Kyrsten Sinema

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, if I had been present I would have voted aye on roll call number 534, aye on roll call number 535, nay on roll call number 536, aye on roll call number 537, aye on roll call number 538, aye on roll call number 539, aye on roll call number 540, nay on roll call number 541, aye on roll call number 542, aye on roll call number 543, aye on roll call number 544, nay on roll call number 545, aye on roll call number 546, aye on roll call number 547, aye on roll call number 548, and aye on roll call number 549.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. SINEMA. Madam Speaker, I am opposed.

Ms. SINEMA. Madam Speaker, this motion to recommit is the final amendment to the bill. It will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If this amendment is adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. This motion is straightforward and commonsense. The motion ensures that nothing in this bill prohibits a woman's access to healthcare services. This amendment protects the health of American women. I believe a woman's personal healthcare decisions should be decided by the woman, her family, and her doctor. Women and their families should be able to make these decisions free from government interference. Despite our political differences, protecting the health, safety, and independence of American women is something that most of us in this Chamber can readily support. It is what the American people want and believe. The American people and people in my home State of Arizona want Congress to put aside partisanship and focus on solving our country's great challenges. They want Congress to focus on growing our economy, creating opportunity for hardworking families, making college affordable, reforming the VA, and strengthening our military and national security. The list goes on and on. It is no surprise that Republicans and Democrats alike think that Congress is a mess, but Congress doesn't have to be a mess. Congress can produce results when it puts partisanship aside and works for the American people. Earlier this year, we worked together to find a real solution to the long-term challenge of reimbursing doctors through Medicaid. We replaced the SGR and protected seniors' access to health care. That is the kind of success we can achieve for the American people if we work together. We also worked together to help prevent veteran suicide and improve access to mental health care for veterans. The Clay Hunt SAV Act, which passed with the support of every Member of Congress, is an important step toward ending the epidemic of veteran suicide in our country. That is the kind of work we can do for our veterans when we work together. We worked together to pass the 21st Century Cures Act to encourage biomedical innovation and the development of lifesaving treatments and cures. This creative, bipartisan approach cuts through red tape, allowing innovators to focus on lifesaving discoveries rather than government bureaucracy. These are the solutions we can create when we work together. Last night, we passed the PACE Act, which enables employees at small- and medium-sized businesses to keep their health insurance plans. This is the kind of bipartisan work we can accomplish. If we work together, we can get things done for the American people. We can find a long-term sustainable solution to funding our highways and infrastructure; we can pass a budget that creates jobs and opportunity, grows our economy, and improves our national security; and we can reform our broken Tax Code so it provides certainty, encourages job growth, and enables us to compete on a global scale. Instead, I've watched Congress fight once again in a partisan way, without a bipartisan solution on the horizon. This is not what Arizonans want. It is not what the American people want. I offer this motion today to stand for something we all agree on, protecting the health of women, and I ask my colleagues to support this reasonable motion. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SINEMA. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Thank you, Congressman Benishek, for joining me today as a cohost of tonight's Special Order. September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time for our Nation to raise awareness about the persistent scourge of suicide. Tens of thousands of Americans each year purposefully die by their own actions. They are our neighbors and our friends, our sons and our daughters; and too often, they are the men and women who have served our country honorably in the United States military. An estimated 22 veterans lose their lives to suicide every single day in our country. That is one life lost every 65 minutes. Typically, time in the House Chamber is split. Republicans have 1 hour and Democrats have another hour, but Congressman Benishek and I believe that this issue is too important to be overshadowed by partisan politics. That is why we have joined together today, with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to show our commitment to solving this problem together and to finding real solutions for our country's veterans. This is the third year we have assembled in this Chamber to raise awareness and to send a clear message that the epidemic of veteran suicide must end. We have so much work left to do. So today, we demonstrate our ongoing support for the individuals, organizations, and agencies devoted to preventing the epidemic of veteran suicide. Today, we challenge the VA, the Department of Defense, and our fellow lawmakers to do more. We are failing in our obligation to do right by those who have served so honorably. Finally, we send a message to military families who have experienced this tragedy in their own families: Your family's loss is not forgotten. We work for the memory of your loved ones. We will not rest until every veteran in this country has access to the care that he or she needs. I have often shared the story of a young veteran in my district, Sergeant Daniel Somers. Sergeant Somers was an Army veteran of two tours in Iraq. Diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and suffering from post- traumatic stress disorder, Sergeant Somers took his own life after struggling with the VA bureaucracy and not getting the help he needed in time. Together with the Somers family, we worked to develop the Classified Veterans Access to Care Act to ensure that all veterans, including those who served with classified experiences, can get immediate access to the mental health care that they need in the appropriate care setting. I recently testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee on the need for this important legislation, and I am grateful for the committee's support for this legislation. I am grateful for my cosponsor, Congressman Dan Benishek. I will continue working with the committee to ensure that no veteran feels trapped, like Sergeant Somers did, and that all of our veterans have access to appropriate mental health care. My State, Arizona, is ground zero for the VA's failure to take care of our veterans. It has been over a year since we learned about the veterans at the Phoenix VA Hospital who were kept on secret waiting lists, forced to wait months, even years, before seeing a doctor, unable to access the care they needed. These revelations were shocking and sickening. Arizona veterans died while waiting for care. That is absolutely unacceptable and, frankly, it is un-American. So in Arizona, we took immediate action when we learned from brave whistleblowers about this tragedy. Not waiting for the Phoenix VA to fix their problems, we came together as a community to make sure that Arizona veterans get the access to the care they needed. Mr. Speaker, since last summer, we have held six veterans clinic, helping nearly 1,000 veterans and military families get access to the benefits they have earned. Our team helps veterans in getting access to benefits, to housing, to job placement, to education. We established a Veterans Mental Health Working Group for community providers, veterans service organizations, and the local VA, to bring them all together to work to improve access to services. Our group meets bimonthly and has made important progress. These are some examples of the good that can come when people set aside partisanship and put veterans first. That is what is needed from all of us in this Chamber and the agencies we work with: to put aside partisanship and solve the problem we face to end the scourge of veteran suicide in this country.

