Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens), another very good friend, who is the author of this legislation. She serves on the Education and Labor Committee, on which I also serve, and as the chairwoman of the Research and Technology Subcommittee on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas), my good friend, who is the author of this legislation and who serves as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

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

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 7925, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. So, Mr. Speaker, this is a fitting tribute. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing S. 3369, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I will just say that I take note that Senator Cleland had much to do with the establishment of vet centers. I know from the experience of my own veterans how much vet centers make a difference in their lives. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for S. 3369 from The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans, as well as the Georgia delegation. The American Legion, Department of Georgia, Stockbridge, GA, May 16, 2022. Representative Nikema Williams, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Williams and Senator Warnock: The American Legion Department of Georgia is in full support of H.R. 6244 and S. 3369: the Max Cleland VA Medical Center Act. We respectfully implore and sincerely request that the U.S. Congress rename the Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center as: ``The Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.'' Senator Cleland's distinguished service and noble legacy are still remembered by his fellow Georgians, the nation, and the countless veterans whose lives were greatly improved as a result of his commitment to better healthcare and veterans' services. Renaming the Atlanta VA Medical Center is but a fraction of the tremendous gratitude that our U.S. Congress can do to honor a true champion of veteran affairs. For God and Country. . . Mark Shreve, State Commander, Department of Georgia.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on S. 4359.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, S. 4359, which will rename the VA regional office in metropolitan Atlanta the Senator Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office. I knew Senator Isakson well from his years of service on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. Like many of my colleagues, my enduring memory of Senator Isakson is that he was a reasonable man, a tireless advocate for veterans, and was someone you could work with to find common ground--something that is all too rare in today's political environment. I didn't always agree with Senator Isakson's politics, but I never once questioned his commitment to the men and women who have served in the U.S. military. I worked closely with Senator Isakson on a number of significant bills, including a wide-ranging VA reform bill--the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014--that President Obama signed into law during my first term in office. The bill expanded survivor benefits and educational opportunities and improved care for victims of sexual assault and veterans struggling with traumatic brain injuries while making important strides toward ensuring veterans' access to timely healthcare at VA medical centers. Senator Isakson was heavily involved in other bipartisan initiatives affecting our Nation's veterans, including a 2017 law intended to improve processing of VA benefit appeals and a 2018 law giving VA the authority to expand healthcare access to community providers. These pieces of legislation will have a profound impact on veterans' access to the benefits and services they rightfully earned for generations to come, and we owe Senator Isakson a debt of gratitude for his persistent efforts in seeing these bills through. Senator Isakson was a veteran himself, having served as a young man in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966 to 1972. He ran his family's real estate business for over two decades and ably represented his constituents in the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate before serving in the U.S. House and Senate. He has the distinction of being the longest-serving Republican Senator in Georgia history, and, at a personal level, I cannot think of a more suitable name for this VA facility--where so many civil servants work to provide veterans the benefits they earned--than the Johnny Isakson Regional Office. S. 4359 was introduced by Senator Jon Ossoff, while the House companion was led by Representative Sanford Bishop of Georgia's Second Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for H.R. 4359 from The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans, as well as the Georgia delegation. The American Legion, Department of Georgia, June 14, 2022. Hon. Jon Tester, Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Hon. Mark Takano, Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Hon. Jerry Moran, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Hon. Mike Bost, Ranking Member, U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affair, Washington, DC. Dear Honorable Gentlemen of the U.S. Congress: The American Legion Department of Georgia is in full support of S-4359: the Senator Johnny Isakson VA Regional Act of 2022. We respectfully implore and sincerely request that the U.S. Congress favorably considers naming the regional office of the Department of Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta as the ``Senator Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office''. Senator Isakson's distinguished himself as a tireless and unrelenting advocate who championed reform to improve the benefits and quality of service for our Nation's veterans. It is our solid and steadfast position that this Act will be the hallmark tribute to a fellow Georgian who labored to bring about better and improved healthcare and quality veterans' services. We are indebted to our veterans for their service and sacrifice. Senator Isakson recognized the debt and devoted his efforts as Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate ``to make right the master of might''. Naming the Atlanta VA Regional Office in honor of Senator Isakson is a step in the right direction for the sake of veterans of the great State of Georgia and the veterans across this great Nation. For God and Country. . . Mark Shreve, (For Z.C. Debro, Dept. Adjutant), State Commander, Department of Georgia.