Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, 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. 4673, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me say that the amendments that we are considering to this bill today, which I consider friendly, will address many of the ranking member's concerns about the reaching out. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Himes), my good friend who serves on the Financial Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4673, as amended, my bill, the Ensuring Veterans' Smooth Transition, or EVEST Act. I have made suicide prevention a top priority for the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Last Congress, we passed bipartisan, bicameral mental health legislative packages, including the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Improvement Act and the Veterans COMPACT Act. This Congress, we continued this work by passing the Sergeant Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act into law, but there is always more to do. EVEST builds on our work and finally closes one of the most glaring gaps for veterans being able to successfully access high-quality VA health services, the enrollment process. We shouldn't be trying to hide VA care from those who earned it. We know that the months following transition out of the military can be very stressful and particularly risky for new veterans in terms of mental health. With the EVEST Act, servicemembers will be automatically enrolled in VA care during their transition out of the military, with the choice to opt out. This helps simplify the process and prevents veterans from potentially missing out on lifesaving care. It also keeps veterans from having to opt into VA care later and attempt to navigate a new bureaucracy all on their own. The symptoms of PTSD can be significantly improved in veterans who receive prompt mental healthcare. A 2014 study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center looked at nearly 40,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who received VA mental healthcare between 2001 and 2011 and had a post-deployment diagnosis of PTSD. They found that veterans who sought and received care soon after the end of their service had lower levels of PTSD upon follow-up a year after they initiated care. Each year that a veteran waited to initiate treatment, there was about a 5 percent increase in the odds of their PTSD either not improving or getting worse. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the study from the San Francisco VA Medical Center. [From Psychiatric Services, Dec. 2014] Timing of Mental Health Treatment and PTSD Symptom Improvement Among Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans (By Shira Maguen, Ph.D.; Erin Madden, M.P.H.; Thomas C. Neylan, M.D.; Beth E. Cohen, M.D., M.A.S.; Daniel Bertenthal, M.P.H.; Karen H. Seal,

Mr. TAKANO. A smooth care transition from DOD to VA can help support veterans as they adjust to the next phase of their lives and provide easy access to healthcare should any challenges arise. Everyday Americans find it difficult and frustrating to sign up for healthcare. Now, imagine that you have just come off Active-Duty military service where, for years you were told when and where to show up for your healthcare. You probably heard something about VA services during your transition assistance program but, frankly, you were focused on everything you had to do to finalize your separation from the military and possibly looking for new employment and relocating your family. Now, after having separated from the military, you are a veteran, and maybe for the first time you have to figure out how to check your eligibility for VA healthcare and navigate the system while potentially also facing some new stress in your personal and family life. This is completely avoidable with EVEST, which simply enrolls you in the VA healthcare for which you are already eligible, ensuring that when you need VA, there aren't any unnecessary roadblocks to seeing a doctor. Now, let me say that again. This legislation has nothing to do with a veteran's eligibility, nor does it change VA standards or who is eligible. It only connects eligible veterans to VA care faster and easier. We know that veterans are much more likely to use VA services and care when the process to enroll is simple, and we know that VA care is world class. EVEST is a straightforward tool that will allow us to simplify the transition process and take steps toward preventing veteran suicide. Automatic enrollment is something policymakers and veterans service organizations and stakeholders have been trying to advance for years, and with EVEST it will finally become a reality. Paralyzed Veterans of America and Disabled American Veterans have formally endorsed this legislation. The Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs, the American Federation of Government Employees, the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute, and the American Psychological Association also support EVEST. Again, Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support from the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute. Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs, January 14, 2021. Chairman Mark Takano, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Takano: On behalf of the nearly 3,000 members of the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA) we would like to offer our strong support for your bill, H.R. 4673, Ensuring Veterans' Smooth Transition Act (EVEST). As nurses, caring for Veterans is our number one priority. Your bill will provide Veterans with the option of enrolling in VA healthcare during the critical months following their transition to civilian life and ensure servicemembers separating from active duty receive the critical health care to which they are eligible. Your bill will also help eliminate barriers to care-- including those who may not know they are even eligible to receive care at VA. It will also help to assure the Veteran that they are not alone in seeking care for any physical or mental health condition acquired during their military service. Offering automatic enrollment with an opt out will help to lessen the burden of navigating the VA healthcare system at a time when they are dealing with many challenges as they transition to civilian life. NOVA believes that most Veterans will find care provided them within the VA is suited to their individual and complex needs and cannot be matched in the private sector. Many providers at the VA are Veterans themselves so they understand what it means to serve and are trained to provide a Whole Health approach to the Veteran patients' health and well-being. Thank you for your leadership on this issue and your continued support for Veterans and the healthcare professionals who care for them. Sincerely, Taryn-Janae Wilcox-Olson, MHS, RN, President, Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA).

