Jim Walsh

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction for the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 564, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 2528) making appropriations for military quality of life functions of the Department of Defense, military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I do intend to be brief, but this is an important bill for our military and I would like to expand a little bit on some of the points within it. But before I do that, I would like to describe the conference that we had with the Senate as successful. I would like to thank my ranking member, Mr. Edwards of Texas, who has been at my shoulder all the way through this process. We worked very, very closely together. We have had the same priorities and we have tried to work out any disagreements that we had along the way. I would also like to thank Chairman Lewis for his leadership and his forethought in realigning the jurisdiction of this subcommittee. The House bill included the accounts for basic allowance for housing, facilities sustainment, restoration and modernization, environmental restoration and the Defense Health Program. This was designed as a first step toward examining military quality of life as a whole, from active duty through retirement. We have received nothing but positive feedback from the senior non- commissioned officers all the way up to the four-star service chiefs. I would hope that our colleagues in the other body would take a look at what the House has done and follow suit, but for this year, while the subcommittee retains jurisdiction over these four accounts, the conference report before the House today does not contain that funding. The funding will be included in the Defense appropriations bill and will return to the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs bill next year. The conference report provides $6.2 billion for military construction, including quality of life facilities such as child care centers, medical facilities and training facilities. It also provides $4 billion for family housing construction and maintenance. This funding will continue moving toward the goal to eliminate inadequate family housing for our military, through both the privatization program and traditional construction. In addition, the bill includes $1.7 billion to maintain readiness and transform the military through the base realignment and closure process, the Army's modularity initiative, and the global repositioning of our forces. For the Department of Veterans Affairs, the agreement provides a total of $22.547 billion for medical services. This amount includes the original budget request, plus $1.1 billion to reverse policy proposals included in the budget request, but not endorsed by the conference. These are $496 million for long-term care; $202 million for pharmacy copays; and $454 million for enrollment fees. In addition, the agreement provides for workload increases and corrections of errors as identified in the budget amendment submitted on July 14, 2005. A portion of these additional funds are only available upon submission of a revised budget amendment by the President which declares the funding an emergency. This is necessary for us to effectively provide these funds and still remain within our 302(a) allocation from the Budget Committee. The conference agreement also includes a number of reporting requirements so that the committees will be fully informed about potential problems that the Department may encounter throughout the year of execution before it is too late. Other significant changes to the budget request include: The creation of an Information Technology Systems account to allow us to keep track of information technology programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. $2.2 billion of medical services funding is fenced to be used only for specialty mental health care, a priority of many members of the committee and the House. We received testimony after testimony encouraging us to make sure that a minimum amount was provided for mental health care, and that is what we have done. $15 million for research into Gulf War Illness. $19 million over the President's request for medical and prosthetic research. $85 million for grants for State Extended Care facilities. This is $85 million above the President's request. We have fully funded the cost-of-living allowance of 4.1 percent for veterans compensation. We also provide an increase of $273 million for medical services for veterans returning from Iraq. $200 million is included to cover workload growth in priority 1-6 veterans. $600 million is provided to correct errors in the calculation of funding needed for long-term care. Mr. Speaker, I will close by saying I think we have a good bill to put before the Congress. I am very grateful to our Appropriations Committee staff for their professional work and their patience as we worked through this process and for the late hours that they spent preparing the bill. I believe it is a bill everyone can support. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH18NO05.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH18NO05.002 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH18NO05.003 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH18NO05.004 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH18NO05.005 Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate very much the kind comments of the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee regarding our work product today, and I note that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards), my colleague, has joined us, and I look forward to his comments also. I think that the gentleman from Wisconsin made some points that I would like to give my reflection on. First of all, we agree. Both parties and every individual Member of the House holds our veterans in the highest regard, and the House, having the power of the purse, establishes its priorities by setting funding levels. Clearly, there is no budget within the Federal Government which has grown faster or been more plentifully supplied with funds than the Veterans' Affairs health care budget. It is the fastest growing budget, I believe, within the entire Federal budget, and that is as it should be because we have a growing number of veterans from the Iraq War. We have a number of aging veterans whose health care becomes more and more expensive, and we have struggled every year to meet those