▶ 0:28:16That gives us 13.
▶ 0:28:19Good morning. A quorum being present. The committee on veterans affairs will come to order. Without objection, the chair may declare a recess at any time. There are meetings uh this morning to consider. Uh we're meeting this morning to consider 25 important bills and two lease resolutions pending before the committee. I'm going to keep uh my remarks short to leave uh plenty of time for discussion on each of these bills and amendments being offered.
▶ 0:28:42There are a number of bills on the agenda here today and that are that are productive of the by that are a product of bipartisan negotiations and I'm pleased to see our staff working together in such a productive manner for our veterans and the American people. I think this committee functions best when we work together uh to serve our veterans and do not let partisansship bickering uh overtake the ideas.
▶ 0:29:05It is in that spirit the ranking member and I have come together on a package of bills to improve the process for veterans and survivors uh to appeal claims. Uh I am hopeful that these bills will shorten wait times for veterans and speed up the decisions before the board. I'm also pleased to consider legislation to improve the process of for veterans who seek to receive health care within the community. I now yield to the ranking member for his opening remarks.
▶ 0:29:35Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. I concur with your message of bipartisanship. Of course, we uh we stand our ground where we must and uh uh you know uh we stand stand our ground where we must, but we seek common ground where we can. Uh I'm pleased uh to let you know that uh I plan to speak on individual bills. So I'm happy to proceed to the business of this markup and I yield
▶ 0:29:59Thank you, ranking member. I now call up the Access Act of 2025. The clerk should report the bill. HR740 to improve the
▶ 0:30:10The text was circulated in advance and pursuant to committee rules. Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with. The bill is now open for amendment at any point. I now recognize myself for the purposes of offering amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk shall report the amendment in nature of substitute.
▶ 0:30:24Amendment in the nature of
▶ 0:30:25I ask unanimous consent that any furthering of reading of the amendment in the nature of substitute be dispensed with. I ask that it be considered the base text for the purpose of this markup and without objection so ordered. I now recognize myself for five minutes to speak in support of the amendment and the nature of a substitute. Uh the veterans access act strengthens and promotes the veterans community care program. It picks up where the mission act and choice act started. Many of us us members remember the uh weight list scandal of 2014.
▶ 0:30:56It is clear now as then veterans deserve healthc care choice. Community care is VA care. This bill would not privatize VA. I'll say that again. This bill would not privatize VA. 14 years veterans groups, 14 veterans groups and the V veterans they represent stand behind this bill. Time and time again, veterans tell us about the roadblocks to their legal right of to community care. Their stories demand action. The Access Act delivers.
▶ 0:31:26This bill, for example, would prevent bureaucracy from fudging weight times. A law revealing a lawsuit revealing that employees who scheduled appointments at VA misrepresented dates of patients A slide of hand made weight times look shorter on paper, but it was a cook the books operation that harmed veterans. And our bill would do even more to empower veterans choice. Let me make one thing clear.
▶ 0:31:57Veterans don't need their hands held. it's their health care. Our bill would make sure that the eligible veterans know their u teleaalth options. Tellaalth is a lifeline that saves precious time driving especially for rural veterans for visit visits safe to to be done online.
▶ 0:32:20constituents in rural districts like mine and in other districts for many members on this committee benefit from more teleaalth oper operations. This bill would also create an online self-service healthc care dashboard. Why shouldn't veterans have this uh common sense tool at VA? Unfortunately, veterans tell us VA treats their care like a favor, not not care they have earned.
▶ 0:32:49These changes would promote a culture at VA to treat veterans with the dignity they deserve. Our bill would also hold the center for innovation for care and payment accountable. I cannot tell you how many times members of this committee have asked why does this center what what does what does this center do? The answer crickets. This an this center has not innovated care. It has not innovated payment.
▶ 0:33:17It is time that that change and our bill would make sure veterans know about community care fast. Veterans repeatedly tell us, "I heard about community care months after trying to get an appointment or worse, I never knew." The stories go on. Veterans are either delayed care or left without care. And it is a failure and a stain on the Biden administration for discouraging community care.
▶ 0:33:43The Biden administration conducted con conduct was not a oneoff omission. It was a systemwide failure. With my ANS, this bill would take key steps toward better care for veterans. But this is not the end of the road. We want to require VA's referral standards prioriti prioritizing veterans pref preference uh for care.
▶ 0:34:08too many veterans have been denied their choice of provider in in community care. We also wanted to increase access to residential rehabilitation uh treatment programs. These treatment facilities are available in the community and able to serve veterans usually within 48 hours of referral. Unfortunately, the referrals process is often delayed. Before we can act on these policies, we must ensure they are fully paid for.
▶ 0:34:36But rest assured, I am committed to work with VA and our colleagues to restore these provisions. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and continue with this this committee's work on on behalf of the veterans we serve. Do any other members wish to comment on the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 740.
▶ 0:34:54Mr. Chairman,
▶ 0:34:55ranking member.
▶ 0:34:56Mr. Chairman, uh I have uh an amendment to the on my comments. I'm sorry. Yeah, Mr. Chairman, I I strongly opposed uh the ANS to the so-called Veterans Access Act, which directly threatens the future viability of the VA health care system as we know it. It risks reducing reducing veterans choice and access to VA care.
▶ 0:35:26It re it risks reducing veterans choice and access to VA care despite what its proponents may claim. While I do not while I do appreciate that the majority has removed several harmful section of this bill, they originally introduced uh which I think uh reveals reveals a privatization motivation.
▶ 0:35:49And while I do appreciate the majority has removed those harmful sections of the bill, they did so because they have changed not because they've changed their minds on the policy, not because they've changed their minds on privatization, but because the committee lacks sufficient offsets to pay for them. And that reveals another point that uh privatization lopsided privatization um and because we're this side is not we're not opposed to care in the community.
▶ 0:36:18There's a proper role for care in the community but in the proper proportion. Privatization also is costly and it is expensive more expensive than direct care uh when it's not in that proper proportion.
▶ 0:36:34Nevertheless, as we uh will as will be made clear through the amendments to the ANS that my colleagues and I will offer today, this legislation remains riddled with provisions that will do little more than hasten the outsourcing of veterans health care, divert resources away from VA's direct care system, and dismantle VA's model of integrated integrated coordinated healthcare.
▶ 0:37:00Of greatest concern is the pilot program that would be established under section 202 subsection C. It would create a three-year pilot program in a minimum of five visions whereby veterans would be able to seek outpatient mental health care and residential substance use disorder treatment from community providers without any authorization or referral and without any limit on the number of appointments or admissions.
▶ 0:37:29This is deeply troubling to me as it should be to everyone who is invested in decreasing death by suicide among veterans. The majority of veteran suicide deaths occur among the veteran population that is not connected to VA. It would follow that connection to VA is a key aspect of prevention. Leaving veterans untethered in the community with no way for VA providers to know how a veteran is doing and whether they are continuing care and treatment is harmful.
▶ 0:38:00It's harmful to the veteran. Requiring referrals keeps that connection, that relationship in place and it can be life-saving. This provision will also lead to a dramatic increase in spending on private sector care, diminishing the availability of resources for investments in VA's direct care system. And I have little doubt this will end with a three this this this pilot will this I have little doubt uh that uh this will end with a three-year pilot.
▶ 0:38:30Our Republican colleagues will do everything they can to make sure that this program becomes permanent. Uh I am also concerned about a provision that was not in the underlying bill but slipped into the ANS. The chairman has added within paragraph 2 subse of subsection A language that would enable veterans to no show or skip their scheduled VA appointments in order to become eligible for community care appointments.
▶ 0:38:56that what this will do will deprive veterans of accessing those VA appointments, waste resources within VA's direct care system, and lead to even more spending on community care. These for these and other reasons that will become clear as we discuss our amendments, my colleagues and I cannot support the chairman's ANS. Uh so, thank you and I yield back.
▶ 0:39:24I find it funny that now that the Republicans are in control, some of our colleagues are suddenly ringing their hands over so-called threats to VA. Let me be clear. The Veterans Access Act is about one thing, putting veterans first. It's about giving them real choice, real access, and real accountability when it comes to their healthcare. And it's not just Republicans saying that.
▶ 0:39:50This bill is supported by a broad coalition of veterans service organizations groups like the American Legion, the VFW, Amvets, Concerned Veterans for Americans, and many others. These organizations represent millions of veterans who have made it clear community care is not a threat to the VA. It is not privatization. It is necessary.
▶ 0:40:17It is a necessary ad to what we provide at the VA. And I'm tired of hearing the argument that opposing this bill somehow protects veterans. It doesn't. It protects bureaucracy. It protects the status quo. What it does do is protect the veteran waiting months for life-saving appointments or driving hours for basic health care.
▶ 0:40:44For my position as chairman, we're fighting for those veterans who kept their promise to this country and deserve a system that keeps its promise to them. I welcome my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us in this bill. Is there any other one seeking comment on this legislation?
▶ 0:41:04M Miss Brownley.
▶ 0:41:06Yes. Uh I Excuse me, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 0:41:10We we're going to start amendments here shortly. Oh, sorry.
▶ 0:41:13Are there any amendments to the amendments to the amendment in the nature of substitute on HR740?
▶ 0:41:24I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 0:41:26Uh I have an amendment to the amendment in nature of substitute to HR 740 at the
▶ 0:41:30I now recognize Okay. Uh amendment to the N amendment in the nature of substitute of HR740. I now recognize ranking member to offer an amendment to the amendment in nature of substitute. The clerk will report the
▶ 0:41:44It's cono amendment three.
▶ 0:41:45I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment is dispensed with and without objection so ordered. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes to explan explain his amendment.
▶ 0:41:54Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment strikes language in section 101 of the NS that bars VA from taking into account the availability of VA teleaalth appointments when determining veterans eligibility to receive community care.
▶ 0:42:09Now, this shortsighted provision will result in more veterans receiving more expensive care in the community, all the while taking away the ability for veterans to make a truly informed choice of where and how to receive their care. If this is about choice, veterans need a true choice. And uh this shortsighted provision uh will result in more veterans receiving more expensive care in the community.
▶ 0:42:38All the while taking away the ability for veterans to make a real choice. In fact, surveys of veterans have found that 80% of veterans find VHA teleaalth care to be as helpful or even more helpful than in-person appointments when receiving mental health care. The reasons for this are obvious and applicable in many Americans lives, not just veterans.
▶ 0:43:01Sometimes the hassle of receiving in-person care simply doesn't make sense when you can receive care from the comfort of your own home or office. And yet, when VA is determining whether veterans are eligible for community care referrals, it only takes into account the wait time for inperson appointment inperson appointments, even if the veteran would prefer to receive care via teleaalth.
▶ 0:43:28As a result, veterans end up bypassing available VA telealth appointments and end up receiving services from community care providers via teleaalth. This is inefficient and it's a wasteful use of VA's uh resources. I will acknowledge that VA's current technology does not allow the department to systematically take into account the availability of VA telealth appointments when determining waittime eligibility for community care.
▶ 0:43:58However, VA has long been working to modernize its appointment scheduling technology in a way that would enable the department to factor in real time nationwide availability of VA telealth appointments in the future. This ANS would effectively prohibit VA uh from ever adjusting its eligibility determination process to reflect that.
▶ 0:44:22So my colleagues across the aisle like to talk about giving veterans the choice of how to receive their care and yet this ANS as a draft as it's drafted would give veterans less choice in opting for teleaalth at a time when more veterans than ever when more Americans than ever are receiving and prefer to receive teleaalth when it makes sense and when clinically appropriate. This is an unacceptable double standard for veterans.
▶ 0:44:51That is why my amendment would strike this prohibition from the NS and allow VA to take teleaalth appointment availability into account when determining community care eligibility. I hope all my colleagues will join me in supporting this amendment and I yield
▶ 0:45:08Gentleman yields back. I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. I oppose the amendment because it puts VA's uh convenience ahead of the veterans needs. VA already has the authority to offer teleaalth and in many cases it can be beneficial but it should always be the veterans choice to decide if teleaalth is right for them to include teleaalth in access and wait time calculations would pressure veterans into virtually vis virtual visits they may not want just to avoid eligibility for
▶ 0:45:38community care for those who prefer or require in-person treatment this would take that choice away and create confusion. This is not veterans centered care and I strongly oppose it. Does any other member wish to comment on the amendment? Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the Taco number three amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor say
▶ 0:46:03All the opposed, no. No. And append the chair. The nose have it. Without objection, the motion reconsidered laid on the table. I now recognize Representative Brownley to offer an amendment on number four to her amendment in the nature of a
▶ 0:46:21Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh as you know, I've always made it clear that there must be a balance between direct care and community care for veterans.
▶ 0:46:33The clerk, you have an amendment at the
▶ 0:46:35I have an amendment, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. A little rusty this morning. You're you're
▶ 0:46:44Brownley. Amendment number four. Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR740 offered by Miss Brownley. you I'm asking that we don't have to do it because he already read it. So without objection or the the gentle lady is recognized. There we go. Now I'm caught up.
▶ 0:47:07All right. Third times a charm. Uh, thank you, Chairman Boast. As you now know, I've always made it clear that there must be a balance between direct care and community care for veterans. However, the ANS to the Veterans Access Act of 2025 does not contribute to a sustainable balance between community care and direct care.
▶ 0:47:29Instead, its implementation would lead to a drastic expansion in community care to the degree that community care would supplant rather than supplement direct VA care. One example of this is how the amendment in the nature of of the substitute adds a provision that would enable veterans to no show for VA appointments and still have their community care eligibility determined based on the date they originally requested an appointment.
▶ 0:47:59essentially making them automatically eligible for community care. This policy would deny other veterans access to VA appointments and waste valuable time and resources of our VA providers who are already dealing with staff shortages and long wait times across the country.
▶ 0:48:17It also has the potential to significantly increase the number of veterans using community care, which in turn would increase overall costs of community care, slowly eating away at VA's ability to provide direct care for our veterans. My amendment would strike this provision that allows veterans to no show for VA appointments as a means of being offered community care referrals.
▶ 0:48:42I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and ensure that VA is able to utilize its direct care appointments to provide quality care for our veterans. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 0:48:54Gentle lady yields back. I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. The amendment would remove no shows from the de definition of canceled appointments. I along with many of my veteran colleagues have personally experienced VA can cancelling appointments on our behalf and we never even knew we were scheduled. And as we have heard from multiple witnesses testimonies at this Congress, this problem is not an isolated one. Veterans throughout the country deserve a VA that provides excellent customer service.
▶ 0:49:24This amendment would un undermine that effort. I oppose the amendment and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same. Does any other member wish to comment on the amendment?
▶ 0:49:33Yes, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:49:34Rank member. So if this issue of uh cancelled appointments without the veterans knowing about it uh is an issue and it's been documented uh the the target should be that VA process. We should be over overseeing uh VA and insisting that uh they discontinue this practice.
▶ 0:49:58cut to throw out completely uh a tool to say that uh we we dis we we incentivize veterans uh to not show up for their appointment so they can qualify for community care. You know, we could I mean it's common sense. We're going to see that the wrong amendment
▶ 0:50:17The current the your your president ANS uh allows uh for that to happen and that's what we're trying to fix here. Uh I completely oppose and I would say all members here would oppose uh allowing VA to cancel appointments what you just said without the veterans knowledge. Uh and uh that that is that is a waste of resources.
▶ 0:50:39But it's likewise a waste of resources for a veteran to not show up for their appointment uh deny other veterans that could have used that appointment and then go into the community for care that is probably going to be more costly to the taxpayer. Uh we're just we're just trying to enable we it's our job to oversee CVA and to make sure they're operating as a system efficiently and properly. Uh not to set up we it's not in our interest or the taxpayers or the veterans interest to set up a system whereby we encourage waste.
▶ 0:51:09This is an encouragement of waste. And that's exactly what I thought this administration was opposed to
▶ 0:51:14and I and I simply agree disagree with you that it's a waste. What it the problem is is that we're hearing about it being used as a tool against the veterans uh in a way that should not be done and many of us as veterans have had this problem occur. So it would have been great had they done it on their own but that's why we're carrying a law to make it make it force them and we do that all the time here. That's what we do. When we see problems in the VA we create a law to try to correct a problem.
▶ 0:51:41This corrects a problem where we have VA uh uh employees using this particular measure as a tool to deny um uh our veterans certain services.
▶ 0:51:54M Mr. Chairman, could I might I yield some time for Miss Brownley to respond? Thank you.
▶ 0:52:00Uh um uh thank you, Ranking Member, and and Mr. Chairman, I think you're referencing a different provision uh in the bill, one that deals with VA cancelling the vets appointments. Your amendment strikes the language right below that to enable the vet to no show. Um and it is um I'm sorry is it where is it?
▶ 0:52:25She's talking about this
▶ 0:52:27right exactly. So I'm talking about the language uh that says includes a scheduled appointment for which the veteran fails to appear. You're talking about the means means a scheduled appointment with a health care provider of the department that is canled by the department for a reason other than requested by the veteran.
▶ 0:52:48Right? All that does is provide them their choice. So it it it and it doesn't allow them to be punished for a a misch. Uh, and
▶ 0:53:02I know, but the language is really referring to the what I'm what my uh amendment is about is about the the the part of the bill that talks about no shows that if if a veteran doesn't show up for an appointment, a scheduled appointment, then he or she then has complete access at that point to go directly to the community care.
▶ 0:53:26I feel our language is correct. Okay. I don't
▶ 0:53:31I got it. I got it.
▶ 0:53:32I hope my side will will vote uh in favor of my amendment.
▶ 0:53:40You're recognized.
▶ 0:53:41Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to acknowledge as a physician who has a hard time getting my patients in prior to this, especially at the VA where it takes time for people to get an appointment. If we do not use those appointments wisely, it cascades to less accessability for all veterans. So if someone knowingly uses an appointment that is scheduled not intending to come in as a means to get a community care referral, that is a failure of our system.
▶ 0:54:10Community care referral should be easy to come by and and I I certainly don't want to get in the way of that. But using appointments to be able to access that is a waste in the system and will delay care for all veterans. It absolutely should not be used as a means to being offered community care. I I agree with the sentiment that veterans should have the ability to miss appointments, but if it is for the mechanism of getting a community care referral, that should not be in this bill.
▶ 0:54:41And I strongly support this Go back. Any other? Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the Brownley amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor say I.
▶ 0:54:58Opposed? No. No. Apparent chair the nos have it. The agreement is not agreed to. Without objection, the motion to
▶ 0:55:05Mr. Chairman, I request a recorded vote.
▶ 0:55:07A recorded vote has been requested. Pursuant to uh committee rules, this vote will be postponed. I now recognize Representative Conaway to offer Conaway amendment number five to this amendment in the nature of a
▶ 0:55:24I thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:55:25Clerk will you have an amendment at the desk? The clerk will report the
▶ 0:55:29Conway amendment number five.
▶ 0:55:30I ask unanimous consent for further reading of the amendment to be dispensed with and without objection so ordered. The gentleman is now recognized for five minutes to explain his amendment.
▶ 0:55:38Uh thank you, Chairman Fost. Um, my amendment revises a provision of section 104 of the ANS pertaining to the discussion of teleaalth appointments as an option for care. I appreciate that the chairman's ANS will require the VA to discuss telealth as an option for care. He has stressed uh that veterans should have an option and how they uh receive their care both within the VA health care system and in the community.
▶ 0:56:02Uh when tellaalth is available and appropriate and acceptable, this is a key uh phrase they're acceptable to the veteran. While there aren't many bright spots in the CO 19 pandemic, one positive outcome uh is that it accelerated the delivery of care via teleaalth. Seemingly overnight, healthcare providers nationwide, including the VA, figured out how to efficiently deliver a wide variety of services via teleaalth. And many patients, including veterans, found they liked it.
▶ 0:56:28It saved them from taking lots of time off work, finding um someone to transport them to VA or other clinics. Um making long drives, circling the parking lot, finding spot, etc. It was a great convenience in New Jersey where I where I passed telealth uh legislation and and the subsequent study found that it saved money.
▶ 0:56:49uh it offered a great deal of um it was widely received uh by the public and delivered care uh that was uh essentially the same as they might receive uh in an in-person setting. My amendment is simple.
