Guy Reschenthaler

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jacobs) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Steel) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Moore) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. Greene) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), a Rules Committee member, for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Hinson) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank my good friend, the chairman of the Rules Committee, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I would just like to take a moment to recognize someone who absolutely exemplifies the bipartisanship and camaraderie of the Rules Committee staff, and that is James Fitzella. He has worked on the Rules Committee for 7 years, and I am incredibly sad to say that he is leaving us for the private sector. His commitment to this institution and working across the aisle to get things done, that attitude will be truly missed. He served the Rules Committee with integrity, dedication, and unwavering optimism. Congressional staff are often the unsung heroes of this body and of any legislative accomplishment, and this is absolutely the truth in James' case. I know I speak for everybody on the Rules Committee when I extend my sincere gratitude to James for his public service and wish him our very best. I would also be remiss if I didn't recognize Jeff Gohringer, who is leaving the majority staff after being on the Rules Committee for 6 years. I am sure Chairman McGovern would agree that we would be lost without the excellent work from our staff members. I know Jeff was an absolutely critical part of the team, so I would like to also extend my best wishes to Jeff in his future endeavors as well. Mr. Speaker, let's talk about the rule before us. The rule before us today makes in order H.R. 3967, the Honoring our PACT Act. As an Iraq war veteran, I believe supporting toxic-exposed veterans should be of the highest priority. Approximately 3.5 million veterans who served our Nation after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were exposed to open-air burn pits and other toxins. Many of these troops now suffer from serious health issues, including rare and aggressive cancers, respiratory conditions, and other illnesses. Yet, they face significant barriers to obtaining help from the VA. These men and women put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms. We must provide them with the care and benefits they have earned. That is why I am disappointed that we are here considering H.R. 3967 rather than voting on the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, a bipartisan bill that has already passed the Senate by unanimous consent. If we took up that bill immediately, it could be signed into law by the end of the week, ensuring swift delivery of lifesaving care for toxic-exposed veterans. Instead, here we are, prioritizing a bill that must still undergo a lengthy analysis process and many legislative considerations. We also have to look at the impact on the current VA and those that are getting benefits now from the VA, and the backlog that exists in our VA system. Republicans want to quickly deliver help to veterans suffering from toxic exposure. The best way to do that is to bring the Senate-passed Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act to the House floor. Prioritizing H.R. 3967 will only slow down the process and delay implementation of toxic exposure benefits. I, therefore, urge my colleagues to oppose this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.