Communities Helping Invest Through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5099, as amended, Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016. Indeed, it is a mouthful but is a very, very important, potentially transformative piece of legislation. Otherwise, we can shorten it down to the CHIP IN for Vets Act of 2016, which was introduced by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Nebraska, Brad Ashford. The bill is a testament to his hard work, as well as many Members and staff on both sides of the Capitol, that we are considering this bill today.
This bipartisan legislation will authorize a pilot program, allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs to partner with nonprofit and private donors to build VA hospitals, receive donated land, and acquire other VA facilities so that the VA may continue to serve veterans. Today there are generous donors and organizations ready to pitch in and invest in their community's willingness to support and serve our veterans. That is why we must take immediate action and pass H.R. 5099, as amended.
This bill will permit the VA to accept facilities constructed by donors, land where a future facility will be constructed by a donor, and permit a donor to construct a facility on VA property under an agreement to donate the facility to VA upon completion. It will also preserve VA's authority to determine need by only allowing projects to move forward under this program based on projects authorized and funded by Congress or included on the VA's strategic capital investment planning process priority list.
This bill is necessary not only because of the Federal Government's significant budget constraints, but also so that VA has clear authority to undertake these projects and accept donations for the acquisition of facilities.
It also allows VA and Congress to determine whether this pilot program that permits the VA and non-Federal organizations to combine resources to construct facilities is a viable future model for the funding and management of major and minor VA construction projects.
Thanks to the public-private partnerships this legislation will foster, the VA will be able to take meaningful steps in improving its capacity to provide our veterans the quality care they deserve at state-of-the-art VA facilities, all the while saving American taxpayers millions of dollars in the process. It is the very definition of a win-win situation.
Mr. Speaker, strengthening the VA and increasing its capacity to provide and coordinate care is one of our highest priorities at the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and I am pleased to support H.R. 5099, as amended, which will only improve VA's ability to do so. I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to add some more comments about the legislation that we are about to pass. I concur in and associate myself with the remarks of my colleague from Nebraska, Mr. Fortenberry. I certainly want to extend my appreciation to the majority for its generosity of spirit in this particular case. If there is anything that fills me with great hope that we can restore the esteem of this great institution in the eyes of the American people, it is when we pass legislation such as Mr.
Ashford's bill today. We rose above politics--both sides rose above politics--to do the right thing for veterans. It was our regard for veterans that brought us together. It is fitting that this action is happening in the heartland of our country. This is no small measure today. The American people do not really see the drama. It looks very effortless about what we are going to do because it is going to be voice voted. No real big drama is going to play out in front of everybody, but I am going to tell you that Republicans and Democrats worked together.
I want to congratulate and show my appreciation to my whip, Mr. Hoyer. He worked his relationships with some Members on the other side in the Senate, and it showed that we shouldn't be so hasty to move our more senior Members so quickly out of their positions because these relationships matter after so many years. I will go more into detail with anyone who cares to know more about it later. Mr. McCarthy, of my home State of California, my own Leader Pelosi, and staff on both sides of the aisle worked tirelessly to bring this bill.
We are about to head home for the holiday season, and I can't think of a greater gift that we can give--well, I can think of a lot of greater gifts, but this is a very important gift that we are going to give. It is truly a potentially transformative piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time. I just want to encourage all of my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation and join me in passing H.R. 5099, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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