Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 290, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 290, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the eligibility for veterans to transfer their earned educational benefits is limited based on service time and commitments to additional service time. Recently, there have been a number of cases where DOD erroneously calculated servicemembers' time in service, allowing the servicemember to transfer a benefit when they should not have, as in the case of Russell Dotson. In Mr. Dotson's case, he was told by the Navy that he was able to transfer his benefit to his daughter. Unfortunately, the Navy was 6 days off in its calculation. That led to his daughter's GI Bill-covered tuition at DePaul University being cut off. Now, she and her father, a veteran who served 22 years and was honored for saving two lives in Afghanistan, are left having to repay more than $20,000. As a result of these errors, the veteran and their dependent are saddled with a huge bill, that is overpayment, for the cost of erroneously billed educational costs. The debt levied on the dependent is costly and can ruin their credit before they enter the labor force, which could impact their housing and job opportunities. H.R. 290, as amended, limits liabilities to ensure that there aren't surprise debts created by errors in paperwork. This legislation has been supported by VSOs such as the VFW, American Legion, and the Student Veterans of America. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Bost for his work on this issue. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 290, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

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

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

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 293, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I would like to close by saying I urge all of my colleagues to support the VA FOIA Reform Act of 2021. We need to make sure that our veterans and their families get information that they have requested from the VA in a timely manner. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), my good friend, author of H.R. 2726, and a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 2726, the VA FOIA Reform Act of 2021, introduced by Representative Gallego, a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. This bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Representative Murphy from North Carolina and would modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs' Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, process to help VA meet statutory requirements and improve efficiency. The FOIA process is essential for ensuring a transparent and accountable VA by allowing the public insight into the workings of a Department that serves millions of veterans each year. However, an enduring backlog of open requests and out-of-date technology have made it difficult for the Department to provide timely access to requested information. Madam Speaker, this bill would require VA to establish a plan in order to meet all statutory FOIA requirements, identify its technology needs, and carry out this plan within 5 years. Veterans and their families, employees, and the public who have made FOIA requests at VA have been kept waiting for too long. I hope this bill puts VA on a path to providing FOIA information in a timely manner. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2726 was reported favorably by the committee, and I ask my colleagues to support the bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2545) to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the role of doctors of podiatric medicine in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2545.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 2545 to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the role of doctors of podiatric medicine in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. H.R. 2545 is offered by former Veterans' Affairs Committee member, Dr. Brad Wenstrup. This legislation seeks to clarify a technical error affecting the Director of Podiatric Services which developed following the inclusion of Dr. Wenstrup's VA Provider Equity Act in the MISSION Act. The renaming of the position to Podiatric Medical Director will create equity by allowing this position holder to be paid on par with their peers rather than below, which is currently the case. If VA is to recruit top talent, we must ensure VA is able to offer competitive salaries whenever possible, that is why I support this legislation and I hope my colleagues will too. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 2429, the VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act, introduced by former Committee on Veterans' Affairs member Representative Rice from New York. This bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Representative Radewagen would improve the transparency and accountability of the VA police. Specifically, the legislation would require the VA police to publish online information about arrests and use of force, as well as establish a consistent way for the public to obtain more detailed information about those incidents. Importantly, this bill would also require VA to have its police use body-worn cameras, publish guidance on the use of such cameras, improve tracking and analysis of arrests and other police actions, and develop a staffing plan that adequately supports every VA facility's needs. Together, these improvements will build accountability and trust between the VA police and anyone who walks through VA facility doors across the country. H.R. 2429 was reported favorably by the committee, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2429) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the staffing, transparency, and accountability of the law enforcement operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice), my good friend, a former member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and the lead Democratic cosponsor.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Bost for pointing out that the previous ranking member and previous chairman of this committee, an OB/GYN, Representative Roe, stood in firm support of this legislation. I know him to also be someone of very firm pro-life convictions. I am very proud of the bipartisan support that has gathered around Ms. Brownley's legislation. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, contraception access is a crucial element of preventative healthcare and reduces the likelihood that a woman will live in poverty. Copay-free access to contraception is covered under every insurance program in this country, except at the Department of Veterans Affairs. H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, would eliminate copays on contraceptive items at the Department of Veterans Affairs. I thank Congresswoman Brownley for introducing this bill and for her efforts as chair of the Subcommittee on Health and the Women Veterans Task Force. Contraception is already widely available at VA, and veterans enrolled at VA can obtain oral contraceptions, shots, skin patches, vaginal rings, and long-acting reversible contraceptives, such as implants or intrauterine devices. In addition, the VA pharmacy dispenses over-the-counter contraceptives, including condoms and emergency contraception. Even a small copay can be insurmountable for a veteran struggling to make ends meet. Eliminating copays ensures parity with both Federal insurers and private insurers, as mandated under the Affordable Care Act. Most of all, it eliminates an unnecessary financial burden on our veterans. Furthermore, we know also that every tax dollar spent on family planning, such as contraception, ultimately saves seven times that amount. Passing this bill is an essential element of both meeting the health and economic well-being of our Nation's veterans. This legislation has the support of the VA, broad VSO support, and passed on suspension last Congress. Again, I thank Chairwoman Julia Brownley for her leadership on this issue, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 239. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley), my good friend, the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health, and also the author of this important legislation.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), my good friend, the author of this critical piece of legislation, and also the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), my good friend, the chairman of the Democratic Caucus and author of H.R. 2093.

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

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I am very, very pleased to recommend to all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' This issue affects my own constituency where I know that we have veterans that have caregivers that may only speak, say, the language of Spanish, and so I am very convinced that this legislation will benefit all of our country, but especially my own district. It is with that spirit that I recommend that we pass this important piece of legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, since 2001 the foreign-born share of the veteran population has steadily risen. Immigrants have served in the Armed Forces since the very beginning of our Nation, and they today make up 600,000 veterans. 1.9 million veterans are the U.S.-born children of immigrants. Together, the 2.5 million veterans of immigrant origin, by birth or parentage, account for 13 percent of all veterans living today. Certain nationals of countries in free association with the United States--the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau--are eligible to serve the United States, and they do in numbers much larger than their counterparts stateside. Half a million veterans live in Puerto Rico. There are 6,000 regular Philippine Scouts still alive and 15,000 U.S. veterans who live in the Philippines, half of whom rely on the VA clinic in Manila for their service-connected care. Two-thirds of the veteran cohorts I just mentioned do not speak English at home. Many of them are aging and have to rely more and more on their families for care and to manage health decisions. VA has scarce availability of veteran-facing materials in other languages, both online and in paper. Facilities are, for the most part, on their own to translate material that best serves their patients. This extra burden was made clear to me during committee trips to Puerto Rico, where we heard from staff about the arduous work it took to have to translate everything from administrative staff training materials to hurricane brochures. Everything sent from VA Central Office in Washington, D.C., to Puerto Rico had to be redone so it could be usable and accessible to veterans and the staff who serve them. The VA should be fully accessible to all veterans who need it, and that includes language accessibility. Mr. Jeffries' bill, H.R. 2093, the Veterans and Family Information Act, would require VA to do what it should have been doing for years, make its veteran-facing fact sheets and websites available in languages veterans and their families speak; specifically, the languages of Spanish, Tagalog, and the other top 10 spoken languages in the United States. It would also require VA to create a language access plan for the VA enterprise. Now, this is a long overdue correction of VA's posture. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that clearly communicated public health information from our healthcare institutions is essential. VA must ensure that language proficiency is never a barrier to a veteran's care. I therefore ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the Veterans and Family Information Act. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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 to insert extraneous material on H.R. 2093.