Bob Filner

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 685, I was on official business outside the national capital region in my capacity as Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the committee for doing so much for veterans in this bill. And I want to add my thanks to Congressman Young from Florida. He and his wife, Beverly, have been an incredible inspiration. So we want to say on the record from our side of the aisle how much we appreciate you and your wife's efforts on behalf of our veterans. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, what this bill does and what our previous bills that we have passed here, the continuing resolution that we've had for this year, the supplemental for the war, added more than 30 percent to the health care budget from last year for the health care of our veterans. That's an unprecedented increase, and it comes at a time when we have unprecedented needs. So your work, Mr. Chairman, has been incredible for all of the veterans and their families in this Nation. No matter where we stand on the war, and there's a lot of divisiveness in this House about the war, we are united in saying, through this bill, that when every young man and woman comes back from Iraq or Afghanistan, they are going to get all the love, the care, the attention, the dignity, the honor that a Nation can bestow; and we are committed to that. And we are committed, not only to those veterans who are just coming back, but to those who are with us from World War II, from Korea, from Vietnam, from the first Persian Gulf war. We're going to take care of them all. We do not think that the problem with the Veterans' Administration is that there are too many veterans. We think we have to get the resources into the VA, and then have the accountability that it's spent wisely. We have an administration that says, support the troops, support the troops, support the troops; but when they come home, as we have seen in Walter Reed and other places, too many times they're on their own. They slip through the cracks. Virtually everyone who comes back from this war has evidence of either brain injury or PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and we simply don't have the resources to treat them. There are waiting lists. There are people told to call back, go home. We had a young Marine in Minnesota who went to his hospital because he thought he had PTSD because he was thinking of suicide. What happened? He was told he was 28th on the waiting list, to go home. And he went home and committed suicide. That is a crime and we are not going to commit those crimes on our returning heroes. We are going to look at not only the brain injuries, not only the PTSD, but to make sure the backlog of pension disability claims is taken down to zero, where it's now at 600,000. We've got a lot of work to do. We've got a lot of work to handle all these heroes from World War II to the present, and with your budget, Mr. Chairman, we're going to be able to do this. We thank you. And we're going to work to get the accountability and the work done that lets these heroes know that their Nation is worthy of their sacrifice.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support H. Con. Res. 168, legislation that I have just introduced, which urges the President to authorize the return of two church bells, currently on display at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, to the people of the Philippines. I am introducing the resolution today, June 12th, because of the historical significance of this date to 85 million Filipinos. It is the 109th yearly celebration of Philippine Independence from Spain. The introduction of this resolution will bring hope for the return of the church bells, especially to the parishioners of Balangiga. It was a result of a conflict, between Filipino and American soldiers in 1901 in the town of Balangiga on the island of Samar, Philippines, that the bells in the Balangiga church were taken to the United States as war trophies where they have been on display ever since at F.E. Warren Air Force Base. I am introducing this resolution because of a vote by the Wyoming Veterans Commission in favor of the return of the bells to the church in Balangiga. The citizens of Balangiga have erected a memorial that includes the names of the Filipino and American soldiers who lost their lives in the 1901 incident, and the town honors these war dead, both those from the Philippines and those from America, on September 28 each year. Filipino people have requested the return of the bells to the original setting in the Balangiga Parish where they could ring again, after 106 years of muteness, as a symbol of this bond. The acts of conflict that surrounded the Bells of Balangiga are not consistent with the friendship that is an integral part of the relationship between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States. Filipino soldiers have fought side by side with American troops in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, and the bells should more properly serve as a symbol of friendship and not of conflict. For this reason, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 168.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I object.