Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1530, as amended, the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 112, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Braun of Indiana. This legislation aims to strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs' administration of an existing program that provides healthcare benefits and compensation to children of Vietnam war veterans who were born with spina bifida. This bill is endorsed by the Vietnam Veterans of America. Spina bifida is a birth defect that can cause paralysis, nerve damage, and bowel and bladder problems. Children born with spina bifida may receive benefits from VA if one of their biological parents is a veteran presumed to have been exposed to herbicides such as Agent Orange during the Vietnam war. The program is jointly administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration, or VBA, and the Veterans Health Administration, or VHA. It provides a monetary allowance, healthcare coverage, and vocational training and rehabilitation. As of 2022, fewer than 1,000 beneficiaries were enrolled in the program. According to a 2021 VA Office of Inspector General report examining the VA's administration of this program, VBA and VHA were not adequately communicating or sharing data on spina bifida program beneficiaries. This contributed to delays in some new beneficiaries being enrolled in healthcare and improper payments being sent to some beneficiaries after their deaths. The inspector general also found the VA did not consistently conduct outreach to eligible and enrolled beneficiaries and did not provide effective case management services for the most seriously disabled beneficiaries. In some cases, VA's call center agents provided inaccurate information about the spina bifida program or could not direct callers to reliable sources of information. S. 112 directs VA to establish an advisory council for the spina bifida program, which would be responsible for soliciting feedback from covered children and veterans about the program's effectiveness. This legislation also requires VA to establish care coordination teams, which will contact beneficiaries at least once every 180 days to ensure they are accessing needed care. Finally, S. 112 would require VA to report to Congress every 2 years on the number of covered children receiving benefits, the number of children receiving care coordination, and the outcome of the outreach conducted to these populations. Madam Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation, and I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing S. 112 to strengthen VA's benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the University of California Riverside School of Medicine. Over the past 10 years, the UCR School of Medicine has become a crucible of knowledge, a sanctuary of healing, and a force against healthcare disparities. It produces skilled physicians, fosters innovation, and engages our community. With six clinics throughout the region, the UCR School of Medicine brings medical attention to those in need across southern California. In celebrating the UCR School of Medicine, I applaud their growth and progress over the last decade. As they turn the page to the next chapter, we anticipate even more remarkable achievements, bolder strides, and continued transformation of countless lives. I congratulate the University of California Riverside School of Medicine on their 10-year journey. May its impact shape a healthier, brighter future for all.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Chair, VA is required by law to transmit the names of the VA beneficiaries to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which prevents them from buying a firearm, but let me make one thing abundantly clear. Under no circumstances has VA ever confiscated anyone's firearms. Seeking mental health care from the Veterans Health Administration will not result in a veteran's firearms being taken away. VA does not have legal authority to do so. Only under a discrete set of circumstances for a very discrete population does the Veterans Health Administration report veterans to NICS. Madam Chair, the stigma around seeking mental health care at VA is a real one. It is also a multifaceted problem we are trying to tackle. Partisan stunts like this amendment make that fight more difficult because it leads to misinformation about the fiduciary program, a program meant to protect vulnerable veterans and beneficiaries. We had a legislative hearing on Representative Bost's bill on this topic, and it was abundantly clear that there were problems with that bill. My colleagues are attempting to go this route, through the appropriations process, which is harmful because it strips money from VA for political purposes. Madam Chair, when we discussed this bill last week in the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, we also learned of a great deal of concern about due process, but let me be clear on this point. There are already six avenues for review and relief that beneficiaries can use to challenge VA's determinations and remove their names from the NICS list. However, those avenues are not widely used. In fact, I would challenge the chairman to show me where there is any veteran with standing that would even take this case to the Federal court to challenge the whole process at VA. There are six avenues of review and relief. There is due process. What is the problem that this amendment is really trying to address? As I said in committee, Madam Chair, no one on our side of the aisle asserts that the fiduciary program is infallible. No policy or program is. However, any change to a program or policy must be evidence based and data driven. In the case of VA's fiduciary program, a program designed to protect the most vulnerable veterans from both financial and physical harm, we must be especially careful not to put more veterans at risk. Democrats are more than willing to have a debate on the merits of this program under those parameters, but this amendment is purely a political exercise that only seeks to put more veterans at risk by perpetuating stigma around mental health care, and it undermines the VA's efforts at suicide prevention.