Bob Filner

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, since the creation of the Department of Veterans Affairs' health care system, the Nation's doctors of chiropractic have been, until recently, kept outside and all but prevented from providing proven, cost-effective and much-needed care to veterans--including many in need of the health care services that doctors of chiropractic are licensed to provide. A little history: Over the years, representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs have come before the House of Representatives Veterans' Affairs Committee and have insisted that chiropractic benefits are available to veterans and that no bias exists within the VA against the chiropractic profession. Access is becoming greater, and hopefully the bills I am introducing will not be necessary, but for all practical purposes, access to chiropractic care, until very recently, had been non-existent within the VA system. Chiropractic care was so seldom offered to veterans that it could have been fairly said to be a phantom benefit. Because of the track record of neglect, in recent years Congress enacted 3 separate statutes seeking to ensure veterans access to chiropractic care (Public Law 106-117, Public Law 107-135 and Public Law 108-170). The last of those statutes gave explicit authority to the VA to hire doctors of chiropractic as full-time employees. I'm proud to have worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help advance those initiatives. In addition, former VA Secretary Anthony Principi released policy directives before his departure regarding the true and full integration of chiropractic care within the VA, and it is beginning to happen, offered in more than 25 medical centers. But we must remain concerned until we see these polices firmly in place and working well in all VA treatment facilities. As insurance, the enactment of the legislation I propose will guarantee the right of a veteran to obtain this important service at the local VA without the cost and stumbling blocks of going through potentially hostile gatekeepers. I am proud to re-introduce a bill that former Congressman Jeb Bradley had introduced in the last session of Congress: H.R. 1470, the ``Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act,'' and to reintroduce my bill from the last session: H.R. 1471, the ``Better Access to Chiropractors to Keep Our Veterans Healthy Act (BACK Our Veterans Health Act).'' The first, H.R. 1470, requires that the provision of chiropractic services and care be phased in so that it will be provided at not fewer than 75 medical centers by December 31, 2009 and at all medical centers by December 31, 2011. Within five years, all veterans will have access to chiropractic care if and when they need it. The second, H.R. 1471, is designed to provide veterans with direct access to chiropractic care at VA hospitals and clinics. The measure directly prohibits discrimination among licensed health care providers by the VA when determining which services a patient needs. In developing these bills, I have worked closely with chiropractic patients, particularly our veterans, who know the benefits of chiropractic care and bear witness to the positive outcomes and preventative health benefits of chiropractic care. I also was pleased to work with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), the nation's largest chiropractic organization and the national voice of doctors of chiropractic and their patients. I have been told by the ACA that there are more than 60,000 doctors of chiropractic and in excess of 25 million chiropractic patients across America. Some of these doctors certainly should be directly available to our veterans. Finally, I am a chiropractic patient myself and have been greatly helped by chiropractic care for physical problems caused by an automobile accident. I hate to think that veterans do not have this same opportunity for relief from pain. A large number of all medical problems in the returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan--42 percent--are musculoskeletal injuries, which are injuries that are often directed to chiropractors. So the timing could not be better for passage of these bills. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting unimpeded access to chiropractic care throughout the veterans' health care system and help enact these measures.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, earlier his month the United States Coast Guard and the entire Coast Guard community lost a great friend and colleague with the retirement of Ms. C. ``Jeanne'' Timmons. Jeanne began her incredible career with the United States Government in May 1963, when she became a staffer to Congressman Victor Wickersham from her home State of Oklahoma. Over the next 26 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, she worked for Congressman Jack Flynt, Congressman Bob Sikes, Congressman Earl Hutto, and the House Coast Guard Subcommittee. In July 1989, Jeanne left the House to begin a new career with the United States Coast Guard, where she was able to utilize her expertise and passion to enhance recreational boating programs in our Nation. Her tenure with the Coast Guard has included various positions, all related to recreational boating safety. She has worked as a State Grant Regional Coordinator, the Chief of the State Affairs Branch, a Program Analyst, the Chief of the Program Management Division, and finally the Executive Director of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council. Throughout her career, Jeanne's invaluable knowledge and experience were a tremendous asset to Congress, the Coast Guard, and to the boating community as a whole. I take this opportunity to commend and thank Jeanne for her years of service in the United States Government and wish her good health and good luck in her future endeavors.