Phil Roe

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

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.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2248, as amended, the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018. This legislation is a prenegotiated, bipartisan package of bills that we have worked out with the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The amended version of the bill contains 23 sections, many of which originated in the 80-plus veterans bills that the House passed in the 115th Congress. Though S. 2248, as amended, reflects just a fraction of our collective efforts, as we were unable to come to an agreement with the Senate on several outstanding issues, it, nonetheless, contains many important provisions that we can all be pleased to support. For example, one provision of the bill would make schools ineligible for GI Bill tuition payments if they place penalties or burdens on students due to the Department of Veterans Affairs' inability to pay the GI Bill payments to schools on time. This provision was championed by Vice Chairman Bilirakis, and I thank him for his advocacy. There are several provisions in the bill that make improvements to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act that protect deployed servicemembers from commercial penalties, which they can occur as a result of their service. The bill also includes provisions that would improve burial benefits for servicemembers, veterans, and their families; expand eligibility for a successful homeless veteran job training program; authorize funding for VA construction projects; and provide critical oversight of government purchase cards and the development of VA's new electronic health record. Mr. Speaker, before yielding back, I will take a moment to say that serving as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee has been an immense honor to me, and I am grateful to all of those who put their trust and faith in me to fulfill this role for Congress. I thank a number of individuals who have been instrumental in this committee's success during the 115th Congress. First, I thank Ranking Member Walz, the newly elected Governor of the very cold State of Minnesota; my subcommittee chairmen and ranking members; and the members of the committee. Without their continued hard work and involvement, none of this congressional success in the veterans area would have been realized. Many members on our committee had numerous other duties but never, ever neglected the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I thank the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee chairman, Senator Isakson, and Ranking Member Jon Tester for their hard work, and I look forward to working with them in the next Congress. I am also grateful to the House leadership on both sides of the aisle, but particularly Speaker Paul Ryan, Leader McCarthy, Whip Steve Scalise, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Leadership support for this committee was unwavering and ensured that veterans' matters received the time and attention they so richly deserve. Finally, I want to thank all Members of the House of Representatives who strive, day in and day out, to do right by America's veterans. With Members' support, we have helped enact landmark legislation this Congress, including: The VA MISSION Act, the Forever GI Bill, the VA Accountability Act, appeals reform, and many, many other smaller, yet impactful pieces of legislation which Americans, and especially veterans, can be proud of. The bipartisan nature of this committee is unique in Congress, and it is nothing less than what our veterans deserve. I look forward to serving as ranking Republican member of the committee next Congress and continuing our work with soon-to-be Chairman Mark Takano. I urge my colleagues to support S. 2248, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), vice chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and one of the most fierce advocates for our veterans in this Congress.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman), my good friend, and chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, and a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), my good friend, who currently serves and has served on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee as the Health Subcommittee chair. He also serves on the House Armed Services Committee, Intel Committee, and is a colonel in the reserves

