Jeff Miller

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and service of John D. Kimbrough, who passed away on June 12, 2013. During his distinguished career in education and his military service, John Kimbrough served as a mentor and an inspiration to countless individuals throughout the Gulf Coast. The loss of this great man is felt across the entire northwest Florida community. Mr. Kimbrough was born February 17, 1945 in Chumuckla, Florida. In a true testament to his love of country, Mr. Kimbrough chose to serve in the United States Army. While serving, Mr. Kimbrough was part of the Reinforcement Control Group based in St. Louis, Missouri and also served in Korea. After returning from his tour of duty, Mr. Kimbrough attended the University of West Florida. A born teacher, he used his degree to educate students in math and science and also served as a coach to further nurture and inspire the students of northwest Florida. Many students and teachers whose lives were touched by Mr. Kimbrough mourn the loss of a man of devotion and unwavering compassion. Perhaps the greatest mark he left was his persistent service to his fellow man; when it came to repairing things, there was never a problem he could not solve. His contributions and service to our community along with his selfless and dedicated service to our great Nation will forever be remembered. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to honor the exemplary life of Mr. John D. Kimbrough. My wife Vicki and I offer our prayers and sincerest condolences to his wife, Addie; son, JJ; daughter-in-law, Kendra; grandson, Lucas; and all of his family and friends. He will be truly missed.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the First Congressional District of Florida's Pensacola Catholic High School Crusaders for winning its second-straight Class 4A Florida High School Sports Association Baseball Championship and offer my congratulations to the team members, coaches, trainer, and school principal: Team members, Tanner Halstead (#3); Gavin Wehby (#4); Drew LaBounty (#5); Zane Gill (#7); Jon Jon Burkett (#8); Clarke Berry (#9); Brandon Wiley (#10); Gregory Ciangiotto (#11); Evans Bozeman (#12); Avery Geyer (#13); Bronson Chancellor (#14); Chandler Burns (#15); Cooper Jones (#16); Cody Henry (#17); Zach Allen (#21); James McGhee (#22); Jacob Knorr (#23); Michael Neal (#31); Brandon Lockridge (#32); Nick Helton (#40); Zach Wyant; Kai Wilson; Hunter Wilson; and Jason Borcz; Coaches, Richard LaBounty; P.J. Smith; Sonny Reedy; Glenn Currie; Keith Haynes; Jak-y Kohr; Christian Macon; and Russell Deason; Trainer, Lexi West; and Principal, Sister Kierstin Martin. The Catholic Crusaders ended a spectacular season with thirty wins and no losses to clinch this year's state championship. The final game was played against Miami Monsignor Pace High School at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida, on Tuesday, May 21, with the Crusaders earning an eighth inning victory by a score of seven to five. Many of the exceptional plays leading up to the victory occurred in the eighth inning itself. Junior James McGhee hit a two-run double in the top of the eighth inning, and senior pitcher Cooper Jones handled all three outs himself in the bottom of the eighth, striking two batters out and fielding a ground ball to the pitcher's mound to close out the game. This extraordinary triumph marks a proud moment in the sports history of Northwest Florida and builds upon its already strong baseball tradition. The Crusader's winning streak has risen to thirty- five, which it was reported has not occurred in the Pensacola area since Escambia High School reached that level in the 1965-1966 season. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that no team in Pensacola history, prior to this one, has ever ended a season undefeated. On behalf of the United States Congress and the citizens of Northwest Florida, I congratulate the team, students, and faculty of Catholic High School for its extraordinary victory. My wife Vicki joins me in offering our best wishes to the school and its talented athletes for their continued success.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Pensacola Ice Flyers for their recent victory in the Southern Professional Hockey League's President's Cup Championship series and offer my congratulations to the team members, owners, coaching staff, and front office staff: Team members, Steve Bergin; Dan Buccella; Jordan Chong; Joe Caveney; Brent Clarke; Brad Cooper; Ron Cramer; John Dunbar; Nick Dupuis; Gerry Festa; Jeremy Gates; Mitchell Good; Patrick Knowlton; Kevin Kozlowski; Justin MacDonald; Mike MacIntyre; Ross MacKinnon; Ryan Salvis; Tyler Soehner; and Brandon Vossberg; Owners, Greg Harris; and Tim Kerr; Coach, Gary Graham; Equipment Manager, Mark ``Bonez'' Bradtmueller; Athletic Trainer, Jen Lorenzo; and front office staff, Tina Burnham; Patrick Casey; Kayleigh Kerr; Josh Kersh; Willa Licata; Chuck McCartney; and Brittany Tindell. The Pensacola Ice Flyers were founded in 2009 and named to honor Pensacola's long and proud history as the ``Cradle