Timothy Walz

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1168) to amend chapter 42 of title 38, United States Code, to provide certain veterans with employment training assistance, as amended.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Boozman and Mr. Sestak again, continuously on the forefront of making sure the respect shown to our veterans and the benefits that they have earned are there, and I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H. Res. 773. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Resolution 773.

Mr. WALZ. I continue to reserve my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. WALZ. Well, I thank the gentleman for his kind words and, again, appreciate the tireless work he does for the veterans. It's a great testament, and the folks in Florida are lucky to have you there. The United States Submarine Force was a vital component to winning the war in the Pacific during World War II. The war simply could not have been won without this powerful undersea fighting force. Although the Submarine Force comprised a little less than 2 percent of the Navy's fleet during World War II, they played a crucial role in effectively eliminating up to 30 percent of the Imperial Japanese Navy, reducing Japan's ability to sustain their combat forces. Day after day, the submariners entrusted their lives on unreliable torpedos to protect them as they fought to protect the liberties and freedom of the United States. For their courage and valor that runs deep, the United States Submarine Force should be commended by the House of Representatives. House Resolution 773 resolves that the House of Representatives is committed to keeping alive their memory so that the American people never forget their courage and sacrifice. We will give honor to the 52 American submarines that were lost during World War II and the 3,500 submariners who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms of this great Nation. The seven brave submariners who were awarded the Medal of Honor are: John Cromwell, Samuel Dealey, Eugene Fluckey, Howard Gilmore, Richard O'Kane, Lawson Ramage and George Street. Their courageous fighting spirit going above and beyond the call of duty is recognized and highly respected. Servicemembers like them have set the example that our Armed Forces follow. The contributions of the United States Submarine Force were momentous and critical to winning World War II. They exemplify the legacy of commitment to guard our freedom. I support House Resolution 773 that expresses the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the United States Submarine Force. We should be committed to sustain our submariners force of spirit, unity, courage, and sacrifice they have given for this great Nation. I also want to thank the gentleman from Arkansas for introducing this important piece of remembrance and commemoration. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALZ. Yes.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Just to the gentleman from Florida, your earlier inquiry, I apologize for not talking to you. The staff built in redundancies. Flying out of Minneapolis has been somewhat of a challenge recently, assuming they get to the airport in the original path, so the staff arranged to have another Member here.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 773) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the United States Submarine Force.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, due to unforeseen circumstances, I missed rollcall vote No. 776 on motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1327, the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009 as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I am proud that this Congress has started tackling the difficult issue of health care reform in a real way. Already in this Congress, we have passed legislation to provide health insurance to millions of uninsured American children and to bring our health care system into the 21st century with new health information technology. In my district, the Mayo Clinic, in particular, is a world-renowned medical institution that has always been at the forefront of efforts to reform and improve our health care system. Mayo has been a leader in providing high-quality care at a low cost. As we move forward on health care reform, we need to acknowledge that our current system rewards the quantity of procedures but doesn't account for quality of patient care. We can look to Mayo, which has been lauded for its ability to produce the highest patient satisfaction with the lowest cost, and others like it. Unfortunately, in our current health care system, doctors are paid per procedure, giving them no incentive to coordinate care and determine the best treatment regardless of cost. I encourage President Obama and my colleagues in this Congress to continue to listen to places like the Mayo Clinic, building on its incredible leadership to improve the way we provide care to all Americans.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Thank you to my colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania. Thank you for your service in the military. Thank you for your leadership in this Congress and, especially, thank you for standing forward on this important issue. The colleagues who have joined us here tonight understand this issue is one of civil liberties, of basic human dignity and of national security. As my colleague said, I had the privilege and the honor to serve this Nation for 24 years in uniform. I can tell you, there is no greater privilege than putting on the uniform of the United States Army and trying to do the best you can to make sure that our personal liberties and our security of this Nation are maintained. The idea of denying that privilege and that honor to any American is simply unfathomable to me. It makes no sense. I can tell you, approaching this from a perspective--I'm a schoolteacher by profession--I had students that I taught in the classroom, coached on the football field, trained in my Guard unit, and they went off to Iraq to fight for this Nation. They went off to Afghanistan to fight for this Nation. Not once, not once in my career did the question of sexual orientation come up. Not once was the ability of that unit to deliver the security and deliver their mission ever predicated on sexual orientation. Not once did I see that this Nation was safer because a soldier was removed because of sexual orientation. This issue and in the position I was in as a senior enlisted soldier, my whole purpose in life was to make sure our troops were trained; make sure they were prepared to do the mission and make sure their well- being was taken care of; make sure they could pass their physical proficiency test, make sure they could fire their weapon to the best of their ability; make sure they understood the mission and they understood the tactics to carry out the mission that was assigned to them to protect this Nation. The professionalism of our troops is beyond question. The professionalism to be able to carry out a mission as assigned to them and to fall back upon their training has led us to have the most successful and proficient military in the world. The idea that these soldiers would be degraded because of