Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

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 (H.R. 4920) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an exception to certain small business contracting requirements applicable to the Department of Veterans Affairs procurement of certain goods and services covered under the Ability One program, and for other purposes.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4920, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

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. 4183, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4183, as amended, the Identifying Barriers and Best Practices Study Act, introduced by Representative Khanna of California. I support this legislation that requests a multiyear study on VA disability and pension benefits for members of the Reserve components and National Guard. Any veteran injured during their time in service should have access to care for lingering disabilities and compensation for loss of earning power. Since September 11, members of the Reserve component and National Guard have increasingly answered the call to service to meet our Nation's national security needs. Yet, despite greater demands and commitments, Reserve and National Guard veterans and their families do not always have easy access to benefits. We have heard from our VSO partners that Guard and Reservists, like those who served in special missions, often have difficulty documenting injuries. Their medical records tend to be scattered and are often incomplete. This lack of in-service documentation of injury disproportionately affects Guard and Reservists. The additional burden of obtaining a line-of-duty determination, which provides clear documentation of injury, rests on their shoulders. This can prevent receipt of compensation from VA down the road. The study requested by this bill will compare Reserve and National Guard veterans and special operators, such as pilots and divers, to Active-Duty veterans and provide Congress with a report on the barriers they face when receiving their benefits through VA. The findings in the report will best inform Congress on next steps toward providing Reserve and National Guard veterans the compensation and benefits that they have earned. I urge all Members to support H.R. 4183, as amended, and take the first steps to removing barriers to benefits for Guard, Reserve, and special operators. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I just want to take this moment to just reflect on how much our reservists and National Guard have contributed to our national defense in these past 18 years. Some of us may recall the role of the Guard and Reserve during the Vietnam war era, where that was often a refuge for servicemembers who were not expecting to be called into Active Duty or called into service. But gone are those days. The National Guard and Reserve are called up frequently, often on multiple deployments, and they have served our country with vigor, with tremendous patriotism. So I have to say that I am very pleased that we are moving forward with this study. I think it is a travesty if our reservists and guardsmen cannot document their service-connected injuries and not be able to collect the benefits that they deserve down the road. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4183, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, Americans are skipping their medications because the cost of prescription drugs is too expensive. This is immoral. Americans are going into debt because the cost of prescription drugs is too high. This is immoral. Americans often pay four times more for the same drugs as those in foreign countries. This is immoral. This is why I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, legislation that will lower the cost of prescription drugs for millions of Americans and benefit nearly 500,000 people in my district. No one in America should have to ration their medicine. No one in America should have to travel to another country because the medication they need is too unaffordable here. We have a moral obligation to put the needs of American people above the greed of the pharmaceutical industry. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of this critical piece of legislation.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Massachusetts for yielding. I know the gentlewoman has read the names of the Black trans women who were taken from us far too soon due to bigotry, hatred, and transphobia that is running rampant in our country, but if she will permit me, I will also enter their names. I will read them aloud. I believe we should honor them not just once but many times over. So, I rise in honor of Dana Martin, Jazzaline Ware, Ashanti Carmon, Claire Legato, Muhlaysia Booker, Michelle ``Tamika'' Washington, Paris Cameron, Chynal Lindsey, Chanel Scurlock, Zoe Spears, Brooklyn Lindsey, Denali Berries Stuckey, Tracy Single, Bubba Walker, Kiki Fantroy, Jordan Cofer, Pebbles LaDime ``Dime'' Doe, Bailey Reeves, Bee Love Slater, Jamagio Jamar Berryman, Itali Marlowe, and Brianna ``BB'' Hill. These are the names we know of transgender and nonconforming people who have been killed in America in the year 2019, so far. We cannot ignore this epidemic that is plaguing the trans community. We cannot forget their stories. We cannot stop fighting to protect trans lives. On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember their names. I would like to say also that I appreciated that our Speaker met today with actress and activist Ms. Ross, who is quite a champion of transgender people. Our Democratic Caucus chairman, Hakeem Jeffries, led a roundtable. Many Members of Congress appeared at that roundtable to listen to the needs of the transgender community. I thank them for showing their support today.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding. I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to join the voices of the working men and women of our country demanding better wages, better working conditions, better benefits. I rise for working families, for those working multiple jobs and struggling to get by while CEOs are making multiple millions of dollars and reaping the benefits of their labor. And this is all during a time over the past several decades where productivity of the American economy has gone up while wages from those who have created that productivity have stayed flat. And if we want to achieve income equality or less income inequality, the answer is in giving workers leverage on the economy. So I rise to defend workers' rights, their right to rise up in their workplace and use their collective power to demand better from their employer. That is the leverage that I am talking about. Right now employers and corporate interests are doing everything they can to strip workers of their protections. In fact, they have already done that. They have already participated in weakening our labor laws and made it more difficult for workers to organize. And Representative Levin of Michigan started to explain the complex ways in which organizing is made more difficult; how elections can run forever; and how employers have an unfair advantage in those elections; and how the will of the workers in the workplace to organize and unionize can be thwarted. And once unions are formed, there are many efforts to bust unions and silence the voices of workers, which, let me be clear, is illegal. And that is why we need to pass the PRO Act to make sure that penalties are enforced. We do have laws on the books, but there is not enough enforcement. We need to put an end to these antiunion activities. If we want to reduce economic inequality, support working people and working families and ensure that the American Dream is within reach for all, then let's pass this bill. It is time to reaffirm our support for working people in America.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I wish to associate myself with the remarks of the ranking member regarding the transformative power of the GI Bill right after World War II, what it did for a generation. I want to also take note that the Forever GI Bill was shepherded by Ranking Member Roe when he was the chairman and it still is an amazing, remarkable accomplishment that we have made the GI Bill a lifetime benefit that can be used at any point in a veteran's lifetime. And, also, if they don't use it, they can transfer it to a spouse or their children. This is a remarkable piece of legislation. It took cooperation of a minority working in good faith during the last session of Congress, and I think it is a remarkable accomplishment. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4162, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