▶ 0:57:03If a teleahalth appointment is clinically appropriate and the veteran wants to have their appointment via teleaalth agrees to that tellahalth appointment and wants to be seen uh via teleaalth then the eligibility for community care referral should be determined on the basis of wait time for VA tellahalth appointment that is determine what the wait time is within the VA for that um veteran who desires to get their health care via teleaalth uh and not uh
▶ 0:57:33via an in-person appointment at the VA as it is now. If the veteran has expressed interest in a telealth appointment, they should not be bypassing available VA telealth appointments only to eventually receive teleaalth in the community. My amendment would ensure that existing VA resources are used efficiently and that the VA's clinical capacity is fully maximized. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment and I yield back.
▶ 0:57:58Gentleman yields back and I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. As I stated earlier, VA already can offer teleaalth appointments to the veteran, but it should always be veterans choice to decide if that is the right is right for them. I oppose the amendment and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same. Does any other member wish to comment on the Seeing none. No. Okay.
▶ 0:58:26See the the question now occurs on an agreeing to the Conaway amendment number five to the amendment in the nature of a
▶ 0:58:36Mr. Chairman, if uh I wish to be recognized, I will yield to Mr.
▶ 0:58:40Conway. Okay, there we go.
▶ 0:58:43Just briefly, uh the point of my amendment is to make sure the veteran ex can exercise the option for to use teleaalth if the veteran thinks that that is in his or her best interest. Uh I yield back. Okay. And and as I said, they already have the option right now that that but but in no way should they be be forced to take that option. It should be the veteran's choice.
▶ 0:59:11Yielded back.
▶ 0:59:12Mr. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:59:14Okay. Um the question now occurs on agreeing to the Conway amendment number five, the amendment in the nature of substitute. All those in favor say I.
▶ 0:59:21All those opposed, no. No. Pen chair the I nose have it. Um yes you sure you sure can. A a recorded vote has been requested pursuant to committee rules. This vote will be Let's see. I now recognize Representative Dexter to offer an amendment in the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 0:59:48Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment to the amendment in nature of the substitute at the desk. The clerk shall report
▶ 0:59:53Dexter amendment number.
▶ 0:59:54I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be disented with and without objection so ordered. The gentle lady is recognized for five minutes for her amendment.
▶ 1:00:03Thank you Mr. Chair and thank you to my colleagues for your attention to this important amendment. This amendment represents a necessary step toward greater accountability, transparency, and patient empowerment at the VA community care program. At its core, it's about putting veterans first. It's about ensuring that those who have worn the uniform, who have sacrificed for this country, are given the information they need to make informed patient- centered decisions about when and where to receive care.
▶ 1:00:33Under current law, veterans are eligible for referral referrals to community care if the VA cannot provide an appointment within 20 or 28 days depending on the type of care. These standards were put in place under the Mission Act with the intention of expanding timely access. But there's a major flaw. Veterans are being asked to choose between staying within the VA system or seeking care in the community without knowing whether that outside provider can actually see them any sooner than the VA.
▶ 1:01:03We are telling them that they have a choice. But it's a choice made in the dark. No comparative data on weight times, no visibility on drive times. This is not patient centered care and that is not So my amendment directly addresses this issue. It would require the VA to provide veterans with data comparing weight times and drive times between VA facilities and community providers so that veterans can make meaningful decisions about where to get their care.
▶ 1:01:32If we're serious about access, if we're serious about quality, then we must be serious about giving patients real information. Community care is meant to be an extension of the VA, not a substitute for it. But when veterans are directed to the private sector without full information or meaningful coordination, the system breaks down. It creates confusion, disrupts continuity of care, and too often leaves patients navigating a fragmented system.
▶ 1:01:59Too often, veterans are left trying to stitch together the system on their own. They don't know who's responsible for what. They don't know when or if they'll be seen. They don't know if their treatment will be coordinated across the systems. This results in delay, confusion, and far worse preventable breakdowns in care. This is not just frustrating, it's dangerous. For the sake of our veterans, we must build a system that functions not just on paper, but in practice.
▶ 1:02:27That means ensuring every VA patient receives timely, highquality, and coordinated care, whether that care is delivered inside the VA or by a community provider. And the only way we can do that is by arming veterans with the information they need. My amendment gives them the tools to make those comparisons on weight times, on travel times, on outcomes because true choice requires good data. So, let me close with this.
▶ 1:02:53This should not and must not be framed as a fight between VA and community care. That's a false choice. That's the wrong debate. The right question is what does the veteran need and how do we deliver that care responsibly, quickly, and with the highest possible quality. This amendment empowers veterans with the data they need to make informed choices. It promotes transparency and accountability and takes a meaningful step toward building a system that delivers on our promises.
▶ 1:03:21Because here's what really comes down to. When we send men and women to fight for this country, we make a commitment to stand by them when they come home. This promise doesn't end when the uniform comes off. It doesn't end when the war is over. And it doesn't it's a lifelong commitment. So if we truly believe that, if we truly want to honor that, then we have to give this right to them. This amendment is one small but powerful way to do it. I urge my colleagues on both sides to support it. Thank you, Mr. Chair. yield back.
▶ 1:03:51Gentle lady yields back. I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. I oppose this amendment because it gives scheduling control back to the VA bureaucracy that has repeatedly failed. During the last administration, VA was found to have manipulated weight time data and appointment availability.
▶ 1:04:12The Veterans Access fixes that and would create a useful tool to allow veterans to make informed decisions and schedule their care without relying on VA administrators who may or may not be providing accurate information. The amendment would undercut those efforts and that's why I oppose it. Does any other member wish comment? Ranking
▶ 1:04:37Mr. Chairman, this does not give power to the bureaucracy. It gives power. Dr. Dexter's amendment gives power to the veteran by giving veteran more than more information. Dr. Dexter, would you like to respond?
▶ 1:04:51I yield to you.
▶ 1:04:52Thank you so much, um, ranking member Takano for that. Um, that is precisely it. It doesn't do anything to the VA. What it requires is that the data from community care is is available so that data can be compared, not manipulated, not weaponized, but so that the community care providers have to provide the same data that the VA must provide so that they can make a an informed decision about where to get care.
▶ 1:05:18If if they want community care and they're willing to wait longer, that is a decision the veteran should have. But if they want care sooner than later and the VA can provide that sooner than community, they should be able to have that information. That's simply not available right now.
▶ 1:05:33And and common sense would say that if that VA already had that right and they blew it. They they they during the last there's a real problem here with the with the VA and their concern over not using community care and they've given false information to our veterans and not realize not giving them the full information is what available to them. That is why we're putting this in and that's why we're having this is the problem.
▶ 1:06:04When you have a bureaucrat that wants to stand in the way of what we pass in law and that and just so you know, we've got emails from the upper uh that was sent out to our business saying to make sure community care is not an easy button. That is the problem. we we we have that information and that's what we're dealing with here.
▶ 1:06:30So, you're saying to go ahead and turn it back over to them say thinking that they will give that information correctly. They could have given that information correctly before but they chose not to.
▶ 1:06:40Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:06:42Reclaiming reclaiming my time. Uh Dr.
▶ 1:06:45No, thank you so much. So, just to be clear, I just want the community to have to provide that same information and that has not been required. So it is simply asking for that and I I am not saying anything about what the VA is suggesting or doing with their data. We should require good quality reliable data from the VA as much as we do from the community. There is no question here.
▶ 1:07:10Um in my mind what we need is to center the veteran and make sure that they have good quality data that is updated and and appropriately reflects the actual weight time as well as drive time. I think we both want the same thing and all this does is asks for the community to be accountable for supplying that data as well as the VA.
▶ 1:07:32Thank you.
▶ 1:07:33Yeah, thank you for claiming my time. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I I think this committee should hold more hearings into community care coordination. Uh, we should have more I want to know about instances that you were that you are saying happened under the previous administration. Uh I was here during the waittime scandal of uh during Phoenix and that was that was that was a terrible thing. Uh it is this committee's job to hold the bureaucrats responsible if they are bad actors and if they are not treating the veterans right.
▶ 1:08:03But it is not uh in the veterans interest or in the American taxpayers's interest uh to uh create an imbalance uh between the direct care system and the community care system. dismantle and disable the coordinated nature of it. That doesn't help the veteran if we can't uh get the records back uh and coordinate the care with community care providers.
▶ 1:08:26Um, I think a veteran should be able if they're eligible, they that 30-day mark happens and that drive time that if they're given the option of community care providers, they should know how long it's going to take to drive to that community care provider in the community versus go to the VA even after they're they're eligible and say, "Yeah, I even though I'm wait a little longer, I'm I'm going to stick with the VA because it's going to take me longer to get there." They should have that information.
▶ 1:08:56That's all Dr. Duxer is saying. I would go further. I think every American when they enroll in a health care plan and they're choosing between 10 healthare plans, they should know which health care plan has wait times that are this long for oncology versus this healthare plan. That information is not available. We've only seen this insistence that VA be accountable for weight times, but no one else in the community.
▶ 1:09:24And so, it's not a real choice for a veteran uh to say uh to be to be moved into the the community. That's that's more choice. The real choice is, hey, uh am I may have to wait a little longer for the VA appointment uh because I have to drive longer uh to get over here. It's more inconvenient. So they're going to that's that's real veteran choice. And all Dr. Doctor is saying is let's make that information also required of the community care system.
▶ 1:09:54They should know how long it's going to take to get there, how long it's going to take to get that appointment and have them weigh what's available in the VA. And we are getting the technology available to make that happen. And I I yield I yield back.
▶ 1:10:07Okay. I'm still going to oppose it at this time, but I will uh as we move forward because this bill needs to move forward and we will look to see um because I believe our language allows that choice uh for the vet for the veteran and tries to stop the problems that were occurring. Uh I will look at it a lot closer, but we will we're going to move forward with this. Uh and I'm still going to oppose the amendment.
▶ 1:10:32And what about hearings into uh community care coordination? We can see why we're doing that later on, but right now with this markup and and we'll look into that. Take it in. Anyone else?
▶ 1:10:48Uh, Mr. Chairman, I think it our language is very clear to implement such other matters as determined appropriate by the secretary in consultation with third party administrators. That's the language that is good enough here. If I could just suggest to my colleague perhaps just a letter from the secretary expressing an interest in an exact um implementation of that paragraph rather than us trying to put something into law that the secretary can do today. Uh all we need to do is indicate an interest.
▶ 1:11:18Mr. Chairman, I'll oppose this but I think there is a way forward for my colleague. Thank you.
▶ 1:11:24Thank you. Anyone else? See none. The question occurs on the agreeing to the Dexter amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor say I.
▶ 1:11:34opposed. No. No. The opinion chair. The nos have it. The amendment is not agreed
▶ 1:11:39Mr. Chair, may I request a roll call vote. Thank you.
▶ 1:11:43The a recorded vote has been requested pursuant to rules. This vote will be I now recognize Representative Brownley for amendment number seven to the an amendment of the nature of substitute.
▶ 1:11:58Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the
▶ 1:12:00The clerk will report.
▶ 1:12:01Brownly amendment.
▶ 1:12:02I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment dis is dispensed with and without objection so ordered. The gentle lady is recognized for 5 minutes.
▶ 1:12:09Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. In this Congress, between the health subcommittee and full committee, we've already had four hearings uh conducting oversight of community care at VA.
▶ 1:12:22During these hearings, my colleagues and I have advocated for many ways to improve the community care program, including policies to require more transparency from community providers and expand VA's ability to oversee providers to ensure they have the same quality of care that we expect from our VA providers. On this issue, Mr.
▶ 1:12:44Chairman, I'm happy to work with you to improve upon the process um in terms of obtaining outpatient uh mental health care, but this provision within the VA's access act creates a three-year pilot program to allow veterans in at least five visions to obtain outpatient mental health and residential substance use disorder treatment from community providers without VA referral or does what I believe is
▶ 1:13:15um not good ultimately for the veteran. It poses an irreversible threat to VHA's survival as an integrated health care system by shifting VA's primary role from being a coordinator of care to merely paying invoices for veterans being treated at outpatient and residential facilities.
▶ 1:13:36Eliminating VHA as the authorizer of care means that over time there will be fewer, not more, options for veterans since more funding and resources will have to go to the community as as this pilot will provide completely unfettered access to community providers. I'm especially concerned about what this will mean for residential rehab.
▶ 1:14:02There is a serious lack of oversight over community providers of residential substance use disorder treatment facilities. We are already seeing providers targeting veterans for admission to their facilities because of their potential to profit from VA's lack of a fee schedule. I understand the desire to ensure veterans have access to mental uh health care. That's something we all want.
▶ 1:14:28But there is no guarantee that veterans receiving care in the community will get better, more timely access to care. And we don't know if they do because VA doesn't track that. When veterans do access care at residential treatment facilities in the community, we have no way of knowing the level of treatment or support they are getting.
▶ 1:14:52We don't know if veterans are receiving care from pro providers who understand what it means to be a veteran and can establish a rapport with their patients. We don't know if they are being referred back to VA care in a timely manner as VA is in the best position to coordinate their overall care beyond treatment for their substance use disorder which is often just one aspect of their overall health care needs.
▶ 1:15:20This pilot program is clearly a giveaway to private sector entities that have a vested financial interest in treating veterans, a population that they admit in their own hearing witness statements that they have not been able to access because so many already receive care at the VA. This is why my amendment to strike this provision from the amendment in the nature of the substitute is needed.
▶ 1:15:47I'm offering this amendment because I have uh real concerns um and they are worth discussing uh today, Mr. Chairman. And as I said earlier, I'm happy to work with you in any way to streamline this process, but we should not lose coordination and oversight of of our of the of the veteran and and the VA's um patients.
▶ 1:16:13And we certainly must have a a pricing schedule for what that all is. But um I know uh Mr. Chairman you disagree with that. So uh at this time I will respectfully withdraw my amendment. And with that I will yield.
▶ 1:16:28Lady withdraws her her amendment.
▶ 1:16:33I now
▶ 1:16:33that you'll work with me.
▶ 1:16:34I will. I will. Okay. I now recognize representative uh she chefless McCormack to offer the amendment in the amendment in the nature of substitute.
▶ 1:16:45Thank you Mr. Chairman. My amendment to
▶ 1:16:48You have a member at the me. Do you have an amendment?
▶ 1:16:50I have amendment at this.
▶ 1:16:51The clerk will report the amendment.
▶ 1:16:53Sure McCormack amendment number 10.
▶ 1:16:55I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with. Without objection. So order. The gentle lady is recognized for five minutes for her to explain her
▶ 1:17:04Thank you Mr. Chairman. My amendment to HR 740740 institutes common sense community providing training requirements to ensure veterans are receiving the highest quality and culturally competent meal mental health and substance use disorder care they deserve. To become a mental health provider at the VA, individuals are mandated to undergo extensive training related to military culture, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and opioid safety.
▶ 1:17:33These stringent requirements exist to address the unique health care needs to our veterans that are not typically found in the civilian population that necessitate specialized treatment. Whether a veteran receives care directly from the VA or from the community, the standards for mental health providers should not differ.
▶ 1:17:52Unfortunately, section 202 of the Access Act, as currently written, creates a pilot that allows unfettered veteran access to outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services with virtually no safeguards and no guardrails on competency or qualifications of community providers treating veterans through this program.
▶ 1:18:14Under this bill, mental health providers, regardless of their background and familiarity with the military culture and conditions that disproportionately affect veterans, would be able to participate in this program. The pilot fails to ensure that community providers treating veterans have on issues like PTSD, traumatic brain injury, me, sorry about that, military sexual trauma, which they have little or no experience treating.
▶ 1:18:41My amendment resolves this by mandating that non-EP departmental providers complete training through the VHA train platform within 180 days of enactment of HR740. Community mental health care providers would be required to complete ve the very same training that is required for VA mental health providers.
▶ 1:19:02If a provider fails to meet this initial deadline, my amendment will authorize the VA secretary to issue formal warnings and grant an additional 60 days for the provider to comply. If the provider were again to fail the to complete the requisite training, the VA secretary will place the provider on a temporary 90-day suspension. The provider would still be able to participate in the pilot program after 90 days of assuming they completed the mandated training.
▶ 1:19:28Only after failing the third time will the provider be removed from the pilot program. This is a this amendment is common sense, protects the health and well-being of our veterans, and protects taxpayers. I I urge our colleagues to vote yes to this amendment. I believe this amendment would also strengthen our ability to serve our veterans with the best competency. Thank you. I yield back.
▶ 1:19:50The gentle lady yields back and I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. The amendment is yet another requirement for community providers to take VA training. This training is already available to providers. The amendment would create more red tape and not let doctors be doctors. It does not no good for veterans to have more ways to lose access to VA care. That's what the amendment does. I oppose it. Uh does any other member wish to comment on the amendment and the amendment?
▶ 1:20:17Yes, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the uh the third party administrators and the networks they've set up uh should be subject to at least some requirement uh that they meet uh VA's standards.
▶ 1:20:35uh and uh it's it's uh it has been to my great distress uh that there's been an unwillingness to make the uh that that the that the community care networks uh do not provide this training. Um I want to yield to uh uh Representative Serless McCormick to respond.
▶ 1:20:55Mr. Chairman, my amendment does not restrict doctors, but it actually empowers doctors by giving them adequate training so they can understand what they're recognizing. It actually strengthens and supports them in treating our in training our military personnel. What we're doing is turning a blind eye and allowing doctors who don't know what's coming at them or what to look for not to make themselves aware. A suggestion would only be a suggestion. A requirement would standardize what we're seeing in the VA and in the community which is necessary.
▶ 1:21:23The VA is never going to be able to move forward especially with community care if we don't have some form of standardization. So this would actually promote um both interest as far as the doctors and the actual patients and we have a responsibility to make sure we're empowering them. This in no circumstance is red tape. If so, then why would doctors actually be subjected to continuing education? So this is a standard process that we already see in the VA and it should be required to help our veterans. They have unique needs and they deserve unique treatment.
▶ 1:21:53For us to deny that is a failure on our part. We have to accept what we have here and we have a unique class of people who deserve unique treatment.
▶ 1:22:02Thank you. And reclaiming my time, uh I recall there was a moment when we had a serious opioid safety issue uh with uh VA providers prescribing opioids um and and veterans uh paying the price as a result of it. And there was an enormous effort to get training out to VA doctors on the guidelines of VA standards on how opioids would be prescribed and how they'd be monitored.
▶ 1:22:33That could not be required of our community care providers because why? The third party agreements wouldn't allow for that. It's common sense that when VA was trying to respond to an opioid crisis uh within its own midst that it responded internally with its direct care system. But it's crazy that we would that you want to say that that my Republican colleagues on the other side want to say that community care is VA care.
▶ 1:23:00But if uh the same standards don't apply to community care uh uh if we don't upgrade uh the the awareness of community care doctors about uh how and when opioids should be prescribed and how they should be monitored that is not really VA care. Uh that is something else. That is a lack of attentiveness to the very specific needs that veterans need because of who veterans are.
▶ 1:23:25whether it's post-traumatic stress disorder, community care providers may not have the specific background or understanding about how to respond to that or traumatic brain injury. Uh VA doctors because of the academic affiliations that VA has, uh this is part of the culture of medicine within the direct care system.
▶ 1:23:45and to say that we don't want to have thirdparty administrators and the networks they set up uh have their their provider networks reflect this similar expertise. This to me does not make any sense and it is not good for the veteran. Um and I yield back. Uh Mr. Chairman,
▶ 1:24:04Representative Dexter, you
▶ 1:24:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I very much appreciate your point about letting doctors be doctors, but and I normally do not um support um mandates, but in this case, this is not a mandate for all doctors. It's just a mandate for doctors who wish to treat veterans with these issues so that they can get those community care contracts. And that should be the expectation that they have the same level of training and background to address these issues as VA physicians.
▶ 1:24:32So the um information that they receive is not mandated unless they want to receive that reimbursement for taking care of the veteran in which case the veteran should have the same access um to the same quality of care that they would expect at the VA. So I strongly support this amendment for that reason.
▶ 1:24:49Anybody else?
▶ 1:24:51So the important thing to remember here is is that each one of these um uh community care providers actually go have a contract with VA. VA can require already certain things of those, but that's the flexibility that's left to the secretary. So with that, um, anyone else seek recognition? Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the shiftless McCormick amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor say
▶ 1:25:23All oppose, no. In no independent chair, the nos have it. Uh the amendment is not agreed to and without with objection the motion to reconsider laid on.