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today, with my colleague John McHugh, to introduce The Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act (H.R. 1073). The purpose of this bill is simply to give law enforcement status to all Federal law enforcement officers! Many Federal officials--for example, the Border Patrol--are classified as ``law enforcement officers,'' for the purposes of determining salary and retirement benefits. But many other officers-- such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Inspectors, Veterans' Affairs Police Officers, U.S. Mint Police Officers, Internal Revenue Officers, and police officers in about two dozen other agencies--do not have equal pay and benefits status. The tragic irony, Mr. Speaker, is that the only time these officers are classified as law enforcement officers is when they are killed in the line of duty. Then their names are inscribed on the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial right here in Washington. Let me say that again. It is only when they are killed that they are called law enforcement officers, and that is a tragic irony. My district encompasses he entire California-Mexico border and is home to two of the busiest border crossings in the entire world, so I am very familiar with the work of our Nation's border inspectors. They wear bulletproof vests, they carry firearms, and, unfortunately, have to use them. Most importantly, these inspectors are subject to the same risks as other officers with whom they serve side-by-side. However, they are not eligible for early retirement and other benefits, which are designed to maintain a young and vigorous law enforcement workforce that we need to combat those who pose life-threatening risks to our society. The Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act will provide well-deserved pay and retirement benefits to the officers protecting our borders, our ports of entry, our military and veterans' installations and other sensitive government buildings. The costs of these benefits would likely be off-set by savings in training costs and increased revenue collection. The bill will also reduce turnover, increase yield, decrease recruitment and development costs and enhance the retention of a well-trained and experienced workforce. Madam Speaker, the simple fact is that these officers have dangerous jobs and deserve to be recognized as law enforcement officers, just like others with whom they serve, side by side, and who share the same level of risk. I encourage my colleagues to join me and Mr. McHugh in cosponsoring, the Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act. The valiant officers who protect us deserve no less!

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of this resolution. Let me just say, as Chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee of this House of Representatives, no matter where we stand on this war, no matter where we vote on this resolution, we are going to make sure that the brave young men and women who come home get all the care and all the support they need from a grateful Nation. We will show what support of the troops means when they do come home. Now, those who voted for the war back in 2002 are sometimes asked, Knowing then what you know now, how would you have voted? Well, Madam Speaker, we knew then what we know now, and we know now what you are going to know a year or two from now. Let me read to you what I said 4\1/2\ years ago when we had the debate on Iraq: ``I rise in opposition to this resolution to grant unilateral authority to the President. I cannot believe that the Members of this body are ceding our constitutional authority to this President. And they can give me all the fancy whereases and phrases and put all the fig leafs and write all the report language they want, but this is a blank check. This is a Gulf of Tonkin resolution. This is a violation not only of our Constitution but will lead to a violation of the U.N. charter. ``Wake up, my colleagues. Why would anyone vote to do that? That is not our constitutional responsibility. And when we vote on this resolution, will America be safer? No, I think America will be less safe. We will dilute the war against terrorism. The destabilization of the area will lead to the increased probability of terrorists getting nuclear weapons. Al Qaeda is probably cheering the passage of this resolution. Now is their chance to get more weapons.'' I said that then. Then we talked about the imminent threat. You guys threw the imminent threat at us. What a lie. And what are you saying now? We are emboldening our enemies and demoralizing our troops. I heard the word ``sabotage.'' I heard the word ``retreat.'' I will tell you what demoralizes our troops, my colleagues. What demoralizes our troops will be the failure to provide adequate health care when they get home. What demoralizes our troops is the story of just a couple weeks ago when a young marine went to a VA hospital in Minnesota suffering from PTSD, and they said, You have got to go on a waiting list. And this young man committed suicide. That is what demoralizes our troops. That is what we have to prevent here, and that is what we are working on to do. I said back in 2002: ``I have heard all my colleagues on the other side calling us appeasers, those who are going to vote against this resolution. We are wishful thinkers. We have our eyes closed. We sit on our hands.'' And, of course, now we want to cut and run. Well, I tell you, Madam Speaker, no one on this side is suggesting cutting and running. Making peace is hard work. Just ask Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ask Gandhi. Ask Nelson Mandela. They didn't cut and run. They were peacemakers. And they changed the history of this world. So let us not hear talk of retreat and sabotage and surrender. We want action for peace. We want it now, and we want the United States to be part of that action. I said also in 2002, Madam Speaker: ``There is a whiff of Vietnam in the air. I had a constituent call me and say, `You know, if you enjoyed Vietnam, you are really going to love Iraq.' The mail is running 10-1 against this war. Protests have already begun around the Nation and around the world.'' I said to the President then that ``you came to the office as a uniter, not a divider. Yet we have gone down the road to division in this Nation. You can see it. You can smell it. You can hear it. And we are going to get more. ``So let us not go further down that road, Mr. President. Rethink this policy. A country divided over war is not a country that is going to make any progress. Let us have a rethinking of this war.'' That is what I said in 2002. You guys didn't want to listen to us then. The President didn't want to listen to us then. You really should listen to us now and listen to the people of America who voted in 2006 to change this policy. Let us respond to the American people. Let us vote against escalation. Let us begin to bring the troops home. Vote ``yes'' on this resolution.