Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6052) to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to require the employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs to receive training developed by the Inspector General of the Department on reporting wrongdoing to, responding to requests from, and cooperating with the Office of Inspector General, and for other purposes.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4089) to restore entitlement to educational assistance under Veterans Rapid Retraining Program in cases of a closure of an educational institution or a disapproval of a program of education, and for other purposes.

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. 4089.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 4089, the Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program Restoration and Recovery Act. This legislation was introduced by Senator Durbin and passed by unanimous consent in the Senate. I also thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) for introducing this legislation in the House. Mr. Speaker, during the most difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress and President Biden worked together to pass the American Rescue Plan into law, one of the most significant investments in American workers and the American economy since the New Deal. The Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program, which was included in the American Rescue Plan, created a new program to retrain and employ unemployed veterans. Since passage, over 5,000 veterans have used this program, many to great success. However, not every veteran has had the same experience. Some have been subject to school closures, which risk robbing them of this one-time benefit. For example, in Illinois, more than 300 veterans were scammed by a for-profit school that took their money and abruptly closed its doors. This legislation restores these education benefits to veterans defrauded by schools and gives these veterans a second chance to gain new skills in a booming labor market. I thank the Senate for getting this bill to us so quickly and Senator Durbin and Congressman Danny K. Davis for their leadership. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis), my good friend who serves as a subcommittee chair on the Ways and Means Committee and is a member of the Oversight and Reform Committee.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 2724, as amended, and maybe, hopefully, the gentleman from Montana will allow this to go on a voice vote. I thought I would just mention that. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2724) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for peer support specialists for claimants who are survivors of military sexual trauma, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2724, as amended, the VA Peer Support Enhancement for MST Survivors Act, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Delgado). VA has provided peer support specialists for recently discharged veterans transitioning to civilian life, veterans with mental health or substance abuse issues, and caregivers of veterans. Peer support programs have proven successful for these communities and may prove to be a beneficial tool during the claims process for survivors of military sexual trauma. Victim advocacy can serve as a bridge between survivors and the Veterans Benefits Administration adjudicators processing their cases. Within the MST context, a highly trained peer support specialist can serve as an advocate who can provide counsel, assistance, and coordination to navigate a process that may be stress-inducing and anxiety-provoking. If the MST claimant chooses to utilize the services of a peer support specialist, the MST claims experience may go more smoothly and potentially reduce the emotional strain on an inherently difficult process. This bill was amended in committee with thoughtful input from Ranking Member Bost, who sought to clarify that the role of the peer support specialist in assisting an MST claimant is to act as a shepherd for the MST claimant rather than a surrogate who speaks on behalf of a claimant during proceedings. As such, a peer support specialist can provide guidance, support, and counseling and help claimants navigate a difficult and potentially retraumatizing process. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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 H.R. 2724, as amended.

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. 2102.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2102) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mammography screening for veterans who served in locations associated with toxic exposure.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Mrvan), my good friend and author of this legislation, who serves as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 6961, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2533) to improve mammography services furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

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 include extraneous material on H.R. 6064.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6064, introduced by Representative Nehls. Given the unfortunate prevalence of military sexual trauma among veterans and the broad and long-lasting impacts it can have on a survivor, it makes sense to have a neutral research party assess the adequacy of compensation examinations conducted by VA examiners to ensure we are fully addressing the needs of our veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma. The sensitive nature of MST evaluations requires competent and compassionate care. Having a better understanding of the academic preparation and credentialing of medical and mental health practitioners will allow the VA to adjust and amend existing policy to provide more appropriate compensation examinations. The National Academies of Science provides independent and objective research that informs public policy. To that end, an empirical review of the practitioner training associated with MST compensation examinations will strengthen stakeholder confidence in the overall process, improve customer service, and enhance claim decisions to benefit veterans who experienced MST. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Nehls for offering this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6064) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for a review of examinations, furnished by the Secretary, to individuals who submit claims to the Secretary for compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, for mental and physical conditions linked to military sexual trauma.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 6064, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I am outraged. I am outraged because, in 2022, women are still fighting for their reproductive rights. I am outraged that women do not have autonomy over their bodies. Their bodies belong to them, not Supreme Court Justices, not politicians, and not anyone else. I am outraged that, despite the fact that the majority of Americans support legal abortion, the Senate has voted against the bill that codifies Roe and protects access to abortion. What these political hacks on the Supreme Court and politicians do not realize is that striking down Roe v. Wade will not end abortion. It will simply end safe access to abortion, and women's lives will be at risk. If you are not equally enraged, you are not paying attention.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of Congressman Ryan's bipartisan amendment. Let me just say that the PACT Act is something that this Congress must do, and the Republican substitute is simply what we, this Congress, can get away with. We cannot simply rest on what we can get away with.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the amendment introduced by Representatives Ruiz, Ryan, and Gonzalez-Colon. Madam Speaker, I want to take my 30 seconds to just say how much this bill, the Honoring our PACT Act, rests on the work, passion, and energy of the gentleman from the neighboring district in Riverside County, which we both have the honor to represent. Dr. Ruiz has brought his tremendous knowledge as a doctor, somebody with three medically-related degrees from Harvard University--the first Latino to do so. I can't say enough about the work that he has done to make this possible, and we all are grateful.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I am pleased to support this amendment by the gentlewoman and Congressman Rouzer. It will require DOD to submit to Congress a report on sources of PFAS on military installations other than aqueous film-forming foam and providing recommendations regarding whether to expand registry eligibility to individuals exposed to PFAS from other sources. The PFAS data gathered by this amendment will be a tremendous value as VA, DOD, and other agencies across our Federal Government continue their research related to this important matter. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes''.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), my good friend who is a valued member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, serving on the Subcommittee on Health.