▶ 1:25:33I would like to request the recorded
▶ 1:25:37A recorded vote has been requested. Pursuant to committee rules, this vote will be postponed.
▶ 1:25:43I now recognize Representative Tano to offer an amendment number eight to amendment to the nature of substitute.
▶ 1:25:48Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment to the desk uh to the ANS to HR 740 at the
▶ 1:25:52The clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 1:25:54Cono amendment number eight. pass unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with. Without objection, so ordered. The gentleman is now recognized for five minutes for his amendment.
▶ 1:26:02Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment requires that community providers offer substance use disorder treatment to veterans uh under the pilot program in section 202 be accredited by both the commission on accreditation of rehabilitation facilities and the joint commission. In addition, it would bar these providers from directly marketing to veterans or using patient recruiters to enroll veterans in their services or programs.
▶ 1:26:30I agree with my colleagues across the aisle that all veterans who are ready to seek assistance with substance use disorders should be able to quickly and easily access highquality However, the rehab industry is rife with bad actors and VA must have guard rails in place to ensure the quality of the care veterans receive in the community.
▶ 1:26:58As the health subcommittee discussed at a hearing on this topic early this year, VA lacks oversight over the community care providers from which veterans receive substance use disorder treatment or many other kinds of community care. VA does not track whether veterans receiving care in the community are getting better care or more timely access to care than at VA.
▶ 1:27:22The level of treatment and support that veterans receive from these providers is also not If that weren't bad enough, drug and alcohol rehab facilities hold a track record of deceitful, harmful, and in some cases, deadly practices.
▶ 1:27:42For example, in August 2021, one such provider's lack safety standards allowed a patient to fall from a designated patient and smoking area on the roof of its facility, rendering the patient permanently paralyzed. My amendment would ensure that veterans only receive care from accredited vetted providers that meet the quality care quality of care standards.
▶ 1:28:07The accredititation process also ensures that there are mechanis mechanisms by which bad actors will face consequences for actions that harm their patients. Worse yet, VA does not have a fee schedule for residential rehabilitation This sets up a concerning incentive for bad actors to enter VA's network, effectively set their own rates to provide care to veterans,
▶ 1:28:38and exorbitantly bill VA for reimbursement. This is unheard of in the private sector that this uh that that a provider could set their own rates and get them paid. This issue was further highlighted in December 2024 when VA's Office of Inspector General issued a fraud alert notifying veterans of reports of treatment centers targeting veterans through illegal and unethical advertising practices.
▶ 1:29:08These providers clearly have a vested financial interest in treating veterans. The pilot program in the chairman's ANS, which would allow veterans to access re residential rehab without VA referral or authorization, would place veterans at even greater risk of being targeted by bad acting for-profit actors, for-profit motivated My amendment's restrictions on advertising to
▶ 1:29:38and recruiting veterans would help keep veterans safe from such fraudulent fraudulent practices. Part of keeping our promises to our veterans includes ensuring they can receive care quickly and easily. It also includes conducting vigilant oversight to ensure that the care they receive is safe and effective.
▶ 1:29:58To this end, my amendment would help VA filter out fraudulent and harmful treatment providers that take advantage of veterans in vulnerable positions and prioritize profits over quality care. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Gentleman yields back and I recognize myself in opposition. This amendment would add back in red tape we are trying to cut with this bill. The VA has guard rails in place with residential programs to ensure they are accredited.
▶ 1:30:29Say that again. They already do that to make sure they're accredited. Further, there are many direct market prohibitions in the VA contracts. These are matters. These are matters the agency should handle through contract negotiation, not legislation. Does any other member wish to comment? Seeing none, the question occurs on green to the taco amendment number eight uh to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor say I.
▶ 1:30:58I opposed. No. No. The opinion chair. The nos have it.
▶ 1:31:02I request recorded vote.
▶ 1:31:03A recorded vote has been requested. Pursuant committee rules that this vote will be postponed. I now recognize Representative Miller Meeks to offer her amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 1:31:14I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 1:31:16The clerk should report the amendment.
▶ 1:31:17Miller Meeks. Amendment. Amendment to the amendment.
▶ 1:31:19I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment is will be dispensed with and without objection so ordered. The gentleoman is recognized for five minutes to explain her
▶ 1:31:28Thank you, Mr. Chair. When veterans receive community care referrals, the referrals are only valid for a fixed period of time. That's because sometimes a referral is not just for one appointment, but for a health problem that may require multiple appointments. In addition, it could well be that the appointment does the uh provider doesn't get the request for the appointment until after the appointment time has already started.
▶ 1:31:53The idea is that over the course of a few months, the veteran should have the opportunity to see a specialist as many times as it requires uh or is directed medically. As a physician, I know this problem firsthand as I was a community provider. However, due to provider shortages and bureaucratic delays, veterans may not get seen until halfway through the authorized time period or even longer.
▶ 1:32:16Many times, a referral will expire in the middle of a treatment course, which requires a veteran to go through the process of getting a subsequent referral, which is more paperwork, more stress. Veterans don't like it, and nobody likes it. This amendment includes the text of my start act which would address this issue by ensuring that the validity of that referral begins only once a veteran has attended their initial appointment.
▶ 1:32:40This way the veteran is able to benefit from the entire referral period time period rather than feel pressure to beat a bureaucratic clock. This amendment is an affirmation of putting the veteran first and that the care should happen on the veterans timeline, not on the VA's timeline. I urge my colleagues to support this common sense amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back my
▶ 1:32:59Gentle lady yields back. I recognize myself in support of the amendment. My friend and colleague, Representative Miller Meek, Dr. Miller Meeks, has discussed and current uh referral authorization process by the community care and is not uh centered on the veteran but the VA bureaucracy process. This amendment would fix that process so that it is focused on the veteran's timeline, not on VAS. Simply speaking, the clock should only start ticking once the veteran gets care.
▶ 1:33:27Uh this would would not make it easier for this would not only make it easier for the veteran but would also allow providers to focus on caring for veterans rather than chasing needless deadlines. Uh this would be simple and efficient fix and I urge my colleagues to support it uh support this amendment. Does any other member wish to speak on the amendment? Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to Miller Meek's amendment in the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 1:33:58All those opposed? No. And if chair the eyes have it and the without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. I now recognize Representative Barrett to offer his amendment in the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 1:34:10Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 1:34:12The clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 1:34:15Barrett amendment. Amendment.
▶ 1:34:16I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with and without objection so order. The gentleman is recognized for five minutes to expl explain the amendment. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and uh thank you to the committee for uh consideration of my amendment. The amendment in the nature of a substitute would add my bill, the Veterans Hearing Health Expansion Act to Chairman Boss legislation, the Veterans Access Act. And I appreciate your willingness to take up this amendment for consideration today.
▶ 1:34:42This amendment is fairly simple and it would just make it easier for veterans to access hearing aid services in their communities uh and make it an easier process for them to follow. Right now, VA community care programs will reimburse providers for health care at um at community uh care providers that will reimburse right now for aiologists and other specific hearing uh specialists, but it does not currently include and it actually excludes licensed hearing aid specialists.
▶ 1:35:12These professionals are able to adequately fit, adjust, and repair hearing aids, but they're not allowed to help our veterans in this process. this bill and this amendment now adding this bill will uh cover that gap in coverage that often forces veterans to travel long distances or wait extended periods of time to receive care only at a VA facility even for far simpler uh procedures like getting a hearing aid refitted or maintained.
▶ 1:35:38Uh my bill will fix this problem by allowing veterans to seek care from licensed hearing aid specialists in their local communities, ensuring faster and more convenient access for the services that they need. Veterans deserve timely, highquality care, no matter where they live. Expanding the VA's community care program to include hearing aid specialists when it already covers other aiology professions, is a common sense way to achieve that goal.
▶ 1:36:02Uh, this bill is a simple fix that will make a big difference, especially for veterans in rural communities, not just in my district and in my state, but across America as well, by giving them more access to options and less red tape when it comes to maintaining their hearing health. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and Mr. Chairman, again, I appreciate your willingness to take it up today.
▶ 1:36:19Gentleman yields back. I now recognize myself in support of the amendment. The amendment would recognize hearing aid specialists in the community care network. Take it from me. Uh when you serve in in the armed forces, you tend to come across a lot of loud noises and things. The hearing damage we get while serving worsens and never gets better. I think it's important to increase access for our veterans to hearing aids and those who specialize in them.
▶ 1:36:46Uh, I thank Representative Barrett for this amendment and with a voice I mean my voice I support the that's my voice my support for it. Does any other member wish to comment?
▶ 1:36:55Mr. Chairman,
▶ 1:36:56ranking member.
▶ 1:36:57Uh, Mr. Chairman, uh, thank you. I I reluctantly and I underscore reluctantly must oppose this amendment and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. I would have like I would have liked to have been able to work with Mr. Barrett to improve this amendment before it was offered, but unfortunately we were not aware it would be offered until yesterday.
▶ 1:37:16Uh while I'm not opposed to hearing instrument specialists being able to see veterans through VA's community care network, I'm concerned that this amendment does not set forth the same qualification standards for community providers that VA has established for the hearing aid specialists that it provides. Uh, in response to a 2016 law that required VA to begin hiring hearing aid specialists, VA established a set of qualification standards to practice at VA.
▶ 1:37:45These individuals must uh be under the supervision and direction of a licensed aiologist, be licensed, and hold active board certification from the National Board for Certification and Hearing Instrument Sciences. I am concerned that Mr. Barrett's amendment would result in veterans being referred to less qualified providers in the community than they would otherwise be seen at VA.
▶ 1:38:10In addition, the section of Title 38 that would be amended by this measure does not list any other specific professions or occupations that are eligible to participate in VA's community care program. And I don't think it's wise to start doing that here right now.
▶ 1:38:28The law just says health care providers are eligible to provide VA's community care network uh participate participate in VA's community care network if they participate in Medicare or work at the Department of Defense Indian Health Service uh federally qualified health centers or meet quote criteria established by the secretary end quote. If we start naming certain professions we run the risk of inadvertently excluding others.
▶ 1:38:57For this reason, I must oppose the amendment, but I would be interested in working together with Representative Barrett on a bipartisan basis to improve this legislation so that it be so that it can be considered at a future markup. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:39:14Does anyone else seek recognition? somebody named me.
▶ 1:39:26Representative Bradwagon.
▶ 1:39:34Mr. Chairman, I'd like to uh yield to uh Mr. Barrett.
▶ 1:39:40You're recognized.
▶ 1:39:41Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate the ranking members willingness to work on this. Um I would just stipulate that uh licensed professionals are of course licensed by their individual jurisdictions in which they are located. So we don't we don't do scope of practice licensing through this body of course. So these are required to be uh licensed in the jurisdiction which they are located which I think is the extent to which we can uh determine the professional qualifications of an individual.
▶ 1:40:09I appreciate the uh the concern about um making sure that we are handling this in the appropriate manner and I uh um obviously support my amendment and I I urge its adoption, but I am willing to work of course in a good faith effort toward resolving any further uh consider concerns you have. Um we' had some challenges getting responses from some of the uh some of your office in the past and I look forward to working with you to make sure that we can sew this together in the way that makes you comfortable. So appreciate it. Thank you. We appreciate that the offer. Thank you.
▶ 1:40:40Any others? Seeing none, the question occurs on agreeing to the Barrett amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor say I. I. All oppose say no.
▶ 1:40:53In the opinion chair, the eyes have it. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. I now recognize Representative Con Dr. Conway to offer an amendment number one to an amendment nature of the substitute.
▶ 1:41:07Yes, Mr. Chairman. I have amendment in uh to the amendment and the nature of a substitute at the desk.
▶ 1:41:12The clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 1:41:13Conway amendment number one. Amendment to the amendment.
▶ 1:41:16I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment is dispensed with. Without objection so ordered, the gentleman is recognized for five minutes to explain his amendment.
▶ 1:41:24Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment would would require community care providers to receive necessary training at the VA. If a community care provider fails to comply with the required training and deadlines, that provider would be temporally suspended from treating veterans. Time after time, we have heard from veterans that community care providers have missed symptoms or struggle to connect a symptom to a veteran's time and services due to lack of familiarity with this uh with the veteran or military u active duty retired demographic.
▶ 1:41:54It's not a surprise that medical staff who not who do not exclusively serve veterans or those who have not served in the armed forces may face challenges in understanding the physical, mental, and emotional stresses that come with military service.
▶ 1:42:07As members uh of this committee, it's our responsibility to ensure that any physician, nursing assistant, or other direct uh care medical staff that comes in contact with a veteran has foundational knowledge um and that is necessary to detect and connect symptoms uh to service and provide appropriate treatment. By requiring community care providers to undergo training, we're giving them uh the crucial insight uh that they need to deliver the best possible care to veterans.
▶ 1:42:37Um, I would note that this amendment holds community care providers to the same standard as VA uh health care or direct care service uh providers. If you're serving the VA, you have to undergo training that is specific and tailored to meet the needs of the veteran. We should require community providers to do the same to undergo the same training so that they can provide exceptional care to our veterans. This um training would be just uh would be free.
▶ 1:43:07It could be done remotely um and uh would be uh would last just an hour. Of course, um it may it's noted that perhaps the secretary might provide additional training beyond this, but we want to make sure that there's parity between those me those healthc care providers who work and serve in the VA that there's parity between those providers and the community providers uh that may um and will continue to care for our veterans.
▶ 1:43:35I hope all my colleagues will join me in supporting this muchneeded amendment and I yield
▶ 1:43:40Gentleman yields back and I recognize myself in opposition the amendment. every minute of red tape provides have providers have to comb through takes away from the patient care. This amendment from the other side of the aisle would force providers to put time into special training courses instead of veterans. We should make it we shouldn't should make it easier not harder for doctors to see veterans. If a veteran wants community care, the veteran should get it. If a veteran wants direct VA care, the veteran should get it.
▶ 1:44:09Many providers already do right by veterans because they do right by their patients. We should let doctors be doctors. I oppose this amendment. Does any other member wish to speak on the amendment? Seeing none, the question occurs on agreeing to the Conway amendment number one uh to the amendment on the nature of a substitute. All those in favor say I.
▶ 1:44:31Those opposed? No. No. Appending the chair, the nos have it. A without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. A recorded vote has been requested pursuant to committee rules. This vote vote will be postponed. Uh I now recognize Representative Morrison to offer an amendment in the an amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 1:44:57Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 740 at the desk.
▶ 1:45:02The clerk shall report the amendment. Morrison amendment number two.
▶ 1:45:05I ask unanimous consent further reading of the amendment be dispensed with and without objection the gentle lady is recognized for five minutes to explain her amendment.
▶ 1:45:11Thank you Mr. Chairman. My amendment would rec require VA to update its public directory of community providers to include information on which providers have taken VAHA's one-hour introductory training course on veteran care. My amendment would also push providers who have taken this training to the top of the search results.
▶ 1:45:30BHA offers a course for community providers to improve their competency in treating conditions that disproportionately affect veterans, including mental health conditions, TBI, PTSD, and military sexual trauma. This training also provides an introduction to military culture, so providers can learn about how identification with military culture can play a role in patients perception of injury and illness and can influence the response to treatment.
▶ 1:45:54By incentivizing community providers to complete this training course, which can be done in just an hour, we can help ensure that our veterans always get the highquality care they deserve, whether at VA or in the community. As more veterans receive care in the community, we should make sure that the veteran has all the necessary information to make an informed decision about which community provider is best suited to treat them and understand their unique needs. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the amendment. And with that, I yield back. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 1:46:21Gentle lady yields back. I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. The amendment would create more burdens for community providers. It is my understanding the VA may already be looking to do some of this in the next round of contracts for the community care, but I leave it up to the negotiations between the VA and the contractors uh um and and what that they award. Uh this amendment does not belong uh in legislation and I oppose it. Does any other member wish to comment?
▶ 1:46:51Seeing none, the question occurs on agreeing to the Morrison amendment and amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 1:47:00Those opposed, no. No. In opinion, the chair, the nos have it.
▶ 1:47:04Mr. Chair, I ask for a recorded vote.
▶ 1:47:06Recorded vote has been requested. Pursuant to rules, this this vote will be postponed. I now recognize Representative Conaway to off Dr. Dr. Conaway to offer an amendment uh to number nine to the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 1:47:24The clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 1:47:25Conway amendment.
▶ 1:47:26I ask unanimous consent. The further reading of the amendment is dispensed with without objection. So orders. The gentleman is recognized for five minutes to explain his amendment.
▶ 1:47:34Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment adds a new section to the ANS would which would require the VA the VA to establish a fee schedule for community providers that pro uh of residential substance use disorder treatment. Under the Mission Act, the VA typically pays Medicare rates for community care. However, Medicare does not cover residential substance use disorder treatment. And in more than seven years since the enactment of the Mission Act, the VA has never established its own fee schedule for this service.
▶ 1:48:05and said the VA has been reimbursing community providers of residential rehabilitation at a percentage as a percentage of build rates. In some cases, the VA has been paying these providers $6,000 a day um for uh the 20,000 veterans who receive residential rehab in the community between fiscal years 2021 and 23. The VA paid an average of $69,000 per referral. Because of this, many community providers engage in predatory marketing practices targeting veterans.
▶ 1:48:33Uh when they see veterans, they see dollar signs. Late last year, the VA's Office of Inspector General issued a fraud alert warning uh veterans and the public that certain drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities are attempting to exploit veterans for profit. In May this year, the Department of Justice announced that it had secured a civil settlement of $19.75 million from Seabbrook House, a New Jersey drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.
▶ 1:49:00This uh the settlement resolved allegations of submitting false claims for payment to the VA's community care program and New Jersey's Medicaid program in connection with drug and alcohol abuse treatment. VA's Office of Inspector General is continuing to investigate similar allegations against other rehab providers elsewhere in the country. In addition to creating an incentive for community providers to exploit veterans for profit, not having a fee schedule for residential rehab places the VA at risk of significantly overpaying for these services.
▶ 1:49:29That is wasteful and is simply not sustainable for the VA to continue paying for these services at these astronomically high rates. The VAAA is currently paying far more than Medicaid or any commercial insurer pays and community providers providers are capitalizing on it. VA officials have assured the committee staff that they have been working to establish a fee schedule, but the department has yet to do so. My amendment would require the VA to establish a fee schedule for residential substance use disorder treatment within 180 days of enactment.
▶ 1:49:59I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and I yield back. Gentleman yields back and I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. The amendment is unnecessary as a SE schedule for VA's community care providers is already published annually on their comm community on their community care website. My staff would be happy to connect with your staff and and after markup to show you where you can find it. Uh does any other member wish to comment?
▶ 1:50:25Mr. Chairman,
▶ 1:50:26ranking member.
▶ 1:50:28Mr. chairman. Um there may be some uh misunderstanding about what the community care fee schedules do in fact uh publish uh they establish fee schedules for other types of care but for residential substance abuse treatment they have not uh they have not published uh those fee schedules. I uh would would ask that we be made privy to this if this is true.
▶ 1:50:55But this is an extraordinary problem that uh the providers of substance abuse treatment uh set their own fees and can bill VA and get paid for it. Uh this is an incredible situation and uh it opens uh it opens up uh uh the veteran to being uh targeted for all sorts of uh of use.
▶ 1:51:20Uh there is a fee uh for dental for example uh there's a fee schedule for dentists but not not for residential rehabilitation uh for substance abuse. And um I would think any provider in America, any any common sense citizen who's dealt with uh with any uh fees for how much uh how much their health plan will pay for
▶ 1:51:51something would be surprised to find out that VA does not um have a set fee schedule uh for the providers of residential substance abuse treatment. yield back.
▶ 1:52:05Uh, I would just say, Mr. Chairman, I I think this amendment is a very common sense amendment, and most Americans would say this is crazy to allow providers to bill VA for whatever they want and get paid for it.
▶ 1:52:20Thank you for your comments. Um, anybody Okay, that being said, no one seeking recognition. Uh the question occurs on agreeing to the Conaway amendment to the amendment in nature of substitute. All those in favor say I.
▶ 1:52:39All those opposed no. No. The opinion chair the high the nose have it. Uh and the amendment is not agreed to with it.
