Timothy Walz

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 291) recognizing the crucial role of assistance dogs in helping wounded veterans live more independent lives, expressing gratitude to The Tower of Hope, and supporting the goals and ideals of creating a Tower of Hope Day.

Mr. WALZ

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

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H. Res. 398, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Before I talk about the importance of the resolution before us today, I want to thank the Committee on Armed Services for working with the Veterans' Affairs Committee to bring this bill to the floor. And I include for the Congressional Record the exchange of letters waiving jurisdiction between the Committee of Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services. Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, October 6, 2009. Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: On May 4, 2009, the House Resolution 398, ``Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift's success,'' was introduced in the House. As you know, this measure was sequentially referred to the Committee on Armed Services. Our Committee recognizes the importance of H.R. 398 and the need for the legislation to move expeditiously. Therefore, while we have a valid claim to jurisdiction over this legislation, the Committee on Armed Services will waive further consideration of H.R. 398. I do so with the understanding that by waiving further consideration of the resolution, the Committee does not waive any future jurisdictional claims over similar measures. I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter and a copy of your response in the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Very truly yours, Ike Skelton Chairman.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3949, as amended, and H. Res. 398.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 398) recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift's success.

Mr. WALZ

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

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of our time to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre). (Mr. McINTYRE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from North Carolina, Mr. Miller.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), who had an important piece of this bill incorporated in.

Mr. WALZ. At this time I yield 5 minutes to the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Ms. Herseth Sandlin.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, before I yield time to my chairwoman, I would like to say I concur with the gentleman from Florida's assessment on section 102. And when we looked at this, one of the things we discussed was this was procedural because of the jurisdictional issues. And I would sure be willing to work with the gentleman to make sure we do bring that back up again. I think the issue here was all of the good in this bill would have been held back and we wouldn't have been able to move any of it forward as we worked out the jurisdictional issues. So I do concur with your assessment that it is an important piece. We did vote on it unanimously, and I think down the road here we need to get it in.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. H.R. 3949, as amended, the Veterans' Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009, is a necessary cornerstone to grant deserving heroes the protections and opportunities to succeed. This legislation includes several important provisions and would not be possible without the hard work of many members of this committee and of Congress as a whole. H.R. 3949 addresses the needs of veteran-owned small businesses. A provision of the bill will require that all businesses listed in the Department of Veterans Affairs VetBiz Vendor Information Pages database have been confirmed as veteran-owned small businesses so our veterans are furnished the economic benefits that Congress intended them to receive through their military service and sacrifice. I would again like to thank Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin, chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, for her continued leadership on this issue. H.R. 3949 also includes a timely bill, first introduced by one of our active committee members, Representative Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona. This provision seeks to reauthorize the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education whose authorization is set to expire at the end of this year. Reauthorizing the advisory committee will provide the VA Secretary with a group of subject matter experts to help work to ensure our heroes have the educational opportunities they've earned. Furthermore, this comprehensive bill includes important updates to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. H.R. 3949 will strengthen our efforts nationally to support veterans, servicemembers and their families during deployment. The bill will allow greater flexibility for family cell phone plans, rental leases, and motor vehicle leases when servicemembers are deployed or required to change duty stations. The bill authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to bring a civil action in U.S. district courts to enforce provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The provisions on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act included in H.R. 3949 are a collaborative effort that includes bills introduced by Representatives Brad Miller of North Carolina, Representative Gerald Connolly of Virginia and Representative Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania, respectively. Their efforts to protect our deployed servicemembers are commendable. Another important provision included in this legislation seeks to assist in VA's outreach efforts to improve coordination among the key offices within the Department of Veterans Affairs. This provision was originally introduced by my colleague, Representative Mike McIntyre of North Carolina. To help the 160,000 legally blind veterans in the United States, a provision of this bill would establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or a certificate in the area of visual impairment, orientation and mobility. This would help our blind veterans by increasing the number of vision rehabilitation specialists with the appropriate education and training. I would like to thank Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas for her continued leadership on this issue and her dedication to the needs of our veterans. Finally, the legislation honors our fallen American heroes by providing an eligible parent of a deceased veteran to be buried in a VA national cemetery when the deceased veteran does not have an immediate spouse or child. I want to thank Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts for introducing this incredibly important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation will provide needed changes for our veterans and their families while addressing the unique needs of veterans and servicemembers as they serve the country. I would like to thank the committee's ranking member, Representative Steve Buyer of Indiana, members of the committee and my colleagues for working in a bipartisan manner on H.R. 3949. Again, I would like to thank my colleagues who got this final bill here and for helping our veterans. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3949) to amend title 38, United States Code, and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, to make certain improvements in the laws relating to benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WALZ

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New Orleans and urge my colleagues to unanimously support this important resolution, H. Res. 828. 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 828.

