Exempting Certain Transfers of Funds to Department of Veterans Affairs From Certain Provisions of the Economy Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, this comprehensive legislation addresses funding for VA research and gives the VA authority to work with grieving families to memorialize their loved ones. It also closes a loophole that has allowed contracted flight schools to charge public schools unlimited tuition and fees to train veterans using the GI Bill.

The first section of the measure addresses VA research. VA's Office of Research and Development improves the lives of veterans, contributes to the national public health, and develops lifesaving biomedical breakthroughs that change the world.

In its 90-year history, the VA's medical and prosthetic research has produced some of the world's greatest advances. The VA developed the pacemaker in 1960 and the shingles vaccine in 2005. It created an effective smoking cessation program and increased life expectancy for people with spinal cord injuries.

VA researchers were responsible for beginning the first international antiretroviral drug therapy trial to find the optimal treatment for patients with AIDS, for whom all therapy had failed.

These research efforts usually aren't performed alone. They are often in collaboration with nonprofits, universities, other Federal agencies, and international bodies.

When research is funded from non-VA grants, it is managed by a for- profit corporation, otherwise known as an NPC, established at a VA Medical Center, which allows flexible research funding.

Last year, the VA's Office of General Counsel uncovered an appropriations law limitation that prevents funding transfers to these nonprofit research corporations for longer than 1 fiscal year. This has negatively affected several ongoing multiyear projects across the country.

Dr. Roe's legislation, H.R. 1947, as amended, would provide explicit authority for NPCs to administer research funding without regard to fiscal year limitations.

To ensure this legislation does not raise spending, section 2 addresses a loophole in GI Bill flight school benefits.

This loophole had been exploited by flight schools that had contracted with public institutions of higher learning to offer flight- related degrees. In some cases, bad actors were exploiting GI benefits that resulted in the VA paying out over $500,000 in tuition and flight payments to one student.

H.R. 1947 fixes this loophole by marrying the cap on tuition at private institutions with a cap on flight school tuition at public institutions.

In addition, to ensure that the fewest possible students are impacted, the legislation also includes a provision to allow flight school students to accelerate their GI Bill benefits. This will allow them to be better used for flight school, which is regularly more expensive but takes fewer months to complete.

Finally, section 3 of H.R. 1947, as amended, authorizes VA to replace a veteran's headstone or marker in a private cemetery so that an inscription may be added to remember a deceased spouse or a child following their deaths.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative LaMalfa for introducing the original legislation and Ranking Member Roe for offering the legislation as an amendment during markup.

This bill is another example of our committee working on a bipartisan basis to get it right for all veterans.

This legislation allows veterans to memorialize their loved ones in the way they want and where they want. Every veteran deserves to know that their wish to be remembered in perpetuity alongside spouses and their children will be granted. The same is true for surviving spouses and children who want reassurance that they, too, will be memorialized with their veteran spouse or parent.

Madam Speaker, I thank Dr. Roe for his tireless efforts to care for veterans, and I commend him on this bill. I look forward to joining him in voting ``yes'' on this legislation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1947.

Before I close, let me say that I appreciate the kind words of the ranking member, Dr. Roe of Tennessee, and I associate myself with his eloquent tributes to his classmates and the people who did not get to live the full lives that he, himself, has been able to live.

I, myself, have also known people who have served our country and who have also paid the ultimate price. I certainly do share his sentiments as we enter this Memorial Day weekend, as all Americans reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of all the people buried in our national cemeteries and cemeteries that aren't national cemeteries that are marked by VA grave markers.

It is always a poignant moment to walk through my national cemetery and to watch the Girl Scouts and the Cub Scouts planting American flags on each and every grave and to see it all happen within 20 minutes because there are so many Americans who want to come to my cemetery to make sure that every grave is honored.

To my colleague from Tennessee, I wish him a pleasant Memorial Day weekend, but, also, to all Americans, let us reflect on what Memorial Day weekend does mean to our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source