Jackie Walorski

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with Representative Jolly to recognize a wonderful organization in my district dedicated to helping children and adults with special needs, Hannah's House. Many football fans know the name Charlie Weis. He has coached at the University of Notre Dame, New England Patriots, and the New York Jets. What many of you don't know is he and his wife, Maura, are passionate about helping people off the field. In 2003, Charlie and Maura founded Hannah and Friends for their daughter Hannah, who has global developmental delays. They wanted to find a way to inspire a special group of people with abilities different from the athletes that he coached. Hannah and Friends provides grants to low- and middle-income families who have children with disabilities. Hannah and Friends is helping individuals with special needs every day to realize their potential and plan for their future and to achieve their own personal best.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. I thank the distinguished gentleman from Florida, the chairman. Mr. Speaker, every day, 22 veterans take their own lives. Many of us in this Chamber have experienced this in our own districts. This has been a tragedy in my district as well. Sadly, on March 31, nearly 3 years ago, Clay Hunt was one of those 22 veterans who took his own life at the age of 28. An Afghanistan and Iraq war veteran and suicide prevention advocate, Clay Hunt epitomized what it meant to have a life of service both in and out of uniform. Today, we honor Clay and his family with H.R. 5059, the Clay Hunt SAV Act. Clay's story was one of bravery and dedication to our country. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and served on several missions to Iraq and Afghanistan. After his final deployment to Afghanistan, his unit returned in October of 2008, and he was honorably discharged from the Marines. Here is the key: Clay relied on the VA for medical care and received a 30 percent disability rating from the VA for PTSD. After realizing his PTSD is what prohibited him from keeping a steady job, he appealed the 30 percent rating and encountered a bureaucratic nightmare, including the VA's losing his files. Clay had to wait months to get in to see a psychiatrist at a VA medical center. When he finally did, he told his mother he would never go back. Two weeks later, Clay took his own life. Five weeks after his death and 18 months after filing an appeal with the VA for his PTSD rating, Clay's appeal went through. His PTSD rating was 100 percent. Too little, too late. Clay's story details the urgency our Nation's heroes deserve in care. If we are going to lower this incredibly alarming rate of suicides, we have to improve the access and effectiveness of mental health care available to our returning heroes, and this step is a step in the right direction. The Clay Hunt SAV Act will increase access to mental health care and improve the quality of care that troops and veterans receive. Together, we can change this system so no other veteran or spouse or parent will ever have to do what thousands of veterans have endured, including Clay. We owe it today to do what we can do and to continue the fight for our veterans, for what they have endured, and give them nothing but the best.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Mrs. Penny Lukenbill, for her service and dedication to Marshall County and the State of Indiana for the past 15 years. A resident of Plymouth, Indiana, Penny and her husband Kenneth have been married for 39 years. In 1981 they welcomed their son Adam who is now an attorney and partner in his father's law firm Lukenbill and Lukenbill. Eager to continue her own education, Mrs. Lukenbill received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Indiana University South Bend in 1995, where she graduated cum laude. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Lukenbill has displayed a constant commitment to serving Hoosiers of Marshall County. In 1999 she was elected to serve as the county treasurer, and held that position until 2007, when she was elected as the Marshall County Auditor. In addition to her duties as auditor, she served as president of both the Association of Indiana Counties and the Indiana County Treasurers Association. Mrs. Lukenbill's dedication to her community is evident from her past membership on the Plymouth Public Library Board of Trustees, Plymouth Park Board, and the Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation Board. During Mrs. Lukenbill's distinguished career in public service, she has received multiple awards and recognitions. In 2012, she received Outstanding County Auditor from the Indiana Association of County Commissioners and in 2004, she was awarded the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce Public Servant of the Year. These awards are just a small reminder of how much Mrs. Lukenbill's service has meant to the citizens of Marshall County. Her exemplary dedication to the community is seen in her service as an elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth and in leading past Lions Sight mission trips to Mexico. On behalf of Indiana's Second Congressional District, I am honored to recognize Penny Lukenbill's service and her unprecedented community involvement throughout Marshall County.