Jeff Miller

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Sheriff Wendell Hall upon the occasion of his retirement from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Hall has dedicated more than 35 years to serving his community through law enforcement. Sheriff Hall attended Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill, Florida. He continued his education at Pensacola State College and at Troy State University where he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. Upon completion of college, his career began in 1981 as a Correction's Officer with the Escambia County Sheriffs Office before he transferred to Law Enforcement in 1982; serving as a Patrol Deputy, Narcotics Investigator/Supervisor, and Administrative Supervisor. He was promoted during this time to the rank of Corporal and again to Sergeant, eventually becoming a Certified Hostage Negotiator, Firearms Instructor, and Field Training Officer. During his tenure at the Escambia Sheriff's Office, he received special award recognitions for ``Outstanding Service to the Community,'' in 1984; a Meritorious Service Award,'' in 1992; as well as numerous other honors for his dedication to protecting our community. In 2000, Sheriff Hall began serving the people of Santa Rosa County when he was elected Sheriff. He has received numerous recognitions for his service including, but not limited to, Elk Lodge Number 2787 ``Law Enforcement Officer of the Year'' for 2002 through 2003; Pace Rotary Club ``Rotarian of the Year for Exceptional Dedication and Commitment'' for 2003 through 2004 and 2006 through 2007; Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency ``Law Enforcement Distinguished Service Award'' 2003; and Pace Chamber of Commerce 2015 ``Man of the Year Award.'' In addition to his career in law enforcement, he has been a shining role model in his community. He currently serves on the Santa Rosa Kids House, as the Board of Directors Chairman, the Florida Sheriff's Association District 1 Board of Directors, the Vets to VA Clinic Committee, and as a member of the First Judicial Circuit Law Enforcement Association, along with other countless volunteer positions. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Sheriff Wendell Hall for his dedication and service to Northwest Florida. My wife Vicki and I wish him and his wife, Karen; his children, Lisa, Dana, Kayla, Brandon, Amanda, Kenneth, and Megan; and his fourteen grandchildren all the best as they embark on this next journey in their lives.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the service, dedication, and accomplishments of Commander Michael F. Brinck (USN Ret.), Deputy Staff Director of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, upon the occasion of his retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives. A native of West Point, Iowa, Commander Brinck received a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from St. Ambrose University in 1968. Following his graduation, Commander Brinck entered the Officer Candidate School for the United States Navy. In 1969, he received his Navy wings and reported to Helicopter Attack Light Squadron 3 in the Republic of Vietnam in support of Riverine operations in the Mekong Delta. Fleet assignments include carrier deployments to the Gulf of Tonkin and the Mediterranean, flight instructor, three deployments in support of Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica, the Naval War College, Washington D.C. and assignments at the Navy Command Center at the Pentagon, the Bureau of Naval Personnel, and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. After two decades and a distinguished career, he retired from the United States Navy in 1988 with the rank of commander. Commander Brinck began his career on Capitol Hill in 1995 as the Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Education, Training, Employment, and Housing and continued to serve as a Subcommittee Staff Director for the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the 104th, 105th, 109th, 110th, 111th, 112th, and 113th Congresses. Due to his steadfast commitment to his work and his expertise navigating the plethora of issues facing America's veterans, Commander Brinck was named the Deputy Staff Director of the full Committee in 2013. Throughout his tenure on the Committee staff, Commander Brinck faithfully served three different Committee Chairmen--Bob Stump, Steve Buyer, and myself--as well as countless other Members. I know I speak for us all when I say that his wise advice and sage counsel was instrumental in assisting us in honoring the service and sacrifice of America's servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Commander Brinck was a key contributor in the drafting and passage of landmark pieces of veterans' education and training legislation and personally contributed to the creation of policies that continue to improve the daily lives and ongoing well-being of veterans and their families. During my tenure as Chairman, Commander Brinck was instrumental in creating the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program or VRAP which provided job training for in-demand occupations for nearly 100,000 unemployed veterans. He was also a tireless advocate in drafting and pushing legislation that would ensure that returning veterans received in-state tuition when attending public schools, which became a reality with the passage of the Choice Act in 2014. Over a long and multifaceted career of distinguished service in the halls of Congress, Commander Brinck has been a dogged advocate for the interests of America's veterans and taxpayers, embodying excellence and commitment in service to his fellow citizens. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, it gives me great pride to honor the selfless service of Commander Brinck. My wife, Vicki, joins me in honoring him for his many years of exemplary service to our Nation, thanking him for his unyielding dedication to America's veterans, and wishing him and his wife, Marla, all of the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Roe for those extremely kind words. I thank him especially for recognizing my family. We both know how important they are to the success that we are able to obtain here in the Halls of Congress. I rise in support of H.R. 6416. This legislation contains over 90 sections, many of which originated in almost 70 veterans bills that the House will pass in the 114th Congress. Though H.R. 6416 reflects just a fraction of our collaborative efforts, it nonetheless contains many important provisions that we can all be pleased in this House to support. For example, it includes the text of H.R. 1380, which would expand eligibility for medallions to veterans who passed away before November 1, 1990. Under current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs furnishes medallions for veterans who are buried in private cemeteries who passed away after November 1, 1990. Many families whose loved ones passed away prior to that date have requested that VA provide a medallion to distinguish their loved one's grave so that all will know it is the burial place of a veteran. This bill would authorize VA to do just that. H.R. 6416 would also authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to furnish medallions designed especially for veterans who have received the Medal of Honor, our Nation's most prestigious award for military valor. This will ensure that future generations will be able to identify the final resting place of our Nation's most revered heroes. H.R. 6416 also includes a provision to provide more time for widows and widowers of servicemembers who have died in the line of duty to use their post- 9/11 GI bill educational benefits under the Fry Scholarship. The spouses of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice deserve nothing less. What is more, H.R. 6416 contains provisions from H.R. 1994 that would increase accountability by limiting the amount of time that the Secretary can place a VA employee on administrative leave to only 14 days in a single year. It makes no sense that a VA employee who commits a wrongdoing can continue to collect a taxpayer-funded paycheck for, in some cases, years while the Department drags its feet determining disciplinary action. The bill further contains a number of provisions that would improve the care that VA provides to our veterans, including a provision that would address a longstanding concern of many of our Vietnam veterans by requiring VA to conduct research on the possible effects of toxic exposure during military service on veterans' children and their grandchildren. Importantly, H.R. 6416 also contains a provision from H.R. 310 that would require VA to use industry standards, standard designs, and best practices when constructing VA medical facilities; to provide ongoing professional development and training to VA employees involved in constructing VA medical facilities; and to regularly audit and report on the largest VA medical facility projects. Before concluding, I want to take a moment to publicly thank a number of individuals who have been instrumental not only in advancing this legislation, but also throughout my time as chairman of our committee. Serving as chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has been an immense honor, and I am grateful to all of those who put their trust and faith in me to fulfill that role for the last three Congresses. I hope that I have done each of you proud. I am particularly grateful to my fellow committee chairmen and ranking members in the House, including Mike Michaud, Corrine Brown, and Mark Takano; and in the Senate, including Patty Murray, Richard Burr, Bernie Sanders, Johnny Isakson, and Richard Blumenthal. I am also grateful to House leadership, including John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy, and to all the committee members who strive day in and day out to do right by America's veteran heroes. The bipartisan nature of this committee is unique in this Congress. It is nothing less than what our veterans deserve. While much remains to be done, we can all be proud of the work that we have, together, accomplished so far. I have every confidence, Mr. Speaker, that the next committee chairman, Dr. Roe, whom I am grateful to call a friend, will continue the work that we have started. I look forward to seeing all that he and the House will continue to accomplish for the men and women who have worn the uniform and borne the battle and who, without a doubt, are most worthy of our appreciation and our support. Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank my family, most especially my wife, for the support that they have given during my service here in this Congress. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life and legacy of Northwest Florida's beloved William Lee ``Bill'' Sutler, who passed away on November 24, 2016. His love for his family and community, as well as his dedicated service in the United States Navy, will be remembered by all those who knew him. Bill was born August 31, 1932, in Stanton, Virginia where he grew up with his mother and two sisters. At the young age of 17, Bill made the choice to serve our Nation by joining the United States Navy, serving faithfully and honorably for the next 26 years. Bill utilized his talents as an aircraft mechanic aboard several ships including the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, USS Saratoga, USS Constellation, and the USS John F. Kennedy. Chief Petty Officer Sutler also worked on aircrafts VF-11, VF-31, VF-121, and the RVAH-11. In 1974, after 26 years of service, he retired as a Senior Chief Petty Officer. After retirement, Bill continued his career by working for the state agriculture department and remained active in both Pineview Methodist Church and his community. Those who knew Bill, know that he was a kind, generous, and smart man. He will always be remembered fondly for the unwavering love that he held for his family and his country. On behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize the life of William Lee ``Bill'' Sutler. My wife Vicki and I extend our heartfelt prayers and condolences to his wife Shirley ``Colleen'' Sutler; sons, William Jr. ``Billy'' and Virginia Sutler, Michael and Cheryl Sutler, and Robert ``Bobby'' and Diane Sutler; six grandchildren, Penny, Jennifer, Emily, Emmett, and Caleb Sutler, and Amanda Bell; and two great-grandchildren.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I do rise today in support of H.R. 6323, a bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system in Long Beach, California, the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center. Mr. Speaker, as a young man, Corporal Tibor Rubin survived 14 months in a German concentration camp in Austria during World War II before it was liberated by the United States Army. Corporal Rubin was so inspired by the American soldiers who rescued him that he eventually moved to the United States, enlisted in the Army, and became a United States citizen. He was deployed as a member of the 1st Cavalry Division during the Korean war, and was eventually captured by the North Korean military. During his captivity, he provided crucial moral support and improvised medical support to his fellow prisoners of war. For his service, Corporal Rubin was awarded two Purple Hearts and the Congressional Medal of Honor. Sadly, he passed away just last year. After such an outstanding life of service and survival, it is only appropriate that we honor Corporal Rubin by naming the Long Beach VA Medical Center after him. H.R. 6323 satisfies the Committee's naming criteria and is supported by the entire California congressional delegation, as well as many local veterans service organizations. I am grateful to Congressman Lowenthal for sponsoring this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I too encourage my colleagues to support this piece of legislation. I yield back the balance of time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the 25th District of California (Mr. Knight), the prime sponsor of this important piece of legislation.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I do rise today in support of H.R. 5600, as amended, the No Hero Left Untreated Act. There is no greater priority we have as a grateful nation than to care for those who have been wounded in the service of our country and to ensure that they are provided with the most successful treatments, including those that are new and are promising to assist them on their path to recovery. H.R. 5600, as amended, would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out a 1-year pilot program to provide access to magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance therapy to veterans with post- traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, opiate addiction, or who have experienced military sexual trauma. Magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance therapy has proven effective in addressing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury among veteran patients. For example, in a 2015 study, veteran patients experienced an almost 50 percent reduction in symptom severity after just 2 weeks of using this therapy. Though the pilot this bill would create is limited, I am hopeful that it will provide the needed data to support the provision of this promising new treatment for many more servicemembers and veterans in the future. This bill is sponsored by our good friend, Congressman Steve Knight from California, and I am grateful to him for sponsoring this legislation to increase access to innovative treatment for America's heroes. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5600, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise their remarks and add extraneous material.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, once again, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3286, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no more requests for time at this point. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cook), the sponsor of this legislation, from the Eighth District of California.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3286, as amended, would require the Department of Labor to establish a HIRE Vets Medallion Program to recognize and to award employers with a HIRE Vets Medallion for their efforts to recruit, employ, and retain veterans, as well as their work to provide community and charitable services to veterans in their local communities. While we still have work to do, it is important to note that the veteran unemployment rate has continued to decrease over recent years and, as of last month, it was at a low of 4.3 percent. While many factors have led to the continued reduction of the unemployment rate for the men and women who have served, our Nation's employers in both the public and the private sectors deserve a lot of the credit, and it is important that we highlight the work that these companies have done and publicly recognize their commitment for hiring veterans. With this idea in mind, H.R. 3286, as amended, would