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, in accordance with clause 2(a)(2) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, I respectfully submit the rules of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for printing in the Congressional Record. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs adopted these Rules by voice vote, with a quorum being present, at our organizational meeting on January 30, 2007. Rules of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, for the 110th Congress (Adopted January 30, 2007)

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, United States Army Staff Sergeant Richwell Arzadon Doria was killed by small-arms fire during the battle with the insurgents in Iraq on November 7, 2006. He was born on December 6, 1980 in Dagupan City, Philippines. He immigrated to the United States of America in 1991 and graduated from Samuel Morse High School in San Diego, California in 2000. He enlisted in the United States Army and completed the Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Georgia in 2001. He was naturalized as an American citizen in 2004. Staff Sergeant Doria was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He reported to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment and was assigned to Alpha Company. He participated in training exercises at the National Training Center, Pohakuloa Training Area, and Operation North Wind in Japan. In 2004, he deployed with the Cacti Battalion in support of the Operation Enduring Freedom V in Afghanistan and also served with the Cacti Battalion in Operation Iraqi Freedom V. While in Alpha Company, he served as a rifleman, M203 gunner, machine gun operator, team leader, and as a squad leader. SSG Doria was posthumously awarded the Army Commendation Medal with ``V'' device for valor. On November 1, 2006, his action saved the lives of his fellow soldiers following an insurgents attack. He was also posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, the fourth highest U.S. military award for gallantry in action and the Purple Heart for his courageous actions on November 7, 2006, when he made the ultimate sacrifice while covering for his fellow soldiers during an air assault and rescue mission in Iraq. He is survived by his wife, Jasmine; daughter, Jada; parents, Fred and Rose; sister, Rowena; aunts, Zenaida and Minda, and grandfather/ adopted father, Benito Doria. His last wish to be buried at the Eternal Gardens Memorial Park in Dagupan City, Philippines was fulfilled, complete with full military honors, 21-gun salute, and the American flag was presented to the grieving Doria family by BG Simeon G. Trombitas, who is the Commander of the U.S. Army's Special Operations Command in South Korea. U.S. Army SSG Richwell Arzadon Doria is a true hero and will forever remain in our hearts and memories for his bravery, dedication to duty, and service to the United States of America.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 521, a measure to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2633 11th Street in Rock Island, Illinois, as the ``Lane Evans Post Office Building.'' Indeed, I wholeheartedly support Congressman Phil Hare in his efforts to bring this measure to the floor today and I appreciate his quick actions on this matter. As many know, Mr. Hare was the District Director of Congressman Evans for many years and now represents the 17th district of Illinois himself, the district that Lane Evans represented for 24 years. Mr. Speaker, Lane Evans served with distinction in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1982; he was elected 12 times in a row by the good people of the 17th district of Illinois. Indeed, they proudly sent their best from the heartland America to serve America. Lane has always been a champion for working families, students, servicemembers, veterans and military families. He went to college and law school on the GI Bill and returned to Illinois to be a legal aid lawyer, representing the less fortunate among us. A Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam era and a senior member of both the House Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs Committees, Lane Evans's advocacy and record in the Congress on behalf of the military and veterans is admirable and unquestioned. There is no federal program for veterans which does not bear his mark of oversight and improvement. Simply put, veterans enjoy increased education benefits, improved health care access and services, a strengthened home loan program, judicial review of their benefits claims, additional opportunities for veteran-owned small businesses and a host of other improved and expanded benefits. No doubt such improvements are in no small measure due to Lane Evans's insistence that veterans be given the fair shake they earned in service to their country. Lane Evans made his mark on Congress and in the House Veterans' Affairs Committee right from the start by elevating concern for and promoting action on the issues affecting Vietnam veterans; specifically working to highlight post-traumatic stress disorder, the effects of Agent Orange and other herbicide exposure. He was also an outspoken advocate to address the problem of homelessness and substance abuse among veterans from the Vietnam era. Congressman Evans led the effort in