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 30, the Fiscal Year 2023 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act. I thank the chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Tester, and Ranking Member Moran for introducing this important legislation. Every year, the Department of Veterans Affairs submits an annual budget request to Congress. Our job is to authorize and appropriate the funding VA needs to care for America's veterans and their families. More than 9 million veterans are enrolled in VA's healthcare system, utilizing roughly 1,300 healthcare facilities across the system. Within VA's budget request are funds to replace and modernize these medical facilities. This year's major construction request totals just over $3.7 billion and will build a new healthcare center in El Paso, Texas; construct an outpatient clinic and a national cemetery in Alameda, California; erect a new medical facility in Louisville, Kentucky; and allow for seismic upgrades and specialty care improvements in Fort Harrison, Montana, among other things. Mr. Speaker, funding VA infrastructure remains an important and critical issue. In recent years, the committee has highlighted VA's aging infrastructure and the critical need to address that issue. Delivering 21st century healthcare using outdated facilities is far from ideal and certainly not what our veterans deserve. If the VA is to be inclusive and treat all veterans who have served, we should not delay retrofitting facilities as we strive to meet the growing and ever-changing needs of our diverse veteran community. Last year, we passed my Honoring our PACT Act, which will significantly expand eligibility and, consequently, utilization of VA healthcare in the coming years. Just last week, NPR published a story highlighting, once again, a Medicare survey showing VA hospitals are outperforming private hospitals in all categories of patient satisfaction. Despite outdated, antiquated facilities, VA still provides exceptional care. Imagine the levels of care VA could achieve if it had all the needed resources. In order to serve our veterans and provide them with the care they deserve and need, we must start making serious investments in our outdated infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing S. 30, the Fiscal Year 2023 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 3672, a bill that would honor the service and sacrifice of Private First Class Justin T. Paton, who was killed by enemy fire during combat operations 40 miles north of Baghdad in February 2007. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for his contributions to our country while deployed. Despite being only 24 years old when he died, Private First Class Paton nonetheless left his mark on the world. A native of the Indian River area, many in his community were struck by his character and leadership potential. Shortly after word of his death spread throughout the Indian River community, Private First Class Paton's high school football coach noted that he was ``the kind of kid you hope your own son grows up to be.'' It seems fitting that a clinic where veterans receive the care they earned would be named after Private First Class Paton. Before enlisting in the Army in 2005, he worked as a rehabilitation technician at Northern Michigan Hospital. The VA providers at the clinic that will bear his name will carry on Private First Class Paton's legacy of serving members of his community. I thank my colleague, Representative Bergman, for introducing this legislation to recognize Private First Class Paton's heroic service to our Nation by designating the Indian River, Michigan, VA clinic as the ``Pfc. Justin T. Paton Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.'' We shall never forget the sacrifices of young men and women like Private First Class Paton, who bravely raised their right hand and swore an oath to protect and defend our Nation. This bill has letters of support from The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and the members of the Michigan delegation. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 3672 and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 3672 to designate the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Indian River, Michigan, as the ``Pfc. Justin T. Paton Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.'' I thank my colleague, General Bergman, for bringing this legislation to the floor. It is always a poignant matter to consider the sacrifice of such a young American. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the director of Riverside County Department of Veterans' Services, Mr. Grant Gautsche, on the eve of his retirement from public service. Grant, a United States Navy veteran himself, has selflessly attended to veterans throughout California's 39th Congressional District, as well as the entire County of Riverside and beyond for the past 25 years with esteemed honor. Since beginning with the County of Riverside in 2014, Grant has served local veterans, their dependents, and their loved ones in obtaining the resources, guidance, and benefits entitled to them. He has worked closely with my district office, ensuring those who have bravely put their lives on the line receive the recognition and care they deserve. Grant's hard work and devotion are a testament to the way we should all express gratitude to our Nation's veterans, and his retirement is well deserved.