Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kim), my good friend.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to extend, again, my gratitude for the insightful and hard work that the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kim) has done with this legislation to correct an injustice which has been occurring. I thank Congressman Kim for this very important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I also want to extend my gratitude to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), whose district I have visited and whose medical center I have also visited. And I have to say that he runs a crack operation. That came out wrong. He runs, not a crack operation, but amazing constituent services for his veterans. You know, this unfortunate situation where the VA overpays veterans and then claws back those payments will be corrected by this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I want to say I have no further speakers and I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4360, 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 (H.R. 4356) to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow certain individuals to terminate contracts for telephone, multichannel video programming, or internet access service, and for other purposes, as amended.

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. 4356, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4356, as amended, the Protecting Families of Fallen Servicemembers Act. Mr. Speaker, this bill was introduced by Representative Josh Harder from California, and I thank him for his work with the committee on the bill. It expands on the work the committee did last Congress in partnership with Representative Bustos to improve the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. This bill ensures that spouses and dependents of both Active and Reserve component servicemembers who are catastrophically injured or pass away while in service to this Nation have protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, otherwise known as SCRA. Specifically, the bill allows impacted servicemembers or their families to terminate cable, internet, and phone service. Servicemembers and families undergo difficult life transitions because of a catastrophic injury or death of loved ones. Families should have the flexibility to be at the servicemember's side during recovery. Surviving spouses and family members of fallen servicemembers should easily be able to move closer to family and friends or other support networks. Families dealing with the difficult loss or injury of their loved ones should not have to worry about contracts or cancellation fees. I would like to note that this legislation unanimously passed the House last Congress and has been updated to reflect improvements recommended by veterans service organizations. I also thank Dr. Wenstrup, who served with us on the committee for several Congresses, for his focus on the issue and for working with Mr. Harder on this bill. Finally, I thank the Paralyzed Veterans of America for highlighting the need to include catastrophically disabled veterans and families in our work to improve the SCRA. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the bipartisan work of Congressman Levin and Congressman Bilirakis on moving this bill through committee. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in voting to pass H.R. 4356, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I agree with my friend and colleague from Tennessee, Ranking Member Roe. This is commonsense legislation. We should not compound the suffering of a family, whether they are caretakers or grieving, with the complications that they may not be aware of, which are these continuing contractual agreements for cable, internet, or other types of contractual agreements of the sort. This bill addresses a way for families to easily terminate these contracts. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4356, 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 (H.R. 4162) to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period under which an election must be made for entitlement to educational assistance under the All-Volunteer Educational Assistance Program of Department of Veterans Affairs, to phase out the use of such program, and for other purposes, as amended.

