Phil Roe

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), my good friend, and Iraq war veteran. I commend him on his work on this bill.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill. This takes me back to when I was in college in 1965, and my scout master was killed in Vietnam leaving behind four children. They were responsible for all these things with no resources, no money. I think our lives then were worth, at the most, if you bought extra insurance, $20,000, not much money. This is the right thing to do. I am sorry it took 50 years to get it done. I certainly appreciate all of my colleagues, especially my good friend Dr. Wenstrup and Representative Bustos who brought this to our attention and got it done. I encourage all my colleagues to support this bill Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 4852, the G.I. and Veterans Education Empowerment, or GIVE, Act. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide additional information on schools listed on the GI Bill Comparison Tool. The tool was first authorized by legislation sponsored by Congressman Gus Bilirakis from Florida, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, in 2013 to give servicemembers and veterans the opportunity to compare information on GI Bill-eligible schools to determine which school is right for them. The tool is modeled off the Department of Education's College Navigator website, which contains information about tuition and fee costs, policies on transferring credits, and whether an institution is private, nonprofit, or public. H.R. 4852 would add three additional data points to the tool to ensure that it captures information about whether an institution is affiliated with a religion, serves a specific group of minorities, or is gender-specific. As the old saying goes, information is power. I am sure that this additional information will help GI Bill users choose the right school to fit their specific needs and, ultimately, ensure their success in higher education and beyond. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Norma Torres from California for her work on this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. Madam Speaker, having used the GI Bill myself many, many years ago, it is an invaluable tool for our veterans. We know that the GI Bill was really one of the major things that helped create the America we live in today, as post-World War II veterans left, came out, used the GI Bill, went to college, and really helped create this great country we live in. Two years ago, we passed a bill that would make the GI Bill forever, so that if you lose your job when you are 45 years old or 50 years old, if you are a veteran, you can go back and use that GI Bill to retrain and continue your education. This bill helps further clarify and helps veterans use that information better for themselves and their families. Madam Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 3749, as amended, the Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act. This bill would authorize a new legal services grant program for homeless veteran providers. The Department of Veterans Affairs would administer this grant program to organizations serving homeless veterans that provide legal services for issues regarding housing, family matters, criminal defense, and upgrading military discharges. Grantees would provide these services to veterans who are or who are at risk of becoming homeless. This bill would also require that not less than 10 percent of grant funds go toward providing legal services for veterans who are women. The committee's oversight of the homeless program has found that simple legal services can be a barrier to reintegration for the homeless or at-risk veterans because they can prevent them from gaining meaningful employment and stable housing. I believe that providing grants to homeless veteran providers that offer legal services to this vulnerable population would be providing another avenue for these veterans to appropriately work through their legal issues and, hopefully, move closer to independence. The bill would also direct $20 million from VA's Supportive Services for Veteran Families program to grantees that provide services specifically for homeless women veterans. It would further require an advanced study on what type of services are available for homeless women veterans and how to ensure these services are meeting their needs. While I am supportive of this new program grant as well as the steps the bill would take to help homeless women veterans, I am concerned that there is no limit to the amount of medical service dollars that could be spent on this new program. I worry that if we continue to use the medical service account as a cash cow for new, unfunded priorities, other veteran programs eventually could be negatively impacted. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this bill and appreciate Mr. Panetta's leadership on it. When I got to Congress in 2009, there were over 100,000 homeless veterans in this country. That number has been reduced by 70 percent. And, as the chairman said, zero is the right number; that is the correct number of homeless veterans. This will go a long way to reestablishing many other things that the committee has done to help this, but this is a major step in helping when you are trying to get legal services with a lease or with many other things, with family issues. I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4613, as amended, the VA Reporting Transparency Act. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to make all of VA's congressionally mandated reports available on the Department's website. During the committee markup on this bill, I registered my concern that this bill had not gone through regular order. Congress has not, to my knowledge, required any other Federal agency to publish congressionally mandated reports. The concept of making congressionally mandated reports available is not, on its face, objectionable. However, we cannot always see the downstream consequences of a policy. When the committee holds legislative hearings, we get an outside perspective on legislation from important stakeholders and can identify problems or potential enhancements that may not be readily apparent to lawmakers. Madam Speaker, I would like to reiterate that our committee's work-- and, by extension, our Nation's veterans--benefits from regular order, and I urge our committee to return to it. That said, I thank the chairman for supporting an amendment I offered during the markup of this bill to address three concerns I had: First, my amendment clarified that the requirement for VA to post reports would apply prospectively in order to avoid requiring VA to publish past reports. Second, my amendment gave Congress 30 days to review the report before VA publishes it on the website. The Government Accountability Office gives us such a courtesy to review, and I believe the same courtesy is appropriate here. Finally, my amendment clarified that Congress can, at the time of mandating the report, exempt it from publication. I was concerned that, as written, it was unclear when a report could be withheld, and I wanted the Congress mandating the report to make that decision. With those changes, I believe the bill will result in a more transparent and publicly accessible VA. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting it, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. You heard the old saying that the best disinfectant in the world is sunshine, and I could not agree more with that. I appreciate my colleague, Congressman Rose from New York, for bringing this legislation forward. I think it will allow everyone to see the reports that we see in a timely fashion. I strongly encourage my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 561, as amended, the Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act. H.R. 561, as amended, is contracting reform legislation sponsored by my good friend, Lieutenant General Jack Bergman from Michigan, who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. This bill would give the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Office of Inspector General badly needed tools to stop companies that exploit contracting loopholes to take work from legitimate veteran- owned small businesses. It is crucial that the Federal procurement be fair and that veteran entrepreneurs actually receive the business opportunities that the law created for them. Unfortunately, there have long been some fly-by-night small businesses that obtain set-aside contracts only to pass on all of the work to large businesses while collecting the profits. This is illegal, but the law is difficult to enforce. This legislation requires a written certification in every contract proposal that the company will comply with the law. A false statement constitutes fraud, and the bill makes it the Inspector General's explicit responsibility to investigate such suspected fraud. This bill is a smart fix for a difficult problem, and I appreciate General Bergman as well as Dr. Neal Dunn of Florida, my good friend and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health; and Congresswoman Ann Kuster of New Hampshire for their work on it going back several years. I urge all Members to support H.R. 561, as amended. Lieutenant General Jack Bergman is my good friend. I think General Bergman is the highest-ranking veteran in the U.S. Congress in either the House or the Senate. He represents the Upper Peninsula in Michigan and has been a great member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman).

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, just for the record, a lieutenant general, in case there are those who don't know what that is, has three stars. I salute this marine. Even though I was in the Army, I have to salute the general over here. Before I close in support of this bill, Madam Speaker, I want to express my disappointment that we are not considering another bill, S. 3084, this afternoon as well. S. 3084 would correct a technical error in current law that unless swiftly addressed will jeopardize the financial security of certain current and former senior leaders across the VA healthcare system and make it harder for VA to recruit and retain the necessary talent to serve our Nation's veterans. In short, a provision of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010--and I remember that--is intended to raise the salary cap for employees serving our senior executive services- equivalent positions in the Veterans Health Administration. However, due to a recently realized error in the law, VA will have to cut pay and issue debts for 30 current and 10 former senior leaders in those positions unless Congress acts to make the necessary corrections which S. 3084 will do. This was no fault of the Members. All of the employees who are impacted by this technical error serve in high-level, mission-critical leadership positions working on issues like suicide prevention, mental health, women's health, and more. We should be encouraging and supporting these leaders, not leaving them in limbo. What is more, our failure to address this issue in a timely manner is actively making it harder for VA to recruit candidates to fill important vacancies across the country. Madam Speaker, S. 3084 passed the Senate on January 16. We could have taken it up and passed it many times over by now. If we had, those leaders would be resting a lot easier, and those vacancies could have been filled. I urge Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Takano not to delay any longer and to schedule S. 3084 for floor time as soon as possible. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Takano for his leadership on all these bills we brought here. They are all very needed, and I appreciate the gentleman bringing them up in a timely fashion. I absolutely endorse all of those today, and I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 561, as amended. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, my commonsense amendment to the PRO Act is very simple. It would require union elections to be conducted by a secret ballot, like every election in the country is. Look, anybody who wants to in this country has the right to belong to a union. I was raised in a union household. My dad, after World War II, worked for 30 years in a factory as a union member. In fact, this is so simple that in April of 2019, over 80 House Democrats, including 12 on the Committee on Education and Labor, signed a letter to Ambassador Lighthizer demanding the same protections for workers in Mexico as part of the USMCA. I happen to agree with that. If I had been asked, I would have signed this letter. If House Democrats believe a secret ballot is essential for Mexican workers, why don't they want the same rights for American workers? Mr. Chair, 47 years ago I put on a uniform. I left my family, I left this country to serve in the United States Army in the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, about 11 miles south of the DMZ, to guarantee those rights for every American citizen to vote by a secret ballot. My wife tells me she votes for me by secret ballot, but I don't know that for a fact because it is a secret ballot. Secret ballots are the pillar of our democracy. It is a right that--I don't care if you are a billionaire or you don't have two wooden nickels to rub together; you have that power when you go in the voting booth because no one, no one has the right to intimidate you in a secret ballot. You are free from any threat of retribution. Guaranteeing the right of a secret ballot for union representation is not just the right thing to do, it is also wildly popular on the