▶ 1:52:48According uh a record code vote having been requested pursuant to committee rules. The vote will be postponed. Because votes h are pending on this bill. We will move to consider of the next bill on the agenda. Uh I now call up HR 1663, the Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Act of 2025. The clerk shall report
▶ 1:53:13HR 1663 to amend.
▶ 1:53:15The text was circulated in advance and pursuant to committee rules without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is now open for amendment at any point. I now recognize um Representative Kiggins for the purpose of offering an amendment to the nature of a substitute.
▶ 1:53:30Mr. Chair, I have an amendment in the nature of a substitute at the desk.
▶ 1:53:33The clerk shall report the amendment in the nature of substitute.
▶ 1:53:36Amendment in the nature of
▶ 1:53:37I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment as nature of substitute is dispensed with and I ask that be considered base text for the purpose of this markup and without objection so ordered. I now recognize Representative Kiggins for five minutes to speak on support of the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 1:53:53Mr. Chair, my amendment in the nature of a substitute would make technical changes to update the language in HR663 introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Ken Calbertt. This amendment would consider the feedback we received from the VA to ensure that if this bill becomes law, the fraud website and support hotline would work the way we want it to. My amendment includes the name of the website, which is vafe.gov. Another technical change provided by the VA was to include the name of the Vsafe fraud hotline in the legislation.
▶ 1:54:21I also want to use this opportunity to share the number of the hotline if this may be helpful for any veterans watching. The number is 833887233 I worked with the VA to ensure that this amendment would utilize the existing resources to guarantee there is no hiccup and veterans are getting the most up-to-date information when they need it.
▶ 1:54:47This amendment also includes language that would ensure that we are being responsible with taxpayer dollars by only introducing programs that Congress can pay for. This amendment would support the intent of Representative Calbert's legislation. The VA must provide a central location where veterans and their families can seek guidance and notifications to protect themselves against deceal tactics. The phone number and hotline would offer two avenues for veterans to report these attempts when they happen and also to gather information to protect themselves.
▶ 1:55:15This office is so crucial to ensure that our veterans are protected against sophisticated scam artists and fraudsters. This effort at the VA would help families stay vigilant when veteran benefits are at the risk of being scammed. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment in the nature of a substitute and I yield back.
▶ 1:55:31Gentlewoman yields back. I now recogn myself and recognize myself in support of the amendment. I strongly support the amendment nature of substitute offered by Representative Kiggins. The Vssafe bill is a good limited government solution to address the confusing bureaucracy that has plagued VA's fraud prevention efforts. Vsafe uh would designate a single expert to connect veterans with uh preexisting fraud provision programs across the federal government with VSOs and in the private sector.
▶ 1:56:02It could not create a huge it would not create a huge bureaucracy to replicate these efforts with that so many agencies are have already have. I would would simply help it would simply help veterans find the right place to learn more about fraud prevention and find the right office to help them where they are having in where they're in trouble.
▶ 1:56:24Uh veterans deserve streamline upto-date information when they reach out to VA about identifying theft uh benefits, fraud, and other serious scams. This amendment clarifies VAFE is designated central point for reporting veterans spec specific fraud and will improve outcomes for veterans. I'm pleased to support Representative Kigan's amendment in the nature of a substitute and I urge my colleagues to vote yes.
▶ 1:56:52Do any other members wish to have comment on the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR1663? Are there any men amendments to the amendment on the nature of a substitute to HR 1663? I now repres I now recognize representative Ramirez for the purpose of offering an amendment to the amendment and nature of substitute for HR 1663.
▶ 1:57:17Thank you. Uh chairman uh my amendment
▶ 1:57:20you have an amendment at the desk. Oh yes, sorry. Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. Yes, I have an amendment at the
▶ 1:57:26The clerk will report.
▶ 1:57:27Ramire's amendment number.
▶ 1:57:28I ask unanimous consent to further reading of the amendment to dispense with and without objection. So ordered. I now recognize Representative Rid.
▶ 1:57:34Thank you, Chairman. As we all know, scam artists uh seem to be multiplying and uh so many of us know someone or have been victims of identity theft. My amendment uh would require the veteran scam and fraud evasion officer to develop an issue targeted training specific to the most common scams and fraudulent activities facing our veterans and their families today. My amendment is not only appropriate is also urgently needed. The evidence is clear.
▶ 1:58:04You probably have seen those text messages that come up. You've probably seen those emails uh that are attempting um to steal our veterans um data or our own family's data. According to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2024, veterans reported some of the highest numbers of fraud complaints and the greatest total losses in 2024. As a matter of fact, do you know how much that was? $419 million. Veterans also continually face higher individual losses than the general population.
▶ 1:58:34Their median losses are around $700, which is actually over $200 higher than the nonveteran individual reporting to the Federal Trade Commission. Both the FTC and the VA through the Vsafe program established under President Biden have narrowed in on several of the most common scams and fraudulent activities targeting veterans and their families which actually include impostor scams which account for nearly 40% of the military and veteran communities fraud losses.
▶ 1:59:03These scams are those that seek to impersonate others. Whether it be that they say that they're government officials, technology support, or even scamming them, saying that they're close family members or love interests to collect money or gain access to veterans personal systems. The other is this multi-level marketing scheme and other business opportunities that uh they get emails or text messages about.
▶ 1:59:27also regularly targeting veterans, specifically service members and their families under the guise of patriotism, flexible hours, or even telling them that this will gain them financial independence. However, many of these opportunities ultimately result in little to no profit and in more instances than not, it ends up being significant debt.
▶ 1:59:49Veterans are specifically targeted to join MLMs because their VA benefits can be a source of capital and their network of veteran peers a source of referrals for them. And look, it is wrong for veterans to be targeted for their capital networks when less than 1% of MLM participants ever make a profit from those opportunities.
▶ 2:00:09Our veteran service organization partners are heavily involved in this area, raising awareness to fraudulent activity relating to veteran benefits like pension poaching, disability benefits, preparation scams, and the DBQ fraud.
▶ 2:00:24Implementation of this amendment would require the veteran scam and fraud evasion officer to develop trainings and awareness campaigns directed on these top scams and to help provide veterans and their families with clear actionable guidance to protect their benefits. Part of delivering on our promise to veterans is ensuring that they're protected from these bad actors seeking to exploit them um from their benefits that they have so hard work to earn.
▶ 2:00:55I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment. And with that, chairman, I yield back.
▶ 2:01:00Gentle lady yields back. I now recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. I stand in opposition to this amendment because it would restrict the secretary's ability to determine what VAFE offers officers responsibilities would be. The decision should be left up to the VA secretary, not Congress, to protect veterans needs as scammers evolve and become more severe.
▶ 2:01:23The secretary will need the ability to adapt without being restricted by a political cl by the political climate at the time. For these reasons, I oppose this amendment and I urge uh encourage all of my colleagues to do the same. Does any other member wish to comment on the amendment to the amendment in the nature of substitute? Thank you, member.
▶ 2:01:44Yes, Mr. Mr. Chairman. the MLM multi-level marketing schemes are a scourge on our our our our military service members and uh the veterans that um are known to be beneficiaries of of of uh disability pensions.
▶ 2:02:04And it is in my mind that we do not arm these veterans with the information about uh what these scams do especially we know uh what would Mr. Ramirez, if you could ask my question.
▶ 2:02:23You said 1% 1% uh succeed u at these offers and they're marketed as uh I've seen these marketing come through, you know, work at your own um uh schedule. Uh set your own hours. Uh these are all the sort of techniques to draw veterans in. U I I yield to you to uh respond.
▶ 2:02:46Yeah. And thank you, ranking member. I mean, you heard me tell you at the beginning, $419 million. That is the greatest total loss um that veterans have received um in scams. And in 2024, we reached that level. They are the ones scammed at the highest level in our country. And what this amendment does uh chairman, what it specifically does, it says Congress understands what our veterans are going through.
▶ 2:03:14We want to ensure that we're protecting them from all these scams and and certainly from people who are lying to them about what money they're going to make. And all it does, it requires a veteran scam and fraud evasion officer to develop trainings, awareness campaigns, uh, so that their families know what they're being targeted for. That can't be political.
▶ 2:03:35that's about providing awareness and training for every single veteran regardless if they have an R, a D, an I, a I don't care about politics. Uh, so so I think it's really discouraging when I hear people say that trying to protect our veterans from being victims of fraud is a political thing. And in a time where Congress needs to be better at specifically guiding those protections for our veterans, this amendment will help do that.
▶ 2:04:06I'm reclaiming reclaiming my time. We do not, this amendment does not u unduly burden the secretary or restrict uh the secretary. We point out uh specific scams uh that uh you know the secretary give guidance about uh through uh the BAFE officer and um like the the the statistics are are pretty damning.
▶ 2:04:31Uh the higher rate the significantly higher rate of of victimization of veterans who are uh the targets of these multi-level marketing schemes. um the fact that the veterans uh have their own community and uh the proliferation of uh the victimization when veterans who are ins snared into these schemes start to target uh their fellow veterans uh to be part of this.
▶ 2:05:01Uh I I can't believe that uh this committee would would not take an interest uh in attempting to educate um all of our veterans uh especially those veterans that are in disability pensions um about the financial harm and danger that these multi-level marketing schemes pose. Um and Mr. uh Mr. Chairman I yield back.
▶ 2:05:25Gentleman yields back. Any any other comments, questions? Seeing none, the question occurs on agreeing to the amendment to the amendment and nature of substitute to HR663. All in favor say I. I.
▶ 2:05:39All those opposed, no. No. And the nos have it. And the amendment in nature of
▶ 2:05:43Mr. Chair, I request a recorded vote.
▶ 2:05:45A recorded vote having been requested in accordance with the rules committee. Further proceedings on this matter will be postponed. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR1663? Hearing none.
▶ 2:06:09The difference.
▶ 2:06:13Are there any further amendments to the amendment nature of substitute for uh HR 1663? Hearing none. The question now.
▶ 2:06:25Where am I going? We will because there is an amendment vote pending we will move to the next and be considered later. I now call up HR 3400 the travel act of 2025. The clerk shall report the bill.
▶ 2:06:44HR 3400 to amend title 38 United.
▶ 2:06:47The bill was circulated in advance and pursuant to committee rules without objection the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is open to the any amendment at any point. I now recognize Representative King Kines for the purposes of offering an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 2:07:02Mr. Chairman, thank you. I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 2:07:04The clerk will report the amendment.
▶ 2:07:06Amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 2:07:08I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment in the nature of substitute be dispensed with and I ask that it be considered base text for the purpose of this markup and without objection so ordered. I now recognize Representative King for five minutes to speak in support of the amendment nature of substitute.
▶ 2:07:25Thank you, Mr. Chairman, before I do so, I want to go on record to express my deepest condolences to the people of the Commonwealth on the untimely and shocking passing of our governor. thank you for the opportunity to speak uh on my bill HR 34 34000, the Territorial Response and Access to Veterans Essential Lifeare Act or the Travel Act of 2025.
▶ 2:07:53In the Commonwealth of the Northern Marana Islands, there's only one part-time physician serving hundreds of veterans spread across three islands. When our veterans need specialized care, they're told to th to travel thousands of miles to Guam, Hawaii, or the continental United States. Sometimes at their own expense and with no guarantee of timely appointments. This is not just a logistical failure. It's downright shameful. Veterans should never have to book international travel, pay out of pocket, or delay life-saving care because of where they live.
▶ 2:08:24And they certainly should not be forced to choose between their health or their financial well-being. The travel act is a necessary step toward correcting this inequity. It establishes a program within the VA that deploys specialists to the territories for periods of up to one year. With my amendment in the nature of a substitute, this legislation enables veterans, the veterans affairs to begin its long journey in remedying the medical desert our veterans face throughout all of the territories.
▶ 2:08:50This legislation recognizes that service is service regardless if a veteran lives in Saipan or San Diego. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. and I yield my time.
▶ 2:08:59The gentle lady yields back. I now recognize myself in support of the amendment. More than 100,000 veterans live in US territories. But there is a huge gap in health care access for these veterans that oftent time requires them to travel far and wide to see a medical provider. These veterans deserve better health care access to receive the good and safe care they have earned.
▶ 2:09:23Representative Kinghine's bill would create a billet for the VA physician to serve US territories and uh possessions. So this is a vitally important lifeline for our veterans communities that live in these territories. I thank Representative King Hine for her proposal to expand healthc care access. Do any other members wish to comment on the amendment in the nature of a substitute for HR3400?
▶ 2:09:52Mr. Chairman. you had ranking,
▶ 2:09:54Mr. Chairman. Uh, thank you. I'm glad to support Representative King Hines's bill, the Travel Act, which will ensure veterans living in the US territories can acare. The more than 100,000 veterans, as you said, living in the US territories have long struggled to access VA healthcare due to a der of health care facilities near them.
▶ 2:10:17This legislation would allow VA to assign department physicians to serve as traveling physicians for the territories, therefore ensuring that a VA provider is available to provide care for those who need it. I appreciate Representative King Hines tireless work to represent her constituents and ensure that veterans living in the Northern Marana Islands and other territories have access to the care they need and have earned. I'm glad to support this legislation.
▶ 2:10:46Uh, and I yield back.
▶ 2:10:49Does anyone else seek recognition on
▶ 2:10:51Well, I just have a question, Mr. Chairman. Represent King Hines. Is this only for the the uh the island territory, the the the Pacific territories, or would this also include, say, the Virgin Islands?
▶ 2:11:03I It's supposed to include all the all the territories.
▶ 2:11:06All the territories. Okay. Well, this is this is really good news. Anyone else? I now recognize myself for purposes of offering an amendment to the amendment in nature of a substitute for HR 3400. Uh the clerk shall report the
▶ 2:11:24I ask unanimous consent. Further reading of the amendment is dispensed with without objection. So ordered. I now recognize myself to explain my amendment. My amendment is is simple. It fully offsets the cost of the bill to protect the taxpayer. Does any other member wish to comment on the amendment in the amendment in the nature of a substitute? Hearing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment and the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 3400. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 2:11:52All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The amendment is amended and the nature of the substitute is agreed to.
▶ 2:11:59A the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Are there further amendments to the amendment? the nature of substitute. Hearing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment in the nature of substitute to HR 3400 as amended. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. Uh and the amendment is in the nature of substitute is agreed to.
▶ 2:12:28The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. I now recognize ranking member Takano for a motion.
▶ 2:12:35Uh I move that HR 3400 as amended be reported favorably to the house.
▶ 2:12:41The question is on favorably reporting HR 3400 as amended to the full house. All those in favor say I. I. I.
▶ 2:12:47Those opposed no and dependent chair the eyes have it. The motion is agreed to and HR 34 as amended is reported favorably to the house.
▶ 2:12:56Mr. Chairman, pursuant to rule House rule 11 clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority supplemental additional or dissenting views on HR 3400 as amended.
▶ 2:13:07Without objection, the motion reconsidered laid on the table. I now call up HR 2605, the Saves Act. The clerk will report the bill.
▶ 2:13:20HR 2605. clerk shall report the the text has been circulated and in advance and pursuant to committee rules without objection the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is now open for amendments at any point and I now recognize representative Latrell for the purposes of offering an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 2:13:38Mr. Chairman I have amendment at the
▶ 2:13:40The clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 2:13:41Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR26.
▶ 2:13:44I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment in the nature of substitute be dispensed with. I asked we it be considered base text for the purpose of this markup and without objection so ordered. I now recognize representative Latrrell for 5 minutes to speak in support of the amendment in nature of substitute.
▶ 2:14:00Thank you Mr. Chairman. Today I offer an amendment in nature of substitute to the service dogs assisting veterans or saves An important step forward towards improving veterans access to service dogs. This legislation establishes a pilot program authorized authorizing the secretary to award competitive grants to nonprofits and provide service dogs to veterans who need them most. Um the these service animals are a life-changing event in my opinion. My identical twin brother has had one since he retired from the military.
▶ 2:14:28Service animals provide support for those in need of that have lost their eyesight for mobility issues that have post-traumatic stress, postraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury. But not only do they help the veteran, they also help the families. And as we move forward, I think it's important that we find those tools that you can put in your toolbox to increase your quality of life and decrease the symptomatic issues of for those veterans who are suffering from things that they've um they've brought back from the war.
▶ 2:14:59So, I want to thank Mr. McGarvey for walking alongside me on this one. Really appreciate that, Morgan, the ranking member. And Mr. Chairman, I appreciate all the support on this. And with that, I yield back.
▶ 2:15:09Gentleman yields back. I now recognize myself in support of the amendment. Under current law, VA does not provide service dogs, but does provide care and other benefits for service dogs. Service dogs help veterans deal with service connected conditions. They can learn tasks to help veterans who need f physical assistance like opening doors and providing balance support. Service dogs also are recognized signs of dis distress.
▶ 2:15:36wake veterans from nightmares, calm panic attacks, and provide uh proven to help reduce feelings of anxiety, isolation, depression uh in the veteran community. Representative Latril's bill would create a pilot program to award grants to provide service dogs to eligible veterans.
▶ 2:15:56Studies have shown that when paired with veterans, service dogs can uh mitigate PTSD symptoms by providing veterans with the help they might need. This is a good bill to look at what more we can do to improve mental health and wellness for our veterans. I want to thank Representative Lrell for his proposal. Do any other members wish to comment on the amendment in nature of a substitute for HR2605?
▶ 2:16:23Mr. Chairman,
▶ 2:16:24very ranking member. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. For many uh for many veterans, a relationship uh with a service dog is an important tool uh in their uh journey to full health. uh whether they are are assisting disabled veterans with daily tasks, improving independence or an ability to navigate uh for veterans with mobility or sensory issues or in some cases just improving mood and mental health symptoms.
▶ 2:16:51Service dogs add a lot of value uh to their owner's lives. And that's why I'm glad to support Mr. Lutrell's legislation, the Saves Act today. This bill will authorize VA to offer a five-year pilot program to provide service dogs to veterans. It also outlines crucial requirements and responsibilities for nonprofits that participate in the pilot program to ensure they are capable and engaged in providing service dogs.
▶ 2:17:20It also includes critical protections to ensure the nonprofits are accredited properly and treat the animals they work with humanely. for veterans that uh VA determines would benefit from a service dog. This bill will help facilitate more veterans receiving service dogs and VA will assist with the expenses through veterary insurance. The bond between a veteran and uh his or her dog can be very special.
▶ 2:17:49Uh I am glad to support this legislation to ensure VA can help more veterans who need them have access to service dogs. And I yield back. Gentleman yields back. Does anyone else seek recognition to make comments on HR Mr. Representative Zel. Uh Mr. Chairman, I rise to support my very understated colleague to my right. Uh dogs are indeed lifechanging. You cannot overstate it. Uh this is something this is a result.
▶ 2:18:19This is what we ought to be about. Producing results and not simply inputs to our veterans. Thank you and I support it.
▶ 2:18:26Any others? I now recognize myself for purposes of offering an amendment to the amendment nature of substitute for HR2605. The clerk shall report the amendment
▶ 2:18:36boss amendment number.
▶ 2:18:37I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment to dispensed with and while without objection so ordered. I now recognize myself to explain the amendment. My amendment to the saves act would increase access to veterans to serve uh to service dogs while also establishing a standard that provides must that providers must meet. The amendment would require that service dog providers demonstrate that they train their dogs in compliance with the American for Disabilities Act with disabilities act.
▶ 2:19:07This would ensure that there is a standard but does not limit providers to only those who have time to and resources to seek accreditation. In my own district, we have an organiz organization called this abled vet not disabled vet veteran but disabled vet. They are well known in our community and and trusted to provide service dogs to veterans.
▶ 2:19:33But their program is ve very different from the type of program accredited by the assistant dogs in international or the international guide dog federation. As such I recognize that not all providers that are best for veterans are going to fall under the same category. For that reason I offer the amendment to representative Latril's good bill. Does does any other member wish to comment on the amendment in amendment in the nature of a substitute? Seeing none, hearing none.
▶ 2:20:03The question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment in amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 2605. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. And the impend chair the eyes have it. It is and the amendment to the amendment in the nature of substitute is agreed to.
