Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak on H.R. 2878, as amended, the Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act, introduced by Congressman Gallego. Started in 2009, the VetSuccess On Campus Program helps student veterans succeed and thrive through delivery of on-campus benefits, assistance, and counseling. This outreach is intended to help veterans complete their education and prepare them for jobs. Since its inception, the program has expanded multiple times, and currently supports 104 schools across the country and is served by 87 VetSuccess counselors. However, Tribal colleges and universities are not currently served by the VetSuccess program, creating a gap in access to the services and benefits our Native American veterans have earned. Madam Speaker, Native veterans serve in the Armed Forces at five times the national average, and have served with distinction in every major conflict for over 200 years. Native Americans have the highest per capita involvement of any population in service in the U.S. military, yet these same communities that serve disproportionately in our military don't see the same resources delivered back to their communities. Congressman Gallego's legislation begins to close this gap by creating the Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act at three sites around the Nation serving Tribal colleges. But that is not all. This legislation also includes additional improvements that will deliver more benefits to all veterans using their earned educational benefits. Included in this legislation is expanded housing benefits for veterans as they seek to finish programs of education; additional funding for high-technology education courses to serve more veterans during our economic rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic; and an extension of VA housing partnerships with local communities to house more veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Madam Speaker, I applaud Congressman Gallego, a veteran himself, for bringing this package to us, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), my good friend and an author of this legislation, H.R. 2878, and a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas), my good friend and chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. In closing, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing this important piece of legislation, H.R. 2878, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1510) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the use of cameras in the medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as amended.

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 insert extraneous material on H.R. 1510, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1510, the Veterans' Camera Reporting Act, introduced by Representative McKinley of West Virginia. This bill, as amended by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, requires VA to submit a report to Congress analyzing the Department's use and maintenance of video cameras for the purposes of patient safety and law enforcement within all of its medical facilities. Last Tuesday, a nursing assistant who was formerly employed at a VA hospital in West Virginia was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences plus 20 years after she pleaded guilty to murdering seven veterans and assaulting an eighth veteran with intent to commit murder. She took insulin that she was not authorized to administer, and she injected it into veterans who did not need it, killing all eight of them. Following the sentencing last week, the VA Office of the Inspector General issued a report identifying numerous deficiencies in patient care and failures in VA oversight at the facility where these murders occurred. Among other things, the OIG found that there were no cameras in the ward where these events occurred, nor in the medication room where the insulin was stored, and there were no locks or other mechanisms for monitoring access to medication carts where insulin was also kept. There are no words to adequately express the horror and sorrow we feel about the heinous crimes committed against these veterans. We cannot imagine the pain the families have endured since evidence of these murders came to light nearly 3 years ago. We can only hope that last week's sentencing will help the victims' families begin to heal and to find a sense of closure. In Congress, we have a responsibility to help ensure that VA never allows something like this to happen again. Now, as an initial step, we need to better understand how VA uses video cameras for monitoring patient safety and physical security within its medical facilities. To that end, H.R. 1510 will require VA to submit a report summarizing how cameras are used to monitor staff and patients, the units within which cameras are prioritized, and how cameras are used to monitor drug storage. The report also must include recommendations on improving the use of cameras at VA, including whether the Department needs additional resources to install cameras for patient safety and law enforcement purposes. This bill will require VA's report to encompass all of its medical facilities nationwide. Drug diversion, assaults, harassment, suicides, and other patient safety incidents can occur at any VA medical facility, not just hospitals. VA operates more than 1,000 inpatient and outpatient facilities across the country. Congress needs a complete picture of the extent to which cameras are used across VA so that we can better assist the Department in addressing any shortfalls. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in approving this important bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. In closing, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1510, which cleared the committee unanimously. I can see no reason why any Member would vote against this bill. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2494) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, 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 insert extraneous material on H.R. 2494.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak on H.R. 2494, introduced by Congressman Wenstrup, and which would establish a fourth administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs focused on economic opportunity and transition. When our servicemembers conclude their time with the armed services, they are tasked with returning to civilian life. This is the sacrifice they make for our security, and in exchange, we owe them more than a thank you and well wishes. We owe them a commitment that they will be supported in their transition to civilian life, and that they will have a VA that is responsive to their needs. That is why we passed the first GI Bill nearly 75 years ago to the day and why we continue today to make improvements in providing our Nation's veterans with the benefits they have earned. Unfortunately, VA has struggled to track the effectiveness of programs for education and employment, and Congress has struggled to determine the Department's resource needs in these areas. Madam Speaker, one of the main reasons we have identified through hearings and discussion with our veterans service organizations is that the Veterans Benefits Administration is simply asked to do too much. While managing compensation claims is important, the responsibility of managing transition, education, and housing benefits often takes a backseat. To put it in perspective, the Veterans Benefits Administration's structure has not significantly changed since the Veterans Administration was established in 1930. Madam Speaker, during the last 89 years, the services needed by veterans has dramatically changed, which is why our committee has an Economic Opportunity Subcommittee. It is time for the importance of economic opportunity to be elevated at VA as well. This bipartisan bill would create a new administration within the Department to manage educational assistance, vocational rehabilitation, and employment, education, career counseling programs, and broadly defined shared transition assistance programs. That means a dedicated Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition solely focused on fulfilling our promise to the veterans that they will get the education they want, the housing they need, and the careers they deserve. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing this important piece of legislation, H.R. 2494, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2441) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study to assess certain mental health care resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs available to veterans who live in rural areas.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 2441.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak on H.R. 2441, the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021, introduced by Congresswoman Axne. This bill has not only bipartisan support, but also bicameral support with the recent introduction of a companion bill from Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Tester and Ranking Member Moran. This bill is named for an Iowa veteran who died by suicide after failing to receive intensive treatment for his PTSD. It is designed to honor his memory with action and to prevent a similar outcome for his fellow veterans. Through this legislation, VA will open three new RANGE programs in rural locations, including territories and insular areas. VA RANGE programs offer intensive outpatient services and case management for rural veterans with mental illness, housing and food insecurity, financial issues, and problems with daily living. They can be absolutely lifesaving for veterans who need this kind of wraparound care and safety nets. Additionally, this bill calls for a GAO study of how accessible VA's continuum of superior mental healthcare services, from outpatient to residential and inpatient, really is for rural veterans. We all know that even a well-designed system may not reach every veteran who needs it. With this legislation, our work to close the gaps will be guided by data. I, therefore, ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act. Madam Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Axne), my good friend and the author of H.R. 2441.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. But before I reserve the balance of my time, let me say that I am very, very pleased that we are addressing the issue of mental healthcare in our rural areas. As we wind down this pandemic, I think we are going to see not just veterans but Americans of all stripes who live in our rural areas dealing with the need for increased numbers of mental healthcare practitioners. I congratulate and I thank the work of my colleague, Congresswoman Axne, in moving the VA a step forward in this area. But there is far more that needs to be done. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam 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 insert extraneous material on H.R. 2704.

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 H.R. 2788.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I, again, urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing this important piece of legislation, H.R. 2788. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 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 piece of legislation.

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 H.R. 2911.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 711) to amend the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 to authorize the use of certain funds received pursuant to leases entered into under such Act, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill, the West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act, would amend a 2016 law concerning the West Los Angeles VA campus. H.R. 711, as amended, is sponsored by Congressman Ted Lieu, and is critical to the Department of Veterans Affairs' efforts, together with community partners, to address veteran homelessness in the Los Angeles area. In addition, this legislation helps VA use already available funding streams to fund supportive housing for homeless and at-risk veterans and their families; community operations that support emergency shelter and supportive housing; and renovations and minor construction projects. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.