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 860, I call up the bill (H.R. 4673) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the automatic enrollment of eligible veterans in patient enrollment system of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), my good friend and author of this amendment. She serves on the Financial Services Committee, the Natural Resources Committee and the Oversight and Reform Committee.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember Marta Macias Brown, a longtime public servant, community leader, and beloved constituent of mine. I had the privilege of knowing Marta way before I took office and started representing a portion of Marta's late husband's district, the former Congressman George E. Brown, Jr., whose portrait hangs as a former chairman in the Science Committee room. Marta dedicated her career to advocating for social justice, women's rights, and high-quality education for students. She used her voice to eliminate barriers and create spaces for marginalized groups. She was a proud Latina. She co-founded one of the first Spanish publications in the Inland Empire called El Chicano, to share important news with our community. Marta spent her life uplifting and empowering others, and anyone who knew her or knew of her could easily speak to the love that she had for her community and the commitment she embodied for equality. To the Macias Brown family and all those who knew, loved, and respected her, I offer my deepest condolences. Marta's legacy will always be cherished.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bowman), my good friend who serves on the Education and Labor Committee with myself and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

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

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor and privilege to yield 1 minute to a champion and staunch advocate who is unparalleled in her support for our Nation's 22 million veterans. This Congress with her support we have continued to preserve the sacred trust of our men and women in uniform and the 200,000 servicemembers who become veterans each year. Mr. Speaker, of course, I am referring to the Speaker of this great House from the great State of California, my own State. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Ross, Gonzalez- Colon, Moore, and Bowman amendment, and I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, there is no way better way to connect veterans with medical care and services than first making sure that they are aware of the care that they have earned with their service. The Ross amendment makes sure that VA informs our veterans of this care they have earned just as they are entering civilian life. The first months are crucial in a veteran's transition out of the military, and the Ross amendment ensures that veterans are aware of what kind of care and support they can access and how they can access it. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Ross amendment.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I claim time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, let me just say there is nothing commonsense about this amendment. Injustice to our reservists and our Guard units is not common sense. Unfairness to our guard and reservists is not common sense. To say that this is a fiscal burden to our Nation, who depends on our guard and reservists in natural disasters and who our Nation will rely on even more in the future, that is not common sense. Madam Speaker, it is time to make every day of readiness training that our reservists and our Guard unit members perform count toward their GI Bill eligibility. The GI Bill, as Speaker Pelosi has said, did amazing things for this Nation in the post-World War II era. That same amazing contribution of our reservists and our guardsmen will continue. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to vote against this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to highlight for the sponsor of this amendment, Representative Moore, and all Members, just how severely this amendment would harm National Guard and reservists from their States and districts. Congressman Moore represents the great State of Alabama. Despite being the 24th most populous State in the Union, Alabama has the 12th largest National Guard in the Nation by number of servicemembers. Among the units in the Alabama National Guard that the Moore amendment would shortchange by eliminating training days--and I say training days are also readiness days--is the Alabama 20th Special Forces Group. Members from this group, and units like it, must complete roughly 2 full years of training, from basic training to completion of the arduous and highly competitive Special Forces Qualification Course, just to be qualified as Special Forces Green Berets. In order to maintain a high level of readiness and be ready to deploy when our Nation calls on them, these servicemembers must constantly attend additional training to maintain certifications and proficiencies critical to their jobs as reservists. To be clear, this training is conducted at Active-Duty schools right alongside their Active-Duty counterparts, yet guard and reservists don't receive the same credit for the days they are in uniform, despite maintaining the exact same readiness requirements. Readiness matters. Consider this: In 2013, reservists spent 87,000 days on title 32 orders, which is how the Reserve Force assists with floods, hurricanes, and other significant events. However, in 2021, that number had grown to 9.5 million days. This amendment would continue to uphold this unequal policy and prevent members of the Alabama 20th Group from accruing days of service for training. Training is another word for readiness. Some States and servicemembers from units like Alabama's 20th Group carry a heavier burden, but this example is not unique to Alabama. All across the country, Guard and Reserve members from every State put their civilian lives on hold in defense of our Nation. They give much of themselves, their sweat, blood, and sometimes even the ultimate sacrifice in service. Whether during training or deployment, they deserve the same benefits for their days in service. They