▶ 2:20:23Mr. Chairman,
▶ 2:20:24the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. We're still got to just a second here. There are are there any further amendments in amendments to the nature of substitute to HR 26 or 2605? Hearing none. The question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment in the nature of substitute to HR 2605 as amended. All those in favor say I. I. All oppose. No. In the opinion of chair the eyes have it. The amendment and nature of substitute is agreed to.
▶ 2:20:53The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. I now you have a question,
▶ 2:20:58Mr. Chairman. I just like to make make a quick statement for about five seconds if that's okay. This is actually and I think this needs to be said out loud because the VA actually came to my office about the Saves Act and spoke with me directly and voiced their concerns which I greatly appreciated and then working across the aisle with Morgan McGarvey and then with leadership this actually came together as it was supposed to come together. And I think moving forward with the veteran organizations that are supplying these animals with their input and I think we have a great starting point with this legislation. Thank you.
▶ 2:21:28I yield back. I now recognize ranking member Takano for a motion.
▶ 2:21:34Mr. Chairman, I move that HR 2605 as amended be reported favorably to the
▶ 2:21:40The question is on favorably reporting the bill HRS 2605 as amended to the full house. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 2:21:49Opposed? No. In opinion chair, the eyes have it. The motion is agreed to and HR2605 as amended is reported with favored to the favorably reported to the
▶ 2:21:59Mr. Chairman, pursuant to house rule 11 clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority supplemental additional or dissenting views on HR 2605 as amended. And I congratulate my colleague uh Mr.
▶ 2:22:15The motion to reconsider the gentle. Hold on. Where am I at? Without
▶ 2:22:22Without objection.
▶ 2:22:22Now the motion to reconsider laid on the table. There we go.
▶ 2:22:26I now call up HR 3951, the Rule Veterans Improvement Access to Benefits Act. The clerk shall report the bill.
▶ 2:22:34HR 3951 to a
▶ 2:22:36bill is was circulated in advance and pursuant to committee rules and without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is open to amendment at any point. And I now recognize myself for five minutes to speak in favor of the legislation. The bill would extend the license portability authority for contracted medical professionals conducting comp uh compensation and pension examinations until 2031.
▶ 2:23:01The CNP exams are important, but they also also extend an already lengthy process. This problem is made even worse when veterans are forced to travel far distances for their their Congress created the temporary license portability to extend examinations authority to a wider variety of contracted medical professionals who expertise in performing the CNP exams.
▶ 2:23:31By ensuring more contract medical professionals are able to perform CNP exams, VA is better able to serve veterans in underserved and rural communities. We cannot allow this program to sunset. It is lifeline for for our nation's remote veterans and who often live hundreds of miles away from a VA facility and near only small number of medical professionals.
▶ 2:23:54This would this bill would also expand the eligibility uh specialties of contracted medical professionals currently covered under current law. Uh licensed uh portability only applies to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, uh aiologists and psychologists. This bill would expand the authority to include providers who are eligible for employment in certain health care profession uh positions in the VHA.
▶ 2:24:24This is a necessary expansion to the CNP exam exam program. If a medical professional would be eligible for employment at the VA healthc care facility, they should also be able to serve veterans closer to their home. This bill would also require VA to submit a report to Congress on the frequency, time, timeliness, legal um adequacy, and associated cost of C and P exams performed by contractors.
▶ 2:24:55I thank Representative uh Sis Kamani for his leadership on the the bill and his efforts to increase accessibility to exams for our nation's veterans. Does any other member wish to comment on the Seeing none, does any member wish to offer an amendment to HR 3951?
▶ 2:25:17Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment.
▶ 2:25:18I now recognize Representative Ramirez to purposes of amendment. Have amendment
▶ 2:25:24Thank you, chairman.
▶ 2:25:25The you have amendment.
▶ 2:25:26I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 2:25:27The clerk would shall report the
▶ 2:25:29Ramirez's amendment.
▶ 2:25:30Ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment is dispensed with without objection. So ordered. I now recognize Representative Ramirez for five minutes to speak in support of the
▶ 2:25:40Thank you, Chairman. My amendment would reverse the illegal and immoral actions taken by President Trump and Secretary Collins that effectively revoked collective bargaining rights from thousands of VA employees. As we learned yesterday at my oversight and investigation subcommittee hearing, the VA needs to do more, not less, to make the agency a place where people want to work and they want to grow their careers.
▶ 2:26:04I'm alarmed alarmed by the level of attrition we are seeing at the VA from veteranfacing employees. Let me tell you a little bit more about that. Over 7500 doctors, nurses, psychologists, claim examiners and more have left the VA on their own valition since the beginning of the fiscal year. These are employees who could not partake in the deferred resignation program or early retirement.
▶ 2:26:30I want to be very clear that the employees who are leaving are not employees subject to the hiring freeze. Let me say that again. The employees who are leaving the VA are not employees subject to the hiring freeze. They are leaving on their own because under the leadership of Secretary Collins, the VA has become for them a hostile and toxic environment for its employees.
▶ 2:26:53The level of loss we're documenting is not sustainable if we intend to deliver the benefits and care our veterans have earned and they deserve. Furthermore, the loss of VA employees will impact the delivery of care and benefits for veterans and it's already negatively impacting veterans experience regardless of what the secretary continues to claim. Workplace rights, including the right to collectively bargain, have been enshrined in the law for decades.
▶ 2:27:21Unions make VA a better place to work and a better place for veterans to receive their care. Period. When implementing President Trump's executive order that aimed to abolish collective bargaining at the VA, Secretary Collins in Ensonance made it clear that he was going after his and Trump's political enemies. Simply put, some employees at certain facilities would get to keep their collective bargaining agreements while others who may work at a VA down the street would not.
▶ 2:27:51I mean, how do we decide loyalty to the administration? That is completely unacceptable and is just another way that this administration seeks to suppress resistance and disscent. Trump and his justice secretary Collins are deciding that the unions that dared challenge the president in court were to be stripped of their worker rights. The rights that I may add were enshrined in legislation by this Congress.
▶ 2:28:19I will not stand by what by while the rights of VA workers who show up day in and day out to care for our veterans are trampled on. I'm not going to stand by and watch the continued demonization and demoralization of the VA workforce. And it's why I'm offering this amendment today to make it clear that this committee this committee demands the reinstatement of collective bargaining rights for every VA worker. I urge all my colleagues to vote yes on my amendment.
▶ 2:28:49And with that, chairman, I yield back.
▶ 2:28:50The gentle lady yields back. I stand uh I recognize myself in opposition the amendment. This amendment would reinstate the federal workers collective bargaining agreement with the VA that was terminated by the president's March executive order. As a union firefighter, I have long recognized the need for strong labor uh relations. However, I believe it is inappropriate for Congress to weigh in on this matter or tie the hands of the secretary during an ongoing litigation.
▶ 2:29:16This amendment is is a poison pill that would risk the passage of this very important underlying bill. I would vote I will vote no on this amendment and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Does any other member wish to comment? Uh, ranking member.
▶ 2:29:30Yes, Mr. Chairman. And before I begin my comments, I just want to have the record reflect that the uh the author of HR 3951 is not present at the committee. Um, and we're setting a precedent here whereby we can continue uh with the business of the markup. uh uh with that fact uh I would just say we hope that uh that in the future uh that there'll be a similar consideration for uh the minority uh in in cases like this.
▶ 2:30:00Um uh I will keep my comments brief uh in support of Congresswoman Ramirez's amendment, but I do feel compelled uh to uh to butress uh uh her sentiments. When I was a public school teacher, I was a member of a union. As you were a member of the firefighters union, I know firsthand the power of unions and the important role they serve uh to protect workers rights. VA is losing employees at a record pace.
▶ 2:30:29And it isn't just losing employees uh to the deferred resignation program or early retirement. Uh veteran facing veteranfacing employees. So we're not just talking about uh you know the doctors and nurses who face veterans but uh you know it's the doctors, nurses and claims examiners, police officers and social workers. These are also uh veteran facing employees.
▶ 2:30:55Not just the doctors and nurses but claim examiners, police officers, social workers, they're leaving in droves due to the working conditions of VA. A net 7,500 of these missionritical employees have left VA on their own valition in this fiscal year. I worry that working conditions are leading these employees to choose to leave their jobs at VA.
▶ 2:31:17uh without unions to help address the workplace concerns that they have, I fear these employees are left with few avenues of redress uh and are stuck choosing between staying in a toxic work environment and leaving a job they love.
▶ 2:31:35the the right to collectively bargain sir is the law and it is absolutely uh Congress's role to ensure that the president and his appointees are following the law and to say to wash try to wash our hands of it and say well we don't want to interfere with the secretary and all of that. No, no, no, no.
▶ 2:31:55It is our job uh as the oversight committee to ensure that the secretary follows the law and collective the right to collectively bargain is the law and and uh to to do less is to is to is to step back uh and allow the executive uh to do things outside the law.
▶ 2:32:18uh the right to collectively bargain uh is also uh integral uh to improving working conditions uh and uh to VA's ability uh working to improve working conditions such that VA's ability to recruit and retain employees is enhanced. There is simply no denying uh denying that uh that good working conditions are tied to uh collective bargaining.
▶ 2:32:45Uh, veterans deserve a strong VA that is fully staffed by employees who feel empowered and supported by its leadership. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on Congresswoman Ramirez's amendment to restore collective bargain agreements at VA. And with that, I yield back.
▶ 2:33:03Anyone else seeking recognition?
▶ 2:33:06Miss Rosinski.
▶ 2:33:07Yeah, I just want to voice my strong support for Congresswoman Ramirez's um amendment. Um, I too want to just echo what our ranking members said that collective bargaining rights are um are the law and it is something that is incredibly important that we make sure as a committee is being enforced. We know that um collective bargaining and the erosion of it at the VA is largely contributing to the morale issues that I hear about in my district.
▶ 2:33:36um the fear, the toxic environment, um the direct assault on collective bargaining rights of the workers that are at the VA, I think is contributing significantly to that environment and leading to a lot of employees leaving in droves. Those those same employees that we really need to administer the benefits that the veterans have deserved. And I lastly just want to point out that, you know, a lot of the a lot of the workforce within the VA are veterans themselves.
▶ 2:34:05And I think that's a really important point that those veterans deserve the right to have collective bargaining just like all the other workforce um employees do at the VA, but that this is critically important to maintaining morale and a good work environment to help provide services to our veterans. So, thank you. I yield back.
▶ 2:34:24Anyone else seeking recognition? Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the REMI's amendment number one to HR 3951. All those in favor say I. I
▶ 2:34:35post say no. No. In the opinion chair, the nos's have it. The amendment is not agreed to.
▶ 2:34:41I request a recorded vote.
▶ 2:34:42A recorded vote being requested is in accordance with the committee rules. Further proceedings on this matter will be postponed. I recognize representative Ramirez for the purpose of offering Ramirez amendment number two.
▶ 2:34:59Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The clerk shall report the
▶ 2:35:04Ramire's amendment number two, amendment to H.
▶ 2:35:06I ask unanimous consideration consent that further reading of this amendment is dispensed with and without objection so ordered. I now recognize Representative Ramirez for 5 minutes to speak on the support of her amendment.
▶ 2:35:18Thank you chairman. Uh, this amendment specifically would bar VA from contracting with any company with which a special government employee, you know the kind of employee I'm talking about, has a financial interest. Over the past several months, we have witnessed the rampant corruption of individuals including indulge. These individuals were given access to sensitive information.
▶ 2:35:44They made reckless decisions across the agency and they put thousands of people at risk. This kind of rogue behavior is appalling and it should concern every American taxpayer and certainly every single member in this committee.
▶ 2:36:04Did I Did I get ahead of myself because
▶ 2:36:06I think I think you're on the wrong amendment. Yeah.
▶ 2:36:10I'll have to restack my response.
▶ 2:36:12You're going to have to Wait a minute. I wasn't ready for that one. Right.
▶ 2:36:19They were together.
▶ 2:36:32How about how about you're recognized for this amendment?
▶ 2:36:35So, the question is, can you restore me back to five? I appreciate that, Grace. Thank you.
▶ 2:36:40All right. So do do we need a chairman? I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 2:36:45The clerk will clarif rec. Yes. Designate the amendment.
▶ 2:36:50Ramire's amendment number two. Amendment to HR 3951.
▶ 2:36:54It I ask unanimous consent further reading of the amendment is dispensed with without objection. So ordered. I now recognize the representative uh Ramirez for five minutes to speak on this amendment.
▶ 2:37:05Thank you. I might even go under five just as a thank you here. Thank you chairman. Uh more than once I've called this committee to recognize the diversity, the beautiful diversity of our veterans and the diverse veterans in the communities that we represent need access to the full benefits that they have earned and deserve. This amendment specifically addresses equity and access to benefits for all of our veterans.
▶ 2:37:28In the past six months, the administration has waged a war on equity, trying to make the word taboo and to roll back the progress we've made to ensure equal access to federal programs and services. The administration has made excuses when veterans who have worn the uniform have put their lives on the line go without access to benefits and services that they were promised. Who am I talking about? You may be asking yourself. Well, I'm talking about people of color. I'm talking about women. I'm talking about immigrants.
▶ 2:37:58Yes. Um because there are veterans who've been deported, LGBTQ plus folks, the elderly, individuals that live in rural communities, and all the other veterans who served and earned their veterans.
▶ 2:38:12Too often in this committee, my colleagues talk about how important data is to effectively and comprehensively address the problems that the department is addressing. Yet, this administration has eliminated many of the offices and positions focused on collecting and analyzing data to address where gaps may exist in the VA care and benefits for veterans, especially for diverse veterans. One of the offices Secretary Collins has chosen to shutter is the Office of Equity Assurance. We call it the OEA.
▶ 2:38:42This office was established following a 2023 GAO report that found that black veterans benefit approval rates had a persistent bias in disability compensation. Since the OEA was established, it has made efforts to address data gaps for veterans, conducted outreach in rural communities, and forged partnerships with academic affiliates to increase the VA's capacity to reach these areas.
▶ 2:39:07However, following President Trump's executive order targeting diversity, targeting equity, and targeting inclusion across the federal government, this office was actually closed. OEA's employees have been placed in administrative leave by Secretary Collins.
▶ 2:39:24This decision to close the office has not resulted in cost savings or liberation from radical ideology as they call it, but instead it condemns us to ignorance by ensuring we have even less insight into where the gaps for VA care and benefits are. But perhaps that's the point. What this amendment does, it calls for the immediate reinstatement of the Office of Equity Assurance and its employees.
▶ 2:39:53With my amendment, I am also calling for the Office of Equity Assurance to resume the critical work it has done to address disparities and benefits, disparities in outreach and other services that the VA provides. Ensuring each and every single veteran gets what they have earned should not and friends, it cannot be political. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this work to reach veterans who I know reside in each and one of our districts.
▶ 2:40:22And with that, chairman, I yield back.
▶ 2:40:25Gentlemen, gentle lady yields back. I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. This amendment would direct the secretary to permanently reinstate the VBA office of equity assurance uh and require by annual congressional uh briefings. I support efforts to ensure that VA providers the provides the highest quality service to all veterans. But veterans is a veteran is a veteran.
▶ 2:40:52We all proudly fought for the same flag and fought to protect the same freedoms. When veterans return to civilian life, it is the VA's responsibility to meet veterans where they are. I do not support forcing the secretary to reinstate an office that would divide veterans. Equity is not equality. As a Marine, I know a a rising tide lifts all ships.
▶ 2:41:19Veterans deserve a VA that champions the equality they fought for. I trust Secretary Collins's view that this office hinders h our mission of serving our nation's diverse veterans and survivors. I will vote no on the amendment and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Who else does anyone else seek recognition? Ranking member.
▶ 2:41:45Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So in in May uh I hosted a roundt that discussed many of the topics impacting minority veterans and one of which was the closure of the office of equity assurance or OEA.
▶ 2:42:01It was extremely apparent from this gathering of 12 organizations and several former VA employees that OEA was doing incredibly valuable work to reach not only veterans of color but women veterans, those in rural communities and in many cases veterans who are not connected to VA care or services. It is absolutely imperative that the Office of Equity Assurance and its employees are reinstated and are able to resume their critical work.
▶ 2:42:28I urge all of my colleagues to support Congresswoman Ramirez's amendment and giving VA the resources to reach all veterans where they are. Um and uh I yield back.
▶ 2:42:42Gentleman yields back. Does anyone else seek recognition? Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing the Ramirez amendment number two to HR 3951. All those in favor say All oppose, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not agreed to. The motion to reconsider is laid on.
▶ 2:43:03I I request a recorded vote, chairman.
▶ 2:43:05A recorded vote has been requested in accordance with the committee rules and further proceedings on this matter will be postponed. Uh there are there any further amendments to HR 3951? Seeing none and hearing none, it is now in order to consider the next bill because the amendments are pending votes.
▶ 2:43:30So, uh, I now call up HR 3483, the fraud act. The clerk shall report the bill.
▶ 2:43:38Hr 34.
▶ 2:43:40Circulated in advance and pursuant to committee rules. Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is now open for amendment at any point. I now recognize Representative Barrett for the purposes of offering an amendment to the nature of substitute.
▶ 2:43:54Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 2:43:56Clerk shall report the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 2:43:59I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment in the nature of substitute be dispensed with and I asked it to be considered base text for the purposes of a markup. Without objection, so ordered. I now rep recognize Representative Barrett for five minutes to speak in support of the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 2:44:17Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh thank you for your consideration of this legislation today. Uh the amendment before us in the nature of a substitute would make technical changes to my bill HR 3483, the fraud act. This amendment would expand the purpose of the information technology system to detect waste, fraud, and abuse in all VHA programs instead of just one. This is specifically designed around uh community care invoices that are sent to the VA and billing that is done that way.
▶ 2:44:48It would also make technical corrections and provide an offset so this bill is costneutral and fiscally responsible. We made these changes to this bill after hearing testimony from the VA at a recent oversight and investigation subcommittee legislative hearing, bringing light to the need for this legislation. I appreciate the administration's dedication to combating the problems within the VA. This bill will save taxpayer dollars from being wasted on fraudulent, inaccurate, or otherwise misleading health care claims that have been submitted to VA.
▶ 2:45:17We've all seen horror stories about um billing practices that have done done in a fraudulent way. Just last year alone, in fiscal year 2024, it's estimated that a total over $400 million in community care claims was done fraudulently. So, or improper in other fashions.
▶ 2:45:36Um, this would direct VA to acquire a system designed to monitor third-party claims from healthcare providers and ensure that the department only pays accurate and complete claims, protecting the VA, veterans, and their healthcare, the taxpayers, and the VA's reputation in the process. In VA's testimony on the fraud act, I was pleased to hear that the department estimates the savings generated from preventing overpayment will more than pay for this technology and fully recover all costs in perpetuity going forward.
▶ 2:46:06This wouldn't just stop bad actors from stealing veteran benefits, but also save taxpayer money that we can reinvest back into services that veterans deserve. This legislation will protect the b the benefits that veterans earn and rely on, ensuring that VA is spending resources appropriately. VA IT systems must be modernized and the subcommittee that I'm pleased to chair, the technology modernization subcommittee will continue finding ways to do that. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment in the nature of a substitute. And with that, Mr.
▶ 2:46:35Chairman, I yield back and thank you again.
▶ 2:46:37Gentleman yields back. I now recognize myself in support of the amendment uh VA uh process process billions of dollars in healthc care claims submitted by private providers every year. However, VA ineffectively ineffective and broken fraud monitoring systems have left taxpayer dollars u vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse. And without modern tools in place, VA cannot ensure taxpayers investments is spent properly.
▶ 2:47:07This amendment would ensure VA has the technology to process claims in an honest, accurate, and legitimate manner. and I urge all members to support it and give VA the tools to move the agency forward. Do any other members have want to comment on the amendment in nature of substitute for HR 3483? Ranking member,
▶ 2:47:29I just have an amendment to the
▶ 2:47:31Okay, I now uh seeing none, I now recognize ranking member Dano to offer an amendment to the amendment in the nature of the substitute to HR 3483.
▶ 2:47:41Mr. Mr Chairman, I have an amendment to the amendment in the nature of substitute to HR 3483 at the desk.
▶ 2:47:45The clerk shall report amendment.
▶ 2:47:47I ask unanimous consent to further reading of the amendment in the dis is disensed with and without objection so ordered. The gentleman is recognized for five minutes displaying his amendment.