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this resolution to nullify the Biden administration's Federal student loan forgiveness rule. At a time when students need relief the most, Republicans are working to upend student loan forgiveness that started under Trump and now continues under President Biden for more than 40 million borrowers. There was broad recognition during the pandemic that relief was desperately needed for businesses, families, and students. That is why Congress, and Republicans under Trump, voted to pass both the CARES Act and The HEROES Act, which provided not only student loan relief, but also loans to protect businesses from shuttering and direct support to families. These were forgivable loans that we gave the businesses. We helped workers and small businesses alike during the height of the pandemic. Again, both President Trump and President Biden paused student loan payments. Under this CRA we are debating today, we would see a rollback on the loan payment pause through September 2022. This is unimaginable. Do not be fooled by the faux populism of Republicans. They raised the debt ceiling three times to pay for their tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent in America. By contrast, President Biden's targeted student loan relief plan helps Americans earning less than $75,000 a year. When Democrats were in the majority and on the hook for providing assistance, we rose to the occasion to help small businesses and employees alike. We did not renege on our support for businesses through the PPP loans. I see no reason why Republicans now insist on reneging on their support for students. Why, for the love of God, do Republicans want to continue to punch down on American students and divide our country? The Biden administration's student debt relief plan is not a bailout. It is a lifeline. I implore my Republican colleagues in Congress to speak with borrowers in their own districts about this very issue. College debt has been weighing on borrowers across all demographics across the country, including in their own districts. Mr. Speaker, this should not be a partisan issue, and I oppose the resolution.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Magaziner for yielding. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to follow the Speaker Emerita and Ms. DeLauro in offering my words of farewell to my good friend, David Cicilline of Rhode Island. I thank Mr. Pocan for allowing me to go first. It was very gracious to allow me this honor to follow two such great Members who felt compelled to come to the floor, to make sure that our friend, David Cicilline, knew how well he is thought of, what regard we hold him, what esteem we hold him in. I wish I could recount everything and to touch upon all that David has brought forward into this institution, the ideas that he has carried through his legislation could really fill up this whole hour and that would be unfair to the other Members who also wish to come and bid him an honorable farewell, but let me focus on just a few things: One, it was a great honor to be on this floor the day after the Pulse Nightclub shootings and to see David, along with the iconic John Lewis and Katherine Clark, take action to not just be frustrated, but to get into some good trouble. I was thinking that this moment needed to be amplified and so I took out my cell phone and started to stream the events when all the television cameras were turned off, the lights were turned out, and it was an entire night of all of the members of the Democratic caucus expressing their frustration at not doing more than thoughts and prayers. What happened at the Pulse Nightclub shootings touched the LGBTQ community, which David and I are members of, and I watched with great admiration at how David made sure to work with the Congressional Black Caucus to touch that sacred 1964 Civil Rights Act and to work with them to craft a bill that would add the words, ``gender identity and sexual orientation'' to that sacred document which protects so many classes of people in the United States and for which we still need to accomplish this act. I am honored and touched that David will entrust the Equality Act in my hands to get it across the line. He can be sure that he will be on the invitation list in the front row when the President of the United States signs that bill into law. Let me say as a final reflection that former Speaker Pelosi has always talked about this being the greatest intellectual resource, the Members, that is, the Members of this Congress are a huge intellectual resource. Let me say that no more is that exemplified than in the hearings that David Cicilline held on antitrust. Antitrust is a complicated, dense topic. He spent months, actually years, pouring through the academic research and the views of law professors to understand antitrust law in our country, and he brought forward as witnesses the heads of Facebook and Google and contended with great economic forces in our country, but all in the service of making sure that average Americans have a chance at privacy, have a chance for competition; that not all the resources will get sucked up and not all the advantages are held by big corporate entities. That intellectual resource, that ground work that he laid, I am confident is going to work itself through this Congress because both sides care, both Democrats and Republicans, care about this issue. It was overshadowed by a much more attention-grabbing figure, and it was frustrating to me that more of America, more of the media could not pay attention to the important work that David Cicilline was doing. Mr. Speaker, I could go on for a lot longer, but that would be unfair to all the others here who want to pay their respects to a tremendous Member of Congress. Instead, I say farewell to David and thank him for his service, and I will miss him in this body.