Congress to increase education benefits in order to keep pace with the rising costs of higher education and restore purchasing power to the Montgomery GI Bill. He also worked to revise, update and improve veterans' employment counseling and job-search assistance systems, and has helped ensure adequate resources to provide dignified final resting places for the Nation's veterans. Perhaps what best sums up Lane Evans's character, drive and his service here in Congress, are his own words: Speaking on the Floor of the House of Representatives, he said: ``Our veterans--those returning from Iraq, those who scaled the cliffs above the beaches of Normandy, those who walked point in the jungles of Vietnam, those who survived the brutality of Korea and other battlefields, all who honorably served or who are now serving, have earned the assurance that VA--their system--will be there when they need it . . . just as we practice on the battlefield that we leave no one behind, we should not slam the door on any veteran who needs the VA system.'' Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more. The House of Representatives, the VA Committee and the veterans community will surely miss Lane Evans. We should honor Lane Evans by continuing his work here in Congress to ensure that servicemembers, veterans and military families are treated with respect and receive the benefits they have earned. I urge all members to support H.R. 521.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Imperial High School, in my congressional district, the only high school in the Nation to receive a 2006 Dispelling the Myth Award, an award of the Education Trust. Five schools were presented this award by Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings on November 3, 2006, as part of the Education Trust's 17th National Conference on ``Closing the Achievement Gap.'' Imperial High is described in the award program as a school ``just a few miles from the Mexican border. Seventy percent of Imperial's students are Latino, many of whom are English language learners. Seven years ago, the school was considered chaotic and low-performing. After . . . identifying students who need help and support, matching instruction to standards, and encouraging students to think beyond high school graduation, Imperial is now considered a California Distinguished School.'' There are 773 students in grades 9-12 at Imperial High. Principal Lisa Tabares and her teachers deserve great praise for the caring environment and high standards they have developed in which remarkable accomplishments are achieved by their students. The Education Trust, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and eight other Foundations, has worked since 1990 for the high achievement of all students, focusing especially on schools serving concentrations of low-income or Latino, African-American or Native American students who, because of their environment, may need assistance to achieve at high levels. Their Dispelling the Myth Program honors high-performing and gap-closing schools that serve large populations of low-income or minority students. The four other schools so honored in 2006 are Capitol View Elementary in Atlanta, GA; East Millsboro Elementary in Millsboro, DE; M. Hall Stanton Elementary in Philadelphia, PA; and Port Chester Middle School in Port Chester, NY. ``These schools provide compelling evidence . . . that when we teach students to high levels and focus on closing the achievement gaps, students succeed,'' said Kati Haycock, director of the Education Trust. ``These schools are a testament to the power of committed educators to transform the lives of children who too often get less than their fair share of what public education has to offer. We owe these educators a great deal of gratitude.'' As an educator, one of my top priorities is to provide a quality education for each and every child. I am proud of the principal and teachers and especially the students of Imperial High School for their achievements. I sincerely thank them for their contribution to the community of Imperial.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, the city of San Diego had the honor of recognizing one of its greatest civic and progressive leaders, the Honorable Leon L. Williams who finally retired, after more than three decades of public life. Early in his career, Leon was an executive with the San Diego Urban League, a director of the Neighborhood Youth Corps and an administrative assistant to three county sheriffs. Leon used these early positions to become a voice for police reform--advocating a community-based police approach long before it became popular or trendy. Many present and former elected officials have greatly benefited from the knowledge and wisdom of Leon over these past 30 years. Whether as a member of the San Diego City Council, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors or as Chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Development Board, Leon's statesman-like qualities and demeanor were appreciated, admired and copied by many of his colleagues, associates and staff members. As a strong advocate for developing older neighborhoods, not discarding them, Leon led the charge to create the Centre City Development Corp. and the Southeast Economic Development Corporation (SEDC). An unquestioned authority on urban transportation issues, Leon's ideas and vision helped San Diego develop a top-notch transportation system. That is why, in 2004, Leon was selected Board Member of the Year by the American Public Transportation Association. Also, Leon strongly believed, correctly I might add, that the San Diego Trolley System would bring the many neighborhoods of San Diego closer together. Several of Leon's towering contributions to San Diego remain in place today and have blossomed; for example, both the Trolley and SEDC have grown and continue to provIde well paying jobs and numerous business opportunities to residents living in southeastern San Diego. Even in retirement, Leon remains gracious with his time, civic expertise and wisdom by helping to improve the quality of life for all San Diegans. The Honorable Leon L. Williams truly has been an inspiration to all of San Diego.