▶ 2:47:56Well, well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, and while I appreciate the majority's intent for VA to use an IT system to detect waste, fraud, and abuse, and claims submitted for payment from community care providers, I offer this amendment to correct a severe defect with the underlying text.
▶ 2:48:15Again, I mean, as with the previous bill, I mean, the the intent is something that I'm gonna align with, but um in this case, this bill would allow VA to cannibalize the franchise fund to pay for this IT project. Uh and my amendment seeks to correct this dangerous precedent the majority is attempting to set. you're going around the payfors that we usually use um and are attempting to uh establish a new way to uh move money around.
▶ 2:48:45The franchise funds are a type of revolving fund that VA uses to provide services to other agencies like IT services, HR services or business uh transaction support. The franchise fund operates as a self- sustaining business-like entity at the department operating with a reserve that VA continually uses to improve the services and business lines of the fund.
▶ 2:49:13The bill this bill would attempt to eat away at those reserves to pay for an IT system that performs functionality at the VA that VA already has through the program integral uh integrity tool. Let me say that again. This bill would attempt to eat away at those reserves to pay for an IT system that performs functionality that VA already has through the program integrity tool.
▶ 2:49:41If the reserve is depleted, the franchise fund would not have enough to make improvements to make the improvements that it needs over the years and it may also hurt other shared services that the VA offers to other agencies. There is no requirement that agencies must use VA services.
▶ 2:50:02So they may just go elsewhere if the need is not met, further depleting the franchise fund and that Such depletions could cause service disruptions and at worst the fund could collapse leading Congress uh to bail it out. Additionally, the co the language in this bill takes money from the franchise fund without putting the money it detects and collects from waste, fraud, and abuse claims back into the fund.
▶ 2:50:32The funds collected would instead go into the medical care collection fund. Essentially, this scheme raids the franchise fund and sets it up for failure. I view this as an attempt for the majority to find a new way to pay expensive IT projects they want VA to undertake instead of advocating for more funding for the agency through the traditional appropriations process.
▶ 2:51:03We will oppose any efforts to use the franchise fund in this way and hope uh and we hope that this does not become a regular tactic of the majority to sidestep the appropriations process. Now uh my question to Representative Barrett is I'm interested to hear what VA thinks uh um what VA thinks there would be uh in in terms of savings.
▶ 2:51:28uh shouldn't we amend the bill to put that savings back into the franchise fund um instead of it going into the Medicare the medical care collection fund? That's my question to my colleague. I yield for the question. I yield for an answer.
▶ 2:51:46Um well, thank you to the ranking member. I uh I would stipulate that we don't have u much oversight of what the franchise fund is used for through the um um through the uh uh ordinary congressional process. Um and this would direct that for this specific purpose. Uh I don't have strong opinions about where the money collected whether it regenerates within that or it's used uh appropriately.
▶ 2:52:15It's really my intent through this bill to make sure that we are preventing and collecting on fraudulent claims that are brought forward and that we are adding to the integrity of the process. Uh the bill was expanded in scope because there were multiple different ways in which these claims are submitted and originally was only going to establish that for one possible avenue.
▶ 2:52:37And we subsequently learned in discussions with the VA that there are multiple different ways that these claims can be um can be submitted and we want to make sure that they are uh capturing as much of the breadth of possible fraudulent uh claim uh submissions as there are. So
▶ 2:52:56so again my my question wasn't about oversight over this fund. It's the fact that um the funds collected would go to the medic medical care collection fund
▶ 2:53:05instead of um being put back into the franchise fund. you understand my concerns, our concerns about the collapse of the franchise fund u because of the the whole way that it works um uh you know that we produce it's a revolving fund that uh that brings in revenues from the services we provide to other departments
▶ 2:53:30and and this is a a potentially unsustainable an unsustainable practice. So, um, my look, we we stand aligned on what your intent is.
▶ 2:53:42My hope is that we can come to maybe some agreement
▶ 2:53:47on on how this is funded. We don't think the appropriations process should be skirted and that we need to I don't want to set a new precedent here. Uh, that would potentially collapse this fund.
▶ 2:54:00Great. So maybe we can work together on this uh before it ends up in final form on the
▶ 2:54:05Sure. I appreciate that.
▶ 2:54:07Anyone else?
▶ 2:54:10Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um I agree with the purpose of the base bill as well. Um absolutely. But I am strongly opposed also to the use of the franchise fund to support it and strongly support uh ranking member Takano's um amendment and points. Utilizing the franchise fund in this manner would be unprecedented.
▶ 2:54:29The franchise fund is indeed a revolving loan fund, but the way the that this has been set up, there will be no funds revolving back into it and undermines the intention of that fund. Um, and VA will use money from the franchise fund to procure software to detect ra waste, fraud, and abuse in community care billing.
▶ 2:54:51However, when they collect payments from the community care providers that are legitimate, that money will go to the medical care collections fund, not back into the franchise fund um to repay that um utilization. So, strongly support the intention, believe that we need to be fully transparent about how we're funding these endeavors. Um and if money is going in or coming out but not going in, it's going to undermine this very quickly.
▶ 2:55:17Um it's supposed to be like a business you know like any other business input or revenue in expenditures out if we only have expenditures out uh the solveny will be um lost and the critical function it supports will also be undermined. So thank you. I yield back. you need if you need time
▶ 2:55:4410 seconds. Um the uh I was just going to stipulate I was just reminded that the VA did support that in their testimony, but um I'm not opposed to working on this further to make sure that we you know strike the right balance there. So thank you. Anyone else seeking recognition? I will recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. I find it ironic my colleagues across the aisle are constantly uh suspicious of VA's action when wanting to remove a a provision that creates more transparency.
▶ 2:56:14This amendment would remove a a provision that requires VA to use the franchise fund to pay for this bill. Revolving funds like the franchise fund operate at a very with very little oversight since VA has broad guidelines on how they can spend those funds and they don't need congressional approval to do so.
▶ 2:56:34This year, VA will take in and spend roughly $2 billion through the franchise fund and will have around $850 million in reserve by the end of the fiscal year. Directing how department spending spends the money is exactly how we should be acting as the authorizing committee. That is what Representative Barrett's bill does.
▶ 2:57:00So I'm going to urge my colleagues to reject the amendment and take the responsibility and and the authorizers uh authorizing seriously show them where we need to take and use a use the money from and does any other member wish to comment on the amendment. With that seeing none question now occurs on the agreeing to the TCO amendment and the amendment in the nature of a substitute for HR 3483. All those in favor say I. All those opposed.
▶ 2:57:31No.
▶ 2:57:32No. This is this is your amendment. I'm just
▶ 2:57:38I would have went with it, but
▶ 2:57:40okay. In the opinion of the chair of the nose have it.
▶ 2:57:48A recorded vote has been requested. Pursuant committee rules. This vote will be postponed. Uh are there any further amendments to the natur to the amendment to the nature of a substitute? We will now move to consider the next I now call up HR 3494, the VA Hospital Inventory Management Systems Authorization Act. The clerk shall report the bill.
▶ 2:58:19Hr 34
▶ 2:58:20text was circulated in advance and pursuant to committee rules. Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is now open for amendment at any point. I now recognize Representative Kiggins for the purposes of offering an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 2:58:35Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm especially grateful that my bill, the VA,
▶ 2:58:39Do you have an amendment at the desk?
▶ 2:58:40I'm sorry. Uh do I have an amendment? I have an amendment.
▶ 2:58:43You have an amendment at the desk. The clerk shall report the amendment. Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.
▶ 2:58:48I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment in nature of a substitute be dispensed with and I ask that it be considered as a base text for the purpose of this markup and without objection so ordered. I now recognize Representative Kiggins for 5 minutes to speak in support of the amendment in the nature of substitute.
▶ 2:59:04Thank you, Mr. Chair. My amendment in the nature of a substitute would add an offset for the discretionary funding. This effort of the VA would help maintain and modernize the VA medical facilities, medical equipment, and continue to provide care for our veterans. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment in the nature of a substitute and I yield back. The
▶ 2:59:19gentleoman yields back. I now recognize myself in support of the amendment that this is a common sense straightforward bill to fix the real problem VA hospitals. For too long uh outdated inventory systems have wasted taxpayer dollars and hindered providers ability to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively. We when you can you can't track your resources, you get waste, shortages uh and and veterans pay the price. That's unacceptable.
▶ 2:59:48This bill would force VA to modernize so that we can ensure every dollar is spent responsibly. Better oversight means better care for veterans and more accountability for taxpayers. Precisely what we should have expect from VA. and I urge my colleagues to support the bill this bill uh to get that done. Do any other members wish to comment on the amendment in the nature of a substitute for HR 3494?
▶ 3:00:15Seeing none.
▶ 3:00:16Are there any amendments? An amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 3494. I now recognize um Representative Vadinski to offer an amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 3:00:27Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 3:00:29The clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 3:00:30Bazinski amendment number one. ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with and without objection so ordered. The gentle lady is recognized for 5 minutes to uh explain her amendment.
▶ 3:00:40Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh the VA's supply chain program is certainly enormous and one that definitely deserves a modern approach. VA has told us that they plan to restart this program uh for at least the fifth time. Uh but as far as I can tell, VA has not done the work needed to make implementation efficient and effective.
▶ 3:01:01My amendment requires VA to conduct thorough analysis and brief the committees of jurisdiction before moving forward with modernization efforts for the supply chain program. This includes requirements to finalize a supply chain strategy, assess personnel, create a cost estimate and schedule, develop metrics to measure success, and conduct an a an afteraction on VA's previous failed attempts at supply chain modernization.
▶ 3:01:29Once these steps are done, VA will be able to move forward with its supply chain modernization effort. Um, I am certainly not advocating in this situation for status quo. I want to be clear about that. Um, and to those that might be thinking that, I posed this question back to them.
▶ 3:01:46Uh what about VA's current state makes you a 100% qua confident that they are prepared to step forward with this if they have not looked at past failures, address the impacts of VA's reorganization, or develop success metrics for the modernization effort. Without an assessment of each of these, we are essentially allowing the VA to throw more money at the problem to tune to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in the hope that they take the right approach.
▶ 3:02:16I hope I'm not alone in my concern with this logic. I urge my colleagues to vote I on my amendment and I yield back.
▶ 3:02:24Gentle lady yields back and I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. VA has spent years trying to and failing to modernize its inventory management system. This committee has spent hundreds of hours conducting oversight over these past failures. And it's time that this committee asserted the authorization the authoriz and authority uh to stop being a bystander to modernize modernization project.
▶ 3:02:50Last year, the Supreme Court um loper decision made it clear it is Congress's not agencies that set the policy. This amendment would punt that respon responsibility to VA by requiring reporting that would delay the implementation implementation of this bill.
▶ 3:03:11Um, this amendment would also require reports on topics that have nothing to do with inventory management like the de deferred regist registration program and the uh voluntary early retirement authority. Uh, I urge my colleagues to reject the amendment and not use reporting as a tool to deflect the committee's responsibility to set policy for VA. Does any other member wish to comment on the amendment?
▶ 3:03:41Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the Bazinski amendment in to the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 3:03:50All those opposed, no. No. In the opinion of the chair that nos have it, and the amendment is not agreed to.
▶ 3:03:58Request a record.
▶ 3:03:59A recorded vote having been requested pursuant to committee rules, this vote will be postponed. Are there other further amendments to the amendment in the nature of substitute for HR 34 94? I now recognize Representative Ramirez to offer an amendment in the amendment in the nature of substitute.
▶ 3:04:17Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 3:04:19The clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 3:04:20Ramirez's amendment.
▶ 3:04:21Ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment is dispensed with. Without objection, so ordered, the gentle lady is recognized for five minutes to explain the amendment.
▶ 3:04:30Chairman, uh thank you. Uh this is an amendment that I have been anxious to present to you in the last hour as you uh witnessed a few moments ago. Um but this amendment is is really important. It would bar from contracting with any company with which a special government employee has a financial interest. Over the past several months, we have witnessed the rampant corruption of individuals that are in involved with Doge. These individuals were given access to your sensitive information.
▶ 3:05:00veterans uh made reckless decisions across the agency and put thousands of people at risk. This kind of rogue behavior is appalling and should concern every American taxpayer and every member of Congress. While Elon Musk is no longer a special government employee, thank God for that. He was however allowed to wreck havoc within the federal government for nearly five entire months.
▶ 3:05:28In a clear conflict of interest, he was allowed to become a special government employee despite building his empire on $ 38 billion in taxpayer funding through government contracts.
▶ 3:05:42However, my colleagues across the aisle are apparently willfully to conflict to conflicts of interest, possibly because they don't want to draw attention to their own, even though they claim to care about accountability and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in our government.
▶ 3:06:00The richest man on earth was able to infiltrate our government and still stands to make billions of dollars more as he and his Doge colleagues dismantle the institutions intended to serve the American people. While some of my colleagues feel comfortable allowing this kind of outright corruption to happen at the expense of our veterans, I will not allow that to happen.
▶ 3:06:23I refuse to be complicit in a scheme that further enriches the 1% at the expense of veterans and taxpayers who are barely making it while this guy's trying to figure out what island next he wants to buy. Let me say this loud and clear to Elon Musk and to the rest of the Doge gestures. VA is not for sale. Our veterans and our data is not for sale.
▶ 3:06:49It is our responsibility to make sure that Elon Musk, the special government employees he's brought in to destroy the government, and any future special government employees do not have the opportunity to turn the VA into another business they ultimately will run into the ground. I urge all my colleagues to support my amendment and I passionately yield back. The gentle lady yields back and I rec I'm recognized myself in opposition to the amendment.
▶ 3:07:19Let me be clear. The amendment is unnecessary and misguided. There are federal ethics laws regulations that prohibit government employees including special government employees from using their government position for financial gain. The idea that VA needs special rules is based on nothing and is distraction from VA's mission and the work we do here in Congress.
▶ 3:07:43We should focus on the job at hand, delivering for veterans, not chasing false narratives or creating problems that don't exist. I urge my colleagues to be to oppose the amendment. And does any other member wish to comment on the Rome's amendment?
▶ 3:08:01Somebody did, I guess. ranking member.
▶ 3:08:09Uh Mr. Chairman, uh the the assertion that these uh the concerns that have been raised by uh Ms. Ramirez and her amendment that they emanate from false narratives, used use of the word false narratives. Uh this is patently untrue. We have witnessed uh unprecedented actions uh by a special government employee uh in the name of Elon Musk.
▶ 3:08:35Um and u I think clarifying in statute uh you know what the ethical obligations are of uh contractors is very important. Um anyway that is I I support Ms. Ramirez's amendment and uh I yield back.
▶ 3:08:53Anyone else seeking recognition? Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to Rome's amendment to the amendment in nature of a substitute. All those in favor say I.
▶ 3:09:03I. Those
▶ 3:09:03opposed say no. No.
▶ 3:09:05The opinion of the chair, the nos have it. Um the amendment is not agreed to a recorded vote is has been requested and pursuant to committee rules the vote
▶ 3:09:16will be postponed.
▶ 3:09:18Without objection, the motion to recon never mind. We jumped one. Okay, there we are. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of substitute to HR3494? Seeing none and hearing none, uh the question the we will go in order to to the next bill. All right. HR 3455.
▶ 3:09:47I now call up HR 3455, the Veterans Affairs uh distri distribute distributed ledger in Innovation Act.
▶ 3:09:59The clerk shall report HR 3455 to direct the secretary.
▶ 3:10:03Bill was circulated in advance pursuant to committee rules. Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is open to amendments at any point. I now recognize myself for five minutes to speak in favor of this I'm glad to see my uh colleague uh Representative Mace introduce the VA distribute distributed ledger innovation act. I don't know why that's hard to say.
▶ 3:10:29I admire Representative Mace's commitment to spearheading this in innovation legislation and uh move VA from the stone age into the new age. This legislation would direct VA to study how blockchain technology can modernize and improve the veterans benefits claims process.
▶ 3:10:52VA must continue to be an an innovative organization to deliver quality advanced health care and benefits to our veterans. This bill would ensure VA stays on track. It has my full support and I yield back. Does any other member wish to comment on the bill? Representative Ma, you're not
▶ 3:11:14And thank you, Mr. Chairman. The VA runs on a patchwork of decades old legacy systems, which are slow, inefficient, and prone to security vulnerabilities. These systems often stand in the way of veterans receiving their benefits in a timely manner, leaving veterans to navigate a maze of outdated portals and paperwork. These outdated legacy systems also serve as a target for waste, fraud, and abuse, siphoning crucial resources away from our veterans who earned them. Our veterans and the American taxpayer deserve better.
▶ 3:11:41Distributed ledger technology such as blockchain has the potential to transform how veterans access their benefits by providing greater efficiency, greater security, and greater transparency. My bill HR 3455, the Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act, is an important step to bringing the VA into the 21st century.
▶ 3:12:00This bill would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a comprehensive study on how blockchain technology can be used to improve the clarity, traceability, and reliability of veterans benefits claims, reduce the risk of fraudulent and inaccurate claims, and improve the accountability and the handling of claims, and identify irregularities in benefits delivery. To keep the promises this country has made to veterans and to prevent fraudsters from diverting crucial resources away from our veterans, our technology must adapt with the times and come into the 21st century.
▶ 3:12:30Blockchain technology creates an unchangeable auditable trail of interactions. It's timestamped and tamperproof, decentralized and secure, and authenticity can be verified instantaneously. In the financial services industry, we have seen blockchain based solutions reduce processing times from days down to seconds. Imagine the applications within the VA on modernizing claims processing. If the VA adopts this technology, the days of waiting weeks for verification letters could be over.
▶ 3:12:59We owe it to our veterans to ensure outdated technology doesn't stand between them and the benefits that they've earned. And we owe it to the American taxpayer to ensure benefits are not a target for waste, fraud, or abuse. So, I ask unanimous consent, Mr. chairman to enter into the record a letter of support of my bill, the Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act from the Digital Chamber into the record.
▶ 3:13:19Without objection,
▶ 3:13:20this bill is not a mandate to adopt blockchain overnight. It is a directive to study the technology, assess its value, and report back to Congress on findings and next steps. This is how we modernize thoughtfully. New technologies can help us build systems which are efficient, secure, and transparent. This bill is a step towards bringing the VA into the 21st century in a way which is deliberate and veteran focused. So I urge all members on both sides of the aisle to support this common sense modernization effort to help ensure veterans have timely access to the benefits they were promised and I yield
▶ 3:13:52Does any other member wish to comment on the bill? I now recognize ranking member Tano to offer an amendment to HR 3455. Uh I have an amendment at the uh desk to HR 3455 at the desk.
▶ 3:14:06Clerk will report the amendment.
▶ 3:14:08Amendment to HR. As
▶ 3:14:09unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment is dispensed with without objection. So order. The gentleman is recognized for five minutes to explain his amendment.
▶ 3:14:15Thank you, Chairman Bos. Similar to SE to Representative Badzinsk's remarks on HR 3494 on supply chain management uh supply chain modernization effort. I worry that the passage of this bill may accelerate VA's involvement in an unvetted technology.
▶ 3:14:33My amendment would make meaningful changes to ensure that this study does not just become a check in the box exercise and would ensure that VA is in fact ready to take on this technology if analysis supports that approach.
▶ 3:14:52While the study would assess whether blockchain technology might improve operations, my amendment would ensure it also addressed how it may also create security vulnerabilities, data privacy concerns, or undue pressure on an already constrained OIT workforce.
▶ 3:15:11Further, VA should also take the time to consider if other potential solutions like databases or cloud solutions may be a better fit for VA in its budget. I'm not offering this amendment here today to say that blockchain definitively has no place at VA. I cannot tell the future on that.
▶ 3:15:32I am simply uh I simply here uh I'm simply here noting that before it rolls out such technology it should have internal regulations that provide guidelines for its use governance a governance structure to ensure that the right stakeholders are involved with its implementation and organization and an overall strategy that takes into staffing across the department particularly within VA's modernization
▶ 3:16:03workforce as well as the myriad other substantial projects that VA is undertaking such as the electronic health record FMBT and supply chain to name a few. VA told us that it was not ready to implement distributed ledger technology in the oversight and investigation subcommittee legislative hearing on this bill where it did not offer a position on the bill. So VA did not offer a position on this bill.