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize and honor the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 70 for receiving the Volunteer Dedication Award given by The San Diego-Imperial Counties, AFL-CIO. NALC Branch 70 was chartered in 1970, and has had a tradition of volunteering for charities, food drives, and legislative actions. Unfortunately, due to the Hatch Act of 1939, the working letter carrier was prevented from taking any significant volunteer role in partisan political campaigns until 1993 when the Hatch Act was reformed. NALC Branch 70, the United States Postal Service (USPS), along with the help of many other unions work together every year (on the 2nd Saturday of May) to collect food from our customers for those in our communities who are in need. This year will mark the 15th anniversary of the NALC Food Drive. In 1982 the NALC Branch 70 and the USPS established a national program called Carrier Alert, of which Branch 70 is a member. This program, in simple terms, allows elderly and disabled customers to sign up for special attention from their letter carriers. When letter carriers suspect there is trouble they report it. One phone call could save a life; and in fact, lives have been saved through this program. The neighborhood letter carrier is always eager to help monitor the well-being of their customers. It is what letter carriers across the Nation do every day, with or without a formal program. NALC Branch 70 and the USPS once a year also work with the Lions Club International by collecting eye glasses which are used to distribute to the poor throughout the world and was awarded the International Order of The Lion in 2005 by the Lions Club. NALC Branch 70 understands it is not just about working together to help their own union, but working together with others so that everyone can have a better life. This is why the NALC Branch 70 is such a proud and distinguished member of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Nico Ferraro, who is being honored as the ``Labor Leader of the Year'' by The San Diego- Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Nico was initiated into the union on June 15, 1971, and knew it was for him. He went on to serve a five-year steamfitter apprenticeship with the United Local 638 in New York City. His urge to travel and see the country continually took him to several western states until he eventually landed in San Diego. Nico's political activism caught the attention of Local 230's officers and he was elected to the Executive Board in 1989. In 1992, he was elected as the Pipefitter Business Representative and served in that capacity until his appointment to Business Manager in 1997. As Local 230's Business Manager, Nico represents the various divisions of the 1600 member local union in many ways. He is a Trustee to the pension and welfare funds, the Secretary to the Joint Apprenticeship Committee, President of the Southern California Pipe Trades District Council #16, President of the San Diego Building Trades, a member of the Board of Directors of the National City Park Apartments' 460 unit complex, built and managed by the Building Trades since 1968, and an Executive Board member to the Central Labor Council. One of Nico's proudest positions was serving on the Board of Directors of the Construction Tech Academy from 2002 to 2006. The academy is a uniquely designed High School dedicated to Construction, Architecture, and Engineering. The San Diego Building Trades honored Nico as the John Lyons Labor Leader of the Year in 2000. In his role as Business Manager, Nico is focused on organizing, training, and political action. He is dedicated to improving the wages, pension and working conditions of his membership and demonstrating to all of San Diego the benefits of union membership. He has spoken on the record before the Industrial Welfare Commission. Nico is involved in all aspects of the Labor movement. He has had numerous pro-union letters to various editors of San Diego newspapers published. To enhance his career as a union officer, Nico enrolled in the Labor Studies Program at San Diego City College. He completed the program in 1994 and continued his studies, earning a Business and Labor Studies Degree and graduating with honors in June 2000. California Governor Gray Davis further honored Nico by appointing him to the Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Board, where he was asked to determine the wages, work hours and working conditions for the mining, drilling and construction industries. Nico Ferraro truly has been an inspiration to all of San Diego.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ed Mattas, who is being honored with the ``Community Service Award'' by The San Diego- Imperial Counties Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. After graduating from Kearney High School in San Diego, California, Ed started his Union career with Hazard Products in 1981. When Hazard closed their manufacturing plant in 1985, he moved on to RCP Block and Brick. While at RCP Block and Brick, Ed served as the Shop Steward. Ed was then elected as Trustee to Teamsters Local 36 in 2001 and was appointed Vice President in 2006. He was hired as the Training Director for the San Diego County Construction Teamsters in 2002. Along with the job came a tractor trailer that is funded by Teamsters Locals 36, 481, 542, and 683. These Locals have made it easy for him to make the Teamster truck available for volunteer projects whenever possible. Ed and his students have helped in many events in San Diego and Southern California. These events include the Postal Food Drive, the Christmas food and toy distribution, providing the hauling for the Trail of Hope Charity to the Apache Indians, many projects in assisting the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo, and helping to transfer food from the San Diego Food Bank to many needy organizations. Ed Mattas truly has been an inspiration to all of San Diego.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Stater Bros. Markets chain for receiving the ``Spirit of Cooperation Award'' recently presented by the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Stater Bros. Markets traces its beginnings back to a small grocery store on West Yucaipa Boulevard in Yucaipa, California. Twin brothers Cleo and Leo Stater purchased the original Stater Bros. Market with a $600 down payment, and opened for business on August 17, 1936. By the close of the 1940s, the Stater Bros. had expanded the chain to 12 locations, with 225 employees. During the 1950s, Stater Bros. Markets had almost doubled to include 23 locations in the counties of San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles. In 1960, the company began the operation of a construction business. This new division acted as a general contractor and became responsible for all planning, supervision and construction of new stores and other facilities. In 1979, scanning was introduced in the stores and during this time there was a significant