the sexual orientation of someone doing the exact same thing alongside them is not only a fallacy; it is degrading to the professionalism of most soldiers there. We serve today, right alongside in Afghanistan, 12 nations that allow their military to serve as openly gay and lesbian soldiers. Not one incident in that conflict has arisen because of that. And as my colleague from Pennsylvania so clearly pointed out, as that generation of young people willingly raise their hand at a time of two wars to serve this Nation, we're turning out some of the most skilled warriors and turning them out of the military for a bias on sexual orientation that has no place, has no need, and is not undermining our security. My colleagues here tonight are going to make and have already made a very eloquent case for this. The United States public has a very strong preference that we allow people to serve in the military. We allow them to do their duty. We make sure that our Arab linguists are there, and we've sent many of them out the door because of this archaic and outdated policy. It doesn't reflect the values of this Nation. It doesn't reflect what we know in the military as a sense of trust amongst comrades. There is a very eloquent quote--I think one of the most powerful speeches ever given, and it was given by the Marine Corps' first rabbi, Rabbi Gittleshon on Iwo Jima. Rabbi Gittleshon was chosen and asked to give the eulogy over the dead at the Battle of Iwo Jima. There was a strong bias about having a rabbi give last rites over Christian soldiers. The decision was made to have three different services. But during Rabbi Gittleshon's remarks, he was very clear about this: an enlisted man and an officer lay dead together, black and white, rich and poor, sons of immigrants and fourth-generation Americans. Not one of those people asked the other why they were there. His point was, theirs was the purest democracy, arm in arm, brothers and sisters in arms fighting for this Nation. And for any of us to discriminate against another because of any perceived bias was to disregard and disrespect the valor and the memory of those who have served. So I want to thank my colleague from Pennsylvania, Captain Murphy, an Airborne soldier, served honorably in Iraq and has served this Nation well. He came to Congress to do the same thing and has courageously stood up time and time again for what's right, what's for the best security of this country and what keeps in the best traditions of civil liberties in this country. So I stand with my captain side by side on this. I can assure the American public, the professionalism of our force and the unwavering commitment to this country of the military is in absolutely secure hands, and to give other Americans the ability to serve and be a part of that is something that this Congress must do. So Captain Murphy, I congratulate you. I thank you for doing this. I'm proud to stand with you. You have over 170 of our colleagues with you on this. It's time to move this forward. It's time to erase this mistake for our security and for Americans. I'll be with you every step of the way. So thank you for that. With that, I yield back to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, the American people know very clearly that health care reform must happen, and it must happen now. They also know that it must transcend politics. This isn't a Republican or a Democratic issue. They know that crippling costs are hurting our families, hurting our businesses, and hurting our Nation. By the end of today, and the close of business in this House, 14,000 of our fellow citizens will lose their health care coverage. Reforming health care must have at its base reforming how we do Medicare formulas. My home district is home to the Mayo Clinic. As you heard my colleague speak earlier, providing high-quality care at a low price is the hallmark of the Mayo Clinic. But because of the way Medicare payments are now figured today, the Mayo Clinic and others who provide high-quality care at low cost are penalized. We can change the mix in the index by making sure Medicare physician fee formulas measure quality. I urge my colleagues, Republican and Democrats, to make this the hallmark. Make the Mayo model the model for this country, and we will get high-quality, low-cost care that will strengthen our Nation.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 466, my intention to support the rule on 466 was not electronically recorded. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for crafting a bill to keep this Nation safe and provide care for our warriors and their families. I would also like to thank you for accepting this amendment as part of the en bloc amendment. It is a very simple amendment I'm offering that is asking that the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, submit a report to Congress by the end of the year telling us what progress they have made on the establishment of a joint virtual lifetime electronic medical record. This is to bring about seamless transition from when our warriors leave the service until they enter into the VA system, making sure they don't encounter all of the bureaucratic troubles, the holdups and the delays in processing of their claims. As a 24-year veteran of our Armed Forces, I can tell you this is a critically important issue. It was backed and announced on April 9 by the President. This amendment will allow Congress to do its most critical function of oversight of the executive branch to make sure we are making progress to ensure the quality care of our veterans. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for including it in a very fine bipartisan bill. My amendment is very simple and, I believe, very significant: it would require the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to submit to Congress a report on the progress that has been made on the establishment of a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record for members of the Armed Forces to improve the quality of medical care and create a seamless integration between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The President announced on April 9 of this year that his Secretary of Defense and Secretary of VA would be working toward establishing that Joint Virtual Lifetime Record. My amendment simply aims to make sure the administration is doing what it says it would do, and to make sure that any required legislative assistance is identified. My amendment performs the crucial congressional oversight function of holding the administration accountable on its commitments. And this is a truly significant commitment, because it is widely understood that such a shared record system between DoD and VA is one of the keys to successfully providing our returning servicemen and women what we call a seamless transition as they return to civilian life. As a 24-year veteran of the National Guard and a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I know both from experience and from careful study that this challenge of ensuring that DoD and VA, two enormous and complex organizations with different missions, are cooperating to make sure that our troops, when they return home and become veterans, do not fall through the cracks at that moment is both one of the most difficult things to achieve and one of the best for guaranteeing that our veterans receive the best care possible ever after. I appreciate all the efforts the House Armed Services Committee has made to this effort, and I respectfully request that my amendment be included among them.