▶ 3:16:33VA als VA also has not provided technical assistance for this piece of legislation. So as of today, we really don't know where VA stands in terms of assessing blockchain. Ultimately, many of the bills on today's agenda, HR 3455 included, seem to be pushing forward modernization efforts without performing the leg work to ensure that VA's workforce and systems are able to handle such efforts and that the necessary support structures
▶ 3:17:04are in place. I urge my colleagues to join me in helping VA modernize itself, not throw away, not throw uh money out the door at fixes that are halfbaked and may impair VA's ability to deliver on its mission. I urge my colleagues to support additional accountability measures in my amendment uh and I ask them to support it. Thank you and I yield back. Mr. Chairman,
▶ 3:17:30gentleman yields back. I recognize myself in opposition to the amendment. In order to modernize VA, we need to understand new technology that can make VA a more secure and efficient organization. The underlying bill does not require VA to use uh distributed ledger technology. It simply directs VA to study what the benefits and risk are.
▶ 3:17:55Yet this amendment puts roadblocks on the implementation uh implementing this technology before it's even been studied. The amendment would also uh expand the study to look at alternative solutions like database cloud uh solutions and other subjects beyond the purpose of the study whether the technology could be useful. I urge my colleagues to reject the amendment to keep the bill focused on uh the intended purpose. And does any other member wish to comment on the amendment?
▶ 3:18:25Yes, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 3:18:26The gentle lady is recognized.
▶ 3:18:28Thank you. And uh with all due respect to the ranking member, he laid out the reasons why we should support this amendment. This is why the VA is stuck. Uh this is why China is eating our lunch is because we refuse to modernize. And every time we have a chance to modernize technology and systems to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, etc., uh Congress has a a great ability to stifle that innovation to slow it down. And that's why we have legacy systems built on cobalt from 30, 40, 50 years ago, uh, that we just can't move forward.
▶ 3:18:57We have a VA website that veterans can't navigate. Um, and so, uh, this bill does not roll out any technology. It is simply a comprehensive study. Um, and we'll determine, you know, if and how and where, if at all, uh, blockchain technology can be used, um, at the VA to help our veterans first and foremost. Um, and so I would ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 3:19:26Anyone else seeking recognition on the Tucano amendment?
▶ 3:19:32seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the TCO amendment uh to HR 3455. All those in favor say I.
▶ 3:19:40Those opposed, no. No. The opinion of the chair, the nos have it. Uh, the nos do have it. And without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table. Any further amendments to HR 3455. I now recognize General Burkeman for a motion.
▶ 3:20:01Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee favorably report HR 3455 to the full
▶ 3:20:08The question is on favorably reporting HR 3455. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed? No.
▶ 3:20:16No. pin the chair the eyes have it uh to the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Motion is agreed to and HR 3455 is reported favorably to the house.
▶ 3:20:31Mr. Chairman, pursuant to house rule 11 clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority supplemental additional or dissenting views on HR 3455 as amended. Without objection, I now call up HR 2334 to preempt any squatterers rights established by the state law regarding real property owned by a member of a of the uniformed services. The clerk shall
▶ 3:20:58Hr 2334.
▶ 3:21:00The text was circulated in advance pursuant to committee rules and without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is now open for amendments at any point. I now recognize myself for the purposes of offering an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk shall report the amendment in the nature of
▶ 3:21:18I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment in the nature of substitute is dispensed with and I ask it be considered base text for purposes of this markup. Without objection, so ordered. I now recognize myself for 5 minutes to speak in support of the amendment in the nature of substitute. The ANS would add a short title to the bill and revise the language to clarify congressional intent.
▶ 3:21:42Under current law, the Service Members Civil uh Relief Act does not protect a service member who returns home from military orders and finds individuals residing in their home illegally from assisting assistance due to the state squatter protection laws.
▶ 3:22:02To remove these individuals, service members might must fight their state government and typically pay costly fees to get trespassers out of their home they out the homes they own. This bill would close that loop this loophole by ensuring that the state squatter laws do not allow squatters to occupy service members' homes while they are away on active duty.
▶ 3:22:28Additionally, it would ensure our nation's service members have the right to quickly, easily uh affect trespassers instead of going through an expensive, time-consuming process. I want to thank my friend uh and colleague uh Representative Mast for bringing this very important issue to the committee.
▶ 3:22:49On behalf of our service members, do any members wish to comment on the amendment in the nature of a substitute for Seeing none, are there any amendments to the amend amendment in the nature of substitute for HR 2334?
▶ 3:23:07Mr. Chairman, I recognize the ranking a member to Taco for the purpose of offering a substitute amendment to the amendment in the nature of substitute.
▶ 3:23:15Mr. Mr. Chairman, I have a substitute amendment to the amendment in name nature of substitute to HR 2334 at the
▶ 3:23:21The clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 3:23:23Substitute for
▶ 3:23:24I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with without objection. So ordered. I now recognize represent ranking member Dano for five minutes to speak in support of his amendment.
▶ 3:23:34Uh thank you Mr. Chairman. Look, no service member who deploys should have to worry about squatters adversely possessing or claiming ownership of their property while they're away serving our country. On that point, we are agreed. Adverse possession. Adverse possession really, but I just want to caution us.
▶ 3:23:54Adverse possession is a nuanced legal issue governed by state and local real property law which requires us to carefully amend the service members uh service service members civil uh relief act or SC to preempt those laws and address this issue for deployed service members.
▶ 3:24:16While specific elements that must be proven for an individual to adversely possess a property vary uh by state, all loces share the requirement that uh the individual must inhabit the property for a specified period of time which varies between four and 20 years.
▶ 3:24:39Now, my amendment to the amendment in nature of substitute fixes a fundamental defect to the underlying text and would apply the legal concept of tolling to adverse possession cases for service members. In essence, tolling stops the clock and is used when a party is unable to act due to circumstances beyond their control.
▶ 3:25:04So my amendment quote unquote stops the clock during service members entire period of service for individuals who may try to claim ownership of the service members's property. So let me give you an example. It's kind of complicated to hear how that works. Let's say that we're in Kentucky. Um my my friend Kentucky. Yes, we're going to use KY's example today. Let's say we're in Kentucky, maybe Lexington. uh where adverse possession requires 15 years of continuous possession.
▶ 3:25:34Let's say that a service member stationed at Fort Knox receives five years and during those five years leaves their primary residence in Louisville. We're talking about Louisville, not Lexington. Um leaves their primary residence in Louisville vacant while they live on base, right? So it's been vacant.
▶ 3:25:53If an individual moves into the service member's property and tries to claim ownership, my amendment would stop the clock and those five years of service would not count toward the 15 years of possession that individual that individual would need to claim ownership of the property under Kentucky law.
▶ 3:26:11The 15-year clock would not begin until the service member's period of service is Courts in multiple states have interpreted SC's existing tolling provision to quote unquote stop the clock for adverse possession during service members periods of service. But my amendment would eliminate any potential ambiguity and clarify that SC does just that.
▶ 3:26:37I had major concerns that the amendment in the nature of a substitute would not withstand the loperbrite scrutiny because it was so vague. My amendment provides legal clarity uh to that vagueness. However, I remain concerned that our efforts on this legislation will not provide the urgent relief that service members desire and deserve when they return home from deployments to find trespassers or squatters on their property. The nerve. The nerve. Think about that.
▶ 3:27:06Uh service members will still have to engage in local law enforcement to bring trespassing charges to remove squatters from their property or start eviction proceedings if they have a hold over tenant who has overstayed their lease. My amendment adds a requirement that VA use its existing SC websites and resources to educate veterans on how to secure their property while deployed, how to be a landlord, and how to protect their rights.
▶ 3:27:33I look forward to continue to working with the majority to strengthen this language before it heads to the floor for consideration. I urge my colleagues to therefore vote yes on my substitute amendment to the amendment and nature of substitute. And with that, I yield back.
▶ 3:27:49The gentleman yields back and I recognize myself in support of the amendment. The ranking members amendment would modify the language and current statute instead of making a new section. The amendment would also require VA to provide information to service members about their rights under this section. While I applaud the ranking member for uh promoting transparency, I'm concerned about why he chose VA instead of of Department of Justice. Currently, the DOJ is the only uh enforce enforcer of violations.
▶ 3:28:19Additionally, the service members goes to DOJ not to be a if he or she believes their rights have been violated. During the 117th Congress, the ranking member and I worked together to provide several SCA uh protections to service members. It was the DOJ, not the VA, who provided information to the service members and the states.
▶ 3:28:44What the G what the bill does now is like having GI Bill information being sent out by the Department of Labor. Uh it does not make sense and I understand the ranking member staff has already made a commitment to working with the majority uh before this bill goes to the floor to make sure the agencies who is the subject of this matter uh are the experts uh is the one spending uh sending the information to the service member uh to not let perfect be the enemy of the good with
▶ 3:29:15the ranking members language. I will support it with the intent that more work is still to be needed uh in this language and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment as well and the underlying bill and I yield back and would any other member wish to comment on the takano amendment hearing none. The question now occurs on agreeing to the takano sub substitute amendment and the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 2334. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 3:29:43I. In the opinion of the chair and any opposed say no. In the opinion of chair the eyes have it and the amendment is agreed to. A recorded no. The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment in the nature of substitute on HR 2334 as amended. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed no. The opinion chair the eyes have it and the amendment in the nature of substitute as amended is agreed to.
▶ 3:30:14The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. I now rep I now recognize Representative Takano for a motion.
▶ 3:30:22Mr. Chairman, I move that HR 2334 as amended be reported favorably to the
▶ 3:30:29The question is favorably reporting the HR 2334 as amended to the House. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 3:30:36The oppos say no. Pin the chair. The eyes have it. The motion is agreed to and HR 232334 as amended is reported favorably to the The mo motion to reconsider is laid on the table.
▶ 3:30:53Mr. Chairman, pursuant to HR rule 11 clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority supplemental additional or dissenting views on HR uh 2334 as amended. I'm very pleased that we came to agreement that we both dislike uh squatters and trespasses.
▶ 3:31:14Without objection, by the way.
▶ 3:31:17I now call up HR 3863, the VA mental health outreach and engagement act. The clerk shall report the bill.
▶ 3:31:26Hr 38
▶ 3:31:27bill was circulated in advance and pursuant to committee rules. Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is open for amendment at any point. I now recognize Representative Bazinski for the purpose of offering an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 3:31:40Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 3:31:42Clerk shall report the amendment nature of a substitute.
▶ 3:31:45Bazinski amend.
▶ 3:31:46I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment in the nature of a substitute be dispensed with and I asked that it be considered base text for the purpose of this markup and without objection so order. I now repres I now recognize Representative Bazinski for her five minutes to speak in support of the amendment in the nature of a
▶ 3:32:04Thank you, Mr. Chairman, uh, my amendment clarifies the types and numbers of contact attempts VA must do, and it requires VA to report on the most effective contact types and contract rates. I want to thank Congressman Chuck Edwards for co-leading on this bipartisan bill. I'm also grateful to have the support of the Disabled American Veterans, the American Psychiatric Association, and the USAA, which have all endorsed this bill.
▶ 3:32:31As a member of this committee, I've heard from veterans unaware of where to turn for support and care for the invisible wounds of war. My bill HR 3863, the veteran the VA mental health outreach and engagement act would expand VA's outreach to veterans about mental health services. We must support our veterans and provide them with the knowledge and resources to prosper following their service to our nation.
▶ 3:32:58My my bill would would excuse me would ensure we are proactively reaching out to veterans with mental health related service connected disabilities and connecting them with the care that they need. Navigating the VA should never be a burden and this bipartisan legislation will help make it easier for veterans to get the mental health care that they've earned. I urge my colleagues to support this clarifying amendment and the bill as amended. Thank you and I yield back.
▶ 3:33:25The gentle lady yields back. I now recognize myself in support of the amendment. Representative Bazinski bill would build on our work for by requiring VA to offer a mental health consult consultation to veterans who receive disability compensation for a mental health diagnosis for a veteran dealing with mental health issues. This this bill would unify the two sides of VA, the benefit side and the health side.
▶ 3:33:52It makes sense for VA to check in on these veterans. I think Representative I thank Representative uh Berdzinski for her proposal. And do any other members wish to comment on the amendment in the nature of substitute to HR 3863? Seeing none, are there any amendments to the amendment in the nature of substitute for HR 3863?
▶ 3:34:15Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the
▶ 3:34:16I now recognize Representative Bazinski to offer the amendment and
▶ 3:34:20this will report. Sorry.
▶ 3:34:22Bazinski. Amendment number one. Amendment to the amendment.
▶ 3:34:25I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment is dispensed with and without objection. So ordered, the gentle lady is recognized for five minutes to explain her amendment. Uh
▶ 3:34:34this amendment adds a pay for for this crucial legislation using the home loan fees offset. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. Thank you and I yield back.
▶ 3:34:43I recognize the the lady yields back and I recognize myself to speak on the amendment. I would like to thank the uh my colleague from Illinois for her for this amendment which fully offsets her legislation. I'm confident that my staff will work closely with yours to identify the ways we to reduce the preliminary score uh of this legislation. Does any other member seek uh to make comment on the amendment? Mr. Cell.
▶ 3:35:08Uh Mr. Chairman, just a clarifying question. This is mandatory spending.
▶ 3:35:14Mr. I just want to make sure that the offsets mandatory spending just to because mandatory spending is where our
▶ 3:35:26this bill
▶ 3:35:26our deficit and debt are growing the
▶ 3:35:31Let me get an answer for for you
▶ 3:35:34Yes, it is. It's mandatory.
▶ 3:35:36Thank you. No, the offset
▶ 3:35:37the offset
▶ 3:35:38offset's mandatory.
▶ 3:35:39The offset's mandatory.
▶ 3:35:41Okay. Thank you. Other questions? Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the Badinsky amendment in the amendment in the nature of a substitute for HR 3863. All those in favor say I.
▶ 3:35:56I. Oppose say no. The opinion chair, the eyes have it. The amendment is agreed We will no. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute for HR 3863? Hearing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment in the nature of substitute for HR 3863 as amended. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no.
▶ 3:36:27In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The the amendment is in in the nature of substitute is agreed to. The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. I now recognize ranking member Takano for a motion.
▶ 3:36:40Uh, Mr. Chairman, I move that HR 3863 as amended be favorably reported to the
▶ 3:36:48The question is on favorably reporting HR 3863 as amended to the full house. All those in favor say I.
▶ 3:36:55I. All those opposed, no. The eyes have it. The motion is agreed to and HR 3863 as amended is reported favorably to the A the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.
▶ 3:37:11Ranking member.
▶ 3:37:12Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Rule 11 clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority supplemental additional or dissenting views on HR 3400 as amended. And congratulations to my colleague, Miss Bazinski.
▶ 3:37:25Without objection, I now ask unanimous consent to consider in block the following bills. HR 2137, HR 3123, HR 3834, HR 2701, HR 2721, HR 3767, HR 2791, HR 3481, HR 3579, HR 2954, HR and HR 2034, and HR 3854.
▶ 3:37:56Is there any objection to considering any of these bills in block? Hearing no objection so ordered, the clerk shall report the bills on block.
▶ 3:38:07The bills were circulated in advance and pursuant to committee rules, I ask that the reading of the bills be dispensed with and without objection so ordered. Each of these bills has an amendment in the nature of a substitute which I ask unanimous consent to consider as base text. Without objection, so ordered. Does any member seek to speak on any of the bills included in MLOCK? I'm Representative Kende. We'll start
▶ 3:38:38Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh I do wish to speak on the onb block.
▶ 3:38:42The gentleman's recognized
▶ 3:38:44again. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh ranking member Tano, members of the committee. Uh we are grateful for the opportunity not only to speak in support of this onblock which contains my bill honoring our heroes act but all of our collective efforts in a bipartisan fashion to make this a reality. The Honoring Our Heroes Act was born from conversations with military families in Western New York.
▶ 3:39:10families who've discovered after their loved ones passing that they did not qualify for a VA issued headstone simply because of a date written into federal code. Right now, the VA denies this honor to veterans who died before November 1st,
▶ 3:39:26an arbitrary cut off put in place not out of fairness,
▶ 3:39:31but simply to save money. And that is
▶ 3:39:35As members of this esteemed committee, we all know that service doesn't expire. And the families left behind aren't looking for favors. They're simply asking that our government recognize their loved ones with the same dignity that others have been afforded and that they have earned and deserve. These men and women answered the call to serve and the least that we can do is recognize that service.
▶ 3:40:00That's why I introduced the Honoring Our Heroes Act to restore fairness, to correct this injustice, and to ensure that no veterans memory is forgotten because of when they died. With your partnership, we're taking a meaningful step toward dignity, respect, and lasting recognition for all who have worn the uniform. And after months of hard work, this bill will finally pass this committee and hopefully go to the House floor.
▶ 3:40:26I again want to thank Chairman Boston, Ranking Member Tano, and their teams for working with me and my office to get this bill closer to the finish line. We don't see many acts of bipartisanship these days, but it's comforting to know that this committee can still come together to set things right for our veterans and write the wrongs of the Passage of this bill will mean everything to the families in each of our districts who've waited years to recognize their loved ones with the honor that they have rightfully earned.
▶ 3:40:56I respectfully urge the committee to support on block number one. Let's help ensure that no veterans legacy is forgotten. I yield back.
▶ 3:41:04Gentleman yields back. Uh Representative Barrett, you're recognized for five
▶ 3:41:08Thank you, Mr. Chairman. and uh just wanted to briefly cover the amendment in the nature of a substitute that would make technical changes to my bill HR 3481 the bipartisan delivering digitally for our veterans act. I want to start by thanking the Dereks uh Derek Tran from California and Derek Vanordon from Wisconsin for their support of this important bill. Uh the amendment in the nature of a substitute would include uh my friend and colleague Representative Van Orton's bill the streamlining solid start communications act.
▶ 3:41:37Additionally, this amendment will provide an offset that it is costneutral and fiscally responsible. Modernizing the VA's antiquated systems is essential to ensuring that today's veterans can receive the care and services that they need and have earned through their service. Uh the amendment would include the changes to the solid start program, expanding VA's outreach methods to veterans by allowing transitioning service members to get updates through digital messages as an alternative to phone calls.
▶ 3:42:04The amendment will also allow veterans to opt in to receive digital messaging instead of traditional mail, making it easier for them to receive GI Bill updates. I personally went to college using the GI Bill at a time uh when we did not have text messaging and other digital uh means of communication that were available today. Uh this change will provide veterans with better access to information and benefits for which they are eligible and entitled to and will make things easier for them along the way.
▶ 3:42:30It's time to modernize the VA's electronic messaging system and it's time to finally bring the VA into the 21st century. I urge my colleagues to support HR 3481 as amended and I yield back. Thank you. Gentleman yields back. I now recognize the representative from Illinois, Representative Bazinski, for five
▶ 3:42:47Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to speak in favor of two bills in this on block. Um I want to thank my uh colleague on this committee, Congressman Holidayiday, uh for his collaboration on two bipartisan bills. um HR 2034 and HR Uh my bill HR 2034, the Edith Norse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act would help ease the transition for our student vets seeking a STEM education by modifying eligibility requirements.
▶ 3:43:17So for the Edith North Rogers uh STEM scholarship program, this scholarship has proven crucial to getting more veterans involved in STEM fields. But feedback from veterans and a 2022 GAO report has shown that current eligibility requirements are barriers for many of our student veterans.
▶ 3:43:37My bill would address these barriers by lowering the minimum number of credit hours required and allowing student veterans to apply for the scholarship before their post 911 GI Bill GI Bill benefits run out, which would allow for a smooth transition of funding for their education. I also want to speak in support of HR 3767, the Health Professional Scholarship Program Improvements Act.
▶ 3:44:03VA's Health Professional Scholarship Program supports students pursuing healthc care careers while connecting VA with talented staff. But when program participants graduate, they are often met with delays in receiving a contract. Amid VHA staffing shortages, we need solutions to address this inefficiency. This legislation would streamline the path for HPS participants to start working full-time, making it easier for veterans to get the care that they need.
▶ 3:44:33I urge my colleagues to support these two bills as amended and vote I to unblock number one. Thank you and I yield back.
