Doug Lamborn

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3593) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the construction of major medical facilities, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. In a moment I will yield to the bill's sponsor, Mr. Coffman, for a more detailed description. The goal of this legislation is to improve the way VA manages its major construction projects. Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that VA has a poor track record in managing major medical facility projects. Major construction projects are routinely completed years late and tens of millions of dollars over budget. Unfortunately, the critically needed VA hospital being constructed in Aurora, Colorado, for instance, has run into major problems, as have a handful of others around the country. This legislation would direct the inclusion of an outside entity, the Army Corps of Engineers, which has a record of on-time, on-budget completion of projects, to assist in the management of VA's major facility construction efforts. No longer can veterans afford to wait years for needed facilities to open. This bill finally would move VA away from the status quo, which clearly has not served veterans or the taxpayers well at all. I would like to commend my colleague and friend, Representative Mike Coffman, and applaud his leadership on this important issue. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Arizona for her support of this good piece of legislation. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman), who is a member of the VA committee, a subcommittee chairman of the committee, and the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3593, as amended.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman).

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I too thank the gentlewoman from Arizona once again for her bipartisan support of this good piece of legislation. I urge all of my colleagues in the U.S. House to support H.R. 3593, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman. I too urge all Members of the House to support H.R. 5404, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski), who is also a member of the Veterans Affairs' Committee and likewise has made very solid and important contributions for veterans.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham), the sponsor of the bill and a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee who has made many important contributions to the welfare of veterans such as this bill we are considering right now.

Mr. LAMBORN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the amendment to H.R. 5404 would extend a number of expiring current authorities and critical programs at both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor. These programs include authorizations for veterans' health care and homeless programs, benefits for disabled veterans, and home loan programs. These noncontroversial programs are set to expire at the end of this fiscal or calendar year. These are not new programs, and the costs have either been fully offset or have been assumed in the baseline budget for this year. The amendment to H.R. 5404 would also make certain technical and conforming changes to Public Law 113-146, the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. These changes are needed to ensure proper and swift implementation of this important law that provides veterans whose care at VA is delayed with a choice to obtain private care and provides the Secretary the tools he needs to hold senior VA managers accountable. The changes have the support of the majority and minority leadership of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 5404, as amended.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5404) to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend certain expiring provisions of law administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I too urge all Members to support S. 2258, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. As a senior member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I rise today in favor of S. 2258, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of- Living Adjustment Act of 2014. Mr. Speaker, it is timely that we consider this legislation today, having just observed last week the 13th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on our homeland, the catalyst for our efforts to fight terrorism. Many of those who have sacrificed so much in recent and past conflicts aimed to protect America from harm are in continued and increased need. This is critical legislation that authorizes a cost-of- living adjustment for disabled veterans receiving disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other compensation for survivors of veterans who have died as a result of their services to our country. The amount of the payment increases will be determined by the Consumer Price Index, which controls the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security payments as well. I would like to thank Congressman Runyan of New Jersey, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs within the Committee on Veterans Affairs, for introducing H.R. 4095, a companion bill to this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 2258.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2258) to provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2014, in the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I too encourage all Members to support H.R. 4276, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks to H.R. 4276, as amended.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4276) to extend and modify a pilot program on assisted living services for veterans with traumatic brain injury, as amended.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4276, as amended, would require the Department of Veterans Affairs, beginning in January, to provide reports to Congress on the pilot program for assisted living services for veterans with traumatic brain injury. With passage of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act earlier this year, we were able to extend this important program for another 3 years. As of June 1 of this year, 187 veterans from 46 different facilities in 22 States have been enrolled for services. These are severely injured veterans who still want to live within their communities. For that reason, this bill also amends the definition of ``assisted living'' to encompass community-based brain injury residential rehabilitative care. Too often, pilot programs are initiated and abandoned by the VA with little reporting or data analysis as to the effectiveness or efficiency of the program. That is why this bill is important. It would require the Secretary to provide quarterly reports to Congress on utilization, status, and veteran satisfaction as well as interim assessments as to the success of the program and recommendations for improvement. It would also require a final report as to how the VA would expect to continue or integrate this pilot into other services that are vital for enhancing the quality of life for those veterans suffering from what has been called one of the signature wounds of recent conflicts, traumatic brain injury, or TBI. I am grateful to Representative Bill Cassidy, my friend and colleague from Louisiana, for his leadership in introducing this legislation, and I am proud to join him in supporting it. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the McKeon amendment to authorize the training and equipping of appropriately vetted members of the Syrian opposition. I believe that Chairman McKeon has crafted language which strikes the appropriate balance between giving the President the authority he is requesting while also ensuring that Congress maintains oversight of our efforts to combat ISIL. However, let me be clear. We are only here today because of President Obama's weak and failed leadership. My criticism of the President is not about party politics or about his style of leadership but is based, simply, on his failed foreign policy. Syria is a case study in Obama's failed policy. He drew an arbitrary red line and spectacularly failed to enforce it. We also lost the opportunity to support moderate dissidents in Syria when it would have done the most good. Next door, in Iraq, President Obama raced for the exit for political reasons instead of recognizing that the threat from Islamic extremists could quickly return without some sort of counterweight. He didn't end the war in Iraq; he merely abandoned it. The bottom line is that ISIL was a regional threat that has metastasized into a threat to our allies in the region, including Israel, and to us here at home. Unfortunately, the President's failed foreign policy is not isolated to ISIL. The President's reset with Russia was worthless. Obama's ``leading from behind'' intervention in Libya has created another haven for terrorists there. Our allies in Europe are threatened by Russia, and our allies in Asia are threatened by China. Iran does not seem to be slowing its efforts to destroy Israel. None of these are easy problems, but President Obama has failed to provide clear and strong American leadership in each case, and, in each case, America and the world are worse off as a result. Let's provide training to moderates who will fight ISIL and hope the President's slowness of action hasn't made it too late.