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik), my good friend and fellow member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to encourage all Members to support S. 2248, as amended. As I close, I thank both the Republican and Democratic members of the committee and of the full House for the incredible work that they have done. This committee is an example of how Congress should work. We put our partisanship aside at the door and we think about one thing: what is good for America's veterans and their families. You heard today how Members on both sides of the aisle have gone home and listened to their constituents and come back with great ideas. Often, the great ideas don't emanate from here; they emanate from the citizens of this country. I thank them and the 20 million or so surviving veterans in this country for their incredible service. We will never get it all straight up here, but I can assure you that we are trying our very best to do what is right. I congratulate Mr. Takano in his elevation to the chairmanship. I know we have worked very closely together through the last several years--not just the last 2 years, but the last several years. He will do a great job as chairman, and I look forward to serving. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 3946) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Statesboro, Georgia, the ``Ray Hendrix Veterans Clinic'', with the Senate amendments thereto, and concur in the Senate amendments.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take this opportunity to express my support for H.R. 6621, a bill to designate the post office at 530 East Main Street in Johnson City, Tennessee, as the ``Major Homer L. Pease Post Office.'' A native of Johnson City, Major Homer Pease lived one of the most interesting lives I've ever seen. Major Pease first tried to join the Marine Corps in 1942 at age 13 but was turned away; so, he convinced a stranger to act as his father at the Army recruiting office instead. After he successfully joined the Army, he then completed basic training and became a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, landing at Normandy on D-Day. He was wounded shortly after but later rejoined his unit fighting in the Ardennes Forest, the Battle of the Bulge and Berchtesgaden. When he was wounded again, the Army discovered how old he was and sent him home at 15. He was awarded a bronze star and a Purple Heart for his service and returned home to complete high school. However, on his 16th birthday, he was again called to serve, making it as far as Fort Bragg before the Army sent him home once more. But his commitment to his country wasn't done there. He served in ROTC in high school, and at ETSU, before receiving his commission in the National Guard after college. Even then, he still felt a calling to serve his country and later became a U.S. Army Ranger at age 36, arriving in Vietnam in March 1966. Unfortunately, on November 19 of that year, while leading a ground combat operation, Homer Pease fell on the battlefield. For the bravery he displayed, he was awarded the Silver Star, another Purple Heart and was promoted to Major. A picture of heroism, we can all recognize Major Pease's contributions to our country and naming this Post Office in honor of his patriotism is one way to ensure his legacy endures. I urge support for this legislation.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 7163) to designate the outstation of the Department of Veterans Affairs in North Ogden, Utah, as the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center Outstation, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Children's Cardiomyopathy Awareness Month, and events such as AED Hunt on the Hill which raise awareness on the lifesaving value of AEDs. According to the American Red Cross Organization, improved training and access to AEDs could save as many as 50,000 lives each year, and all Americans should be within 4 minutes of an AED and someone trained to use it. With an average response time of 8-12 minutes for first responders once 911 is called, it's a responsibility for all of us to prepare to help in the event of a cardiac emergency. Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and for each minute defibrillation is delayed, the chance of survival is reduced by approximately 10 percent. As a doctor, I've seen the value of accessible AEDs firsthand. Several years ago in 2011, I was grabbing coffee on a layover in Charlotte Douglas International Airport on the way to Washington, D.C. when I heard someone call out for a doctor. At that point, an individual had collapsed to the ground and was not exhibiting a pulse. For 3-4 minutes I worked with a woman on hand to perform CPR until emergency services could arrive on the scene with a portable defibrillator. September is Children's Cardiomyopathy Awareness Month. Cardiomyopathy is a chronic disease of the heart muscle that can present in a variety of forms and may, in severe cases, lead to heart failure or sudden death. It is the leading causes of sudden death in young people, and the primary cause of heart transplants in children over the age of one. Knowing your family's history and heart health, and discussing it with your doctor, can help determine whether you or a family member is at risk. Once again, I applaud events like AED Hunt on the Hill, and all efforts to raise awareness during Children's Cardiomyopathy Awareness Month.