John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley Va Clinic
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 593, a bill to rename the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Hinesville, Georgia, as the John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Clinic.
I thank Representative Carter for introducing it and the Georgia delegation for its support.
These individuals, all hailing from Liberty County, Georgia, were killed in action during the Vietnam war. Four young men who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Private First Class John Gibson, a marine, was killed by small arms fire in the Tet Offensive on February 7, 1968. He was 21 years old.
Specialist Dan James served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division and was killed on December 29, 1968. He was 20 years old.
Specialist William Sapp served in the Army's 4th Infantry Division. He was killed on June 7, 1968. He was 25 years old.
Marine Lance Corporal Frankie Smiley served in the 1st Marine Division. He was killed on August 25, 1968. He was 24 years old.
These are four names out of the 58,000 who died in the Vietnam war that we honor for their service and sacrifice. These four names will continue to be honored at the VA clinic in Liberty County as it carries on its mission to serve veterans.
The sacrifices of those who served in Vietnam and in other wars and conflicts is particularly salient as we just commemorated Veterans Day, and as we had the opportunity to reflect on the sacred obligation we owe to veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. I do believe it is important to remember the service and sacrifice of servicemembers and veterans because we must keep close to mind our duty to repay that service and uphold the promises we have made to those who swore an oath to our country to protect and defend it. However, I fear that we have fallen short this year. While I do urge support for this naming bill, I am extremely disappointed that during National Veterans and Military Families Month and Warrior Care Month, and 2 days after Veterans Day, that this is the only veterans legislation the Republican majority has brought to the floor for us to consider.
These young men who lost their lives in the Vietnam war sacrificed everything they had for our country. If we really wanted to honor them and the millions of Americans who have risked their life and limb in service, we should be doing even more.
In this Congress so far, our committee has only originated three bills that have been signed into law. By comparison, in the last two Congresses, under Democratic leadership, we passed more than 70 bills to expand access to care and benefits that are now law. This inaction is unconscionable when there is such an acute need for assistance among veterans and survivors.
It is not for a lack of good ideas. There are several worthwhile bills that are ready to be voted on right now, bills that would change and improve the lives of veterans and their families across the country.
For example, H.R. 3848, the bipartisan Housing Our Military Veterans Effectively, or HOME, Act of 2023, sponsored by Republican Representative Chavez-DeRemer, would restore authorities that were essential to ensuring America's most vulnerable veterans found or stayed in housing during the pandemic.
For the period of the public health emergency, the Department of Veterans Affairs was able to provide food, clothing, bedding, hygiene items, shelter, transportation services, and communication devices to veterans experiencing homelessness. VA also had temporary authority to increase reimbursements to grant and per diem providers which ensured veterans in transitional housing received the care and services they needed. Unfortunately, these authorities and funding expired with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration in May 2023, and there has been since no congressional action to restore them.
To aid in this effort, Representative Nikema Williams introduced H.R. 491, the Return Home to Housing Act, and Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick introduced H.R. 645, the Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act. These bills are both included in the HOME Act, which was reported out of our committee by voice vote on July 26, 2023. That is right, a bill with strong unanimous support has been languishing for months for no clear reason.
Earlier this year, Chairman Bost and I were standing in these exact spots, and he made a promise to me that we would pass this legislation. I understand from staff conversations that Chairman Bost has been imploring the Speaker to schedule that bill for a vote. I, too, sent a letter to the newly elected Speaker imploring him to bring this bill to the floor.
In the book of Matthew 25:35 it says: ``For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me . . . Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?' ''
Do we not take these words as a call to action? There are homeless veterans suffering as we speak. It is our responsibility to take care of the most vulnerable veterans. Every night a veteran spends on the street is a night this Congress could have acted to shelter them. You can feel the cold setting in here in Washington, D.C.
The HOME act would fill the basic needs of veterans experiencing homelessness to help get them on a path to stable housing. Whether it be emergency shelter to escape the cold, a warm meal, or clothes to wear and a ride to a job interview, this bill allows VA to help homeless veterans in the most fundamental ways.
Veterans service organizations and advocates have called on Congress to pass legislation to continue the flexible funding and authorities for critical VA homelessness programs. These authorities resulted in a reduction in veteran homelessness by over 11 percent over the last 2 years during the pandemic. This was an amazing feat during one of the most difficult times in our recent history, and yet this House has not seen fit to bring this bill to the floor.
If the House fails to act or continues to delay action, I fear that veteran homelessness will undoubtedly increase and critical gains made during the pandemic will be lost. We are about to enter the winter months. Will this Congress allow veterans to remain on the streets or lacking access to basic necessities?
The other bill I have urged the Speaker to bring to the floor is H.R. 542, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act. This bill, introduced by Representatives Brownley and Bergman, was also reported out of committee with unanimous support in July. It would require VA to provide access to all home and community-based services, such as home health aides, home-based primary care, and respite care to all veterans and caregivers who need them. Currently, elderly and disabled veterans only have access if their VA medical centers have chosen to offer these services.
This legislation will enable veterans to remain at home, safely age in place, and avoid or delay admission to nursing homes and other costly institutional settings of care. It will also help connect veterans' caregivers to respite care and other supportive services that help them care for veterans at home and improve VA's coordination with other Federal long-term care programs that promote aging at home.
Finally, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act will require VA to create a website where veterans and their families can more easily obtain information about VA's home- and community-based services programs and assess whether any of these programs may be right for them.
Nearly every veteran will, at some point, face the need for additional care at home or, if they can't get it, spend their last years in a nursing home setting. This legislation is an investment in care for millions of veterans and current servicemembers who need this help now or may in the future. We can afford to do this. We must do this.
Senator Elizabeth Dole, alongside all other major veterans service organizations, has spoken to several committee members and its chairman about the urgency of passing this bill this year. The health and well- being of thousands of veterans depends on it. I have heard that certain Republican Members object to the Dole act. I would ask those Members with concerns to speak to me or the bill's sponsors so that we can try to address those concerns. That would be the fair and honest thing to do, so that we can tell the advocates for this bill what the actual holdup is.
The Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act has the support of every major veterans service organization, including Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Wounded Warrior Project, and the Military Officers Association of America. It is also supported by AARP, the National Association of Counties, the National PACE Association, and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
Democrats on the committee remain ready to help pass both of these bills and many others that have passed out of the committee with broad bipartisan support.
Weeks were spent waiting for the Republican Conference to select a new Speaker, and significant time has been wasted on partisan appropriations bills that have no chance of being signed by the President. We are here using precious floor time on poison pill amendments at worst or symbolic gestures at best, but none of these things will actually help veterans get the care and benefits they deserve.
Last year, we came together to pass the largest expansion of veterans benefits in a generation, my Honoring our PACT Act, but we cannot and should not stop there.
Every bill brought to the House floor represents a choice and makes a statement about priorities. From my experience, whenever I had a veterans bill that was ready or timely, Speaker Emerita Pelosi made way for it because for her veterans issues are sacred. They are not fodder for negotiation or collateral. I hope our current Speaker comes to that same understanding. There is always time for veterans legislation.
We ask servicemembers to leave their families to protect our country, and we have a responsibility to honor our pact with them, that we will take care of them when they come home. That includes our most vulnerable veterans, such as homeless, elderly, and disabled veterans.
We must get these bills passed and honor our commitment to veterans. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 593. I ask my colleagues to do the same, and
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Brownley), my friend, and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source