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to pass S. 777, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2023, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), my good friend who serves on the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 777, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2023. As we do annually, today, we are taking up legislation to increase the amounts paid for wartime disability compensation, compensation for dependents, clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Specifically, the bill requires VA to raise these benefit amounts by the same percentage as the cost-of-living increase provided to Social Security recipients, serving as a guarantee of quality of life for veterans and their families and ensuring that they will not experience a decline in earned benefits as economic conditions fluctuate. The cost-of-living adjustment is a continued recognition by our grateful Nation of the service and sacrifice not just of those who have courageously worn our Nation's uniforms but those families who have supported them and also bear a great burden. As ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, it is an honor for me to support this effort. I will note, however, that particularly with respect to dependency and indemnity compensation, more needs to be done beyond the annual COLA to bring that program on par with other Federal survivors' benefits. It has lagged behind for far too long, which is a disservice to the survivors of our veterans. I hope this committee can see fit to advance that cause this Congress, as well. Typically, we alternate primary sponsorship of this bill with the Senate, and this year it happens to be the Senate's turn. I acknowledge the Senate for promptly sending us their version. I also commend the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs and extend my gratitude to Ranking Member Pappas and Chair Luttrell for their sponsorship of the House companion to this bill and for their unwavering support for our veterans. Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support S. 777, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas), the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I realize the chairman and all of us in the veteran space have had our differences with the way the Congressional Budget Office scores the TEF. However, I would assert that we cannot use that as an excuse for why we don't address veteran homelessness. Mr. Speaker, the expansion of VET-TEC as a program is to the tune of nearly one-half billion dollars--$413 million--at a time when my colleagues on the other side are looking to make draconian cuts to the nondefense side of the ledger, which veterans do fall within. They are expanding a program that addresses veteran employment at a time when veteran unemployment is at its lowest. What I want to compare is the $6 million to the nearly one-half billion dollars that the Republicans want to expand this program by. I, too, stand behind veteran employment programs and effective ones at that. However, should we be expanding it and authorizing for 5 years this program, VET-TEC, when we are allowing a $6 million program to care for homeless veterans, to get them off the streets, to expire? It is a rather rich situation that my colleagues want to expand spending and spend more on a program whose urgency is really in question because the Biden economy, as I explained, has brought veteran unemployment to its lowest levels ever. They want to expand spending in that program by an enormous amount, yet they want to eliminate $6 million in authorizations to take care of our homeless veterans. This makes no sense at all to me. I support the chairman's bill, but I hope he will work with us to solve this problem in a matter of days and not months. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I am reclaiming my time. I simply ask the gentleman whether he will work with us to bring Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick's bill to the floor. That is the question that I will yield for an answer. Will the gentleman work with us? I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I reclaim my time. Mr. BOST: Mr. Speaker, I am committed to addressing the veterans homelessness.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I was waiting for the answer.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time. I am grateful that I hear some kernel that they will work with us in a bipartisan way. What does worry me is the gentleman mentioned over the next few months. I can maybe tolerate the next few months in terms of can we come to an agreement by the fall when the temperatures start to fall, but even the hot summers, in some parts of the country, would require us to work much more expeditiously. These pandemic authorities that expanded our ability to help veterans who are homeless expired on May 11. For the last 11 days, VA and its community partners have operated with fewer authorities and less funding to help homeless veterans. VA's ability to quickly bring a veteran in off the streets and get them the services they need to put them on their way to stable, permanent housing has been greatly diminished. Prior to the pandemic, we were maintaining the status quo. The number of veterans experiencing homelessness had remained basically stagnant year after year for quite some time. For every veteran housed, another veteran would fall into homelessness. During the pandemic we approached the homelessness crisis head on and with the urgency it has long deserved. It is incredible