Jeff Miller

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the Second District of Maine (Mr. Poliquin). He is from the metropolis of Oakland, Maine.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. I am proud to introduce the sponsor of this important piece of legislation. The gentleman is from the Third District of Iowa, from the small town of Van Meter, Iowa, home to Bob ``The Heater From Van Meter.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Young).

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5392, the No Veterans Crisis Line Should Go Unanswered Act. The Department of Veterans Affairs established the Veterans Crisis Line to ensure that any veteran that was contemplating suicide would be able to call for help no matter the time and no matter the circumstance. Over time, VCL's mission has expanded to include veterans facing all manners of personal emergencies, and the Veterans Crisis Line services have expanded to include a chat service and a texting operation. Yet the crisis line purpose has remained the same: to provide a place where veterans facing crisis would be able to get the help that they need any time of day or night. However, earlier this year, the VA Inspector General found that some calls to the crisis line were routed to backup crisis centers and ultimately sent to voice mail and that other line callers did not receive the immediate assistance that they desperately needed. The IG also noted that VA failed to provide a directive or handbook detailing the guidance necessary for the proper Veterans Crisis Line processes and procedures, and it failed to provide adequate orientation and training to crisis line staff, it failed to monitor contracted backup call centers, and experienced a number of quality assurance gaps. Though VA has assured us that these issues have been addressed and will never happen again, the risk of leaving a veteran in the midst of a crisis alone and without help is unacceptable to any Member of this body. H.R. 5392 would require that VA develops a quality assurance document that includes clearly defined and measurable performance standards with appropriate timelines and benchmarks to improve responsiveness and outcomes for the crisis line mainline and contracted backup call centers. It would also require VA to develop a plan to ensure that each telephone call, each text message, or other communications received by the crisis line mainline or at a contracted backup call center is answered in a timely manner by an appropriate, qualified live person, consistent with the guidance established by the American Association of Suicidology. This bill is sponsored by my friend and colleague, Congressman David Young from Iowa. I want to thank him for his efforts and his leadership on sponsoring this very important and, to some, very simple fix to something that needs to be taken care of. Nothing could be more important than guaranteed timely access to the veterans' services and support that they need in an emergency situation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense piece of legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5392) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the Veterans Crisis Line.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3216) to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the emergency hospital care furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certain veterans.