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, we also support S. 4073, and I know the gentlewoman from Missouri will speak about Mr. Silvey and make sure we know why his service is so honored. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentlewoman, through the Chair, for her testimony to this decorated hero. I would also point out we have another hero named Bob in the audience today. I would just like to recognize Bob Cover from the Legislative Counsel's Office, who has been 30 years writing this legislation and dealing with title 38. And we couldn't do anything without your expertise, Bob. We thank you for all your work. We wish you well in the future, and we appreciate your work to help veterans in this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER

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

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Michaud, if I may, for his emphasis on homeless veterans. Almost a quarter million homeless on the streets tonight are veterans. That is a national disgrace. I look forward to working with all of you to solve that.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, before we adjourn, I hope we do authorize construction of that hospital in Las Vegas. If for some reason it doesn't happen, we will try to do it very quickly next year. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud).

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to Ms. Berkley, the fighting congresswoman for Nevada's veterans.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), the chairman of our committee, and our colleagues in the Senate, Chairman Craig and Ranking Member Akaka, for coming together to craft this bill that will pass both Chambers before we recess. As this may be our last bill of this term in Congress in the Veterans Committee, I want to say a special thank-you to Ranking Member Lane Evans for his work on behalf of veterans. As we all know, he is retiring at the end of this session, but for more than two decades here in Congress he has been a tenacious and indispensable voice for our Nation's veterans. He has championed the needs of veterans exposed to Agent Orange, homeless veterans, veterans who return from war with post-traumatic stress disorder, and he has helped untold number of veterans. He will be missed by all of us as we move into the next session of Congress. As we have heard, this bill before us today permanently establishes VA's Parkinson's Disease Centers and VA's Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence. The work of these centers has benefited more than 80,000 veterans across our Nation. I am proud that the VA medical facility in San Diego, which I represent, is affiliated with the VA's Southwestern Parkinson's Research Center in Los Angeles. Not only do these centers conduct groundbreaking research, they also advance the State's clinical and rehabilitative care. The innovations and rehabilitation designed for veterans who are battling chronic disorders may also yield gains and care for veterans with traumatic brain injury. The good work of these centers must continue. Through this legislation we are sending a clear signal that the VA must continue to fund and support the clinical and the research work done at all the existing centers. In addition, this bill authorizes VA programs for homeless veterans and veterans who need mental health care. I am proud and I am also grateful that this legislation will help the families of these very severely wounded servicemembers by providing education benefits to eligible spouses and dependent children before these servicemembers are actually released from military service. The bill also gives urgently needed authorization for VA outpatient clinics across the Nation. The number of women veterans will increase in the coming years. Thirteen percent of the veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who have turned to VA for health care are women, and 11 percent of the troops deployed there are women. This bill makes sure that Congress receives the report and recommendations of the VA Advisory Committee on Women's Veterans which can help guide our actions and oversight of VA's capacity to address the unique needs of these veterans. I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge that we are ending this Congress, apparently, without passing a funding bill for the VA, as for much of the government. Yes, we will pass a continuing resolution to keep all the hospitals, regional offices, and other services operating, but we are shortchanging veterans, Mr. Speaker, by not passing the appropriations bill for the Veterans Administration. The delay in an increase in VA's funding for fiscal year 2007 means that the VA medical directors are forced to put on hold a whole variety of necessary expenditures, from the hiring of needed staff to care for our veterans, to the maintenance and repair of their buildings. As a result, veterans access to needed services suffers, and VA staff is stretched even more thin in providing quality care. This failure to pass a budget is a clear illustration of the need for mandatory or assured funding of VA health care, and for the past 14 years I have been a firm supporter of this method of funding the VA. I agree with those veteran service organizations who have proposed that funding for veterans health care be mandatory. If we are unable to pass adequate and timely funding, timely funding, Mr. Speaker, to meet the health care of veterans, then we need to look seriously at alternate ways to ensure adequate funding for the health care of our veterans. Unfortunately, we have also not completed our work in authorizing needed veterans programs. We must honor our veterans and make sure that our recent veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan receive the benefits and services that they need to transition back to civilian life. For example, I think we owe it to our newest veterans