of Naval Aviation.'' From the beginning, the Ice Flyers have been strong competitors in the Southern Professional Hockey League, SPHL, making it to playoffs in each year of their existence. Last season, the Ice Flyers made it all the way to the championship series, before narrowly losing in the final game. After coming agonizingly close to victory last season, the Ice Flyers entered into the 2012-13 season with only one goal: to win it all. The Ice Flyers enjoyed a successful regular season, finishing with the third best record in the league. The team also enjoyed tremendous support from the Pensacola community, drawing more than 100,000 fans to their home games this season. The President's Cup series between the Ice Flyers and the Huntsville Havoc was a closely contested affair. In the first game, the Ice Flyers prevailed at home in overtime 2-1; however, the Havoc fought back just three days later to claim a series tying 2-1 victory, sending the series back to Pensacola for a third and final game. A passionate crowd of nearly 4,700 fans showed up at the Pensacola Bay Center to watch as the Ice Flyers faced the Havoc in the third and final game of the President's Cup series on April 14, 2013. The Ice Flyers took an early lead after just two minutes and seven seconds of play, and they never looked back en route to a 2-0 shutout victory to claim the crown and bring the President's Cup to Pensacola. With their victory, the Ice Flyers became just the third professional hockey team from Florida to capture a championship, and they became the first team from Pensacola to bring a professional sports trophy to the area. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am honored to recognize the players, coaches, staff, and fans of the Pensacola Ice Flyers for their championship winning season. The entire Northwest Florida area looks forward to many more winning seasons to come.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the enduring spirit and gratitude of the people of the United States and France as exemplified through the mutual friendship of the sister cities of Crestview, Florida, and the French island city of Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile. The island of Noirmoutier, located off the west coast of France near Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, maintains an inextricable link with our Nation's military history. On July 4, 1943, while America was celebrating the date of its independence, an American B-17 crash-landed right on the beach of the small Noirmoutier village of la Gueriniere. This Flying Fortress was returning to England after a bombing run on the Nazi-held airfield outside Saint-Nazaire during World War II. Though the crew survived, the Nazi occupation forces on Noirmoutier got to the Americans before the island's underground partisans could rescue them, and the crew was imprisoned for the duration of the war. To this day, the people of Noirmoutier refuse to clear the wreckage of the B-17. Even for the island's youngest generation, it acts as a vivid reminder of the sacrifices made by France's American allies toward the cause of liberating France, and Europe, from the scourge of Nazi occupation, deprivation, and brutality. On Commemoration Day, Sunday, June 30, 2013, a monument will be unveiled on Noirmoutier dedicated to the courageous crew of that fateful B-17 and to all Americans who worked so selflessly to obtain France's liberation from the Nazis. On behalf of the United States Congress and the citizens of Northwest Florida, I am privileged to recognize the friendship between the people of Northwest Florida and Noirmoutier and join them in honoring the service and sacrifice of all men and women who sacrifice their lives in the name of freedom.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. I thank the chairman very much for yielding his time. And I do think it's important that the Members know that the committee under both Democrat and Republican chairmen have given every dollar, every person, every piece of equipment, every software that the Department of Veterans Affairs has asked for. And to do this at the 12th hour is not the way to make a difference in what we are trying to do. Our committee, the authorizing committee, has made it their number one focus; and Members here know this. Mike Michaud and I together have worked with our committee members and other Members across the floor trying to make sure that the backlog is taken care of. This is purely a political stunt and not one that we should vote for.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I think the words speak for themselves as well as the comments that have been made here on the floor. I would just close with this: that I urge all of my colleagues to support the Ruth Moore Act. I support H.R. 671, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we are ready to close if the ranking member is ready as well, so I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield as much time as he might consume to the subcommittee chairman of Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan).