political spectrum. According to 2015 polling from Opinion Research Corporation, 79 percent of union households, 81 percent of Democrats, and 81 percent of Independents support the right to a secret ballot for union organizing campaigns. This amendment eliminates the so-called ``card-check'' automatic certification in which a union can organize workers by potentially harassing, intimidating, or misleading them into signing authorization cards. Over the years, in our committee, we have heard firsthand testimony in the Committee on Education and Labor from several witnesses about being pressured to sign a card check by union organizers. Under the card check system, the union organizers are free to harass a worker over email, the telephone, at their homes, in public, into signing the union authorization card. That is just not right. Congress is elected, everybody in this body is elected by a secret ballot. House and Senate Democrats want a Mexican worker to have that right. I completely agree with that. So why aren't American workers being granted the exact same freedoms that are being demanded and granted abroad? Furthermore, you are going to hear supporters of card check say that a card check is needed because the election gives employers the ability to defeat a union organizing drive. That is nonsense. The most recent data we have from the Center for Union Facts say that unions were able to win almost 69 percent of the secret ballot elections that were held. Our constituents deserve the same guarantee of privacy at the ballot box as Members of Congress. Union leaders are elected that way; and an opposition to this amendment makes it clear who is putting the interests of union bosses above the interest of workers. We should all support the right to a secret ballot for all Americans. It is the most American thing I can think of, Mr. Chairman, is that right you have to go in that voting booth and press the button for whomever you wish to vote for. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. For over 220 years since we have had a Constitution in the United States of America, one of the most precious rights we have is a secret ballot. And I wouldn't know why anybody would fear--if you have a great case to make for the union, fine. Make it. I think we have a right to be unionized or not be unionized. As I said, I was raised in a union household. But I think that is one of the most sacred rights that we have, as American citizens, as many people do not have. We ask that same right for our Mexican worker. I think we should treat an American worker the same way. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. 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. 4305, as amended, the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act, or the PAWS Act. This bill is sponsored by Congressman Steve Stivers from Ohio. Steve is a brigadier general in the Army National Guard, where he wore our Nation's uniform for over three decades of service in Ohio and overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Needless to say, he knows firsthand the toll that military service can take and the need to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is equipped to provide our veterans with all the services and supports that they need to not only recover from their wounds of war, but to lead healthy, full, and meaningful lives as civilians. The PAWS Act would provide VA with an additional tool to accomplish that goal by providing grants to organizations to assist veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health challenges through service dog training. Veterans participating in the program would be paired with a prospective service dog and work with a qualified service dog training instructor to train the dog as a certified service animal. At the conclusion of the training, if the veteran and the veteran's provider agree that it is in the best interests of the veteran, the veteran will be able to keep their dog, or it would be paired with another veteran in need. The grant program that the PAWS Act would create is based on service dog training therapy programs at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Maryland and the Palo Alto VA Medical Center in California. Both of those programs are well established and have shown remarkably positive anecdotal outcomes for servicemembers and veterans who have gone through them. It won't come as a surprise to any dog owner--me, included--that the companionship and unconditional love offered by man's best friend has a powerful real-world healing effect. The old saying is, in Washington, ``if you want a friend, get a dog.'' I am glad that this program will expand that effort as well as the unique assistance that trained service dogs provide to more of our Nation's heroes. This bill is cosponsored by 321 of our House colleagues, a tremendous bipartisan show of support that is reflective of the desire of this body to care for those who have borne the battles and are struggling with invisible injuries as a result. I am grateful to General Steve Stivers for his hard work getting this bill to the House floor today, and I am happy to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I do want to give a shout-out to former Congressman Ron DeSantis, now Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who championed this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers), my good friend.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. John W. Rose), my good friend and fellow colleague.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Waltz), an Army veteran from Florida's Sixth Congressional District.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, as I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this needed legislation and I associate my remarks with what Mr. Waltz just stated. Anyone who has ever had the joy--as I have through my entire life--to have those animals associated with you knows how uplifting and helpful it can be to these people. As has been mentioned many times, we have not been making a dent in our suicide rate, and it is time to start thinking out of the box. Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I missed votes on January 29 and January 30 due to joining U.S. Surgeon General VADM Jerome Adams while touring healthcare facilities across the First District. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 29; YEA on Roll Call No. 30; NAY on Roll Call No. 31; YEA on Roll Call No. 32; NAY on Roll Call No. 33; and NAY on Roll Call No. 34.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, on January 27, 2020, I was unable to vote because I attended the funeral of a close friend. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 23, and YEA on Roll Call No. 24.