Ms. SINEMA. Thank you very much, Congressman Benishek. I know we will be continuing this in the next Special Order so as to allow more of our colleagues to speak, and I am really looking forward to that time.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to open the Special Order this evening with my colleague and friend, Congressman Dan Benishek of Michigan. We have some colleagues who are joining us here this evening to continue the discussion we have been enjoying for the last hour of talking about the scourge of veteran suicides and how to stop this scourge. We know that there are brave whistleblowers around this country who have told us and the Nation about the problems at the VA. If it weren't for brave whistleblowers, we may not have learned about the tragedies at my VA, the Phoenix VA, and we could have lost even more lives than we have lost already. In order for the VA to change, it has to put its veterans first and change the culture. We believe that VA employees must continue to speak up and speak out. Brandon Coleman, a Marine Corps veteran, has seen firsthand the important role the VA can play in helping veterans. A decade ago he received help from a dedicated VA counselor, who helped him overcome substance abuse issues and get his life back on track. Wanting to help his fellow veterans, Brandon began working as an addiction counselor with the Phoenix VA in 2009. In January of this year, Brandon approached his supervisor after, over the course of a single week, five suicidal veterans walked out of the Phoenix VA hospital without getting the help they needed from the emergency room. After coming forward with his concerns about how the VA handled suicidal patients, Brandon was placed on administrative leave for adverse behavior and his program was shut down. Mr. Speaker, no one should fear the risk of losing his or her job for speaking out. That is why we introduced the VA Accountability Act, a bipartisan bill to hold poor-performing employees accountable and to increase protections for whistleblowers. Empowering whistleblowers helps our veterans and their families get the answers they deserve. The VA must respond to this challenge with a culture of accountability that protects veterans, not its own bureaucracy. Brandon testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee earlier this week on improving accountability within the VA. He is committed to fixing the VA to ensure that all veterans get the same help that he got. I would like to take some time now to turn the podium over to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Russell).

Ms. SINEMA. Thank you so much, Representative Russell, for your thoughts and your participation. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn). Thank you for being here this evening.

Ms. SINEMA. Thank you, Congressman Lamborn, for your contribution this evening. Mr. Speaker, before we close this evening, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Benishek), my friend, who has been gracious to cohost our Special Orders this evening.

