Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I rise today in support of H.R. 5985, a bill to extend certain expiring provisions related to care at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This bill makes sure that some of the vital programs we have in place to take care of our veterans continue past the end of the fiscal year and continue to help our veterans. Included in this bill are provisions related to health care, benefits, homeless veterans, and other related issues.
I am pleased to support extending programs related to support services for caregivers, child care for certain veterans receiving health care, and a pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated from the service.
It also has provisions to extend the authority related to rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of the armed services with severe injuries or illnesses, homeless veterans' reintegration programs, homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children and providing housing assistance for homeless veterans.
The final section of the bill deals with the GI Bill and when an institution of higher education loses its accreditation. This section aligns GI Bill benefits in law with all other higher education benefits, such as Pell and Federal student loans.
Now, this provision is crucial because soon the Department of Education may withdraw recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. I support this move by the Department of Education. It is a long time coming.
But without section 415, when this happens, GI Bill benefits will be cut off for student veterans in schools accredited by this agency. It puts the 37,000 student veterans and dependents receiving GI Bill benefits in schools accredited by this agency on the same footing as all other students receiving Federal higher education benefits. It allows them the time they need to recoup.
Section 415 is strongly supported by veterans service organizations such as Student Veterans of America and is the result of bipartisan agreement.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I simply want to urge my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 5985, as amended. I want to thank, sincerely, the work that we have done together with Chairman Miller on this legislation. I am so pleased that we are passing this in the manner we are.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source