Mr. MILLER of Florida. I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 671, as amended, will demand that the Department of Veterans Affairs place an immediate and concerted focus upon updating and improving its regulations for processing claims based upon military sexual trauma, commonly known as MST. Reported incidences of military sexual trauma have risen markedly in recent years, a disturbing trend affecting both women and men serving in the military. I have spoken with many servicemembers who have suffered MST, and one sentiment is commonly echoed--these servicemembers feel a sense of betrayal and lack of trust. They have said that they feel betrayed by their fellow military attacker; and, without proper handling of the crime, they also feel betrayed by their command and their service branch. The Department of Defense must take the lead on this issue and must address military sexual assault and trauma throughout the ranks in the strongest possible terms. Additionally, our veterans who have suffered military sexual trauma who live with this sense of betrayal must be confident that they will not be further traumatized by the Department of Veterans Affairs when they seek necessary and proper assistance. Survivors of MST must not be subjected to outdated and antiquated regulations of the Department. VA's approach to claims of MST and its processing thereof require immediate and thoughtful review, and that is the intent of H.R. 671, as amended. I want to thank Congresswoman Pingree for bringing this important bill to the committee. And I commend Subcommittee Chairman Runyan and Ranking Member Titus for their bipartisan work on bringing this bill to the floor today. With that, 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 and extend their remarks and add any extraneous material they may have on H.R. 671, as amended.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 671) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the disability compensation evaluation procedure of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for veterans with mental health conditions related to military sexual trauma, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the dedication and service of Chaplain David L. Gibson upon the occasion of his retirement. Chaplain Gibson is a proud resident of the Gulf Coast, where he is retiring after serving his nation with honor and distinction as Command Chaplain and Protestant Chapel Pastor at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Chaplain Gibson was born in Mableton, Georgia, and began serving his community at an early age through religious education. He acted as a minster of Youth, Music, and Christian Education at numerous churches, first as an intern and ultimately as director of a tri-city area based in Midland, Michigan. After receiving his Bachelor's degree in Christian Education in 1980 and his Masters in Divinity in 1983, Chaplain Gibson was ordained in July 1984 and commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. Chaplain Gibson led his military communities spiritually in posts as Chaplain or Command Chaplain in Naples, Italy; Norfolk, Virginia; Yorktown, Virginia; and Beaufort, South Carolina; before arriving in Pensacola to serve in 1998. While assigned to Naval Air Station Pensacola as the Assistant Department Head of the Naval Education and Training Professional Development Command, he designed and delivered over two hundred professional development courses. For his dedication and exceptional service, Chaplain Gibson was awarded the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. Following his promotion to Commander in 2003, Chaplain Gibson moved to serve at the Navy Chaplains School in Newport, Rhode Island for three years before returning to Naval Air Station Pensacola. In a further testament to his devotion to education, he earned his Doctorate of Strategic Leadership from Regent University in 2006. During his career, Chaplain Gibson founded the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Program. Today, this program is the standardized training that all chaplains and other Navy leaders receive in order to effectively deal with suicide situations. Further, he worked extensively on combat operation stress, particularly with its diagnosis and response. He co-authored a chapter in a 2012 Marine Corp University textbook on combat operation stress titled, ``Spiritual Injuries: Wounds of the American Warrior on the Battlefield of the Soul.'' He was also instrumental in training chaplains on how to minister to these hidden wounds. As a pastor and an educator, Chaplain Gibson has had an enormous impact on our Armed Services both in Northwest Florida and throughout the United States. From an early age, Chaplain Gibson learned the importance of serving God and his community. It is evident that this dedication has remained over the years, and thousands have been touched by his presence and service. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, it gives me great pride to honor the selfless service of David L. Gibson. My wife Vicki joins me in wishing David, his wife Tami, and their children, Zachary and Micah, all of the best.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I also thank my friend, Mr. Scott, for his kind words. I also want to thank Chairman Hensarling and Ranking Member Waters and Subcommittee Chairman Campbell, with his Ranking Member Clay, all the members of the Financial Services Committee and the House leadership for their support in bringing to the floor here today H.R. 324. It is a bill that grants the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the First Special Service Force. I also want to thank the members of the First Special Service Force Association, specifically Mr. Bill Woon for his advocacy, and for the association's efforts in continuing to spread the inspirational story of a truly heroic group of American and Canadian servicemen. I would be remiss not to thank Congressman Al Green of Texas and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida for encouraging support from their caucus members for this broad bipartisan piece of legislation, and the 324 Members of this body who have cosponsored the bill. I join my colleagues today in support of a bill that bestows upon the First Special Service Force the Congressional Gold Medal. It's Congress' highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievement and contributions for their superior service during World War II. The First Special Service Force was a covert World War II military unit born through the efforts of President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The Force conducted ultrahigh-risk military missions in Italy and in France. Once sent into action, the First Special Service Force never failed a combat mission. The First Special Service Force achieved remarkable success in battle and contributed prominently in the liberation of Italy and France. Most notably, the Force conducted battles south of Cassino, including Monte La Difensa and Monte Majo, two mountain peaks critical to the German defensive line. During the night of December 3, 1943, the Force ascended to the top of the precipitous face of Monte La Difensa, where the Force suffered heavy casualties and overcame fierce resistance to overtake the German line. The First Special Service Force lost a total of 2,314 men, which was 134 percent of the original combat force. These heroic servicemen represent the breadth of intrepidity and courage, and they have earned our country's deepest gratitude and highest praise. Though many of the brave troops of the First Special Service Force have been lost to us, this gold medal is an important step in immortalizing their service and honoring the forefathers of today's Special Forces. With just 6 days remaining until Memorial Day, I cannot think of a more appropriate way to honor the heroism and sacrifice of the warriors of the First Special Service Force, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. To all of the men and women who have guarded our great Nation in the name of protecting and defending liberty that we hold so dear, we say thank you. And to all of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, may you forever remain in our hearts and in our prayers.