have earned it. Finally, I would also note that the Moore amendment uses the same IRRRL rate change found in H.R. 1836, which we agree is a fair update to the IRRRL program. Let's be clear: A vote for this amendment is a direct statement to our Guard and Reserve servicemembers that you don't think their days in service are equal to those of their Active Duty counterparts. Representative Moore served in the National Guard, and I thank and commend him for that service. Now, I know that he is a humble man, like most of our servicemembers, but I think his days in service should be honored and given their due credit. I know he may have participated in ROTC, but if his education wasn't fully paid for by that program, then I think he should be given credit for his National Guard service for GI Bill eligibility. Madam Speaker, I urge Representative Moore to reconsider his submission of this amendment, and I urge all Members to oppose the Moore amendment. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will, in closing, say that the minority has not raised a substantive argument, a serious argument against the substance of this bill. This is a good, good piece of legislation, one that is agreed to and supported by numerous veterans service organizations. To the issue of and to the objection raised by the minority over a lack of process and a lack of regular order, this is simply not true. We have had ample opportunity for the minority to have input in numerous hearings related to this topic. And as to the concern over recruitment and retention of our Active- Duty Forces, I will remind my esteemed ranking member, or the esteemed ranking member, for whom I have great admiration for his own service and the service of his family in the military, that we turned to the Guard and Reserve in greater and greater dependence in the post-9/11 era. And because we were able to turn to them, we did not have to have discussions about a draft. We had issues recruiting folks for our military in the early aughts to the numbers that we needed, and we had to turn to the Reserve and the Guard. So we need good incentives and great retention incentives for our Guard units and our Reserve units all across this country because we aren't going to depend on them less. In fact, we are going to depend on them more. And the tempo of the training, all we are saying is that the readiness training they undergo is no less than the readiness training of our Active-Duty troops. Regardless of whether they knew or didn't know at the beginning when they signed up as reservists or guardsmen, they deserve to have every day count. Now is the time for Congress and this House to say that every day of readiness training should count toward GI bill eligibility. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, there has been an honest reckoning and an honest assessment by the CBO, and this bill is paid for according to the rules, the same rules that my Republican counterparts observe. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), a member of the Financial Services Committee, where he is chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The issue of how servicemembers are disciplined for refusing to take the vaccine has already been addressed in the National Defense Authorization Act. It already states plainly that there could be a general discharge, or an other-than-honorable discharge, or an honorable discharge. So there is, it seems to me, an irrelevance or it is unnecessary, this proposed MTR. So we already have a solution that has been agreed to in the Armed Services space and jurisdiction. That being said, I do not have any further speakers, I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), a member of the committee who also serves as the chair of our Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies in Appropriations.

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 insert extraneous material on H.R. 1836, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1836, as amended, Representative Levin's Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021. This bill is a long-needed fix to the unequal treatment of members of the Guard and Reserve for GI Bill purposes. Under current law, guard and reservists do not accrue education benefits the same as their Active-Duty counterparts, even when they are carrying out the same duties and taking on the same risks. We live in a new age of national defense where we utilize the total force concept with an operational reserve, not a Strategic Reserve. We rely each day on guard and reservists to protect and defend our country. As we observed the anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol, we were reminded of the brave Guard and Reserve troops who deployed to protect Congress, our staffs, and the foundation of our democracy. We continue to rely on our Reserve components throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to activate and support public health response efforts across the country. The National Guard has been utilized at unprecedented levels in recent years. Over the past 2 years, our Reserve components have fought wildfires, responded to protests, assisted with the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and even helped Afghan refugees settle in the United States. It is time the Guard and Reserve benefits reflect the key work they are doing and the need for equity across the total force. It is time for every day in uniform to count. The cadence of activations for guard and reservists has increased significantly over the last 5 years, and with that comes the need to meet mission readiness standards. To prepare for the critical role they fulfill in our national defense, guard and reservists must frequently train, which means more days in uniform, more days away from their civilian life, and more days away from their families. The GI Bill is both a recruitment and transition benefit to help servicemembers transition into civilian life and close the opportunity gap with their civilian peers. Now, the Guard and Reserves need this more than ever as they are constantly transitioning between military, civilian employment, and family life, facing continuous disruptions. This legislation rectifies the disparity