ms. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, will be speaking on this bill, and I urge all our colleagues to join me in reaffirming our country's commitment to our veterans by supporting this H.R. 1037. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. I would yield as much time as she may consume to our dynamic chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Ms. Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on rollcall 536, I was unable to vote, as I was in New York to receive an award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on rollcall 535, I was unable to vote, as I was in New York to receive an award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on rollcall 533, I was unable to vote, as I was in New York to receive an award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''