Mr. WALZ. I have no further speakers, and reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New Orleans for putting this piece of legislation forward. This is an incredibly important program, and it is one that any of us who have had the incredible honor of being in the presence of our World War II veterans as they get a chance to return back to their memorial would say is really moving. The Louisiana HonorAir's mission is to provide that every single Louisiana World War II veteran have the opportunity to view the World War II Memorial for the first time. As the home of the National World War II Museum, Louisiana holds deep roots in celebrating our World War II veterans community. Louisiana HonorAir provides the veterans a chance to stand in the presence of the landmark that memorializes their service to this country. They also visit Arlington National Cemetery and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The World War II Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery mark our country's gratitude for the heroic service our veterans have provided to the country. They are also a symbolic tie these veterans have to our country's history. This experience only lasts one day, but it hopefully stays in the hearts of our veterans and their loved ones forever. This service provided by Louisiana HonorAir is an act of love for our World War II veterans. Operating solely on the efforts of volunteers and financial support from donors, Louisiana HonorAir is able to make these dreams possible at no cost to the veterans. Because the youngest World War II veteran is 70 years old, and the average age of our veterans is 86, time is of the essence. Many of our last World War II veterans are becoming too ill to travel, and there are not many opportunities left to honor them for their service. House Resolution 828 will recognize and celebrate Louisiana HonorAir's 20th chartered flight on October 24, 2009, Louisiana HonorAir Day. We act on the limited chance to support our last surviving World War II veterans. Let's not forget them, and let's take advantage of every opportunity to celebrate their service to their country. With that, again, I thank the gentleman for such an important resolution. I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 828) to recognize October 24, 2009, the 20th chartered flight of World War II veterans through Louisiana HonorAir, as ``Louisiana HonorAir Day,'' and to honor the invaluable service and dedication of the World War II veterans to our Nation.

Mr. WALZ

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

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 1168. 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 have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1168, as amended.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, again, thank you to both our chairwoman and our ranking member for a wonderful and timely piece of legislation. General Leave

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, it is a real pleasure at this time to yield such time as she may consume to the coauthor of this bill, a tireless and effective advocate for our veterans and my colleague from right next door in South Dakota, Ms. Herseth Sandlin.

Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again, I thank my colleagues from Florida and Arkansas for introducing an incredibly important piece of legislation. H.R. 1168 is a much-needed piece of legislation to address the job retraining needs of America's veterans. Just this month, the Department of Labor reported that more than 30,000 recently discharged veterans have filed for unemployment insurance benefits. Furthermore, as of September 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that 990,000 veterans were unemployed. Mr. Speaker, these numbers are significant, and they demonstrate an immediate need to help our veterans receive the essential training needed to get their skills so they can be employed in a meaningful manner. We know the employment training programs can be effective in providing job counseling and retraining, an important part of successful transition to a civilian career. H.R. 1168 goes one step further in support of veterans. The Veterans Retraining Act of 2009 would provide a stipend to veterans who are enrolled in employment and training programs to help cover living expenses and moving costs so veterans can move to an area where there is a demand for their newly acquired military skills. This bill is good for the veteran, good for the underserved skill sector, and it is good for the country. Our veterans have invested in our country, and this legislation invests in our veterans. H.R. 1168 is the result of continuously bipartisan work between the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee chairwoman, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, and the ranking member, Mr. Boozman. I applaud both Mr. Boozman and Ms. Herseth Sandlin for their leadership on the issue, their dedication to our veterans, and the example they set in the Veterans' Affairs Committee of bipartisan work for our veterans. I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.