Ms. SINEMA. Thank you so much, Congressman Benishek. Before we close, we have one more person who has joined us. I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman).

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker and Members, before I close with the closing statements, I want to take a moment and honor and thank Congressman Benishek not just for the work he has done tonight or the work he has done on the Veterans Committee, but for the great work he has done in Congress for the last three terms. We are sad that you are retiring. We will miss you. But we have one more chance to do this Special Order again next year, and I look forward to that time. So thank you for your help and for your service. Congressman Benishek has not just been a partner to me in the work that we have been doing to help and support veterans, he has been a leader in the Veterans Committee and in his conference and in this House of Representatives. I know, when he leaves this body, he will continue to be a shining light for veterans around this country. Thank you, Congressman. I want to close with a story about a veteran in my district. We recently received a call from David, a constituent of mine who is an Army veteran and a survivor of two suicide attempts. David told us: My mind was plagued with feelings that my parents and siblings would be better off without me because of who I had become as a person. I felt savage and inhuman. No matter what good I did, I couldn't face going back to a normal existence. I had never felt more alone in my life. Through much time and assistance from organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project and mental and physical rehabilitation programs, David gained a new mission in life. He is helping his fellow veterans navigate a daunting system and reintegrate back into civilian life. David wants his fellow warriors to understand that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. His mission of supporting veterans led David to Rally Point, a Phoenix nonprofit veteran service organization working to assist veterans in crisis. Rally Point employs veterans like David who understand the unique needs of fellow veterans, servicemembers, and their families. These are the kinds of solutions we need to ensure that no veteran ever feels like he or she has nowhere to turn. We have made some progress. In February of this year, the President signed the Clay Hunt SAV Act into law, an important step toward improving mental health services for veterans and their families. This bipartisan legislation requires annual third-party evaluations of the VA's mental healthcare and suicide prevention programs to determine which programs are successful and to recommend improvements. It also requires collaboration on suicide prevention efforts between the VA and nonprofit mental health organizations, and it establishes a pilot program using peer support and community outreach to assist veterans transitions from Active Duty. We cannot leave our heroes to fight their toughest battles alone. Thank you again to all of our colleagues who joined us this evening. Our thoughts are with all the families who have lost a loved one to suicide. Each of us can do something to raise awareness, to be that light for a struggling veteran in our community. Businesses can display signs to let veterans know that help is always available. Mental health professionals can volunteer with organizations like Give an Hour to provide free counseling to veterans and their families. We can all learn to recognize the signs of crisis by visiting veteranscrisisline.net and reaching out to the vets in our life. Here in Congress, we can do more. We need a VA that provides real and meaningful help to veterans in need that puts veterans first and works aggressively with community providers to improve the quality and accessibility of care. We need a VA that is transparent and open to restore the trust and credibility it has lost. We, who enjoy freedom every day thanks to the sacrifices of our military servicemembers, must all step up to end the epidemic of veteran suicide. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. I thank Mr. Takano, Chairman Miller, and Chairman Benishek for their efforts to improve the quality of care and services delivered to our veterans. Mr. Chairman, the Benishek-Sinema amendment is a commonsense amendment that will bring accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The amendment, based on a bill that Dr. Benishek and I introduced, the Demanding Accountability for Veterans Act, requires the VA to address problems identified by the VA Office of Inspector General, and it ensures that individual managers are held accountable if issues remain unresolved. Our amendment requires that, in each covered VA inspector general report, the Secretary of the VA assign specific managers who will be responsible for fixing specific problems identified within the IG's report. The Secretary must give the responsible managers appropriate counseling and plans of action to resolve each covered issue. Bonuses cannot be paid if a covered issue remains unresolved, and how a manager responds to the challenge will be included in that individual's performance evaluation. It is unacceptable that issues raised by the VA inspector general over and over, from wait times to medical staffing, remain unresolved by the VA. This amendment will hold the VA Secretary and senior management accountable for ensuring these warnings are not ignored again. We have a long way to go to change the system and culture of the VA, and I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that veterans come first. Again, I thank Chairman Miller, Chairman Benishek, and Mr. Takano for their leadership and for their work on veterans' issues. I especially thank Chairman Benishek for his thoughtful, bipartisan approach to this amendment.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Geraldine Emmett, who celebrated her 101st birthday on July 18, 2015. Affectionately known as Jerry by everyone, she is one of Arizona's oldest living Democrats, a beloved educator and the founder of the Democratic Women of Prescott Area (DWPA). Jerry graduated from Northern Arizona University Teacher's College in 1937 and for 45 years taught in communities throughout Arizona, including the Navajo Reservation, the small town of Seligman along Route 66, Tombstone, Scottsdale and Phoenix, before retiring and moving to Prescott 25 years ago. Then, at the age of 75, Jerry launched the DWPA and helped build it into the dynamic grassroots program that it is today. Jerry has been a vital asset to every school and community she has touched throughout the years, and I proudly count myself among the many who have been inspired by her tenacity, vision and sincere belief in Arizona's greatness. Members, I ask you to join me in wishing Jerry Emmett a Happy 101st Birthday and thank her for all that she had done for Arizona and our nation.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, and I offer that amendment at this time.