needs. Now, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) pointed out that within the last year and a half or so there have been some disagreements about the dollar amount required to meet those needs, and he is right about that. What we found was that the model that was being used by the Veterans Administration was wrong. It was inaccurate, and the resultant changes in the budget, the funding level over that period reflect that, but I would like to add that each and every year that I have chaired this appropriations bill for veterans, we have had similar disagreements about how much money is actually needed to meet the needs of the Veterans Health Administration. I can cite year after year when the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) and others came to the floor and said there is just not enough money for the veterans budget, for veterans health care, and I remember saying over and over and over we are providing record increases for the Veterans Health Administration. I think out of this 6, I believe now 7, years that I have chaired this subcommittee, we have had that debate every time, and other than this year, I think it is pretty clearly documented that we have been right, that the dollar amounts that we have provided have been sufficient, in some cases more than sufficient, to meet the needs of our veterans health care. So while we did have a glitch in the model, we have actually put language in the bill and provided resources to try to remedy that situation so that does not happen again. That was an aberration. We have been very solid in our estimates and very supportive of it through our budgeting of the Veterans Health Administration, and that always is the key aspect of this budget because of our concern about keeping the commitments that this Nation has made to our veterans. So, I do not think the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) was saying that we do not care enough about our veterans to provide those resources. I do not think he was saying that the White House does not care enough. I think he is saying, quite to the contrary, bipartisanly, bicamerally, and compared by the differences between the executive branch and legislative branch, we are all in agreement: Our veterans are our highest priority, and we have funded our veterans benefits and our veterans health care accordingly. There have been disagreements in the past. There will be disagreements in the future, but not over our commitment to keeping our commitments to our veterans. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, I would like to associate myself with the remarks of my colleague Mr. Edwards, especially regarding our staff who have done a really great job and worked through all of the issues with us. They do so much of the detail work and just leave a few things for us to resolve. We are very grateful for that. To the veteran service organizations, I have often said pressure is a good thing. We need that. It creates a dynamic tension within this legislative process, and it is always constructive. We may not agree on every single detail, but for the most part we are on the same page. And lastly to our Nation's soldiers, Active Duty sailors, airmen and to our marines, thank you for your service, God bless you, and come home safe and sound. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include tabular and extraneous material on the conference report to accompany H.R. 2528.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Regula for yielding me this time. And I thank him for not only his work product today, but for his many, many years of service to this country and to this Congress. He has been a remarkable leader throughout his career, and there is no one in this House who can question his sincerity or his knowledge of the issues that he is responsible for. I rise today in strong support of this bill. We will hear much from the other side of the aisle about what is missing from this bill, why we are not spending enough in this bill. We are spending $142 billion on the needs of our American citizens. That is more money than the entire budgets, the entire budgets, of Russia, China, Germany, and we could throw in 15 or 20 other countries. This is more money than they spend on their entire budget including their military. It is a pretty remarkable commitment to our Nation and to our fellow citizens. This is money that does not come easy. This does not come from God. This comes out of people's pockets. We are going to hear an awful lot about these tax cuts. Well, we have tried to reduce the tax burden on Americans who are paying for these benefits. They pay for these benefits out of the goodness of their heart. First of all, they have to pay taxes to help support our government. We take that money, we turn it around, and most of the money we spend goes toward helping our fellow Americans, and that is what this bill is all about. Congressman Bill Natcher, God rest his soul, used to refer to this as ``the people's bill.'' This is the bill that helps educate our kids, that helps keep us healthy, that pays for Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid and all of our Federal health programs. And I do not know how anyone, except for nibbling around the edges, could criticize an effort where we are spending these tremendous amounts of money to help those among us who are less fortunate. But there is also the argument that we will hear on the other side of the aisle about our deficits, that our deficits are too high, our deficits are growing, our deficits, our deficits, our deficits; but every time we bring a bill to the floor, there is not enough money in it. They cannot have both ways. They cannot rail against deficits and then tell us that we need to spend more money on every program in the Federal budget. There is no question these are difficult choices, but I think if I were going to entrust my decisions on these things to anyone, it would be to Congressman Regula, who has been doing this for so many years. There are a lot of problems in our country, lots of them, and we have them in our home towns, our big cities, our rural areas, and this is an effort to deal with those problems. For example, our party, we have, since we have become the majority, provided billions and billions more in dollars for education, remembering that the education dollar, public education, was 95 percent State and local funds. Now it is about 92 because we have so dramatically increased our contribution to that. And yet 50 percent of the kids who start high school