Mr. MILLER of Florida

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I once again urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 570, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time. We're prepared to close, if the ranking member is as well.

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

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time I'm happy to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. The author of the underlying bill, Mr. Runyan of New Jersey, has put forward a bipartisan proposal to make permanent the veterans cost-of- living adjustment. Currently, Congress must adopt annual COLA bills to ensure that payments to disabled veterans and survivors do not erode due to inflation. Mr. Runyan's bill, which my amendment incorporates, would make this annual, and sometimes dangerously delayed, practice a thing of the past. A coalition of veterans groups expressed strong concern with some other elements of the underlying bill, which my amendment now seeks to address. First, the concern was expressed that the bill would permanently extend the 20-year practice of rounding veterans COLA increases down to the next lower whole dollar. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that extending the round-down authority saves, relative to the baseline, over $1.3 billion over a 10-year period. The veterans coalition was concerned about the cumulative effect that the permanent round-down would have, as well as the moral principle associated with logging savings on the backs of our disabled veterans. To meet that concern, I worked with our ranking member to, first, sunset the round-down authority after 5 years, and second, we agreed with the committee's markup to find a way to reinvest savings associated with the round-down by improving benefits for other disabled veterans. I am pleased to announce that my amendment contains such an improvement that it is now enthusiastically supported by the veterans groups. Our bipartisan work would significantly increase the special monthly compensation payments made to our most severely disabled veterans by 30 percent through the year 2018, then 50 percent thereafter. This is a payment that goes to support catastrophically disabled veterans who are in need of aid and attendance. These are veterans who are missing limbs, totally blind, deaf, or who are so disabled that they require the need of special care in the home, all as a result of their military service. Clearly, it's our duty to ensure that these most deserving service- disabled veterans are well-cared for, and my amendment to H.R. 570 will be a significant step in that direction. And finally, the service organizations were concerned about the potential application of the so-called chained CPI at some point in the future that could potentially affect veterans COLAs. To allay that concern, my amendment specifies that the permanent veterans COLA only would be continued to the extent that the current inflationary index that is used now, the CPI for urban wage earners and clerical workers, continues in force. I'm very pleased to say that, with the changes in my amendment, we now have a bill that can be supported by the veterans it is intended to benefit. With that, 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 and extend their remarks and add any extraneous material that they may have on H.R. 570, as amended.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 570) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for annual cost-of-living adjustments to be made automatically by law each year in the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, 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, once again I encourage all Members to support H.R. 1412, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we have no more speakers at this time, and so if Mr. Michaud is ready to close, we are prepared to close.

Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time I'm pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman), the author of the bill and a stalwart supporter of America's veterans.