growth and expansion for the company. During the 1970s, the number of store locations more than doubled to a total of 83 supermarkets. The year of 1980 was the largest calendar year of growth for the company, with 10 supermarkets opening. In 1982, Stater Bros. launched its first television advertising campaign. In 1999, Stater Bros. acquired 43 additional supermarket locations, which included 33 former Albertson's Supermarkets and 10 former Lucky Supermarkets. Ten of the new locations were in San Diego County, giving Stater Bros. its first presence in the area of my Congressional District. By the year 2004, Stater Bros. had been awarded the ``Supermarket Retailer of the Year'' twice, by the Progressive Grocer in 2001 and the Grocery Headquarters Magazine in 2004. In 2005, Stater Bros. made the ``Fortune 500'' list for the first time and was the only Inland Empire headquartered company to make the list. Today, Stater Bros. is the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain in Southern California with annual sales in 2006 of $3.5 billion. They are highly deserving of the recognition that they are receiving from our very distinguished labor council and an excellent, corporate community partner.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution (H. Res. 444) supporting the goals and ideals of National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day. This resolution is intended to honor the invaluable contributions of Charles Edward Taylor, the father of aviation maintenance, and to recognize the essential role of aviation maintenance technicians in ensuring the safety and security of civil and military aircraft. As you may know, Charles Edward Taylor, who built and maintained the engine that was used to power the Wright brothers' first controlled flying machine, was born on May 24, 1868. Forty-five U.S. States have already declared May 24 to be Aviation Maintenance Technician Day within their jurisdictions. My resolution is intended to support these efforts, and honor aviation maintenance technicians, including Charles Edward Taylor.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Safety, Efficiency and Accountability in Transportation Projects through Public Inspection Act of 2007 (H.R. 2485). This bill would require public employees to perform the inspection and related essential public functions on all state and local transportation projects. My bill is intended to ensure that public safety is protected, transportation funds are not wasted and projects are delivered in a timely manner. On transportation projects, the construction inspector is the eyes, ears and voice of the public. Inspectors ensure that construction and seismic standards are met, that projects meet safety requirements and that the materials used will stand the test of time. In short, inspectors are there to ensure that the motoring public gets what they pay for and public safety and the public interest are protected. When the construction inspection function is outsourced to a private company, there is no longer a representative of the public on the job site. In this circumstance, one private company is charged with the task of inspecting the work of another private company. This creates multiple conflicts for the private inspector. First, the private inspectors' primary obligation and responsibility is not to the public, but to the success and profitability of his company. Because the private construction company whose work they are inspecting on one project may be a business partner on a future project, private inspectors may also feel pressure from the private contractor to take steps that ensure larger profits for both firms. I am concerned that these conflicts have led private inspectors to cut corners and overlook problems that threaten public safety, increase costs and delay projects. There are many examples in which public safety has been threatened by the use of private inspectors, including Boston's ``Big Dig'' (where a concrete slab from a tunnel ceiling fell and killed a woman), the L.A. Redline subway (Hollywood Blvd. collapsed), the 8-805 Interchange in San Diego (10,000 defective welds on a seismic retrofit), the Connecticut I-84 project (hundreds of drains that lead nowhere). Contracting out public inspection work also does not save money. Defective work requires extensive repairs, and inevitably, the taxpayer gets stuck with the bill. Comparative studies have also found that contracting-out engineering, design, and inspection costs more than to do this work in-house, and none of these studies found that consultant engineers were less expensive. Factors that contribute to consultants' excessive costs include the lack of competitive bidding, cost-plus provisions in contracts, salary differentials between the private and public sectors, profit margins of from 10 percent to 15 percent, and additional costs connected with selecting and supervising consultants. Failure to have public construction inspectors has also delayed projects in the past and will undoubtedly do so in the future. One such example is the privately inspected $12 million carpool bridge connecting the San Diego (405) and the Costa Mesa (55) Freeways. The project was to have been completed in April 2003. However, work was halted in August 2002 when chunks of concrete were falling from the structure and many cracks were noticed. Contractor and private inspector errors were later discovered and the carpool ramp did not open until January 2005. The public and the Federal Government understand what's at stake. In a 2006 California public opinion poll, 71 percent of those surveyed said they want State engineers to inspect the construction of State highways; only 20 percent found private firms acceptable for the task. David M. Walker, the Comptroller General of the United States, said in a recent interview: ``There's something civil servants have that the private sector doesn't, and that is the duty of loyalty to the greater good--the duty of loyalty to the collective best interest of all rather than the interest of a few. Companies have duties of loyalty to their shareholders, not to the country.''