and ensures that members of our Reserve forces know that every day they commit to our Nation counts, and that they will have the education benefits waiting for them when they fulfill their commitment. In both this and the 116th Congress, we reformed and updated the Post-9/11 GI Bill to ensure students who are eligible have easy access to a high-quality education. We have implemented strong student protections and we are holding bad acting institutions accountable when they fail to meet standards we set for veteran education. Now, if servicemembers can step up and do their part day in and day out while holding down civilian jobs and squeezing in time to take care of their families, then the least we can do here in Congress is to get out of the way of the solution. Now, there are troubling reports of upticks in suicide among our guard and reservists. One of the best ways we can address veteran health, mental health, and ultimate veteran suicide is by providing veterans with support and a pathway to a successful civilian life. H.R. 1836, as amended, will give guard and reservists access to the opportunities that post-secondary education and training provide and improve their reintegration into civilian life. This legislation is fully paid for and uses loan fee provisions that this Congress and prior Congresses have supported. In addition, even the Republican substitute uses the same offsets. Besides just being the right thing to do, investing in equitable GI Bill benefits for guard and reservists will provide more than a tenfold return to our country. Who are we to stand in the way of an educational benefit that will not only make our country stronger, but will benefit our military by having military servicemembers and our guard and reservists who are even more able to do their jobs on behalf of our national defense? I can't wait to see what our servicemembers will do with this opportunity, and I know it will make our country a better country. This legislation is endorsed by numerous VSOs, including the American Legion, the VFW, the Student Veterans of America, the National Guard Association of the United States, Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, and Reserve Officers of America. Mr. Speaker, I insert in the Record letters of support and statements from the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the National Guard Association of the United States, Military-Veterans Advocacy, and the Reserve Officers of America. The American Legion, Washington, DC. Tomorrow we are expecting the House to take votes on H.R. 1836, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act. The American Legion supports this bill as our signature education priority for 2022, and we strongly urge Representative Valadao to stand for DC's National Guard troops and support its passage. All 50 states have activated components of their National Guard in response to unforeseen challenges over the past two years. From protecting borders to delivering pandemic aid and supporting local law enforcement our National Guard and Reserve troops have responded to new challenges like never before. Often, they are leaving both their families and civilian employers for an extended amount of time sometimes taking a sizeable pay cut with them. Yet despite all we ask of them, too often they are denied a cornerstone benefit for our nation's veterans: the GI Bill. This is because servicemembers are activated under non-DNE title 32 orders which VA statutes currently don't recognize as valid ``active duty'' time. H.R. 1836 would fix this disparity by expanding access to the Post-9/11 GI Bill for servicemembers activated under Title 32 orders towards benefits eligibility. The American Legion urges support for H.R. 1836. Thank you and happy to answer any questions. John Kamin, Legislative Associate, Legislative Division.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Leader Steny Hoyer for considering this legislation today, and I urge the rest of my colleagues to support this legislation to ensure every day a guard or reservist spends in uniform counts toward earning vital GI Bill benefits. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Before I yield to my distinguished colleague, I am going to make a few remarks in reference to what the ranking member said. I will first say that the bill has been in the public for more than 2 years. In fact, the committee held a Guard-and-Reserve-only benefits hearing just over a year ago to review the disparity in these benefits, and we have worked closely with the stakeholders, as evidenced by the numerous numbers of VSOs whose support letters I entered into the Record earlier. And we also worked with the minority to ensure that this bill achieves the aims that we intend. We have also worked closely with the Department of Defense and VA to ensure all Guard and Reserve members are covered. The VSOs have been asking for this reform, and that is why we stand with them in support of H.R. 1836. Now, moreover, it is not accurate to say that before the Rules Committee yesterday I characterized the $2 billion cost of this bill, which is paid for, as insignificant. I merely compared it to the idea that we should use this bill as part of an offset for the $300 billion or so that we are going to need for toxic exposure. And I thank the ranking member for joining together in trying to find a solution for our toxic-exposed veterans. However, that $300 billion, I know we are going to figure out how to take care of that. It is really not a choice; it is a moral obligation we have to those veterans that were exposed to burn pits. It is not a choice. It is a cost of war, and we have got to rise together as a body. We found $30 billion willy-nilly to add to the National Defense Authorization Act. We will find the $300 billion. We don't need to be nickel and diming our reservists and our Guard units and deny them the days that should count toward their GI Bill benefits because they are doing every bit the same sort of readiness training that our Active- Duty servicemembers are doing. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Levin), my good friend and chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity who is also the author of this very impressive bill.