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I express support for H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act. Today, January 27, marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, as well as the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. We, as a society, have an enduring obligation to not only educate ourselves, but also future generations, on the atrocities that took place from 1933 to 1945 so that they are never repeated again. As Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel stated, ``For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive.'' Since its opening in 1993, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has served as a reminder for the American public, as well as all other visitors to Washington, DC, on the horrors suffered during the Holocaust, in which Adolf Hitler systematically persecuted and murdered six million Jews. H.R. 943, introduced by my good friends Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Elise Stefanik, would reinforce the work the Holocaust Memorial Museum performs by providing school systems around the country access to resources to incorporate Holocaust educational materials into their curriculums. This legislation will help ensure our nation's next generation never forgets the horrible actions the Nazis committed, and is better prepared to fight efforts like this in the future. Unfortunately, almost 75 years after the end of World War II, anti- Semitism still exists today, with cases of violence and harassment frequently in the news. It is my hope that the Never Again Education Act will help stem the tide of this cowardice and bigotry. Once again, I applaud the House of Representatives for taking up this vital piece of legislation, and look forward to working with my colleagues to promote religious tolerance in the U.S.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 80, approving the request of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for a waiver under the law established by the VA MISSION Act of 2018. Specifically, this bill would approve VA's first request for a waiver under section 152, as the chairman mentioned, the authority for the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Innovation for Care and Payment contained within the VA MISSION Act of 2018. The MISSION Act is one of the most transformative pieces of legislation passed in recent history. Over the next several years, given the authorities provided in the MISSION Act, the VA healthcare system that we know today will evolve into one that is stronger, more efficient, and better able to meet the healthcare needs of veterans now and for generations of veterans to come. In addition to streamlining numerous community care programs, establishing a process to review and modernize VA assets and infrastructure, expanding the caregiver program, and enhancing the internal capacity of the VA healthcare, the MISSION Act created a Center for Innovation for Care and Payment. The Innovation Center is charged with establishing pilot programs designed to test potential payment and service delivery models, models currently not in VA's authority to pursue without a waiver, with the goal of reducing expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality and access to care furnished by VA. Under the terms of the MISSION Act, the joint resolution we are considering today meets the requirements set forth in law with regard to approving waivers. The substance of this waiver is very modest. It will allow VA to expand its role in assisting veterans who aren't eligible for VA-provided dental care by establishing a pilot program to connect veterans with community-based discounted or pro bono dentists. The objective of the pilot is to improve the overall health of currently enrolled veterans who are ineligible for VA dental services. The waiver specifically allows VA administrative staff to coordinate community-provided care while also educating veterans on the dental care options available to them within the community. This proposed pilot is a commonsense approach to improving the wellness of veterans. Research has shown that poor oral health can have a significant impact on overall health with numerous connections between gum disease and other illnesses. Poor oral health is also correlated with potentially avoidable and costly emergency department visits. Additionally, the approval of this waiver holds open the opportunity for VA to pursue other ideas that can enhance the care and services provided to veterans while also respecting the resources provided by the American taxpayer. I look forward to working with the VA through the Center of Innovation in identifying additional out-of-the-box approaches that could potentially transform the VA even further for the future. I thank Chairman Takano for working with me to get this joint resolution to the House floor in a timely manner. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 80, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), my good friend and a great friend of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. There has been no more consistent member of that committee, who has numerous advocates, and I really appreciate his support of this joint resolution.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, this is a very simple resolution. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 80, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, today is a sad day in the people's House. Since Donald Trump was elected in 2016, Democrats have been on a crusade to stop him by any means. I believe the American people are the fairest people on this Earth. They believe that everyone should be treated equally under the law, no matter what station you occupy in life: rich or poor, President or factory worker--fair. This process has been anything but fair. For 2 years, we have been told that then-candidate Donald Trump colluded with Russians to interfere with our elections. Two years and millions of dollars spent on the Mueller investigation: no collusion. You would think, after being that wrong, Democrats would finally decide to work on the problems that the American people sent us here to do. You would be wrong again. Then, we were told that the President withheld money to the Ukrainians in a quid pro quo. No, no, a bribery. No, abuse of power. I guess whatever polls best--to gather information on a potential political rival. Well, here are some facts about what happened: Fact number one: The transcript of the July 25 phone conversation that the President released shows no pressure. Fact number two: President Zelensky did not know the money was withheld. Fact number three: No investigation occurred or was announced. Fact number four: The money was released September 11, 2019. Facts are stubborn things. One Member on the other side of the aisle said: ``I'm concerned that if we don't impeach this President, he will get reelected.'' That, Madam Speaker, says it all.