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

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5162, the Vet Connect Act. Ensuring that veterans receive high-quality care has been a top priority of mine and our committee, and as the access and accountability crisis of 2014 so clearly demonstrated, the Department of Veterans Affairs alone cannot provide the timely access to care that our veterans deserve. While the passage of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act 2 years ago has led to an increase in VA's use of community providers to treat veteran patients and linked many veterans to care they would otherwise be waiting for, the Department's struggle to adequately and consistently communicate with community partners about the veterans they are jointly caring for now has presented unnecessary challenges to VA's care in the communities' efforts. H.R. 5162 would correct this deficiency by requiring VA to share medical record information with community providers in order to provide care or treatment to a shared patient. Mr. Speaker, this would ensure that any provider caring for a VA patient, whether in a VA medical facility or in a private sector doctor's office, has the information that they need to provide safe and quality care. H.R. 5162 is sponsored by my friend and colleague and fellow committee member, Congressman Beto O'Rourke from Texas. I am grateful to him for his efforts and his leadership in sponsoring this important legislation. This bill is supported by the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and the Vietnam Veterans of America, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it as well. 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. 5162) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disclose to non- Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers certain medical records of veterans who receive health care from such providers.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Colonel Robert M. Kirila, US Army, upon the occasion of his retirement. Colonel Kirila dedicated more than 25 years in the United States Army, with 19 years in Special Forces, most recently as Deputy Commander of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It is my privilege to pay tribute to his honorable service to Northwest Florida and our great Nation. A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Colonel Kirila graduated Simsbury High School, in Simsbury, Connecticut in 1987 and immediately returned home to attend the University of Richmond. After graduating with a degree in Spanish, he was commissioned in the United States Army and served as a Platoon Leader in the 7th Infantry Division. In 1997, Colonel Kirila graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course, earning his Green Beret, and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). He served as Detachment Commander, Assistant Operations Officer, and Headquarters Company Commander during his tenure. He was then selected for duty in the Army Compartmented Element at the United States Army Special Operations Command. Upon graduating the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Colonel Kirila returned to the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) and served as Operations Officer and Executive Officer. In late 2005 he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where he served as the Director of Forward Operating Base North (FOB- 13), Taji, in the heart of Iraq. Here he earned the Bronze Star Medal where he is credited with synchronizing the operations of three diverse centers responsible for supporting combat operations spanning over half of Iraq. Colonel Kirila's success in Iraq was rewarded with an assignment to the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School where he served as Delta Company Commander and was responsible for running the legendary Robin Sage Unconventional Warfare Exercise for the Special Forces Qualification Course. This was quickly followed by an assignment as the Director of Special Operations Proponency at the United States Special Operation Command in Tampa, Florida. Since his arrival to the ``Red Empire,'' 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in 2009, Colonel Kirila has called North Florida home. Here he initially served as a Battalion Commander and deployed to Afghanistan as the Deputy Commander of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan. We are happy to hear he intends to remain as a permanent member of our community upon his retirement and we proudly welcome him. Colonel Kirila's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious service Medal with two Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. He has also earned the Special Forces Tab, the Ranger Tab, the Expert Infantryman's Badge, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Combat Infantry Badge. His foreign awards include the El Salvadoran Parachutist Badge, the German Basic Parachutist Badge (Bronze) and the Canadian Parachutist Badge. Mr. Speaker, without question, Colonel Robert M. Kirila, US Army, is retiring with an honorable career on which he can proudly hang his Green Beret. He has touched a number of lives throughout his time both in and out of the military and has given so much back to the country he loves so dear. It is my pleasure to join a grateful Northwest Florida community and Nation in saluting his lifetime of service. My wife, Vicki, and I thank Colonel Kirila; his wife, Chrissie; and daughters, Mia and Lily Agnes; and wish them all the best for continued success.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to welcome to the House today Dr. Ted Traylor, who has been the pastor at Olive Baptist Church since 1990. His weekly radio and television ministry, ``At the Heart of Things,'' reaches thousands of homes along the Gulf Coast and through weekly podcasts and streaming. Dr. Traylor's bold and practical preaching brings people to a fresh understanding of God's Word and challenges them to become bondservants for Christ. He is known for his uncompromising stand on Biblical issues and strong defense of the Christian faith. He has preached extensively throughout the United States in conferences and revivals. Emanuel University in Oradea, Romania, has honored him by placing his name on the chair of Pastoral Leadership. Dr. Traylor's family is his proudest accomplishment. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Liz, for 38 years. They have two children, Rachel and Bennett. Rachel is married to Brad Hinote, and they have two daughters, Kathryn and Elizabeth.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, one thing that can be said about Ms. Titus is she is consistent and she has tried every way possible in order to have this piece of legislation pass. Actually, it was debated and defeated in the committee when we had an opportunity to talk about this issue before. There were 80 amendments that were offered on this particular piece of legislation. Twenty-two amendments were accepted, and as the Members have seen, a vast number of Democratic amendments were accepted and allowed to be debated on the floor. This bill is about accountability. This bill is trying to give the Secretary the tools that he needs in order to hold people accountable. The problem that exists today at the Department of Veterans Affairs, as the Department Secretary has said and as other high-ranking officials at the Department have said, is it is almost impossible to hold somebody accountable or to fire somebody at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Imagine this: a VA employee that was drunk went into an operating room, and it took almost a year in order to hold them accountable; a VA employee was a willing participant in an armed robbery in Puerto Rico, and after a lengthy and administrative battle where the employee was supported by the public employee unions, the employee was reinstated in their previous position and got no discipline at all. The VA has not held anybody accountable for the $2.5 billion budget shortfall that took place in 2015, and they have held nobody accountable for the $1 billion cost overrun at the Aurora, Colorado, VA Medical Center. This is about holding bad bureaucrats accountable. We don't need poison pills in this particular bill. We need to move forward, and I urge my colleagues to oppose the MTR. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the gentlewoman's motion.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of a point of order.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chair, I offer this amendment, which is similar to a provision that was previously passed in the House in the 113th Congress. It improves transparency and provides important information about each regional office's accuracy and productivity. I think that each regional office is required to submit a report whenever it fails to meet its goal of processing claims within 125 days and with 98 percent accuracy. Those are numbers that VA has set forth. I think that it is very important that we keep a timely track on this and not allow the backlogs to continue for an inordinate period of time. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chair, I offer an amendment as the designee of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance).

Mr. MILLER of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, this is another valuable piece of legislation brought to us by our friend, Mr. Walz. Disabled veterans do, in fact, need access to adaptive equipment, including recreational sports equipment. I think that this is a very commonsense amendment. I support it. I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, even though I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, even though I am not opposed.