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, community foundations epitomize the philanthropic culture of the United States. Established in 1989, Community Foundation Week takes place from November 12-18th annually and honors the tremendous contributions of community foundations across our country. They hold a unique place in American society and provide hope and opportunity to millions of Americans. One hundred years ago, the world's first community foundation was established in Cleveland, Ohio. Since then more than 700 community foundations have been created in America inspiring millions of Americans to give back to this great country with their time, talent and treasure. Today, I would like to recognize the work of Indiana's community foundations that operate under the definitions supported by the National Standards for Community Foundations. Indiana is blessed to have a community foundation in every county, including 10 in my district: Unity Foundation of LaPorte County; Starke County Community Foundation; Community Foundation of St. Joseph County; Elkhart County Community Foundation; Kosciusko County Community Foundation; Marshall County Community Foundation; Pulaski County Community Foundation; Fulton County Community Foundation; Miami County Community Foundation; and Community Foundation of Wabash County. These foundations are a model for how philanthropy can inspire communities to come together in support of a common cause. In Marshall County, the Community Foundation, United Way, and economic development leaders are working together to address challenges and opportunities for economic growth such as the need for a more highly skilled workforce. Community conversations spearheaded by these organizations brought together local units of government, educators, private sector partners and nonprofit organizations and laid the groundwork for becoming a model region for Project Lead The Way. It was through this type of partnership that a $4.4 million matching grant pilot program was launched in 2014 that provides all K-12 schools, both public and private, in a five-county area with the opportunity to implement Project Lead The Way's rigorous, world-class STEM programs in science, technology, engineering, and math. In addition to providing every student with access to PLTW, the project will help develop a robust talent pipeline for businesses and industries. This is just one example of the extraordinary work of place-based philanthropy in local communities throughout the country. The spirit of generosity embodied by over 700 U.S.-based community foundations is a core American value. This week, I am honored to recognize these community foundations for their outstanding efforts.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, with a comprehensive nuclear agreement deadline less than a week away, the need to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon has never been greater. With its thousands of gas centrifuges, Iran now has the capability to enrich uranium to a grade suitable for use in nuclear reactors or to a higher grade suitable for use in nuclear warheads. Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism and continues with heinous human rights abuses, oppressing freedom of speech, religion, and press, and more. Additionally, Iran continues to oppose our national security interests and those of our key allies while oppressing their own people. There is no question that a nuclear-armed Iran would dramatically change the balance of power in the Middle East and threaten freedom and peace for the rest of the world. It could also encourage other Middle Eastern nations to develop nuclear weapons on their own, further reducing our influence in that critical region of the world. For us to be able to trust Iran, along with the rest of the international community, Iran must change their behavior. A real possibility exists that a deadline extension provides them with an opportunity to build a nuclear bomb. In light of this, the only real solution is to force Iran to make serious concessions and robust sanctions. We must be especially careful about any decisions to lift or ease sanctions. Once lifted, sanctions cannot easily be restored. The risk of a miscalculation or a misstep in the weeks and months ahead is very real and grave, and the threat of nuclear war is catastrophic. If there is to be any hope of reaching a peaceful deal, and if Iran wants prosperity and success for its people, it must cooperate with the IAEA, stop its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, stop its sponsorship of terrorism, and stop its human rights abuses.

Mrs. WALORSKI. I appreciate the question from my friend from Colorado. I think that as we have served together in many of the committees, especially the Armed Services Committee, and we have looked at the map of that area, knowing that if the door is open to Iran, every single other country in the Middle East that does not have a nuclear weapon will aspire to do so. And let's not forget that in the middle of all of this chaos that is being created by Iran, and unlimited ways that cannot be verified of what they are doing because there is no cooperation whatsoever, let's not forget that our one and only ally that is sitting over there in the Middle East, they just had another terrorist episode of rabbis and American citizens killed. Worshipping in a synagogue is their first target. We know from all of the work that we have done in the committee during this Congress that the United States of America is their target as well. So I thank the gentleman for yielding, and for the question.