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 1635, the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act. I am a proud cosponsor of the bill and believe it will take a step forward in improving student financial literacy today. Student loan debt has risen at an alarming rate over the last dozen years, from roughly $480 billion in 2006 to over $1.4 trillion this year. The American Government is the guarantor of more than 90 percent of that debt. Today's graduates, on average, leave campus with more than $35,000 in debt. Mr. Chairman, let me give an example. I was raised in a middle-class family. My mother was a bank teller. My dad was a factory worker. I was able to go to college and medical school in 7 years and graduate with no debt. The medical students who I taught in medical school at our medical school in east Tennessee had an average debt of over $175,000 when they left school, an enormous debt. Many of them had upward of $300,000 in debt and will spend many years paying their way out of that. Today's graduates, as I said, graduate with more than $35,000 in debt, and, currently, only students receiving Federal loans are required to complete a financial counseling session. This counseling is provided only twice and only to students. Counseling is offered the first time the student takes out a Federal loan and again upon graduation, which is way too late, and does not apply to a large pool of students receiving Federal aid, those receiving the Pell grant. H.R. 1635 requires students to receive annual counseling about their Federal loan and Pell grants. In other words, you don't have to take out the maximum loan. Just take out what you need. Additionally, parents who apply for a parent PLUS loan would also have to receive financial counseling. While no solution is perfect, these counseling sessions will give borrowers important information about their Federal financial aid and, hopefully, leave them with a better understanding of their repayment options and recommendations about grants, work study, and scholarship opportunities. In our State of Tennessee, as my good friend was mentioning a minute ago, we provide community college and technical school for free. This fall, we are beginning a program that is called Tennessee Reconnect, where you can go back to school if you have lost your job and you are middle-aged and you need to be retrained. You can go do that for free in our State. We believe that we need to retrain a workforce in our country for the jobs of tomorrow, and without this onerous debt, which a lot of people won't go to school because they realize it costs so much money that they can never pay it back. H.R. 1635 will encourage a better-informed decisionmaking on the part of borrowers and increase financial literacy. Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense bill.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Ms. Jeny Walker upon her retirement as Cemetery Director at Mountain Home National Cemetery. Ms. Walker was named Director of Mountain Home National Cemetery effective July 27, 2015. She was responsible for all burial, maintenance and administrative operations at the facility. Prior to this assignment, Ms. Walker served as Assistant Director of Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery from August 2014. She completed the National Cemetery Administration's comprehensive, year-long Cemetery Director Intern Program in August 2014. Jeny is a pillar of her community and has brought much peace and comfort to Veterans and their families in the entire Northeastern Tennessee region. She has led significant improvement and expansion efforts at the cemetery to include an expansion project that doubles the size of the cemetery and will provide an additional 50 years of gravesite availability for veterans and their families. She also led her team to a recent National Cemetery Administration Organizational Assessment and Improvement award for exemplary performance in key management and operational areas such as customer service, cemetery service, and access to information. Jeny's enduring legacy includes a book she published about Mountain Home National Cemetery entitled, A Book of Heroes: Discover Their Story, Honor Their Sacrifice. In her three years as the Cemetery Director at Mountain Home, Jeny was driven to serve veterans and their families. She was a VA ambassador in the community and was led by the principles of servant leadership. When several headstones and monuments were vandalized at Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Jeny organized a group of employee volunteers to spend a Saturday afternoon to share their expertise and repair the broken monuments and reset the headstones. This is a testament to the special kind of person Jeny is. I include in the Record a message Jeny wrote her colleagues upon retirement: Long ago and far away, working in my first cemetery as an intern, I found this on a headstone. I've kept it and read it often because it eloquently states exactly what I feel: Remember me. Think of me. Love me as you do now. Essentially nothing changes by my leaving. If I were to ask anything of you, it's that you pray I will have more time than I think I do. More time with family. More time having fun. More time to live. Much love for each of you, Jeny. I am grateful for Jeny's service to veterans and wish her peace. She is in my prayers and in the prayers of so many. I'd also like to thank the National Cemetery Administration for sharing Jeny's background