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. 4162, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4162, as amended, the GI Bill Planning Act of 2019. Mr. Speaker, this bill was introduced by Representative Jack Bergman and Representative Kathleen Rice. Both of them are great members of our committee and tireless fighters for veterans. I thank Representative Bergman for his work on this legislation and his commitment to working with me on several issues related to veterans education and healthcare. Mr. Speaker, with the enactment of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill has become a less attractive option for many servicemembers. In most cases, the benefits are worse for servicemembers when choosing the Montgomery GI Bill instead of the Forever GI Bill. The issue is that many servicemembers sign up without knowing what they are signing up for. For a servicemember to receive benefits through the Montgomery GI Bill, they must elect to pay into it when they first enter the military. Often, this is a chaotic period in a servicemember's life, to say the least. They are unable to give the decision much thought or do not fully understand the full impact of the decision at the time. Also, there have been ongoing reports that some servicemembers are pressured to sign up by instructors at initial entry training or lose the benefit. This bill addresses this concern by moving the date when a servicemember elects to join the program so they can better understand and make a better informed decision. Many end up signing up for the Montgomery GI Bill benefits only to never use them and never see them refunded. This is wrong and a waste of our servicemembers' money. The committee will work to ensure that the Post-9/11 GI Bill is updated to ensure that future generations who may have benefited more from the Montgomery GI Bill than the Post-9/11 GI Bill do not see one bit of a drop-off in potential benefits. With the work we are doing to empower State approving agencies to improve the quality of education, now is the time for us also to improve the quality of benefits for our servicemembers. I thank Representative Bergman and Representative Rice for their leadership, and I urge all of my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 4162. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just say, I wish to extend a belated happy Veterans Day to both of my colleagues, Dr. Roe and General Bergman. We certainly appreciate their service. I extend this congratulations and gratitude to all of our servicemembers, and I underscore all of our servicemembers, whether they be the Marines, the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, or the Coast Guard. And I understand the friendly rivalry, but I want to make sure that everyone knows whatever service they engaged, that America appreciates them. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4477) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a plan to address certain high risk areas identified by the Comptroller General of the United States regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs in the 2019 High- Risk List of the Government Accountability Office, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3996) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain requirements relating to the use of the design-build construction method for Department of Veterans Affairs construction projects, and for other purposes.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. 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. 3996.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3996, the VA Design-Build Construction Enhancement Act of 2019. This bipartisan bill encourages VA to use a method of managing construction projects termed design- build in appropriate circumstances. In addition, this bill incorporates design-build training into the VA construction management curriculum. There have been multiple internal VA and Government Accountability Office reports that have been very critical, documenting serious delays in cost overruns in VA facility construction and other projects. At present, both veterans and taxpayers are suffering from the cumbersome VA construction process. I am confident this piece of legislation will help deliver state-of-the-art facilities to our veterans in a more effective and expeditious manner. Design-build is a proven way to deliver construction projects in a more efficient and timely manner. This method is widely used in the private sector, and it has been used in parts of the Federal Government for over 20 years. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this technique, design-build is a delivery method for construction projects that combines the architectural, engineering, and construction services into a single contract. It is an innovation from traditional design-bid-build construction, where design and construction are sequential and performed by different contractors, thus creating costly and lengthy timelines for delivering much-needed sites of care for our veterans. Over the years, the Department of Veterans Affairs has faced numerous challenges when it comes to managing construction projects. I am aware that some of these challenges are caused by Congress due to the time it takes to authorize and secure funds for new builds. However, a good portion of these construction challenges are self-inflicted. This committee is intimately aware of the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. Not only was the opening of the new state-of-the-art medical center several years delayed, it was $1 billion over budget. This is a tragic disservice to our Nation's veterans and taxpayers. Unfortunately, Aurora, Colorado, is only one of several examples of challenged VA construction projects. The VA is currently facing a multimillion-dollar backlog of construction projects. I am confident that a shift to design-build in appropriate circumstances could tremendously decrease the cost and shorten the length of time for VA construction projects. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 3996, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, let me just say that, as a former community college trustee that had responsibility for overseeing many projects that were undertaken to build out the community college district, design-build was employed in those instances. And where appropriately used, I agree with the comments by my friends from the other side of the aisle that this can make future VA construction projects more efficient and more cost-effective for our taxpayers. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 3996, 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 (H.R. 1424) to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure the Secretary of Veterans Affairs permits the display of Fallen Soldier Displays in national cemeteries.

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. 1424.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1424, the Fallen Warrior Battlefield Cross Memorial Act, introduced by Representative Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio. This act permits the Secretary of the VA to allow the Fallen Soldier Display, also known as the Battlefield Cross Memorial, in national cemeteries. Battlefield crosses honor fallen soldiers using symbols of their service. These symbols have evolved since their initial use in the American Revolutionary War when they were used as a crude marker as the position of a fallen soldier. The cultural position remains today, as units in theater traditionally hold a remembrance ceremony in country to allow the unit to pay last respects to those killed in action. These displays are meant to honor those who lost their lives in service by featuring replicas of inverted rifles, boots, helmets, and identification tags. A U.S. Army field manual states: ``The helmet and identification tags signify the dead soldier. The inverted rifle with bayonet signals a time for prayer, a break in the action to pay tribute to our comrade. The combat boots represent the final march of the last battle.'' VA's National Cemetery Administration currently allows for display of a cross, but it has not specifically addressed the Battlefield Cross Memorial. In fact, in 2017, a Battlefield Cross Memorial was removed from the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery. Though the cemetery ultimately decided to restore the memorial, this legislation would ensure the Battlefield Cross Memorial would also be permitted at national cemeteries and prevent future misinterpretations. Mr. Speaker, we recognize the sacrifices of the women and men who gave their lives in service to our Nation and the right of a community to honor its fallen heroes. I urge all Members to support H.R. 1424, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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