Mrs. WALORSKI. True. And let's not forget, given the culture right now in the Middle East and given what we are looking at right now with all of the other instability, with ISIL, with questions from this administration, with a strength-through-peace policy a long grasp away, and let's not forget that we have heard time and time again over just the few years that I have been in Congress, from our friends and our allies who no longer trust us--and we know that our enemies no longer fear us--that if we open that door to a nuclear Iran, we will never get back the threat of a nuclear bomb. I appreciate the question.

Mrs. WALORSKI. For sure.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5404. This legislation will continue to protect millions of American veterans who swore to protect and defend this great Nation, including the 54,000 in my district who depend on the VA for care and support. Earlier this summer, I served as a member of the VA Conference Committee. My fellow conferees and I were able to work together and again prove that helping vets is not political or partisan; it is American. When that legislation was signed into law, I said it was the first step toward reforming the VA. Today's legislation is yet another step in the right direction. H.R. 5404 would extend the number of important veterans' service programs to vets in rural areas, homeless vets, vets with mental illness, all in an effort to improve their quality of life. Of the 8 million veterans enrolled in the VA health care system, roughly 3 million live in rural areas. These vets live 30 or more miles from their nearest VA and must travel long distances to receive care. This legislation would give more funding to VSOs to drive their vets to doctors' appointments, increasing their access to care. This bill also funds programs to help our homeless veterans get back on their feet and reduce the number of homeless veterans. It also helps to fund job training, counseling, and placement services for those vets so they can find a good-paying job. Additionally, and just as importantly, this bill also addresses suffering from mental health issues. This legislation will help fund programs to help vets with mental illness with greater outreach, rehabilitation services, care, and treatment. Today is an important opportunity as Members of Congress to take another step forward towards meaningful reform and to take another step in the right direction. Today we stand together to help our Nation's heros. We owe it to our veterans to provide them with nothing but the best. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of H. Res. 644, for which I am a proud cosponsor. This bipartisan bill condemns and disapproves the Obama administration's failure to comply with the lawful requirement to notify Congress before releasing individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay and expresses national security concerns over the effects of releasing five Taliban leaders and negotiating with terrorists. Our constitutional system of checks and balances maintains a separation of powers that ensures Congress is involved in major decisions that affect our country's national security. I have serious concerns when the President deliberately ignores Congress, negotiates with terrorists, and violates the law which requires that he consult with Congress before releasing detainees. Those five Taliban leaders that were released are already responsible for the deaths of many Americans. In 2010, they were determined ``too dangerous to transfer'' by President Obama's own task force. One of the five had ties to Bin Laden himself. Another is wanted by the United Nations for war crimes. Unfortunately, there is a good chance these five terrorists will return to their radical jihadist fight against America and against our Western allies. Nearly 30 percent of detainees reengage in terrorist activity after being released. In any major decision of war and peace, Congress must have a say because the American people must have a voice. As we continue to face many tough decisions over how to best protect Americans at home and abroad, Congress should be an active participant in decisionmaking. I will continue to work hard to ensure our homeland remains safe from terrorist attacks. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of Mr. Merl Dean Swihart as he celebrates his 86th birthday. Merl is an extraordinary individual who has enriched the lives of many Hoosiers throughout Marshall County. Merl was born in Argos, Indiana on July 7, 1928, to Ford and Faye Swihart, where along with his five siblings; spent their childhood working on the family's 80 acre farm. On the farm he helped raise livestock and tended to the crops. The values Merl learned while working on the family farm would have a profound impact on his future endeavors. Merl graduated from Argos High School in 1948. After high school Merl worked for two years at Indiana Metal and on his neighbor's farm. In 1951, Merl was called to serve his country and was drafted to the United States Marine Corps, where he served in Santa Ana, California at the Air Facility. In 1953, Merl was honorably discharged and returned to working for Indiana Metal and farming. Merl moved to Chicago where he used his G.I. Bill to further his education in agriculture at the Illinois School of Technology. After several years in Illinois, Merl returned to Marshall County where he worked as a custodian and maintenance technician for Plymouth Community School Corporation for 36 years. Merl retired in 1993, and was awarded the key to the City of Plymouth for his dedicated service to the community. During his retirement Merl served as the Grand Marshall of Plymouth's Blueberry Festival Parade and generously donated his time and efforts to the community by mowing lawns, shoveling snow and volunteering to do handy work at the local church. Throughout Merl's life, he has demonstrated a deep-rooted commitment to his family, friends and country. Our community owes a great deal of respect and gratitude to the incredible service of individuals like Merl who have devoted so much of their time to serve others. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in celebration of Mr. Merl Dean Swihart's 86th birthday and admirable service to our great communities and nation.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate a local small business for 50 years of great service to Hoosiers all over Indiana. Miller's Health Systems is known throughout the state of Indiana for providing excellent services in: assisted living, rehabilitation, and nursing home care. The business started by Wallace and Connie Miller in 1964 as Miller's Merry Manor nursing home on the outskirts of Warsaw. After the company was taken over by their son V. Richard Miller, the company has expanded to over 30 Miller's Merry Manors and 10 senior living facilities. With the multitude of facilities Miller's Health Systems has today, they have grown to over 3,000 employees. Their mission statement speaks to the importance of the Miller's Health Systems employees enjoying the work they do and helping them grow. The company has helped this happen by having Miller's Merry Manor 100 percent employee-owned. The Miller's commitment to service and their core principles of passion, integrity, stewardship, growth, and adaptation have helped Miller's Health Systems withstand the test of time. As the Representative for the many employees and facilities for Miller's Health Systems it is with great honor I recognize the 50th anniversary of this great business. With the leadership of the Miller family and the passion of their employees, I have no doubt there will be many more celebrations to come. On behalf of Indiana's Second District, I am proud to recognize the last 50 years of Miller's Health Systems and wish them many more.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Mr. Floyd Benninghoff, who reached the milestone of his 100th birthday on June 12th, 2014. Mr. Benninghoff was born in Hamlet, IN as 1 of 9 brothers and sisters and spent most of his life as a Hoosier. He is the father to Ronald Benninghoff and Lynn Kline, a grandfather to 5 grandchildren and a great grandfather to 14. During World War II he served his country as an airplane technician, then spent the next several years as a delivery driver for the Jewel Tea Company before retiring from Sears. He is well known by his family and friends for his love of music and his guitar playing abilities. I am honored to wish Mr. Floyd Benninghoff a very happy 100th birthday and to recognize his admirable life. On behalf of Indiana's Second District, I am proud to recognize Mr. Benninghoff's birthday and life and wish him good health and many more birthdays.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Michaud, on behalf of the 54,000 veterans in my district and the 20 million around the country, thank you. And to every conferee that has served on this conference committee, thank you. This is a huge step forward today, and I am grateful to have been a part of this process. The need for this legislation and for our conference committee to have worked together was great, and it has been an incredible experience. Let's not forget, in the past decade, nearly 1,000 veterans have died as a result of substandard treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and many more cases are under investigation. Mr. Speaker, 50,000 new patients have waited at least 90 days for their first appointment at VA hospitals. VA staff have admitted to falsifying medical appointment dates to fit within the agency's wait time performance goal of 14 days. All these facts have been simply appalling. All of us in Congress have constituents who have been directly impacted by this scandal. The need for the legislation is so timely today. I just came from the World War II Memorial, and I thanked a veteran from the Chicagoland- Indiana area. I shook his hand, looked him in the eye, and thanked him for serving our Nation. He stood up out of his wheelchair, looked me in the eye, and said: ``Thank you for fighting for us.'' It just simply shows how important this is. This is an opportunity, as legislators, to take the first steps toward real change at the VA. So today we stand together to help our Nation's heroes. We owe it to our veterans to provide them with nothing but the best. However, echoing the chairman's comments, simply providing a financial boost to an agency that has repeatedly demonstrated awful management practices will not solve the problem. In the coming weeks and months, we must continue to stand together to ensure additional improvements are made to the VA. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this bill.