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5693) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts and agreements for the placement of veterans in non-Department medical foster homes for certain veterans who are unable to live independently, to establish the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to amend the interest rate for certain loans guaranteed under the home loan program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 5693, as amended, the Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act. This bill would expand long-term care opportunities for veterans by allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, to cover the cost of a medical foster home for certain veterans. Medical foster homes are private homes in which a trained caregiver provides round-the-clock care to a small group of individuals. Medical foster homes have proven to be a popular, safe, and cost-effective alternative to traditional nursing homes, particularly for veterans who prefer a more familial, less institutional care setting. However, VA is unable to cover the cost of care for a veteran residing in a medical foster home. That is true even for veterans who VA would otherwise be required to pay for in a more expensive nursing home. As a result, VA estimates the department pays more than twice as much for nursing home care than it otherwise would. The Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act would help address that issue, and, in doing so, ensure that veterans have the flexibility to choose the long-term care setting that feels most comfortable for them. The bill would also create a Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration to be led by an under secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition. Investing in education and employment opportunities for our Nation's veterans is one of VA's most important but least recognized missions. Today, programs concerning education and employment are embedded within the Veterans Benefit Administration, which, understandably, devotes most of its time, attention, and resources on disability compensation-related issues and backlogs that rise and fall with time. Creating a new administration within VA to house education and employment programs will ensure that those programs receive the focused leadership, time and attention that they deserve. To offset the medical foster home and Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration provisions of the bill, it would also authorize a temporary increase in the VA home loan funding fee for interest reduction loans when refinancing homes. This bill is sponsored by Congressman Clay Higgins from Louisiana. As an engaged member of the Subcommittee on Health, Clay is a champion for his fellow veterans, and I thank him for his leadership on this legislation. I am also grateful to my good friend and former senior committee member, Dr. Brad Wenstrup from Ohio, who has sponsored the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration provisions of this bill. As a veteran and physician, Brad has championed veteran employment and education issues because he knows better than most how important it is that veterans transitioning from combat zones come home to meaningful education and employment opportunities. I thank him for his efforts and urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins), an active member of the VA committee and one of the primary sponsors of this, an Army veteran, and reserve police officer.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), my good friend, who has been an active member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and chairs the Subcommittee on Health. I appreciate his leadership on this bill.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, this is commonsense legislation that will allow veterans in certain circumstances to stay in a less intense nursing home facility. We hear this all the time: ``I don't want to go to a nursing home.'' This will allow veterans who have earned these benefits to reside outside there. It is much less expensive for the VA, and it is also much better for the veteran if they can do this. A second part of this bill, which is to create the fourth administration, is not more bureaucracy, but to focus on the education benefits and transition as Active-Duty military leave and enter civilian life again. I think it is one of the most critical things we do. A seamless transition from Active Duty to an active job, I think, will help reduce veteran depression, suicide, dependence, and other things. That is why we wanted to do this. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5693, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2353. The number one thing I hear from employers back home is that they have good-paying jobs available, but they can't find workers who have the necessary training or soft skills. I have also heard that employers are not engaged early enough in the process, and the reforms in today's bill should help address these concerns. This bill helps encourage community partnerships and engages employers to help ensure employment opportunities for future generations. Most importantly, by Congress acting today, we show our commitment to help those for whom college may not be the right fit by offering them better, skills-based learning opportunities that will ultimately result in jobs to support themselves and their families. I am also pleased to see the inclusion of provisions from the American Dream Accounts Act, which I introduced last week with Representative Moulton. This will allow community partnerships to help engage kids to plan and save for technical education programs. A program in Elizabethton, Tennessee, is doing just this, with promising results. With these important reforms, we can help ensure that the labor force of tomorrow has the skills it needs today. I urge support.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6311. This bill makes a number of welcome changes to our broken healthcare system to put patients back in charge of their healthcare. I have been a physician in rural east Tennessee for over 30 years. Mr. Speaker, we heard about how the tax bill had caused these premiums to go up. Let me tell you what has happened in the State of Tennessee. Since the ACA took place, the number of options went down and the premiums have gone up, on average, 175 percent. Let me say this: In the hospital where I practiced, a university hospital, the majority of people with uncollectible debt are people with insurance. Let me say that again. The majority of uncollectible debt are people with insurance. Why? Because the out-of-pockets and copays are so high that they can't afford it. And that is one of the reasons we need this bill. And let me say, also, that a year ago I was facing a major operation, Mr. Speaker, a cancer operation. I had the ACA insurance. I looked at what my out-of-pocket was, what my copays were, what my premiums were, and what my employer, the taxpayers of this country, paid for me. I would have been better off if I had just written a check for the cost of that cancer operation that I had. I had an insurance card. I didn't have insurance coverage. That is what I had with the ACA so-called insurance. Now that the mandate is gone--I want to say this--we heard: Oh, goodness, the sky is falling because premiums are going to go up. In Tennessee, our premiums actually went down 10 percent from the major insurer in the State, Blue Cross, and for that we are eternally grateful in my State. What we want, now that the mandate has gone, this bill will help create a more affordable copper plan option which will allow the tax credit recipients to use their credit to pay for coverage. This is something we should look at to expand. In fact, Senator Alexander and Congressman Duncan have introduced legislation which would allow consumers to purchase an off-market plan when there are limited options. In my district, in the First District of Tennessee, almost as many people, within a few hundred, paid the penalty tax, whatever Justice Roberts wanted to call it, as actually got a subsidy. Almost as many people paid it. So what good is it? All of these changes are long overdue. Americans have dealt with the crushing costs associated with ObamaCare, and we are trying to give them as much relief as possible. By passing this bill today, we will return control to patients to determine what level of coverage is best for them and their families rather than the government making an arbitrary decision for them. If we had a system of healthcare in this country where it was patient centered and market driven, these changes would be unnecessary. Instead, we still have a top-down, government-knows- best approach to healthcare that continues to cost folks all across the country more than they can afford. I support the provisions in this bill because I have worked very hard to get to it.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I will finish by saying that the current system under ObamaCare is unsustainable, and we must increase affordable options or the system will collapse. Finally, I will put it this way: We need to put patients and doctors--no insurance companies and bureaucrats--in charge of healthcare decisions in this country. That is what a health savings account does, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this.

Mr. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2409) to allow servicemembers to terminate their cable, satellite television, and Internet access service contracts while deployed, as amended.

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.

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. 2409, as amended. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, SCRA, was enacted by Congress to protect Active Duty servicemembers and members of the National Guard and Reserve from financial charges and judicial obligations that could incur due to their military service. As most Americans know, cell phone companies charge early-termination fees if a user cancels an agreement for service with the carrier before their contract has expired. SCRA currently allows a servicemember who is ordered to move or deploy for longer than 90 days to cancel their cell phone contract without paying those fees. However, it does not explicitly protect servicemembers from having to pay early-termination fees for cable, satellite TV, or Internet access contracts. H.R. 2409, as amended, which is sponsored by Congressman Ryan Costello of Pennsylvania, would fix this inequity. I am grateful for his efforts in this bill to acknowledge that servicemembers would be given the same type of protections for cable, satellite TV, and Internet contracts as those already in place for cell phone devices. The bill would also extend those protections to surviving spouses of servicemembers who are killed while on Active Duty. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Costello for bringing this bill forward, and I reserve the balance of my time.