to me that we were able to reduce homelessness during COVID-19 by 11 percent. During the darkest days of that pandemic, VA actually reduced homelessness by 11 percent. It permanently housed over 40,000 veterans last year alone. We know these authorities accelerated VA's progress in ending veteran homelessness, and we can't lose that momentum. I am pleased to hear the chairman wants to work together to extend these authorities and get homeless veterans into housing. Mr. Speaker, I just say let's prioritize H.R. 645 in the coming days, not the coming months, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the VET-TEC Authorization Act of 2023, as amended. In 2020, when our country experienced record unemployment, VET-TEC was a bright spot of veteran employment. To date, nearly 5,000 veterans have found employment from the program at a salary of over $65,000 a year. Today, veterans are employed at record-high levels. The Biden economy has brought veteran unemployment to the lowest level ever on record. Let me say that again. The Biden economy has brought veteran unemployment to the lowest level ever on record. The legislation before us adds 5 more years to the VET-TEC program, providing VA an additional $337 million to get more veterans hired in the high-technology field. This program was created by Speaker McCarthy in the Forever GI Bill, and I respect the fact that it is a big priority for the Speaker and my friend Chairman Bost. While I support the legislation, I wish to share my concern about moving a bill with such a large cost when we have so many provisions awaiting action by this Congress. The $413 million price tag of this bill dwarfs the costs of many of the bills we must pass to address veteran homelessness. This is an expensive bill in a fiscally uncertain time. While we all appreciate veteran employment programs, veteran unemployment is the lowest ever on record. A VET-TEC extension is nice to have, but with veterans experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, there is action on those programs that we must have. As ranking member of this committee, I have the responsibility of weighing priorities and choosing between worthy policies that help veterans. I know the chairman and his colleagues on our committee share my goal of ending veteran homelessness. When we considered this legislation in our committee, I offered an amendment to this legislation to make permanent some basic authorities which lowered veteran homelessness by 11 percent during a public health emergency. This amendment cost only $6 million in mandatory spending. Last year, the chairman himself made it clear: ``No veteran should be without a place to call home. I am glad that the most recent estimate showed fewer veterans living in homeless shelters last year. That is why we must continue our work to ensure that the rubber is meeting the road and every veteran has access to safe, stable housing and the help they need to thrive.'' Chairman Bost is correct. The work must continue. We must continue the ongoing work, which has already helped so many veterans and can help so many more. The reason given for not moving this bill was that it implicates the Toxic Exposure Fund, or TEF. I understand the chairman is concerned about how the Congressional Budget Office scores bills with TEF implications. I am concerned too, and I have spoken extensively on this. However, there has yet to be a solution proposed for the TEF that does not undermine its purpose, which is to protect funding for toxic- exposed veterans and acknowledge this as a cost of war. In light of this, I am asking that we come together and work on mutual priorities so that we can responsibly and equitably pass legislation using the limited offsets available to us. I think the chairman believes, as do I, that providing basic needs for homeless veterans deserves to be on that priority list. Therefore, I ask my colleague, the chairman, if he will commit to bringing Representative Cherfilus-McCormick's bill, H.R. 645, to the floor without delay, Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of a colloquy, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), and ask if he will commit to this.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Khanna), my friend and colleague from my home State who serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Oversight Committee.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I am reclaiming my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. Again, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 366, the Korean American VALOR Act. Might I just add to the chairman's assertion that this is the perfect week to pass this bill. I have already mentioned the 70th anniversary of our historic alliance, but now as we in the Indo-Pacific must strengthen our alliance, I also want to add my congratulations to both the nations of Japan and the Republic of Korea for making great strides to improve their relationships and to afford us the opportunity in the trilateral alliance among the United States, Japan, and South Korea to become stronger allies. This legislation, I believe, is part of the entire effort to become stronger allies with greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from my home State of California. I am very confident this bill will become law, but we will need to make sure that we work together in a bipartisan way to make sure the reciprocal agreement finally gets put into effect. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), my good friend, who holds a seat on the House Budget Committee, Homeland Security Committee, and the House Judiciary Committee. She is indeed a staunch advocate for all our military servicemembers and veterans.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Texas.