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, reforming Medicare formulas so that they reward quality and value is one of the changes that must be part of any discussion on health care reform. The Congressional Budget Office recognizes the problem of a simple fee-for-service payment system regardless of the quality of care our patients receive. That means we pay doctors for doing more tests and ineffective treatments. In my home district of southern Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic is a model of providing high quality care at low prices. But because of the way Medicare payments are figured today, the Mayo Clinic is penalized for that. We must reward those that save money and at the same time provide the highest quality of care. This can be done by creating an index within the Medicare physician fee formula to simply measure quality. I urge my colleagues to support the inclusion of this sort of provision in the final health care reform package.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, reforming Medicare payment formulas that pay for quality and value is one of the changes that must be part of any discussion on health care reform. The Congressional Budget Office recognizes the problem with Medicare paying physicians on a simple fee-for-service schedule, regardless of the quality of care they provide. This means that we pay doctors for doing more tests and more treatments, instead of paying for the right tests and right treatments. In my home district, the Mayo Clinic is a model practice of providing high-quality care at low prices. But because of the way Medicare payments are figured today, the Mayo Clinic and others like them are penalized. If we are to truly reform our health care system, we must reward those that save money and, at the same time, provide the highest quality care. This can be done by creating a value index within the formula in computing Medicare physician fees. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1178) to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the use of Civil Air Patrol personnel and resources to support homeland security missions, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 1178.

Mr. WALZ. I thank the gentleman for his thoughtful piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I would like to insert into the Record an exchange of letters between Chairman Oberstar and Chairman Thompson regarding H.R. 1178. U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC, May 7, 2009. Hon. James L. Oberstar, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing you regarding H.R.1178, a bill ``To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the use of Civil Air Patrol personnel and resources to support homeland security missions, and for other purposes,'' introduced on February 25, 2009, by Congressman Charles W. Dent. This legislation was initially referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and, in addition, to the Committee on Homeland Security. In the interest of permitting your Committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important legislation, I will waive further consideration of H.R. 1178. However, agreeing to waive consideration of this bill should not be construed as the Committee on Homeland Security waiving, altering, or otherwise affecting its jurisdiction over subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the appointment of Homeland Security conferees during any House-Senate conference convened on this legislation. I also ask that a copy of this letter and your response be placed in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of this bill. I look forward to working with you on this legislation and other matters of great importance to this nation. Sincerely, Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALZ. I thank the gentleman from Florida for his words, and I thank the gentleman from North Dakota for his inspirational description. Both of them did a wonderful job of explaining, when we come out of these most difficult situations, it's the best that we have. I think, as the gentleman from North Dakota mentioned, when we saw Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we all became Floridians. And when the Red River was flooding, we were all Minnesotans and North Dakotans. A commonality in this Nation and the ability to pull together is truly inspirational. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. WALZ. I thank the gentleman from Florida for those kind words. At this time I yield such time as he may consume to the author, the gentleman who introduced this, the gentleman from North Dakota, who, along with his constituents, we share a common border, and we share far more than that--a culture and a friendship--and his leadership of making sure that all possible steps were taken is a real great example. So with that I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy).

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in the strongest support of H. Res. 415, a resolution to commend the heroic efforts of the people fighting the recent floods in North Dakota and Minnesota. In October of 2007, the House passed H. Res. 657 to express sympathy for the victims of the devastating flooding that occurred in the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. I spoke on the House floor then to commend our fellow citizens in the wake of Mother Nature's wrath, and to thank the men and women who serve this Nation as National Guardsmen, police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and others, who put themselves in danger every day to protect us. These dedicated professionals were once again called in the wake of the Red River floods. In April 2009, several counties in Minnesota were greatly affected by flooding along the Red River. The Red River flows between North Dakota and Minnesota. Flooding along the Red River, combined with extremely cold weather, caused severe ice damage. Flooding conditions along the river were the result of one of the wettest springs, where winter stream flows were 300 percent above normal. Twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, all over this country, when any type of tragedy enters our lives, from a medical emergency facing a neighbor to a large-scale national disaster, terrorist attack, or other incident, our Nation's emergency responders and charitable organizations are the first on the scene to provide professional services, expert help, aid and comfort. These well- trained, highly skilled individuals are truly on the front lines in preparing for, responding to, and mitigating damages from a variety of hazards. In addition to the heroic acts of neighbors and friends, we rise today to also acknowledge and praise the support of local businesses and many charitable organizations whose boundless generosity and caring are just one of the pillars of recovery on which we come to rely. I strongly support this resolution and urge its passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 415.