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to say thank you to Mr. Fitzpatrick for cosponsoring this amendment and for his leadership as the chairman of the Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing. Thank you also to Chairman Nunes and Ranking Member Schiff for supporting this important amendment. The purpose of the bipartisan Sinema-Fitzpatrick amendment is to choke off the Islamic State's revenue stream. Our amendment directs the intelligence community to detect, deter, and degrade Islamic State's revenue sources and to report on the strategy and resources needed for success. The Islamic State is one of the world's most violent and dangerous terrorist groups. Its goals to build a caliphate in the Middle East and encourage attacks in Europe and the United States represent a new threat to our country and to global stability. ISIL is also believed to be the richest terrorist organization in history, controlling a huge territory in Iraq and Syria containing significant oil resources. In 2014, the Islamic State generated approximately $1 million per day through the sale of smuggled oil, extortion, and kidnapping for ransom. U.S. strikes have reportedly diminished ISIL's oil revenues, but the breadth of this terrorist organization's funding sources represents a serious challenge to our national security. A February report by the Financial Action Task Force estimated that ISIL now largely finances itself through extortion in the territory it controls, and another study places this extortion revenue at $360 million per year. In Iraq, ISIL levies a 5 percent tax on all withdrawals from banks, and the organization also gains tens of millions of dollars from kidnapping on an annual basis. To defeat ISIL and protect our country, we must cut off the Islamic State's diverse and substantial sources of revenue. I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense bipartisan amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California, Ranking Member Schiff, and thank him for his leadership on national security issues.

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chair, as a member of the Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing, I am working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep money out of the hands of terrorists and to find solutions like this amendment, which strengthens America's security. Again, I would like to thank Mr. Fitzpatrick for his partnership and leadership on this issue. I also thank Chairman Nunes, Ranking Member Schiff, and Mr. Pittenger for their work on this important legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Phoenix Mercury, our 2014 WNBA Champions, who on Friday June 5, 2015 begin their nineteenth season. During the opening game, the team will receive their third championship ring in seven years and the 2014 Championship Banner will be unveiled before thousands of fans. The enthusiastic crowds that have supported the players for almost two decades will be there to cheer them on as they play the San Antonio Stars. As the team begins their new season, I proudly recognize the exceptional team members, captains and managers who have built the most successful professional women's basketball team in the world--our Phoenix Mercury. In addition to their talent on the court, Phoenix Mercury team members are an integral part of the Valley of the Sun. The team dedicates a great deal of their free time engaging children, neighborhoods and schools, serving as mentors and role models to the young people who look up to them. Our Phoenix Mercury has the strongest fan base and attendance in the WNBA and the team credits their success as a team to this ``X- Factor''--the power of their fans. Congratulations to the Phoenix Mercury as they begin their nineteenth season and thank you for demonstrating to young girls, boys and the world, the heart and strength of women athletes.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 233 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Amendment No. 27 Offered by Mr. Lamborn

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chair, thank you Chairman Thornberry and Ranking Member Smith for your leadership on national security and for accepting my amendment. Terrorism is an undeniable threat to our country's security and global stability. Terrorist networks constantly develop new ways to finance their deadly operations and threaten America. To keep our country safe, we must be one step ahead of them, cutting off their funding and stopping their efforts. The Islamic State (I-S) is one of the world's most violent, dangerous and well financed terrorist groups. In 2014, ISIL generated approximately $1 million per day, predominantly through the sale of smuggled oil. My amendment directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury and other agencies involved in this effort, to pursue efforts to shut down ISIL's oil revenues and report on resources needed for these efforts. As a member of the Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing, I'm working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep money out of the hands of terrorists and find solutions, like this amendment, that strengthen America's security. Again, I thank Chairman Thornberry and Ranking Member Smith for your leadership and support.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, which I will offer at this time.