in the United States today do not finish high school. That is a tragedy and it is atrocious, and it shows it is not just about the money. It is about parents, it is about school boards, it is about teachers, it is about kids, getting it right, taking a serious look at our public educational system in this country and realizing, as so many have said, that we are headed in the wrong direction. We are increasing resources to try to help with that, and we are trying to improve our math and science education because we are not competing with the rest of the world. But this bill makes a valiant effort to fund those needs. We are also providing billions and billions of dollars for health care. In this bill we are not even talking about the brand new Medicare prescription drug benefit, the $400 billion prescription drug benefit that Congress just enacted that is just taking place today. Again, what a remarkable response by the Government of the United States to the needs of our senior citizens, because everybody knows that health care in this country has changed. People do not just go to the hospital anymore to get an operation. They go to the doctor, they get prescription drugs. The prescription drugs help them to live long, healthy, quality lives. And because of these programs like Medicare, Medicare prescription drugs, Social Security, we now have the healthiest and wealthiest group of senior citizens that the world has ever seen. This is a continuing commitment to that. I urge my colleagues to forget about the nibbling around the edges and support a good solid bill that will help our fellow Americans.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the managers on the part of the House have until 6:30 a.m., November 18, 2005, to file the conference report to accompany H.R. 3058.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Madam Speaker, pursuant to clause 1 of rule XXII and by direction of the Committee on Appropriations, I move to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2528) making appropriations for military quality of life functions of the Department of Defense, military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes, with Senate amendments thereto, disagree to the Senate amendments, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

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

Mr. WALSH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, addressing the substance of this motion, the House included $50 million in the military quality of life bill for overhead cover systems to support force protection in Iraq. This money provides additional construction funds for protecting soldiers from indirect fire attacks, such as mortars and rockets. This funding, along with funding that was included in the supplemental bill passed earlier this year for the same purpose, provides the amount the Department of Defense says is needed for these activities. Unfortunately, the other body did not see fit to include these funds. We still believe additional money is necessary, and we will go into conference supporting the House position. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, as I stated at the outset, we believe that the House position to provide an additional $50 million in the Military Quality of Life Subcommittee appropriations bill to provide additional overhead cover system is essential. And we would go into the conference hoping that the Senate would see the wisdom of what the House has done and retain the House position. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the motion to instruct on H.R. 2528.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the appeal on the table.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the village of Webster's Centennial Anniversary. Incorporated in 1905, the village of Webster is named in honor of the famous United States Senator from Massachusetts, Daniel Webster. The village has been celebrating this milestone with various events throughout the year. Before splitting away from the town of Penfield, it was suggested that a center of town be established with four corners about 5 miles north of the center of Penfield. This gave rise to the Five Mile Line Road and the Four Corners. Throughout the mid-1800's, the newly created Four Corners served as not only an important avenue for produce and goods moving north and south, but also as a vital thoroughfare for stage coaches and freight lines moving east and west. Multiple taverns and inns were built at this time and other various businesses saw their start at this busy intersection of commerce. Along with the growth of industry in this area, came the problem of fires. To solve this dilemma, shortly after its incorporation, a much- needed volunteer fire department was organized for the people of Webster. For many years after World War I, Webster kept its place as the primary shipping point for apple farmers across the Rochester area. At this time it boasted the world's largest basket factory and also stood as the center for the canning industry in Monroe County. The village experienced added progress after the Great Depression and throughout the World War II era despite a steady decline in its rural agricultural lifestyle. The late 1950's saw the annexation of 182 acres to the village as well as the rise of Webster's largest corporate neighbor, the Xerox Corporation. Today 5,500 residents call the village of Webster home. In providing an array of community services and fostering a neighborly atmosphere, the village continues various local traditions that began with its first settlers in 1812. On behalf of the people of New York's 25th Congressional District, it is my honor to recognize and congratulate the residents of Webster on the village's 100th Anniversary.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th Anniversary of the Solvay Public Library located in the Village of Solvay, New York. The history of the Solvay Public Library actually began on January 14, 1903, with an endowment by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Along with this endowment, the assistance of Frederick Hazard, President of the Solvay Process Company, and the Village of Solvay led to the creation of the public library. In May of 1903, the University of the State of New York granted an official charter the to Solvay Public Library. The Solvay Public Library officially opened its doors on September 25, 1905, with a collection of 2,042 books. Since then, the library has served as an integral part of the Village of Solvay and its community. Since 1906, the library has offered weekly story hours, which continue to this day. During World War I, the Solvay Public Library converted its Community Room into a lounge for soldiers camped at the State Fair Grounds. In 2001, the Solvay Public Library Board of Trustees initiated a ``Preservation and Expansion'' Campaign to make the building handicapped accessible and to out reach even further into the community. On behalf of all who have benefited from the services of the Solvay Public Library, the citizens of the Village of Solvay, and the people of Central New York, I would like to extend my best wishes for many more successful years of service to this outstanding public library.