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I honor the life and lasting legacy of an LGBTQ pioneer in my district, David St. Pierre. David was the longtime owner of The Menagerie, a welcoming LGBTQ nightclub and restaurant in downtown Riverside. Since taking ownership in 1999, David made it his purpose to cultivate an inclusive safe haven for the LGBTQ community of Riverside and the surrounding Inland Empire, while adding in a touch of fun, lively entertainment. He did that for just over 20 years. With his passion for throwing an extravagant party, his experience in generating crowd enthusiasm as the host of many events, and a keen eye for craft and style from his background in theater, David was always the life of a fabulous time. He made a name for himself within the LGBTQ community and was highly regarded for standing up to hate crimes and injustice and declaring that homophobia will have zero tolerance in our community. In the words of Harvey Milk, ``I know you can't live on hope alone, but without hope, life is not worth living.'' David, you gave our community hope, hope to live freely, be accepted, and continue to fight for LGBTQ rights. You will be greatly missed but never forgotten. On behalf of the constituents of California's 41st Congressional District, thank you for your commitment to the LGBTQ community and to our community as a whole.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank all the folks that came together for this bill, and I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing S. 2794, which upon passage today will be sent on to the President's desk for signature. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2794) to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase automatic maximum coverage under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program and the Veterans' Group Life Insurance program, and for other purposes.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 2794.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, life insurance is designed to offer protection from loss and serves as a death benefit. For a veteran or servicemember, VA's Veterans' Group Life Insurance offers security and confidence that loved ones will be covered and made financially whole in the event a source of income is lost. While no amount of money can replace the life of a beloved family member, VA's Servicemembers' and Veterans' Group Life Insurance exists to provide an affordable option to provide a fiscal shield for survivors. Neither insurance program has experienced a coverage limit increase since 2005. This bill increases the maximum amount of coverage for Servicemembers' and Veterans' Group Life Insurance by $100,000, which means expanded coverage of up to $500,000 for each option. Madam Speaker, I support this bill, I urge all of my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 8510, as amended, the Strengthening Whistleblower Protections at the Department of Veterans Affairs Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8510) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 8510, as amended, the Strengthening Whistleblower Protections at the Department of Veterans Affairs Act, is an important bill that will protect and support VA employees who report wrongdoing within the Department. I commend Representatives Chris Pappas and Tracey Mann, the chairman and ranking member of our Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, for their work over the past few years on this issue. The subcommittee has been tireless in its examination of VA policies and procedures for protecting whistleblowers and disciplining those who retaliate against them. When retaliation occurs, VA must make whole a whistleblower who was unfairly punished for speaking truth to power. This is not only the right thing to do; it is the law. During the subcommittee's hearings on this issue, we heard firsthand accounts from several individuals who experienced long waits for justice despite confirmed findings of retaliation. VA can and must do more to protect whistleblowers. I support Chairman Pappas and Ranking Member Mann's bipartisan legislation. It would promote independence and strengthen the mission of VA's Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection. It would also streamline duplicative investigations and send a clear message that retaliation against those who report wrongdoing will not be tolerated. This bill has the support of several national organizations that advocate on behalf of government whistleblowers and was favorably reported by the full Veterans' Affairs Committee last week. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, again, I ask for my colleagues to join me in passing S. 1198. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, what the gentleman from Texas is suggesting that we do is delete women from S. 1198. That, I will not do. Yes, I strongly believe in Article I. The accusation that Secretary McDonough issued a radical rule, well, what is this so-called radical rule he is mentioning that he has issued? The rule that Secretary McDonough issued, the interim final rule, says that abortion is available based on the 1996 law, which gave him the authority to define medical benefits available at the VA. That is very clear what Congress did. It is under that authority that this Secretary has made not a radical rule but simply a rule which allows veteran women to enjoy the same rights that they had when they were serving in the military as Active- Duty servicemembers. Women serving in the military have access to abortions when they have been raped, when they are victims of incest, and, yes, when their pregnancies pose a danger to their life. Who is trying to play God here are the Members on the other side of the aisle who wish to deny women who have worn the cloth of this country, who have served our country, who fought for all of our freedoms, to deny them the freedom to be able to consider the full range of medical procedures that they need in order to preserve their own life. What is extreme here is that they want to deny women to even be able to access abortion counseling, counseling which may save their lives. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, before I yield an additional 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan, let me just say that if the minority is so insistent and is fervent in their belief that this interim final rule is illegal, I do not understand why there has been no lawsuit filed to enjoin the rule. This is very peculiar that with such passion and with such fervor they argue that this rule is illegal. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin).

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time remains.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.