to modernize the GI bill, especially including meaningful benefits for the Guard and Reserve units who have taken such a heavy load of the fighting in Iraq. We must increase VA's capacity to meet the rehabilitation and lifelong care needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury. While VA has a strong mental health care program, many of our returning veterans are falling through the cracks, and we have gaps in those services. We must strengthen VA's capacity to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health concerns. The recent GAO report, which found that the VA did not spend funds on promised mental health initiatives, raises serious questions about VA's lack of accountability, a lack of accountability that was not really looked into by the previous Congress. We must ensure that VA does not ignore gaps in its capacity to help veterans recover from psychological wounds. As we work to address the emerging issues for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, we must also continue to press VA to meet the health care needs of veterans exposed to Agent Orange, atomic testing and veterans still struggling with a range of Gulf War illnesses. In addition, we must maintain keen oversight to ensure that the laws we have passed are yielding the outcomes Congress intended. We also must be vigilant to ensure that the vulnerabilities in VA information technology are addressed, and we will certainly continue this oversight in the next Congress. Today's bill keeps VA's homeless grant and per diem program authorized through the end of next year. This is a good program, but it only helps a fraction of the homeless veterans on the streets. We have already seen returning from Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have become homeless, almost 600 of them. We must act to prevent and end homelessness for all veterans. In addition, many veterans are from small towns and rural areas. We must work to improve their access to VA care. In my district, most of the entire Imperial County can be classified as rural. There are no real services provided to them as they seek care. So we need to acknowledge some of these gaps, we need to acknowledge these problems, and try to address them in the next Congress. Finally, I would like to thank all of the staff of the VA Committee on both the Democratic and Republican sides for their diligence and dedication in serving our Nation's veterans. We appreciate their work. While we have a lot of work to do in the coming years, this is a good bill. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6342. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I am also pleased to rise in support of H.R. 6342, which would, as we have heard from Chairman Brown, extend expired and expiring authorizations for Department of Veterans Affairs programs, expand eligibility for survivor and dependent educational assistance, and authorize leases for VA medical facilities. This bill will permanently establish Parkinson's Disease research, education, and clinical care centers, as well as multiple sclerosis centers of excellence. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record letters of support for this bill from the Parkinson's Action Network, American Academy of Neurology, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. December 5, 2006. Hon. Steve Buyer, Chairman, Veterans' Affairs Committee, Washington, DC. Hon. Lane Evans, Ranking Member, Veterans' Affairs Committee, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Buyer and Ranking Member Evans: On behalf of American veterans and all those who struggle with the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease (PD), we appreciate your strong leadership in protecting the Veterans Affairs Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excel1ence (MSCoE) and Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers (PADRECCs). We commend you for working to enact legislation that will formally establish the MSCoEs and PADRECCs for the first time in statute. We believe that this bill must be enacted to ensure that the PADRECCs and MSCoEs will continue providing valuable services to veteran patients, family members, and the entire Parkinson's disease and MS communities. Significant contributions have been made by the Centers in research, education, and clinical care that benefit all Americans impacted by PD and MS. The MSCoEs and PADRECCs support a range of programs including state-of-the-art clinical care, basic research into the causes of disease, clinical research into better treatments, behavioral research about effective education strategies for MS and Parkinson's patients and providers, and population level research into the needs of patients and the effectiveness of the care delivery system. Our organizations have recognized the record of leadership that has been provided by the PADRECCs and MSCoE in the fight against Parkinson's and MS. Approximately 25,000 veterans have MS and require specialized care that is best provided by having leaders in the field directing that care at a national level. In addition, through the six PADRECCs and the National VA Parkinson's Disease Consortium, the VA is able to treat more than 79,000 veterans with Parkinson's disease. The efforts of these Centers are the model of innovation in the delivery of health care and research for progressive disease in the veteran population. We appreciate your efforts to ensure that the Veterans Programs Extension Act of 2006 (H.R. 6342) will be voted on by both the House of Representatives and Senate before Congress adjourns in December. We look forward to enactment of this bill that is so important to all those who struggle with the devastating effects of MS and Parkinson's disease, many of whom are American veterans. Thank you for recognizing the benefits provided to veterans fighting Parkinson's disease and MS through the VA PADRECCs and MSCoEs. We appreciate your efforts to ensure the highest level of care and hopeful research for our returning veterans. Amy C. Comstock, Chief Executive Officer, Parkinson's