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. I thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding. Mr. Speaker, as with past conflicts in the Middle East, much of the media focus in this current conflict between Israel and Hamas has been on the death tolls on both sides, but what this reporting neglects to mention is Hamas' destruction of its own people. Legitimate governments understand that one of the most important duties of any nation is the protection of its people and the protection of innocent civilians. Israel goes to great lengths to avoid targeting civilians, from its use of precision-guided weapons to sending out phone and text warnings to evacuate buildings before it carries out a strike. Yet Hamas' leaders are willing to sacrifice their own people in an attempt to score political points. Hamas continues to force civilians, including women and children, to stand in harm's way and literally act as human shields for the terrorist leaders and properties, causing Israeli strikes on legitimate military targets to result in the loss of innocent lives. As General Conway, the 34th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, recently wrote in The Wall Street Journal, there is a clear and obvious ``moral chasm,'' he says, between Hamas and Israel. Hamas has always targeted civilians, and they continue to target civilians. It is their standard operating procedure, and it is one of the reasons it makes them a terrorist organization. Sadly, though, what we are seeing in this conflict is nothing new. This is the third time in less than 6 years that fighting has broken out between Israel and Hamas. In order to secure peace and stability in the Middle East, America, our allies, and anyone else truly concerned about the safety of civilians on both sides of the border should focus on keeping weapons out of the hands of Hamas' leaders. We must condemn anyone--perhaps, most importantly, Iran--who is supporting and arming Hamas. Iran supplies Hamas with rockets and training. Just yesterday, Iran's supreme leader declared on Iranian national TV: Everyone, whoever has the means--especially in the Islamic world--should do what they can to arm the Palestinian nation . . . The Zionist regime deeply regrets starting this war, but it has no way out. We must stand strongly with Israel as it exercises its legitimate right to self-defense. We must call on the international community to join us in condemning Hamas for their human rights violations. Everyone wants the current conflict in Gaza to end, but how it ends is critically important. The conflict can only be truly over when there are no rockets, when there are no tunnels, and when Hamas has been completely disarmed and defeated militarily and politically.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member. I appreciate the work that has gone into this bill, and I appreciate your willingness to accept my amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would provide a $500,000 increase for the Army Corps of Engineers Continuing Authorities Program, or CAP, and would pay for the increase with a small $500,000 cut from the Department of Energy's departmental administration account. For small communities struggling to pay for $25,000 projects, this minor amendment can be a major help around the country. The CAP program allows for funding of small local projects without the lengthy study and authorization process typical of most larger Corps projects. The program funds projects dealing with issues like stream bank erosion, navigation improvements, and flood control, and it is incredibly important to local communities that cannot afford to fund these studies and projects on their own. Two specific sections of the program are vitally important to my district: section 205, which deals with flood control, and section 14, which deals with stream bank erosion. The city of Peru, Indiana, lives within an area designated as a floodplain because of a ditch that runs through it, but the ditch hasn't flooded in the entire time the city has been keeping records, which is more than 80 years. This floodplain designation has made insurance premiums so expensive, business developers are reluctant to locate to the area and residents are struggling to pay their premiums. Corps engineers have been to the site, and they don't think the floodplain is correct either. The ditch hasn't flooded. So CAP funds are desperately needed in places like Peru, Indiana, so the Corps can conduct a study to determine whether the ditch really is ever likely to flood and, if so, what type of project could be done to prevent flooding and bring down flood insurance premiums. In a place called Rochester, Indiana, the Tippecanoe River runs along a stretch of East County Road 350 North. The river is eroding soil from underneath the road, and over the last decade, the road has lost several feet of its embankment. The situation has become so dangerous authorities have closed the road until it can be fixed. An examination is needed to determine how to stop this stream bank erosion, and then a project must be able to be done to fix it. County officials can't afford to conduct the study or repairs on their own. The Army Corps of Engineers said they can conduct the examination and repairs, but CAP funds are needed. However, the Continuing Authorities Program is so popular with local communities like Peru and Rochester, the Corps of Engineers routinely receives many more projects than it can fund, and CAP funds for the year run out quickly. Chairman Simpson and his staff have worked hard to address this problem and put together a great bill. President Obama's budget request only provided $10 million for CAP and only funded four of the CAP sections, but Chairman Simpson rejected that devastating cut and has allocated $56.8 million for eight CAP sections. My amendment would provide a small funding bump for CAP that would enable the Army Corps of Engineers to help dozens of communities making very small funding requests. Some people will say that the Department of Energy can't afford another cut to its administrative funding, but that is simply not true. This year's bill provides $255 million for the Department of Energy's departmental administration budget. This is $20.5 million more than last year. My amendment would only cut $500,000 from this amount. That is a 0.19 percent cut. Given the enormous importance of local infrastructure, I believe this is one very small cut that Congress should make. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, the recent release of the Taliban Five was a potent reminder to Congress, as well as the American people, of the risk involved in detainee transfer decisions. The rising rate of terrorism reengagement, the unstable security situation in Yemen, and the continuing threat posed by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have prompted me to introduce this amendment again this year. One of President Obama's first acts in office was to sign an executive order to close the facility at Guantanamo. However, the President himself suspended all detainee transfers from Gitmo to Yemen on January 5, 2010. This decision was made in the aftermath of the failed 2009 Christmas Day bombing attempt, which was the first attack on the U.S. by al Qaeda since 9/11. The would-be bomber was radicalized and trained in Yemen. White House Press Secretary Gibbs said that: Right now, any additional transfers to Yemen are not a good idea. In May of last year, the President changed his mind, lifting the moratorium on transfers to Yemen and reviewing transfers ``on a case- by-case basis.'' Unfortunately, the U.S. intelligence community reports that the number of former Gitmo detainees who reengage in terrorism has steadily increased since 2002. In December 2007, the first public intelligence report addressing Gitmo ``reengagement'' declared the reengagement rate was ``about 7 percent.'' As of March of this year, the reengagement rate had risen to 29 percent. The majority of these individuals remain at large. This information, which is the best, most reliable data we have, comes from the Director of National Intelligence. The March DNI report also notes that: Transfers to countries with ongoing conflicts and internal instability, as well as active recruitment by insurgent and terrorist organizations, pose a particular problem. Finally, the intel community has noted there is a lag of time of ``about 2\1/2\ years between leaving Gitmo and the first identified reengagement reports.'' Therefore, estimated historical suspected and confirmed rates may be lower than the actual current rates. The administration should seek to ensure that the transfer process is further examined and improved before proceeding with additional transfers. Meanwhile, the security situation in Yemen is frighteningly fragile and has gone from bad to worse. According to a 2012 HASC Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee report on detainee reengagement, the United States has faced ``a persistent challenge'' in making certain that countries receiving transferred Gitmo detainees have ``the capacity and willingness to handle them in a way that sufficiently recognizes the dangers involved.'' Despite the commendable efforts of Yemeni President Hadi, numerous international organizations, such as the U.N. and the World Bank, have all noted the ``fragile environment'' in Yemen. Unfortunately, the country's progress is still at risk of being undermined by al Qaeda. In fact, Yemen was recently ranked the sixth most failed state by The Fund for Peace, worse than even Afghanistan and Iraq, and the third most worsened state over the last 5 years. It is no surprise that jailbreaks are a notorious problem in Yemen. Furthermore, press reports have characterized Yemeni prisons as ``overcrowded and under-monitored radicalization factories.'' To give one example, the Yemeni citizen who is the convicted mastermind of the USS Cole bombing escaped from prison in both 2003 and 2006 after his recapture. He was not recaptured after his second escape and remains at large. In the most recent example, attackers mounted a bomb, grenade, and gun assault on the main prison in Yemen's capital this February, freeing 20 al Qaeda operatives. The U.S. Embassy has been closed since May 7 and remains closed today due to attempted kidnappings and terrorist attacks on U.S. citizens. Finally, and most importantly, Yemen's branch of al Qaeda, commonly known as AQAP, was founded by former Gitmo detainees. Counterterrorism experts have declared AQAP to be al Qaeda's most effective affiliate, posing the greatest danger to the American homeland. AQAP's predecessor, al Qaeda in Yemen, came into existence after the escape of 23 al Qaeda members from prison in the Yemeni capital in February of 2006. AQAP has orchestrated numerous high-profile terrorist attacks inside the Arabian Peninsula, but it has tried on numerous occasions to strike the U.S. homeland, typically through air travel. Analysts evaluate that AQAP is the al Qaeda group that is currently the most capable and most committed to carry out sophisticated operations against the West. To summarize, Mr. Chairman, we cannot risk trusting one of the world's most dangerous places with its most dangerous terrorists. The fundamental question is how much risk should we take with our Nation's security? This amendment helps ensure our homeland remains safe from terrorist attacks. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to the balance of my time?