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. 4477, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4477, as amended, the Reducing High Risk to Veterans and Veterans Services Act. The Government Accountability Office provides important oversight across the Federal Government. As Congress' investigative arm, GAO audits and examines Department of Veterans Affairs programs and spending. The Comptroller General and his staff provide hundreds of recommendations on how to improve services and benefits. However, too often, GAO recommendations are ignored by the Department. H.R. 4477, as amended, is bipartisan legislation offered by the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations' Chairman Pappas and Ranking Member Bergman that seeks to address, in a systematic manner, GAO's most notable and important findings and recommendations. The act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a plan to address the two areas within VA identified as high risk by the Government Accountability Office. These are the Veterans Health Administration and acquisition management. Every 2 years, the Government Accountability Office releases its High-Risk List of Federal Government programs most vulnerable to fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement. Included in 2015, the Veterans Health Administration, the largest healthcare system in the country, remains on GAO's 2019 list. This was the first year that VA acquisition management was placed on the High-Risk List as a result of inefficient use of acquisition funding and staffing resources, as well as numerous contracting challenges. VA's acquisition management is vital to VA's functioning because of its role in medical supplies procurement and construction, both of which relate directly to VA's ability to serve veterans and provide quality medical care. The Reducing High Risk to Veterans and Veterans Services Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a plan to address the two areas within VA identified as high risk by the Government Accountability Office. This plan will address the root causes of why these programs are at high risk and include specific timelines to correct the problems. VA will report to Congress on progress and ongoing challenges. The Department will also provide their views on whether Congress needs to take legislative action or provide additional resources. This bill has the support of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the DAV. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4477, 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. 4771) to amend title 38, United States Code, to permit appellants to appear in disability compensation cases before the Board of Veterans' Appeals by picture and voice transmission from locations other than facilities 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 to insert extraneous material on H.R. 4771, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4771, as amended, introduced by Mr. Cunningham. I support this legislation that creates an easy technological fix so veterans can quickly and conveniently attend their hearings before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. Applying for disability compensation and benefits through VA can be a long and confusing ordeal, which is further complicated in the appeals process. Currently, veterans often face difficulties traveling to VA regional offices for their Board hearings, difficulties including long wait times, scheduling challenges, or simply the distance an elderly or disabled veteran may have to travel. Madam Speaker, the VA Tele-Hearing Modernization Act permits veterans to provide testimony before a veterans law judge via video conference from a location outside of a VA facility. This means a veteran could testify in support of his or her claim from the comfort of their own home. Now, VA told us this piece of legislation could have an especially positive impact on hearing access for homebound or rural veterans. This bill ensures veterans have the flexibility to appeal VA's decisions in a comfortable, accessible location without affecting the security of their personal information. The tele-hearing program is modeled after the existing telehealth program at the Veterans Health Administration and will likely improve hearing attendance and help veterans receive their benefits. A tele- hearing pilot program conducted by the Board showed increased participation in hearings as well as increased efficiency and timeliness of requested hearings. Under this bill, VA is required to provide annual reports to Congress with information about how often the tele-hearing option is used by veterans and whether those claimants are as likely to have their claims granted as veterans using the traditional hearing methods. This report allows Congress to ensure this program is working the way it should. I thank Representative Cunningham for introducing this bill, and I support this legislation for the step it takes to simplify the appeals process for our veterans. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Cunningham), my good friend, member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, and author of H.R. 4771.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Cunningham) for his hard work. I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing this important piece of legislation, H.R. 4771, 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. 4360) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the due process accorded veterans with respect to recovery of overpayments made by the Department and other amounts owed by veterans to the United States, to improve the processing of veterans benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 to insert extraneous material on H.R. 4360.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4360, the VA Overpayment Accountability Act, introduced by Representative Kim. This bill protects veterans by ensuring that the Department of Veterans Affairs reviews and updates its systems and policies to minimize overpayments in the future and mitigate negative effects on veterans. Now, under certain circumstances, if the Department of Veterans Affairs makes accounting errors that result in overpayment of benefits, veterans are left saddled with debt. Then, within a short period of time, these veterans are required to pay these overpayments back to VA, placing an extraordinary financial burden on them. The VA can, and sometimes does, withhold part of veterans' monthly benefit checks to recover overpayments, exacerbating these financial hardships. In some cases, VA may send these debts to a debt collection agency, compounding veterans' financial stress. If the information submitted by VA to a consumer reporting agency is incorrect either because VA later determines its payment was not in error or because VA decides to waive the debt, veterans may still suffer harm to their credit. This bill makes sure VA rights this wrong. Under this legislation, VA would be required to instruct the consumer reporting agency to remove any erroneous information from veterans' consumer reports. And if VA employs a debt collection agency and that agency then reports erroneous information to a consumer reporting agency, VA must instruct the debt agency to fix the error. Importantly, this bill also requires VA to maintain future tracking metrics. This information tracks the number of VA overpayments, average amount of overpayment, and how often VA grants and denies veterans' requests for relief from this debt. As we know, VA's information technology system hinders its ability to manage erroneous or duplicate payments. That is why this legislation requires an audit of overpayments, so whether it is its staffing shortages or IT failures, data can guide VA and Congress on where resources should be directed. I wholeheartedly support this legislation to financially protect veterans, because it is an essential step that we need to take to ensure that veterans are not forced to face severe consequences due to VA's mistakes. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.