Paul Gosar

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment which will help reduce the large backlog of important Army Corps of Engineers projects. This amendment transfers $1 million from the Department of Energy's Departmental administration budget to the Corps of Engineers' investigations budget to bring it closer to the fiscal year 2015 enacted appropriation level. The investigation account funds the planning and environmental studies required under law for important Corps projects prior to construction. There is a large backlog of worthwhile Corps projects throughout the country that are essential to improving infrastructures for communities, improving ecosystem restoration, providing clean water, and expanding much-needed water storage. These projects are especially critical to the drought-stricken communities in the West and many other parts of the Nation. The committee showed great insight in recognizing that the administration's request for the Corps' investigation budget was much too low. Having said that, the amount appropriated in this bill is still $12 million below the fiscal year 2015 levels. At a time of historic drought and major water challenges, we shouldn't be reducing investigation dollars that will allow worthwhile community projects to move forward. The committee has provided significant safeguards in the report to ensure the funds transferred by this amendment will go to the studies in planning for the most viable projects. Thus, support for this amendment is a definitive action we can take to directly support timely development of critical infrastructure projects. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I thank the distinguished chair and ranking member for their work on this bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment which seeks to ensure the adequate resources for the Department of Energy's inspector general's office. As a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, I am a firm believer in oversight of the Federal Government. The more sunlight on Federal activity, the more honest and efficient it will be. I am also a strong proponent of our inspector general community. Since the Inspector General Act was passed into law, the IG community has saved taxpayers billions of dollars and has uncovered countless examples of wrongdoing in the Federal Government. I just read a GAO investigation report yesterday that found that loans currently in the Department of Energy portfolio are expected to cost the taxpayers more than $2.2 billion. The report went on to state that $807 million of the $2.2 billion is a result of bad loans that have already defaulted. In fact, five major DOE loans have already defaulted from the agency's 2014 portfolio. The report also noted that the cost to the taxpayers from these flawed DOE loans could even exceed the $2.2 billion estimated figure. ``The final credit subsidy cost of a given loan or loan guarantee will not be known until the life of the loan is complete . . . Both DOE loan programs can expose the government and taxpayers to substantial financial risk if borrowers default.'' Further, this committee noted in the committee report accompanying this bill: ``The committee is also concerned that the Department is failing in its responsibility to ensure that DOE contracts with incurred costs valued at billions of dollars per year are audited in a timely manner.'' Clearly, there is a lack of oversight and accountability within DOE that needs to change. It is the responsibility of the DOE inspector general to report to Congress on these issues so that we can rectify these problems and ensure taxpayers aren't exposed to another Solyndra. I applaud the committee for recommending resources above and beyond last year's enacted levels, but the recommended level is still beneath the President's budget request. Let's give the inspector general's office the resources it needs. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the passage of this commonsense amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer another commonsense amendment that will help reduce the large backlog of important Army Corps of Engineers' projects by providing additional resources to the Corps' construction budget. I applaud the committee for recommending resources for the Corps of Engineers' construction budget above the President's budget request, but the recommended level in this bill for construction is still $8.5 million beneath the fiscal year 2015 level. A devastating drought is currently plaguing the West. CRS estimates that more than 93 percent of the State of California is experiencing severe drought. Other scientists have claimed this is the worst drought for some Western States in more than 100 years and that approximately 60 percent of the West is ``experiencing moderate drought or worse, affecting 52 million people.'' At a time of historic drought and major water challenges, we shouldn't be reducing construction dollars for Corps projects that improve infrastructure for local communities, improve ecosystem restoration, provide clean water, and expand much-needed water storage. The committee report on this bill raised some important concerns about the draconian cuts proposed by this administration to the Corps of Engineers' construction budget. From the committee report: ``The construction account would see the largest dollar reduction ($467,489,000) and largest percentage reduction (29 percent) . . . As mentioned above, the budget request is woefully inadequate for meeting the critical water resource infrastructure needs of this Nation. Numerous continuing studies and construction projects will be suspended or slowed, leaving many communities vulnerable to floods and coastal storms longer than necessary and hindering economic growth and international competitiveness . . . Once again, the administration's claims to understand the importance of infrastructure ring hollow when it comes to water resource infrastructure investments . . . Once again, however, the committee rejects the low priority placed on infrastructure in the budget request.'' The committee has provided significant safeguards in the report that will ensure that the funds transferred by this amendment go to the best projects, including those that will prevent future flooding and storm damage, create jobs, and enhance national, regional, or local economic development. Support for this amendment is definitive action that we can take to directly support timely development of critical water projects that benefit communities throughout the Nation. I thank the distinguished chair and ranking member. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman and the ranking member, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment to provide additional resources for the information technology systems at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Updates and upgrades to IT systems at the VA are paramount to meeting the goals of veterans claims backlog reduction. I applaud the committee for recommending resources above and beyond last year's enacted levels, but the recommended levels are significantly beneath the President's budget request levels. Last year, I offered an amendment to this same appropriation bill, House amendment 635, which transferred just over $3.2 million from the general administration account at the VA to the IT systems account. That amendment was agreed to by a voice vote. Today, I offer essentially the same amendment. I just want to note, as I have before, that many of our veterans are simply giving up. They are either giving up on trying to obtain the benefits they deserve or, worse, some of them are giving up on life altogether. It is a travesty, and this is an appalling trend that must be reversed. I appreciate the committee's hard work and its acknowledgment of the importance of reducing the backlog in this bill. Having said that, I think we can do more and should focus on prioritizing funding for efforts that will lead to timelier care for our Nation's heroes, as opposed to administrative expenses. My commonsense amendment proposes redirecting a fraction of the funds in the general administration account away from things like funding for conference expenses and bureaucrats and shifting those funds toward reducing the VA claims backlog. I urge my colleagues to support this simple amendment to improve IT systems at the VA.

Mr. GOSAR. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. I thank the distinguished chairman. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. GOSAR. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, last year, in the midst of the explosive allegations about the Phoenix VA's keeping secondary unofficial records of claims and appointment requests, I offered a similar amendment that passed this body which prohibited funds from being used to create or to maintain unofficial recordkeeping systems at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This year, I am proud, once again, to offer this commonsense policy with the support of my friend and colleague from Georgia. As many of you know, several whistleblowers came forward with allegations that the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Healthcare System had been using secondary unofficial records of veterans claims and appointment requests to misrepresent the actual wait times that veterans faced as they sought health care. Some employees within the VA even received bonuses as a result of these manipulations. It is unfortunate that, over the past year, many of these once unthinkable allegations have become substantiated. Recently, an inspector general's investigation uncovered actual memos from VA leadership that encouraged this type of behavior. This is outrageous. The memo I speak of is known as the ``Fast Letter 13-10,'' and it was handed down directly from the Office of the Director of Veterans Benefits Administration to the Philadelphia VA Regional Office. I am appalled but not totally surprised to learn of this memo. I have said this before, but it is sad that we have to pass amendments to prevent this type of behavior. When government bureaucrats don't use good judgment or common sense, Congress must address these issues. No matter what the investigation shows and no matter who was involved, this practice must be prevented in the future. This amendment would prohibit the practice of altering or falsifying veterans wait-time data pursuant to the Fast Letter or any other purpose. We should have only one, uniform patient recordkeeping system within the VA in order to provide accountability as well as uniformity and to prevent employee manipulation. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I thank the distinguished Chair and ranking member.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOSAR. I certainly thank the distinguished chair and the ranking member, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.