Providing for Consideration of H.R. Veterans' Access to Child Care Act; Providing for Adoption of H. Res. Providing Amounts for the Expenses of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress; and Providing for Consideration of Motions to Suspend the Rules
Floor Speech
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Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 105 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 105
Resolved, That at any time after adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 840) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide child care assistance to veterans receiving certain medical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 116-3. That amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. All points of order against that amendment in the nature of a substitute are waived. No amendment to that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against such amendments are waived. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the bill or to the amendment in the nature of a substitute made in order as original text. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
Sec. 2. House Resolution 86 is hereby adopted.
Sec. 3. It shall be in order at any time through the legislative day of February 15, 2019, for the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules as though under clause 1 of rule XV. The Speaker or her designee shall consult with the Minority Leader or his designee on the designation of any matter for consideration pursuant to this section.
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Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave
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Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 105, providing for consideration of H.R. 840, the Veterans' Access to Child Care Act, under a structured rule.
The rule provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
The rule makes in order 21 amendments, each debatable for 10 minutes. The rule also provides for adoption of H. Res. 86, a resolution providing interim funding for our two new select committees.
Lastly, the rule provides suspension authority through next Friday, February 15.
Mr. Speaker, the Veterans' Access to Child Care Act would make permanent the VA's childcare pilot program, allowing more veterans to access cost-free childcare when they receive mental or other intensive healthcare treatment through the VA.
A nearly identical piece of legislation passed in the House last year under a Republican majority with bipartisan cosponsors and without objection. It is my hope that this Congress will support these efforts to make it easier for our brave servicemembers to get the care they need while supporting their families.
Millions of working families across the Nation are struggling to afford the rising cost of childcare. Families in my own State of New York often pay upwards of $15,000 each year to place one child in a childcare center. Some parents may find themselves owing their entire salary each month to provision of daycare. This cost can be so debilitating that parents are being driven out of the workforce--many of them women.
For veterans, these struggles can be even more acute. Many veterans are primary caregivers to their children or even their grandchildren. These brave men and women rely on the VA for their healthcare, but many of them are forced to miss appointments or forgo treatment altogether because they have no childcare options. For many, that can be devastating. We have seen the harm that can be done when military veterans do not receive high-quality mental health services.
This Nation is facing a crisis. Each day, 20 American veterans take their own life. Studies have shown that mental health disparities are a leading cause of high suicide rates among veterans who struggle with depression or post-traumatic stress.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has shown that the suicide rate has increased faster among those veterans who have not recently received treatment through the VA system. Addressing inadequate access to lifesaving mental health and intense health services is critical as we seek to reform our veterans' healthcare system, and we know that making care more accessible will save lives.
Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs operates a pilot program to provide cost-free childcare to help primary caregivers seeking mental health treatment at selected VA facilities across the country. This program has been extended by Congress several times and has provided care for more than 10,000 children already.
Congress now has an opportunity to extend not only this pilot, but to expand this essential service to every VA facility in the Nation. This will allow thousands more veterans to receive cost-free childcare, ensuring that they never have to choose caring for their family over caring for their own mental health well-being.
This legislation is especially important for female veterans across the Nation, many of whom are single parents or primary caregivers. An increasing number of female veterans have been in combat. One in five female veterans seen by the VA report military sexual trauma.
It is clear that female veterans face unique health challenges and unique barriers to accessing the care they need. This legislation will work to dismantle those barriers so the VA can build on the progress we have made in treating female veterans.
For many veterans, it is not only essential that they receive mental and intensive healthcare, but that they receive care quickly. When facing a serious mental health crisis, veterans shouldn't have to worry about their babysitter dropping out or how they will pay for a day of daycare or how they will find someone to take care of their child while they go to the hospital and receive services. We must ensure that the men and women who have laid their lives on the line for our Nation have timely access to the lifesaving services they need and that we have promised to provide.
First of all, I appreciate the comments by my distinguished and wholly entertaining colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall). I do want to just make a couple of points related to his comments.
First of all, as the gentleman indicated, the amendment that he talked about was not germane, not before the House, and that was ruled such yesterday. But, as it relates to the paygo rule, we are entirely in compliance with that. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office advised us that there is no direct spending in the bill.
As my mother is often wont to say: You can't be holier than the church. CBO has ruled on it and indicated that the bill does not add a single penny to our deficit or to the national debt, period.
I do, Mr. Speaker, however, find it somewhat ironic. I was thinking about this just yesterday after our conversation in the Rules Committee, and I do note that the appropriation over the next 5 years, $120 million--that is million with an M, not billion with a B, and certainly not trillion with a T. And I do find it ironic to some agree that the gentleman and his colleagues last year would enact a tax cut which provided that 83 percent of its benefits went to the wealthiest Americans.
And, if we were here each day, Mr. Woodall and I, for 365 days a year, for the next 30 years--10,000 days, 10,000 times--that tax bill would have spent more money than this would during that time, if we did this for 10,000 days. Think about it.
The work that we do here: authorized spending on a program for veterans, not our wealthiest Americans; those who are struggling; those who have, during their time, provided great service and sacrifice to our country; those who have kept us safe. And I know Mr. Woodall and I share an appreciation for all the work our veterans do.
But this is a policy bill, Mr. Speaker. It is not an appropriations bill, and it has no direct spending. What it does: It helps save the lives of veterans, and it helps put them on a safer, more sound bearing for the future.
The cost for implementing it is, as I said, $120 million over the next 5 years. And it seems to me, it seems to my colleagues, that this is appropriate given the priorities we have for our Nation and for our veterans.
So the next step, as the gentleman knows, is to provide funding through the appropriation process, and I hope that this Congress does invest in our veterans, particularly those who have challenging health issues, whether they be physical, mental, or behavioral, who also happen to be the parents or caretakers of our young children.
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Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I inquire of the gentleman whether or not there are other speakers or whether I should use this opportunity to close.
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Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I apologize. I am still learning this. The lingo on the floor of the House is much different than the lingo on the floor of the New York State Assembly, where I had the privilege of serving, and I do appreciate the gentleman's help through this. He has me at a bit of a disadvantage.
I do want to just reiterate before I yield that, in fact, this is a policy that we set with this bill and this rule. It will be up to the appropriators to make a decision about whether this is a priority as they go through this process and determine whether there will be funding for it in the appropriations bill.
Jackson Lee).
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