Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2018
Floor Speech
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3479, the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2018. This legislation represents bipartisan, bicameral agreement that would extend a number of expiring authorities impacting the lives of our veterans and their caregivers, their dependents, and their survivors. Swift passage of this legislation today would ensure that many of the benefits, programs, and services that they rely on would continue.
The authorities that would be extended in this bill include authorities to provide nursing home care, counseling for women veterans, assistance for homeless veterans, transportation, childcare, adaptive sports programs, and housing and home loan services, just to name a few.
To be clear, these are not new authorities. The costs associated with them have been assumed in the House-passed appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019 and the 2020 advance appropriations.
In addition to the extension of current programs, the bill would also make permanent several provisions, including provisions related to VA's home loan program. It makes permanent the authority for disabled servicemembers to begin using VA vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits while on Active Duty.
It makes permanent eligibility for specially adaptive housing grants for certain post-9/11 veterans who have sustained severe disabilities while on Active Duty. It makes permanent VA's authority to recover the cost of care for nonservice-connected care. Finally, it makes permanent supportive services for caregivers, homeless veterans, and their families.
The permanent authorization of these programs gives certainty to VA when administering them and certainty, most importantly, to the beneficiaries who rely on them.
The bill would also require that a school offer instate tuition rates to veterans using vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits in order to be eligible for the GI Bill. This change would align instate tuition rules for veterans using the benefit with those already in law for students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
The bill also includes bipartisan compromise language that clarifies conflict of interest rules for VA employees and for-profit schools.
Finally, the bill would also make a number of technical and clarifying changes to strengthen important legislation that Congress has previously passed, including the VA MISSION Act, the West Los Angeles Leasing Act, and the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 3479, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend on the committee, Mr. Takano, for his friendship, for his support, and for his leadership.
I think it is notable and remind our colleagues and the American people that we have passed out of this Chamber 80 bipartisan bills that support our veterans, our heroes. Twenty-seven have become law of the land, delivering on our promises to those who swore an oath and made the sacrifice and served and protected us and our freedom. God bless our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support S.
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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, again, we encourage all Members to support S. 3479, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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