Action Network. Joyce Nelson, President and CEO, National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Thomas R. Swift, MD, FAAN, President, American Academy of Neurology. Carl Blake, Acting National Legislative Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), who is a staunch advocate for the veterans throughout her State, and who is the ranking Democratic member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I thank the chairman for bringing us this legislation of must-pass authorizations and extensions, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am also pleased to rise in support of H.R. 6314, which would, as we have heard, extend expired and expiring authorization for the Department of Veterans' Affairs and expand eligibility for survivor and dependent educational assistance. I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), the chairman of our committee, and my other colleagues for working together on this very important legislation. I also would like to remind us all of the work of Ranking Member Lane Evans. His integrity, leadership, and advocacy for veterans will be missed as we move into the next session of Congress. This bill extends important authorities for the Department of Veterans Affairs to take care of our veterans. From 1962 through 1973, the Department of Defense conducted biological and chemical warfare tests on active duty servicemembers. These tests were known as Project 112 and Project SHAD. The Department of Defense has acknowledged that it did not keep patient care records to archive health effects of the tests nor did they get, I am sure, informed consent on these tests. Just recently, in 2003, in response to concerns from veterans that their illnesses may be a result of these exposures, Congress did act. We authorized the VA to provide priority care to veterans who participated in these tests and did not require them to provide medical evidence that any of the illnesses are attributable to the testing. This legislation before us today does the right thing for these veterans. It would extend the VA's authority to provide priority care for them through the end of next year. I am disappointed that we have not extended VA's authority to give priority care to veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. Just like those veterans who were subject to Project 112 and Project SHAD tests, veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and probably got cancers and other maladies as a result deserve priority care, which may be a result of this exposure. They have provided service to the Nation. They were not given full information. They deserve our help and care today. The administration has requested that we extend VA's authority with respect to veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and I will work certainly in the next Congress to pass that extension. The bill today also helps the over 200,000 male and female veterans who each night are sleeping in a doorway, under a bridge, in an alley, a box, a barn, a car, or a homeless shelter. Through a network of local nonprofit or public agencies, VA's grant and per diem program for homeless veterans offers homeless veterans a safe haven that is free of drugs and alcohol. Last year roughly 300 programs across the Nation were able to give 14,000 homeless vets the help they needed to recover, rehabilitate, and obtain the skills necessary to reintegrate back into society. This legislation means that the VA can continue to support these hundreds of community shelters. But let me remind us all, as I will continue to do next year, that this covers barely 5 percent of the homeless veterans. We owe as a Nation help and care to the almost 200,000 others that remain on the streets tonight. This bill extends the authority to treat seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans. More than one out of three veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who have turned to the VA for health care has received an initial diagnosis for a mental health disorder. Many more have such a disorder but did not come to the VA. Many did not check the boxes that would indicate this because they just want to get home to their families. We have a lot of work to do in this country to help those with mental health disorders. This bill, though, will ensure that the VA has the authority it needs to provide our recent veterans, as well as veterans from previous conflicts, with this mental health care that they need. As the chairman said, this legislation also extends certain work study opportunities for veterans who are students through June of 2007. Helping veterans who are attending college or vocational training to earn while they learn makes good sense. This bill will allow veterans who are students to receive work study allowances for working at VA hospitals and domiciliaries, at State veterans homes, and at national and State veterans cemeteries. While I am disappointed that we could not extend authority for this program beyond next June, I am glad that this legislation will allow veterans who are participating in this program to continue through the end of their academic year. A small number of permanently and totally disabled servicemembers are kept on active duty status to help them recover and rehabilitate from their injuries. When these servicemembers are discharged, their spouses and dependent children are then eligible for VA's educational assistance program. This bill, though, accelerates eligibility in cases where a disability rating of permanent and total disability is delayed because the servicemember has not officially yet been discharged from military service. I am proud and I am grateful that this legislation will help families of these very severely wounded veterans by providing early education benefits. I appreciate the chairman's enumerating other bills that need to pass through the Senate. As he said, a lot of good things are waiting. And this is one of them. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6314 Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud).