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Syracuse University's Head Coach and my fellow Central New Yorker, Jim Boeheim. On September 10, 2005, Coach Boeheim was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame joining the likes of legendary coaches such as Red Auerbach, Lenny Wilkens, and Dean Smith. On and off the court, Coach Boeheim has proven to be a great leader and a great mentor. Both his colleagues and players admire his coaching abilities as well as his personal traits. Coach Boeheim became head coach of Syracuse University in 1976 after working as an assistant. Since then, his resume shows a remarkable list of accomplishments: 703 career wins; 74.5 winning percentage; 1 National Championship--2003; 10 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances; 3 Final Four appearances; 40 NCAA Tournament wins; 27 20-win seasons; Big East All Time Wins Coach; Three-time Big East Coach of the Year; Eight Big East regular season championships; Elected to Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame--1991; 2000 Recipient of the Claire Bee Award; Three-time USBWA choice for Coach of the Year; Nine-time NABC District II Coach of the Year; Eighth-fastest Division I coach to reach 600 wins. Clearly his record alone is worthy of his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, but as any Syracuse native can attest, his efforts do not stop on the hardwood floor. Both he and his wife Juli are active community members. They organize and participate in a wide variety of community events; all with the goal of giving back to the people who have given them so much. Topping the Boeheims' list of community endeavors is their creation of Coaches vs. Cancer's Basket Ball. Basket Ball, a yearly celebration of dinner and dancing aimed at raising funds for local American Cancer Society programs and services, has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars and benefited an untold number of cancer victims. Mr. Speaker, undoubtedly Coach Boeheim deserves this prestigious honor, and it is with great pleasure that I help recognize his commitment to Syracuse University, Syracuse basketball, and our community as a whole.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize James T. Molloy, former Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives who has been honored with the naming of a United States Postal Service facility located at 2061 South Park Avenue in Buffalo, New York, as the ``James T. Molloy Post Office Building''. Jimmy Molloy has been my friend since I first arrived in the House of Representatives back in January of 1989. He was the door keepers-door keeper, a special person simply beloved by everyone. Six Presidents heard his thunderous announcements of their presence before joint sessions of Congress for the State of the Union address. When he said, ``Mr. Speaker, The President of the United States,'' the chamber would erupt in applause reflecting the enthusiasm of the doorkeeper's voice. It was always a great moment to witness. Jimmy always remembered his roots and the love he had for Buffalo, New York and its people. He spoke with great affection of his childhood in western New York and the foundation he developed for life in this region. Hard work, long hours, true friendships, and honesty were the hallmark of his life. To Jimmy Molloy, his family and friends, congratulations on the naming of the United States Postal Service facility on South Park Avenue in Buffalo. You deserve this special recognition. As your friend, I am very pleased.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 conference report. In particular, I want to thank the conferees for including a provision that will establish the National Priority Project Designation. This national award program, modeled after the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award Act, would promote and recognize large sustainable design building and renewable energy projects. In April, I sponsored the National Priority Project proposal as an amendment to the Energy Policy Act, which the House adopted by voice vote. The Senate adopted a similar amendment, also by voice vote, to its version of energy legislation in June. The Solar Energy Industries Association and the American Wind Energy Association have both endorsed this legislation. This proposal establishes four categories of designations: wind and biomass energy generation projects; solar photovoltaic and fuel cell energy generation projects; energy efficient building and renewable energy projects; and ``first-in-class'' projects. The legislation sets minimum renewable energy generation thresholds for wind, biomass, solar, fuel cell and building projects. Energy efficient and renewable energy building projects must meet additional criteria to be considered for designation, including: compliance with third-party certification standards; comprehensive integration of renewable energy and energy efficient features; and the use of at least 50 percent renewable energy overall. The DestiNY USA project, located in my congressional district, will likely apply for consideration for designation under this program. DestiNY USA is designed as the largest fossil fuel free building project in the world, with plans to deploy up to 600 megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity. It will employ the entire spectrum of renewable energy generation sources, including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and micro-hydroelectric. DestiNY is just one example of the type of innovative, high technology projects that could qualify for designation. By providing an additional incentive for creativity and a commitment to renewable energy, the National Priority Project designation will help meet the goal of assuring ``secure, affordable and reliable energy.''