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to bring to the floor a bipartisan bill authored by Congressman Salazar of Colorado with Congressman Lamborn of Colorado. It establishes a veterans cemetery in El Paso County, Colorado. Southern Colorado, which includes El Paso, Colorado, and the city of Colorado Springs, has the second highest concentration of veterans living in the United States. Currently those veterans and their families who wish either to visit a veterans cemetery or have their loved ones interred must travel into the Denver metropolitan area to Fort Logan National Cemetery. Not only is this an undue burden, but the Fort Logan cemetery is running out of room. To alleviate this problem, H.R. 1660 directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in El Paso County, Colorado. This was a fitting tribute to those Americans who have served our Nation with honor. The veterans national cemeteries of the United States demonstrate the desire of a grateful Nation to appropriately commemorate those who have served in the Armed Forces. Since 1862, close to 3 million burials have been made in the VA national cemeteries. The National Cemetery Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs manages 125 of these cemeteries nationwide for our veterans. Of these, 58 of them are no longer accepting interments. Thus, the need to build new cemeteries is quite urgent. As we lose more and more of our greatest generation of veterans and face the increasing prospects of additional fatalities of Iraq, this country, at the very least, needs to ensure that veterans are provided a dignified, accessible and well-maintained final resting spot. This bill would go a long way in making that happen. It is supported by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans of America. I was proud to see the bipartisan approach taken by two members of our committee, Mr. Salazar and Mr. Lamborn, to make sure that this bill got through the committee. They both worked cooperatively and tirelessly to get this bill to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the coauthor of the bill, Mr. Salazar of Colorado, as much time as he may consume.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, we have criteria, as the gentleman stated, in the VA; and, if the need requires, we will establish the criteria for Members' requests.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to another gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) such time as he may consume.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1660, as amended.

Mr. FILNER. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 612) to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period of eligibility for health care for combat service in the Persian Gulf War or future hostilities from two years to five years after discharge or release, as amended.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, not all of the returning veterans from the OEF/OIF suffer from obvious wounds. Those who suffer from an external injury are readily identified and receive immediate care for that injury. However, many of our returning veterans, and on this I include, Mr. Speaker, Guard and Reserve units who have been ordered to combat, are coming back with injuries that are not external. They are hidden wounds of the war, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, forms of brain injury, which may not be evident without further diagnosis, which may not be evident to the soldier or to the doctor looking at him. Unlike the physical wounds, mental wounds are not easily identified and may go undetected. PTSD is a mental health condition that is triggered by a traumatic event which causes an intense fear and/or helplessness. Some of the symptoms for this condition include reexperiencing the trauma through nightmares, obsessive thoughts, flashbacks. We know that this condition may not reveal itself for many months or maybe for years after experiencing the event. We listened to veterans, veteran service organizations, family members, and we heard them say that their returning veterans needed more time to access the VA health care system when they came home from war. Conditions like PTSD and traumatic brain injury are the driving force behind this bill, the Returning Servicemember VA Healthcare Insurance Act of 2007. It extends from 2 years to 5 years following discharge or release the eligibility period for veterans. And, as I said, we include Guard and Reserve units all those who served in combat during or after the Persian Gulf War are eligible to receive hospital care, medical services, or nursing home care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. It provides for an additional 3 years of eligibility for veterans discharged more than 5 years before the enactment of this act who may not have enrolled in the VA health care system. This system is recognized throughout the country, and indeed the world, as providing safe quality health care to our veterans. Two years was simply not enough time for returning OEF/OIF veterans to utilize this very important benefit. We are fixing that with this piece of legislation. It is a bill that will have a profound effect most immediately on our veterans returning from war. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member for his helpful amendment to this bill. As I said earlier, this is a very important bill to thousands and thousands of returning veterans. They have basically unfettered access to one of the best health care systems in the world without going through a lot of red tape, without going through a lot of paperwork to prove that they are eligible. They will have 5 years. And it is most important for our Reserve and Guard units, who are not eligible for the benefit structure of the VA system. They are not eligible for most of the benefits of the GI bill. And we are trying to make an effort to bring them in under the VA benefits under what we call ``total force structure.'' So this bill is important to thousands of people, those that are coming back from the Marines or Army and those that are in the Guard and Reserve units. All of them now will have 5 years where these hidden injuries, brain injury, or post-traumatic stress disorder may become evident, and they may seek help. Now they will be able to do it without any of the bureaucratic entanglements. And I think this will have a remarkable impact on the lives of our Nation's veterans. And I will tell you, as George Washington said more than 200 years ago, ``The morale of our fighting troops is dependent, most of all, on how they feel they're going to be treated when they come home.'' When they know they will have 5 years to come to the VA, they will know that a Nation is caring for them and is responsive to their needs.

Mr. FILNER. I would ask, Mr. Speaker, 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. 612, as amended.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1470) to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We are continuing with a packet of seven bills from the Veterans' Affairs Committee that is really a thank-you in prelude to Memorial Day, a thank-you to our Nation's veterans. Memorial Day is a tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. What we are saying is we're honoring them and all our veterans who are living with us in the United States. And as I said earlier, no matter where we are on the current debate on the war in Iraq, we are united in saying that every young woman, every young man who returns from that battle gets all the care, the attention, the love, the honor, the dignity that a grateful Nation can bestow. And that's what we are saying in these bills today. We have already passed a bill which extends from 2 years to 5 years the ability of any returning servicemember in combat to access the VA health care system. Two years was not sufficient for those who might have brain injuries, who might have PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder. These are, in many cases, hidden diseases. You don't know that you have it. A doctor may not diagnose it at first, and so as time goes by, you may feel the need to access the VA health care system. So we have extended that from 2 years to 5 years. In addition, we have passed a new outreach program to meet especially the needs of rural veterans, and we will continue this package in the hour ahead. Veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should be able to depend on medical services that they want being available in the system of health care that was built to take care of them and their unique needs. For those returning veterans seeking care in a VA health care system, we know that the most common health problems are under the category of musculoskeletal ailments, principally joint and back disorders. We hear a lot about brain injury and PTSD, and those we have to give a lot of resources to, but 42 percent of veterans coming to the health care system have been presented to the VA with the needs of joint and back disorders. This bill, the Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act, requires that chiropractic services be made available in not fewer than 75 VA medical centers by the end of December 2009 and all the health care centers by the end of 2011. Undoubtedly the returning servicemembers will be able to benefit from this care. I speak from experience as I have had chiropractic care a good part of my life. I am confident that with expansion of these services within VA, many veterans will be able to find relief from their pain. Since the creation of the VA health care system, the Nation's doctors of chiropractic have been kept outside and all but prevented from providing proven, cost-effective and needed care to veterans. So we are grateful that access is becoming wider and wider. The support for VA chiropractic service is bipartisan. Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi released a policy directive before his departure several years ago regarding the true and full integration of chiropractic care in the VA. Secretary Nicholson and I have developed a solid working relationship, and chiropractic care is an area where we will be working closely together. Both Republican and Democratic Members have supported the inclusion of chiropractic care in the VA. I have worked very closely with chiropractic patients, particularly our veterans, as well as with various associations dedicated to the profession such as the American Chiropractic Association. Veterans are returning home from combat expecting to receive needed services. Let us not disappoint them. Expansion of chiropractic services is the right thing to do, and it is the least we can do for our returning heroes. I urge support of H.R. 1470. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.