Ms. SINEMA. Mr. Chairman, the Sinema amendment is a commonsense fix that helps improve the transparency of the VA and the quality of services provided to veterans. I appreciate Chairman Dent and Ranking Member Bishop for all of the work that they are doing to pass this bill and for being so kind about this amendment. The underlying bill requires quarterly reports on the financial status of the Veterans Health Administration. My amendment requires the VA to include, as part of these quarterly payments, any outstanding payments owed to contracted entities older than 60 days and a justification for the delay in payments. Over the last year, we have seen that the VA is unable to provide the timely, high-quality care our veterans deserve on their own. By leveraging community providers and creating a seamless relationship between internal VA care providers and external non-VA care providers, we can ensure that veterans receive the timely access to quality care they deserve. That is what the Choice Act is trying to create. That is what the Secretary hopes to build through the MyVA initiative. Unfortunately, the VA continues to struggle with paying its bills in a timely way. In my district, I have heard from large hospitals and small businesses alike who don't receive prompt payments from the VA. A small business in my district, Interim HealthCare, provides home care, skilled medical care, and staffing services for the VA. Despite efforts by the Phoenix VA hospital, the larger VA system has failed to pay Interim HealthCare and others in a timely way. This threatens small businesses and the care that they provide to Arizona veterans. Ultimately, this undermines the seamless care we are attempting to provide to veterans. Understanding why the VA struggles to provide timely payments to contracted service providers will help the VA address this issue and improve the quality of services for our veterans. Additionally, we have learned that in 2014, over 55 percent of all veterans calling a national hotline for care never got through to a representative. Thus far, in 2015, that number has risen to 59 percent. This amendment would also allow the VA to provide a report on how many individuals who reached the call center are dropped and how many get the care they receive. The Sinema amendment, Mr. Chair and others, which will improve oversight and accountability at the VA, is a step towards restoring the trust that we so dearly owe to our veterans. I thank the chairman and ranking member for their support and their dedication to our Nation's veterans. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SINEMA

Ms. SINEMA. Thank you, Ranking Member Waters, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, manufactured housing is a key form of affordable housing in my State, particularly in rural and underserved communities. More than 300,000 families in Arizona live in manufactured homes. Manufactured homes provide an affordable housing choice for many low- and moderate-income families. Existing manufactured home owners and potential buyers are negatively impacted by current regulations. These rules inadvertently curtail a consumer's ability to access manufactured home loans or to receive effective assistance in the manufactured home buying process. These regulations unintentionally create situations where borrowers are not allowed to be matched with lenders who can help them in a timely and efficient manner. For example, if a Realtor in Arizona works with a veteran who wants to use his or her VA eligibility to purchase a home, the Realtor connects the veteran with a number of lenders who offer VA home loans. Due to the current restrictions placed on retail salespeople, the process is different if a veteran shops for a manufactured home. Manufactured home sale centers have a marketing table where lenders place marketing and lending materials. Manufactured home salespeople cannot assist veterans in finding lenders. Instead, when a veteran enters the home center, she is instructed to go to the table and sift through the countless brochures and loan programs by herself to determine which lender is best. There may be a dozen different lenders' information displayed on this table. As you can imagine, this is a very daunting and discouraging process for most borrowers, especially for first-time home buyers. Had the salesperson simply been able to point the veteran in the direction of a lender that offers VA loans, the veteran would have been taken care of immediately and would have been able to have made an informed and confident decision. H.R. 650 will remedy the unintended consequences of current regulations, providing potential home buyers with more options, better advice, and more confidence when buying a new home. The bill also amends the definition of a ``high-cost mortgage'' and corresponding thresholds to ensure that consumers of small balance mortgage loans will have the opportunity to access mortgage credit. I would encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.