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Demanding Accountability for Veterans Act, a bill I am proud to cosponsor. As the recent scandals at the VA have clearly demonstrated, better accountability and oversight are needed at the VA. This bill will actually help provide better accountability and oversight by ensuring that the VA inspector general recommendations are fully implemented by the VA. Currently, after the VA inspector general investigates a VA facility, the inspector general releases a list of recommendations for what the VA must do to correct the problems identified during the investigation. Oftentimes, these recommendations are never fully implemented by the VA. This bill will provide additional tools to ensure that the VA implements the IG recommendations. Specifically, this bill requires the VA Secretary to determine exactly which employees within the VA are responsible for implementing the suggested changes. This bill prevents the employees who are charged with implementing those recommendations from receiving a bonus until the problems identified by the IG have been addressed. This bill also makes it easier to fire employees who are refusing or failing to implement those IG recommendations. The VA's failure to fully implement IG recommendations has contributed to the mismanagement and corruption we are seeing in the VA today. Think about it. If the VA had done a better job of implementing the IG's corrective actions, maybe we wouldn't be hearing about the things we are hearing about today--falsified records, secret waiting lists, deaths due to negligence. Our veterans certainly deserve better. I will continue to work with my colleagues on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee in order to bring accountability to the VA and to protect the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Chair, I want to thank Chairman McKeon for including this amendment that I cosponsor with Congressman Roskam. Israel and the United States face common threats in the Middle East, from the ongoing civil war in Syria, continued rocket fire from terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, and the looming threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. In particular, Iran's brazen quest for nuclear weapons poses an existential threat to our ally Israel. A nuclear Iran would trigger an arms race in the Middle East, further destabilizing a region plagued by persistent volatility and, in the process, threatening U.S. national security and international stability. Military action against Iran is an absolute last resort, only after we exhaust all peaceful options. However, it would be irresponsible not to prepare for a worst-case scenario. This amendment would require the administration to certify that Israel maintains an independent capability to remove existential threats to its own security. Specifically, this report would ensure the smooth transfer to Israel of aerial refueling tankers, advanced bunker- buster munitions, and other capabilities and platforms critical to Israel's self-defense. This is an important amendment for the security of both the U.S. as well as our ally Israel.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose the amendment as well. Transferring detainees to our homeland would require expensive new construction or renovation of existing facilities in the U.S. Current facilities at Gitmo already accommodate the detainees, their guards, all associated medical, recreational, and legal needs. Estimates for constructing or renovating similar facilities in the U.S. have ranged from $300 million to $500 million. Meanwhile, the dangers are also clear. Moving detainees to the U.S. would make the facility housing them a terrorist target. For example, in 2010, New York City estimated it would cost $200 million a year to provide security when it was proposed some Gitmo detainees be moved to New York for trial. In conclusion, there are no advantages of moving detainees to the U.S.; there are clear disadvantages. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Miller for his work to reform this mismanaged Department. Our Nation's veterans and their families never hesitated to respond to the call to serve their country. Recent news reports of VA mismanagement across this country are disgusting and disgraceful. We know of dozens of wrongful deaths that were due to VA negligence, including 13 in my State of Indiana. Senior executives who oversee this negligence are more likely to receive a bonus than to receive punishment. We cannot let this continue. This bill would give the VA Secretary authority to fire senior employees responsible for failures within the Department. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I will continue to do my part on the oversight and fighting for the Nation's 23 million veterans. I also call on the Senate today to bring greater accountability and transparency to the VA by passing the numerous bipartisan bills that have left this House, including this one, that could be stalled in the Senate. Our veterans deserve nothing but the best.