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations for calling for this motion to instruct conferees, and I rise in support of that motion, and I thank him for his hard work and support on this issue. Mr. Speaker, we have come to this point through a fairly long circuitous route this year. There has been a number of different estimates as to what the actual needs of the Veterans' Health Administration are. We conducted lengthy, extensive hearings, as did the authorizing committee, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and we have been receiving different information all the way along. It is our best determination that the $1.5 billion figure will provide us the funds that we need to complete this fiscal year, the 2005 fiscal year, and the funds that are not utilized in 2005 will be available in 2006. We are also working with our Senate counterparts to make sure that the 2006 figure is correct. This has all been done with the very best intention of providing the Veterans Administration and our veterans with the resources they need to meet the demands of the patients of the hospitals of the Veterans Administration. I think the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Nicholson, has an opportunity here as the new Secretary. And he did not develop the budget; the budget was developed by his predecessor with the advice and counsel of the Office of Management and Budget. Mr. Nicholson now has an opportunity to make his impression on the Veterans Administration, and the key here is accountability. Making sure that the people who provide Congress with the cost estimates to tell us how we can best serve our veterans and keep our promises, those individuals need to be accountable to the Secretary of the Veterans Administration. I know he is setting about doing that, and hopefully this difficult process that we have had this year will not be repeated. I might add we have had estimates from the veterans service organizations in each of the 6 years that I have been chairman responsible for the appropriations for Veterans Affairs. We have been right, and I think they have been wrong; and this year their estimate was higher than ours. Who is closer, we will see at the end of the process. But to cite the estimates this year, we need to reflect those against all of the preceding years, and I think by and large we have been on the money. By the way, we have increased this Veterans Administration budget each year in the neighborhood of double digits. No other budget within the Federal Government other than perhaps defense health has had those kinds of increases. The House has the power of the purse. We establish our priorities with that purse, and clearly the Veterans Administration is the priority of the House of Representatives. I stand on that record.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 150th anniversary of the Wayne County Fair. The Wayne County Fair finds its origins back in 1849, when a group of citizens from Palmyra, NY, decided to hold a fair in Hathaway's Grove. Since that date, the Wayne County Fair has continued to be a special event for the people of central and western New York. During the 1930s and 1940s, the fair was known as one of the best county fairs in the State. As our Nation experienced the troublesome times of World War II, the Wayne County Fair did its part by dedicating that year's theme as ``Food Fights for Freedom''. Over the years, numerous dignitaries have visited the fair ranging from Governors and State senators to U.S. Congressman and State assemblymen. The Wayne County Fair means so many different things to many people, providing a place for families to meet old friends and make new ones. On behalf of those who have experienced this wonderful fair, both past and present, the citizens of Palmyra, and the people of central and western New York, I extend my best wishes and many more successful years to the Wayne County Fair.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3130) making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2005 for veterans medical services.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this evening I bring to the floor a bill to provide urgently needed funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. During the last week, it has become known to most of us that the Department is in dire straits with regard to funding for medical services. It has been pointed out to us in hearings that funding originally allocated for capital expenditures is being diverted to pay for medical services, and reserves which were intended to cover future requirements were instead needed this year. Based upon information provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in a hearing today before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, as well as information provided on Tuesday when he appeared before the Committee on Appropriations, I am asking the House to pass this supplemental appropriations bill today in the amount of $975 million. This amount is within the 302(a) allocation for 2005 available to the committee and therefore does not need to be offset. In the coming weeks, the committee will work with the Department to determine the implications for fiscal year 2006 of their recent changes in workload and utilization. This will allow us to use the most accurate information available to ensure that sufficient funding is also provided when we complete the 2006 bill later this year. To make it clear, this funding we are talking about tonight in this supplemental is just for 2005. I expect full cooperation and disclosure by the Department as we develop the final number for fiscal year 2006. I do not expect, nor will I accept, partial or vague information or misinformation. This process can only work well if we all work together. That is what I expect of everyone involved in solving this problem. For today, the bill I bring to the floor provides the necessary resources to ensure that all veterans receive the medical care promised. This funding will also allow the Department to restore funding to its capital accounts to ensure that maintenance and repairs are completed and necessary equipment procured so that future care will not be placed in jeopardy nor held in abeyance. I regret that the Congress and the committee was not informed of the very real problems at the Department earlier in the process. Having said that, I look forward to working together with my friend and colleague, the ranking member, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards); the Department of Veterans Affairs; the Office of Management and Budget; and the Members of the other body to be sure that we do not run into this situation again. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.