authorize the Secretary of Labor to create the HIRE Vets Medallion Program, which would recognize employers who hire and retain veterans, as well as companies who provide support services to the veterans in their communities. Employers would earn either platinum or gold status based on requirements related to the number of veterans hired each year, providing pay equity for guardsmen and Reserve employees who were called up to active military service, and other requirements. Once these employers have earned a HIRE Vets Medallion, they would be able to publicly display their award to illustrate the work they have done on behalf of veterans and the priority that they place on hiring veterans within their workforce. As we work to continue to decrease the national unemployment rate among our men and women who have served, it is vital that we highlight and step up and thank the employers who have employed these individuals and recognize the benefits of hiring a veteran. I want to thank Colonel Paul Cook of California for introducing and advocating for this bill. It has my full and complete support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3286) to encourage effective, voluntary private sector investments to recruit, employ, and retain men and women who have served in the United States military with annual presidential awards to private sector employers recognizing such efforts, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis), another prime sponsor of this bill, who is from the 13th Congressional District.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the Third District of the State of Florida (Mr. Yoho), a primary sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5166, as amended, the WINGMAN Act. I thank our colleagues, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis), for introducing the WINGMAN Act, which will help Members better serve our constituents. H.R. 5166 would allow our offices to assist veterans who are seeking information about the status of their claims for disability compensation. Unfortunately, when a congressional staff member contacts the VA for more information about a claim, it can take often weeks or months for the Department of Veterans Affairs to respond. VA's delay in answering congressional inquiries only adds to the veteran's frustration. The veteran simply wants to know the status of his or her claim. H.R. 5166, as amended, would require VA to give designated permanent, full-time congressional employees access to VA databases so that our staff can tell a veteran the current status of their application for benefits. Moreover, to protect veterans' privacy, the WINGMAN Act mandates that congressional employees first obtain permission before viewing a veteran's information. At the same time, the congressional employee would not be able to alter the electronic file in any way. Passing this bill will help veterans who simply want to understand where their claim is in the process. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5166, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5166, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5166) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide certain employees of Members of Congress and certain employees of State or local governmental agencies with access to case-tracking information of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as amended.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would encourage all Members to support H.R. 5047. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the 10th District of Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice), the sponsor of this particular piece of legislation, the gentleman from the great community of Monroe.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5047, the Protecting Veterans' Educational Choice Act of 2016, would further protect student veterans by requiring that, when the Department of Veterans Affairs provides educational counseling or a certificate of eligibility to veterans or servicemembers who are eligible for VA education benefits, the Department also provide information on articulation agreements at institutions of higher learning. The Post-9/11 GI Bill has benefitted more than 1.5 million servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents since its inception in 2009. While many of these beneficiaries complete their entire program of education at one school, we often see individuals who transfer to another school in the middle of their program due to a plethora of circumstances. If they do transfer schools, their previously earned credits can play a large role in determining the length of time it may take for students to complete their program at the new school that they have chosen to go to, and in some cases not all earned credits will transfer. Often, the transferability of certain credits between different institutions of higher learning is not always on an individual's radar when they apply for a certain school or a certain program, and a veteran may or may not have understood how credits transfer when they first initiated their education career. H.R. 5047 would simply provide our student veterans with additional information as they apply to and attend schools by requiring VA to provide information on articulation agreements at a particular school and that school's agreements with another institution. Our veterans and their dependents deserve full transparency as they set out to use their hard-earned benefits. I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) for introducing this bipartisan legislation which has my complete support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material and other items to H.R. 5047.