▶ 3:44:42Gentle women, general lady yields back. Does any other body seek? Dr. Morrison, you're recognized for
▶ 3:44:49Thank you, Mr. Chairman. and I wish to speak to the onblock.
▶ 3:44:53You're recognized for 5 minutes.
▶ 3:44:54Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the ANS to HR 3854, the Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act. This legislation includes the Justice for America's Veterans and Survivors Act, which I am proudly co-leading with my colleague from North Carolina, Mr. Edwards. Our bipartisan legislation asked VA to report to Congress on the prevailing causes of death among veterans, knowing that thorough and accurate data is essential to informing the decisions we make as legislators.
▶ 3:45:22So, it's critical that we have the best data available to monitor and respond to the most significant challenges facing our veterans after their service. Whether it be veteran suicide, toxic exposure, other harmful illness, this information will help both VA and Congress develop policy responses and necessary interventions to the most serious conditions facing our veterans today.
▶ 3:45:42The data reported under this legislation also includes information on veterans with service connected disability which will help support surviving family members and ensure they gain timely access to the services and benefits they are entitled to. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support along with Representative Edwards for his partnership on this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the onblock and I yield back. The gentleoman yields back. Does anyone else seek recognition?
▶ 3:46:08Seeing none, the question now occurs on agreeing to each of the amendments in the nature of a substitute included in the end block. All those in favor vote say I.
▶ 3:46:19I. All those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it uh and the amendments in the nature of the substitute are agreed to. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. I now recognize ranking member Takano for a motion.
▶ 3:46:35Mr. Chairman, I move that the bills considered onblock with amendments HR 2034, HR 2137, HR 2701, HR 2721, HR 2791, HR 2954, HR 3123, HR 3481, HR HR 3767, HR 3812, HR 3834, and HR3 3854B
▶ 3:47:06reported favorably to the House.
▶ 3:47:10There is a motion to favor favorably report the bills as amended, including the onblock to the House of Representatives. All those in favor say
▶ 3:47:19I opposed. No. The opinion of the chair. The eyes have it and the bill and the bill as amended are favorably reported to the house.
▶ 3:47:32Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Rule Clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority supplemental, additional, or or dissenting views on the amended bills HR 2034, HR 2137, HR 2701, HR 2721, HR 2791, HR 2954, HR 3123, HR 3481, HR 3579, HR 3767, HR 3812,
▶ 3:48:02HR 3834 and HR 3854 on all of those.
▶ 3:48:09Yes. And with without objection. There we go. I now ask unanimous consent to consider in block the following bills that do not have amendments HR 659 and HR 4446. Is there any objection to either of these bills including being included in the MBLOG? Hearing no objection, so ordered. The clerk shall report the
▶ 3:48:35On block number two,
▶ 3:48:36the bills were circulated in advance pursuant to committee rules and I ask that the reading of the bills be dispensed with and without objection so ordered. Does any member wish to speak on any of the bills included in the end Seeing none, I now recognize ranking member Takano for a motion.
▶ 3:48:55Mr. Chairman, I move that the bills considered on block HR 659 and HR4446 be reported favorably to the House.
▶ 3:49:04There this there is a motion to favorably report the bill included in end block to the House of Representatives. All those in favor say
▶ 3:49:14I oppose. No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the bill is favorably reported to the House.
▶ 3:49:22Uh Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Rule 11, clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority supplemental additional or dissenting views on HR659 and HR4446.
▶ 3:49:33Without objection, I now ask unanimous consent to consider an inblock the pact and fiscal year 2025 lease resolutions. Hearing no objection, so ordered, the clerk shall report the lease resolutions on block number three. resolutions were circulated in advance and pursuant to committee rules. I ask that the reading of the resolutions be dispensed with and without objection so ordered. Does any member wish to speak on the resolutions included in the end block?
▶ 3:50:03Mr. Chairman,
▶ 3:50:04Mr. Ranking member.
▶ 3:50:06Uh Mr. Chairman, um thank uh thank you. I I'm glad that we're moving forward today to approve VA's fiscal year 2025 uh and PAC Act major medical leases authorizations. Uh, these leases will provide crucial access to VA health care services for veterans across the country.
▶ 3:50:25Thanks to the Pacted Act, Congress streamlined the lease approval process, turning what used to be a frustrating and timeconsuming bottleneck into a more efficient exercise. This means that approving the leases and making sure veterans get access to new clinics in their communities is much much quicker than it was previously. These leases reflect collaboration across parties, chambers, and committees.
▶ 3:50:55Exactly the kind of biccameal bipartisan cooperation that we need more of. But I would be remiss if I didn't raise a troubling exception that risks undermining that spirit. Those with sharp eyes will notice that these lease resolutions are all identical to those that have passed the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and Environment and Public Works Committee and uh with with one very notable exception.
▶ 3:51:25The one lease in this package for a new committee for a new community-based outpatient clinic in Plano, Texas, was altered at the last minute. This unilateral change was not communicated in advance to any of the other committees involved in this decision before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved it on June 11th. It was not discussed among House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee staff as part of a collaborative attempt to find a solution.
▶ 3:51:57It was not immediately clear. It was not immediately clear whether the significant consequences of this change have been fully understood before moving forward. I understand that members of Congress may want to exert influence over where facilities land in our district, but there's a responsible way to do that through coordination and intercommittee cooperation, not by unilateral decisions from one corner that will derail and delay progress for veterans.
▶ 3:52:26This isn't just a matter of process. This is about consequences and delays for veterans. Unfortunately, making this change in the way my majority colleagues went about it will significantly delay progress on procurement and access to at least facility for veterans in Plano. I understand arguments that it is important to make sure facilities are constructed in the best location from the beginning.
▶ 3:52:53However, there is a way to accomplish that and that way is not to wait until the last minute to engage uh and be the last corner to take action and create a process whereby member offices can earmark a location for facilities in their district as long as they are okay with disrupting the procurement process and delaying access to care for veterans.
▶ 3:53:16These are rare opportunities for biccameal participate for biccameal bipartisanship for um well let me just say it again. These are very rare opportunities for biccameal bipartisan cooperative action in our current environment. Approving these crucial crucial leases should have been one such opportunity. But when one corner decides that they know best uh and chooses to move forward without communicating and without cooperating that opportunity is wasted.
▶ 3:53:45Now, I want to be clear. I support approving these leases today. We cannot allow one bad process to delay dozens of others urgently needed of dozens of urgently needed facilities. But unfortunately, veterans in Plano who would have had access to a new VA clinic next year will now likely face a delay of at least 10 months, maybe more, as VA has to start over its procurement process due to this change.
▶ 3:54:11I'm also concerned that despite being aware of this delay, our Republican colleagues have chosen to continue on this path. And I sincerely hope this does not become precedent. Veterans deserve better. Again, despite my concerns, I will support these lease resolutions today to ensure that those without changes without changes are approved as soon as possible. And I yield back.
▶ 3:54:36I I appreciate the U ranking member's concern, but VA resources must follow the veteran, not the other way around. The delineated area from the lease for Plano, Texas meets the veterans where they are. Yes, we are spec specifying where VA should build a new outpatient clinic. That is Congress's job. We are making sure money goes to veterans, not a party, used or empty building.
▶ 3:55:04So with that um I now recognize the ranking member for a motion.
▶ 3:55:09Mr. Chairman, I move that the resolutions considered onblock the fiscal year 2025 impact act VA medical major medical leases authorizations be adopted by the committee.
▶ 3:55:21There is a motion to approve the resolution included in the onblock. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 3:55:29All those opposed no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the lease resolutions are approved.
▶ 3:55:36Thank you, member. pursuant to clause uh 11,
▶ 3:55:41there's no there's no committee. There's
▶ 3:55:42no committees. Okay.
▶ 3:55:45Uh the the members should be advised, we're going to go into a brief recess uh to set up the recording vote systems and that all members are being advised to to get back here to committee for the votes. Uh, and we'll have to also get some out of other committees where other committees are voting where they're at.
▶ 3:56:03I've got a 230 workforce.
▶ 3:56:06That's what I'm hearing. the bright side is these these votes
▶ 3:56:15and the ones over there will I hope
▶ 3:56:21maybe maybe longer.
▶ 3:56:23We're trying to get everybody here.
▶ 4:21:24Okay, if everybody will get please get in their seats. I think we've got that way we can know when everybody's here. So be advised.
▶ 4:21:57Um, we're going to start out with a
▶ 4:23:26as as we vote on the actual actual bill.
▶ 4:26:56the committee uh for postponing further proceedings on the amendment number four to amendment uh in the nature of a substitute offered by Representative Brownley to HR740. Got it. Okay. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote by using an electronic voting system.
▶ 4:27:23The chairman intends to That's not fair. The chair intends to vote no.
▶ 4:27:35Ranking member intends to vote yes.
▶ 4:27:36Voting's open. The clerk have all members voted. Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will report. The clerk will close the vote and announce the results.
▶ 4:28:10Mr. Chairman, the vote is 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:28:15There are 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Committees postpone further proceedings on amendment number five to the amendment in the nature of substitute offered by representative Conaway to Dr. Conaway to HR740. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote by using electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:28:45Ranking member intends to vote yes.
▶ 4:28:50Clerk will now open the vote on Conway amendment number five to the amendment in the nature of a substitute for HR740. All members have all members voted. Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the total.
▶ 4:29:15Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:29:19There is 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The committee postponed further proceedings on amendment number six to the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Representative Dexter to HR740. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote using electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:29:44Uh rank member votes no. Uh votes yes.
▶ 4:29:46The clerk will now open the vote and dexter amendment. The dexter amendment the nature of substitute on HR40. Have all members voted? There we go. Does any member wish to change their Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the totals.
▶ 4:30:16Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:30:20There's 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The committee postponed further proceedings on the amendment to number 10 to the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by representative shifilis McCormick on The question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote using the electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote nay. The
▶ 4:30:48ranking member intends to vote yes. The clerk will now open the vote on the shiplet McCormack amendment and uh in the nature of substitute HR 740. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk close can close the vote and announce the totals.
▶ 4:31:19Mr. Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12 nos.
▶ 4:31:22There are 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The committee postpone future proceedings by amendment number eight to the amendment in the nature of a substitute uh offered by Representative Tano on HR740. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote using the electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:31:46Ranking member intends to vote uh yes. The clerk will now open the vote on the TCO amendment number eight to the amendment and the nature of a substitute on HR740. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk can close the vote and announce the total.
▶ 4:32:13Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12 nos. There are 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The committee postpone further proceedings on amendment number one to the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by representative con Dr. Conaway to HR740. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their votes by using electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:32:41Ranking member intends to vote yes. The clerk will now open the vote and on the the Conaway amendment number one to the amendment in the nature of substitute on Have any all members voted? Does it does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce a total.
▶ 4:33:11Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:33:14There are 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion reconsiders laid on the table. The committee postpone further proceedings on the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by representative Morrison to HR740. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote by using electronic voting system. The chair intends to vote no. Ranking member intends to vote yes.
▶ 4:33:41The clerk will now open the vote on the Morris amendment and a to the amendment in the nature of substitute for HR740. Have all members voted? Is any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the totals. Mr.
▶ 4:34:09Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:34:12There are 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to. The without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The committee postponed further proceedings on amendment number nine to the amendment in the nature of a substitute by represent Dr. Conaway to HR740. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote using electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:34:41rank member intends to vote yes.
▶ 4:34:43The clerk now open the vote on the Conaway amendment number nine and to the amendment in the nature of substitute for HR740. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the totals. Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:35:10There are 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider laid on the table. The question now occurs on green to the amend the amendment in the nature of a substitute on HR 740 as amended. All those in favor say I. I. All oppose say no.
▶ 4:35:30Any opinion chair? The eyes have it and the amendment in the nature of substitute is agreed to. Mr. Chairman, I request a recorded vote.
▶ 4:35:38A recorded vote having been requested, the question occurs on agreeing to the amendment in the nature of a substitute on HR740 as amended. Members will record their vote using electronic uh voting system. The chairman intends to vote I.
▶ 4:35:53Ranked member intends to vote no.
▶ 4:35:55No. The clerk will now open the vote and amendment on the nature of the substitute HR740 as amended. Have all members voted here? Yeah, here we go. Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and and announce the totals.
▶ 4:36:29Mr. Chairman, there are 12 yays and 11
▶ 4:36:3312 yays and 11 nos. The amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR740 as amended is agreed to. Without objection, the motion reconsider is laid on the table. I now recognize General Burkeman for a motion.
▶ 4:36:46Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee favorably report HR740 as amended to the full house. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed, no.
▶ 4:36:57Opinion chair, the eyes have it. The motion is agreed to and
▶ 4:37:01I I request a recorded vote.
▶ 4:37:04Recorded vote has been requested. The question occurs on the motion favorably reported to HR740 as amended. Members will record their vote by using electronic system. The chairman intends to vote I. Rank member tends to vote no.
▶ 4:37:16The clerk will now open the vote motion and fa um to favorably report HR 740 as Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the total.
▶ 4:37:39Mr. Chairman, there are 12 eyes and 11 There are 12 eyes's and 11 nos. HR740 as amended is favorably reported to the house. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The committee postpone further proceedings on the amendment to the amendment in the nature of the substitute offered by representative Ramirez to HR 1663. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
▶ 4:38:07Members will record their vote using electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:38:13Uh ranking member intends to vote yes.
▶ 4:38:15The clerk will now open the vote on Ramire's amendment on to the amendment in the nature of a substitute uh to Have all members voted?
▶ 4:38:38Yeah. Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk should close the vote and announce the total.
▶ 4:38:50Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:38:54There's 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to. And without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment in the nature of a substitute for HR1663 as amended. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 4:39:10Those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment in in the nature of the substitute is agreed to. The question occurs on agree. Nope. All righty.
▶ 4:39:27We still have to make a motion report. I've got to get to that. What page?
▶ 4:39:48I now recognize General Burke Burkeman for a motion. There we go.
▶ 4:39:52Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee favorably report HR 1663 as amended to the full house. All those in motion is on favorly report to the the bill to the floor floor. All those in favor say I.
▶ 4:40:11All those opposed? No. The motion is agreed to and HR 1663 as amended is reported favorably to the house floor.
▶ 4:40:21Now we go to the next.
▶ 4:40:26Which one?
▶ 4:40:323951. Yeah.
▶ 4:40:35Okay. The committee propos post postpone further proceedings on amendment number one rep pre offered by representative Ramirez Ramirez to HR 3951. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote using electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no. Uh, ranking member intends to vote I on this amendment which restores collective bargaining agreements for VA employees.
▶ 4:41:01The clerk will now open the vote on the Ramirez amendment number one to HR 3951. Have all members voted? Does anyone wish to change their vote?
▶ 4:41:20Hearing none.
▶ 4:41:20Miss Morrison, you're none, the clerk should close the role and announce the total. Mr. Chairman, there are 11 eyes and 12 There there are 11 eyes and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.
▶ 4:41:45The committee postponed further proceedings on amendment number two offered by Representative Ramirez to HR 3951. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. The member will will record their vote using the electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:42:00Ranking member intends to vote yes.
▶ 4:42:01The clerk will now open the vote in the remembrance amendment number two HR Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the totals. Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:42:27There are 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider laid on the table. I now recognize Representative Burkeman for a motion.
▶ 4:42:40Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee favorably report HR 39er 51 to the full house. Rep. The motion is to report uh favorably to the house HR 3951. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, The opinion chair, the eyes have it. The motion is agreed to and HR 3951 is reported to the full house.
▶ 4:43:11The committee postponed further proceedings on the amendment to the amendment in the nature of the substitute offered by representative Tano to HR 3483. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote using the electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:43:30Rank intends to vote yes. The clerk will now open the vote on the Takano amendment to the amendment in the nature of substitute on HR 3483. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the totals.
▶ 4:44:01Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:44:04There's 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 3483 as amended. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The amendment in the nature of a substitute is agreed to.
▶ 4:44:27Mr. Chairman, I call for a roll call
▶ 4:44:29A recorded vote has been requested. The question occurs on the agreeing to the amendment in the nature of a substitute for HR 3483 as amended. Members will record their vote using the electronic system voting system. The chairman intends to vote I.
▶ 4:44:44Rank mayor intends to vote no.
▶ 4:44:47The clerk will now open the vote on the amendment in the nature of the substitute to HR 3483 as amended. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the total.
▶ 4:45:17Mr. Chairman, there are 12 yays and 11
▶ 4:45:2012 yays and there are 12 yays and 11 nos. The amendment in the nature of a substitute for HR 3483 as amended is agreed to. Without objection, the motion read. Consider laid on the table. I now recognize General Burkeman for a motion.
▶ 4:45:33Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee favorably report HR 3483 as amended to the full house. The motion is made to report HR 3483 as amended to the full house. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. Opinion and chair. The eyes have it. The motion is agreed
▶ 4:45:53ask for a recorded vote. A motion a recorded vote having been requested. The question occurs on the motion to favorably report HR 3483 as amended to the full house. Uh members will record their vote using the electronic voting system. The chairman intends to vote I rank intends to vote no.
▶ 4:46:14The clerk will now open the vote on the motion and to favorably report HR 3483 as amended. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will will close a vote. Announce the totals.
▶ 4:46:38Mr. Chairman. There are 12 eyes and 11
▶ 4:46:41There are 12 eyes's and 11 nos. The HR 3483 as amended is favorably reported to the House and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the The committee postponed further proceedings on the amendment to the amendment in the nature of the substitute for the representative Badinsky's to um HR3494. The question occurs on agreeing with the amendment. Members will record their vote using electronic voting system.
▶ 4:47:10The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:47:11Ranking member tends to vote yes. The clerk will now open the vote and on the Bazinski amendment to the amendment in the nature of the substitute for Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the totals.
▶ 4:47:38Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:47:42There's 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The committee postponed further proceedings on the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by representative Ramirez to HR 3494. The question occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will record their vote using electronic system. The chairman intends to vote no.
▶ 4:48:06Ranking member intends to vote yes. The clerk will now open the vote and on the RmIrez amendment to the amendment and H for substitute on HR 3494. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? Hearing none, the clerk will close the vote and announce the totals.
▶ 4:48:30Mr. Chairman, there are 11 yays and 12
▶ 4:48:34The amendment is there are 11 yays and 12 nos. The amendment is not agreed to. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The question now occurs on agreeing with the amendment in the nature of a substitute on HR 3494 as amended. All those in favor should say I. I. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment in the nature of a substitute is agreed to.
▶ 4:49:06The amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 3494 as amended is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. I now recognize represent General General Burkeman for a motion. All those Mr. Chairman I move that the committee favorably report HR 349er4 as amended to the full house.
▶ 4:49:28The motion is to report HR 3494 as amended to the full house. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed? No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. The motion is agreed to and HR 3494 as amended is reported favorably to the House. In the opinion of the Nope.
▶ 4:49:48All done.
▶ 4:49:48Oh, we're all done. Now
▶ 4:49:52in that concludes today's markup. The
▶ 4:49:55Mr. Chairman.
▶ 4:49:56Oh, yes. Uh, pursuant to House rules rule 11 clause two, I give notice of intent to file minority, supplemental, additional, or dissenting views of HR 3494 as amended.
▶ 4:50:11Without objection.
▶ 4:50:12And uh, Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Rule 11, clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority, supplemental, additional, or descending views on HR740 as amended.
▶ 4:50:24Without objection,
▶ 4:50:26Mr. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Rule 11 clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority, supplemental, additional, or dissenting views on HR 3483 as
▶ 4:50:38Without objection,
▶ 4:50:39Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Rule 11, clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority, supplemental, additional, or dissenting views on HR 1663.
▶ 4:50:50Without objection,
▶ 4:50:52Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Rule 11, clause 2, I give notice of intent to file minority, supplemental, additional, or dissenting views on HR 3951. Without objection, that concludes today's markup. The committee has voted to report 25 bills and two leases resolutions back to the full house. I ask unanimous consent.
▶ 4:51:15The committee has staff be authorized to be make technical, clerical, cher and confirming changes to the bills favorably be reported today and without objection so ordered. I also ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extenduous material on any of the bills that were favorably reported without objection. So ordered. I thank the members for their attendance today. The committee for veterans affair is adjourned. We will see you after the