Phil Roe

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), who is my Health Subcommittee chair.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the record on H.R. 5215.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5215, the Veterans Affairs Purchase Card Misuse Mitigation Act. This legislation is sponsored by my Veterans' Affairs Committee colleagues Jack Bergman, Kathleen Rice, Mike Bost, Dr. Neal Dunn, and Mike Coffman. H.R. 5215 would implement an additional safeguard in VA's multibillion-dollar government purchase card program, which has too often lacked adequate controls and has periodically been abused. The legislation directs the Secretary to revoke the purchase card from any employee who is found to have intentionally misused it. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5215, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman), our Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee chair.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4958, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2018. This bill was introduced by the subcommittee chairman, Mike Bost of Illinois, and I appreciate his leadership on this issue. VA provides compensation to help fulfill our obligation to take care of the brave men and women who have been injured during their service to our Nation. This money can be a lifeline for veterans who have service-connected disabilities that may affect their earning ability. These veterans often have families to support, and they should not be worried about how they are going to pay their bills when prices go up. This bill will help ensure that the value of veterans' benefits are not eroded by inflation by giving veterans a cost-of-living increase if Social Security recipients receive one this year. The amount of the increase will be determined by the consumer price index, which establishes the COLA for Social Security beneficiaries. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), our Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee chairman.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the subcommittee chairman and Marine veteran, Mike Bost, for bringing this up. It is a great piece of legislation. I encourage all Members to support H.R. 4958, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1282) to redesignate certain clinics of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Montana.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material on S. 1282.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5418, as amended, the Veterans Affairs Medical-Surgical Purchasing Stabilization Act. This legislation was introduced by General Bergman and is cosponsored by Representatives Peters, Banks, Dunn, and Kuster. VA's medical-surgical prime vendor program is an ambitious effort to save money by establishing a medical-surgical formulary in leveraging the Department's massive buying power. Unfortunately, the results have fallen far short of expectations. I held a hearing on this subject last December and continue to monitor it closely. The formulary was originally created with little clinical input, and it does not contain what clinicians need. Over the past year, physicians, surgeons, and nurses have been organized into teams to reevaluate the formulary. At one point, a group of clinicians was essentially put in a room for a week to concentrate on the task, but the formulary remains troubled. Now, VA is restructuring the program to put the prime vendors in charge of negotiating the supplier contracts, but it remains crucial that VA get the formulary right. This is a matter of safety as well as finances. H.R. 5418, as amended, would put clinicians with appropriate expertise back in charge of the formulary, which is the first step toward stabilizing the Medical-Surgical Prime Vendor Program. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5418, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5044.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5044, Service-Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act. Current law authorizes a special set-aside program at the Department of Veterans Affairs for veteran-owned small businesses and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses called Vets First Program. This program has been highly successful in providing VOSBs and SDVOSBs more opportunities, so much so that VA spent almost 20 percent of all contracting dollars with these firms in 2017. While we should all laud the success of the program, there has been concern that current law did not appropriately address concerns of what happens to awards and contracts of VOSB and SDVOSB when the veteran owner dies. The sudden death of a veteran could bring significant upheaval for a small business as they lose their VA contracts, which can impact not only the veteran's family, but employees as well. H.R. 5044 would clarify and authorize the spouses of veterans who died with less than a 100-percent disability rating to maintain VOSB and SDVOSB status for up to 3 years following the veteran's death. I believe this change to current law is an appropriate way to continue the success of the Vets First Program without hurting other veteran firms. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Chairman Chabot, for introducing this bill, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5044, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5044) to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the treatment of certain surviving spouses under the contracting goals and preferences of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot). This is his piece of legislation. I appreciate him being here on the floor today.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I also concur with my colleague: I urge support of H.R. 4334. I just want to say, right before Memorial Day, it is obviously next week, and many people will go home to picnics and families. We have just heard this afternoon on the House floor the sacrifice of many, many of our veterans and really amazing people that live in our country. In the past week, the Veterans' Affairs Committee--and I want to thank members on both sides of the aisle--have put together 15 bills: one was a major bill, the VA MISSION Act, which will be taken up by the Senate this week, and 14 bills this afternoon to improve both the care and services provided to our Nation's heroes. For me, it is a true privilege to get up every day and come to this House, to this body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and to advocate for those men and women that I have so much respect for. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy Memorial Day to everyone, and I encourage everyone to vote for this today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Correa's legislation. I, too, was, an OB/GYN physician who saw VA patients. I would like to think that Mr. Correa had all these ideas himself, but I have had the opportunity to find out that he definitely married above himself. His wife is an OB/ GYN, so I think he probably got most of those ideas from her. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4334, as amended, Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act of 2018. While VA has vastly improved its capacity to care for gender-specific needs of women veterans, many are still referred to the community when VA cannot provide the appropriate services. Mr. Speaker, last week, the House overwhelmingly approved the VA MISSION Act by a vote of 347-70. The MISSION Act will, among other things, improve the ability for eligible veterans to seek care from community providers when VA cannot meet strict access standards. With more veterans becoming eligible to seek care in the community, it is incumbent upon us as members of the House VA Committee to provide oversight over the care delivered within the community as well. This bill, offered by my friend and fellow committee member from California (Mr. Correa), would help us do just that. H.R. 4334 would require VA medical centers to report to the Secretary on the compliance of contracted community providers with standards of care for women veterans, as established by VA. The Secretary would also be required to report to Congress on the accessibility of gender-specific medical care for women with community providers, as well as to develop a plan to strengthen standards of care within the facilities. Mr. Speaker, as we await Senate passage of the VA MISSION Act, I urge my colleagues to support this complementary piece of legislation, H.R. 4334, as amended, Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 4334, as amended.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4334) to provide for certain reporting requirements relating to medical care for women veterans provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and through contracts entered into by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with non-Department medical providers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3663) to designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Huntington, West Virginia, as the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams VA Medical Center.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte), who is my good friend.