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I don't know if this is the last statement that Mr. Bilirakis will make on the floor, but I just want to say how much we all appreciate your work. We are looking forward to another Bilirakis joining us. But your advocacy on areas such as no offsets between pension and disability that we call concurrent receipt, you kept that issue alive and made sure that we would do justice. So we want to thank you for that. And we want to thank you for the civility that you have exhibited through your whole career and especially on this committee, which sometimes especially this gentleman needed. So we hope that you have a good retirement, Mr. Bilirakis. We will be missing you, but we really appreciate your service to this committee and to this Nation.

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, millions of American seniors are trying to make the best of the Medicare prescription drug plan that congressional Republicans and President Bush signed into law 3 years ago. Today, seniors are demanding changes in this program. They want a plan that does not create a giant gap in coverage, where they can lose coverage for months on end and where they still must pay their monthly payments. The giant doughnut hole, as we call it, leaves many seniors in the predicament of paying for groceries, paying their rent or the drugs they need to live healthier and longer lives. They may cut their pills into two or take them every second or third day. That is a recipe for disaster, and this is not a decision that seniors should have to make in America today. Democrats have long opposed this doughnut hole, and one of our top priorities next year is to eliminate it by making prescription drugs cheaper. How are we going to do this? It is simple. We are going to do the same thing the Veterans Administration does today, and that is, give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the ability to negotiate on behalf of all seniors for lower drug prices. Today, American veterans pay 42 percent less for their drugs because of this negotiating authority. If we make prescription drugs cheaper, we can fill in the doughnut hole so seniors no longer fall into it. This is one of our top priorities as we become the majority party in Congress next year.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, today I urge my colleagues' support of legislation that has been introduced to enhance, improve and modernize veterans' education and training programs. Specifically, I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of H.R. 6250, a bill introduced by Dr. Vic Snyder of Arkansas, a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Nearly 62 years have passed since congressional enactment of the ``Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944'', commonly known as the ``GI Bill of Rights'', by all accounts a landmark legislative accomplishment. Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the ``Montgomery GI Bill'' (MGIB), another critically important legislative measure which has been credited for the creation of the middle class in America. Now, the time has come to develop a ``Total Force GI Bill for the 21st Century.'' For education and training benefits to remain a relevant recruitment, retention and readjustment tool, we must ensure that VA's education and training programs reflect the current manner in which individuals earn and learn in today's competitive marketplace. A ``Total Force GI Bill'' must also reflect today's military force structure. Clearly, we all recognize the total force policy of our military includes increased activation of the National Guard and Reserve forces. Like no other time in our history have citizen-soldiers sacrificed so much and served with such distinction as they currently do in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since September 11, 2001, nearly 500,000 National Guard and Reservists have been activated, and approximately 40 percent of the troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are citizen-soldiers. These patriots have earned and deserve high quality education and training benefits, to be used even after they separate from military service. The ``Total Force GI Bill'' proposal would organize all MGIB programs within a single area of Federal law and under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It would allow members of the National Guard and Reserves to use their education benefits after they separate from military service, for up to a period of 10 years. I want to work in a bipartisan fashion to improve and modernize the MGIB so that it better reflects current trends in education and vocational training programs. The VA's Advisory Committee on Education and the Partnership for Veterans Education--a group made up of traditional veterans and military service organizations, as well as higher education advocates, all have endorsed the provisions of H.R. 6250. I believe this legislative proposal deserves careful consideration, and I pledge to work to pass the funding needed to support these improvements.