the claims backlog at the veterans administration. we've taken strong steps to ensure that we will soon have a coordinated, interoperable electronic health records between the veterans affairs department and the department of defense. and i'm happy that in this bill, together we will assure accountability for our nation's veterans. . mr. speaker, when our men and women took the oath to serve our country as part of our nation's military, they took an oath to serve and defend. and when they completed that service, our nation has, in fact, figuratively written a check assuring that they will have the benefits that they need when they come back following their service. it is our duty as a nation, our

duty as a congress, and certainly our duty as a part of this committee to make sure hat that check we figuratively wrote to those veterans never comes back marked insufficient funds. and to make sure that that check, the benefits of that check don't come back redeemed in a delayed fashion. so we have done what is necessary to make sure that they get their benefits, that he they get them in a timely manner, that the claims backlog is eliminated, and that we facilitate whatever it takes to make sure that they are rewarded for their service to our country because the price of freedom, it is not free. somebody had to pay that price. and the people who paid the price are the men and women who served our nation in uniform and are our veterans and

families who also sacrificed as the service members wept to war. with that i yield back the balance of my time, and i urge the adoption of this bill and ask my colleagues to support it. the chair: the gentleman from georgia yields back his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. culberson: i join mr. bishop in urging the house to approve this legislation. i agree with him wholeheartedly about making sure that any check, any check that our veterans have earned never comes back with insufficient funds. it's fundamental obligations of the federal government to make sure our veterans are taken care of while they serve and also given the best medical care their country can provide to them. we have in this legislation given everything thats veterans have asked us for. we make sure that the v.a. is fully funded. we are using the power of the purse to ensure that the law is obeyed. we are making sure that our constituents' hard-earned tax

dollars are spent wisely and they actually reach the veterans who need them the most. we are in an extraordinary era, mr. chairman, of survival rates are higher than they have ever been for men and women in uniform. if they are lucky enough to survive their initial injury and make it to an aid station, the survival rate's in excess of 98%, 99%. it's an extraordinary the blessings of modern medicine, the work the v.a. has been doing in prosthetics and helping these young men and women recover from their injuries is extraordinary. this is our first obligation as a government is to n sure the men and women who make it possible for us to be here in a free society and debate legislation like this, that they are given everything that they have earned by their service to their country. an important part of this is to be sure that we are also talking to our constituents about the budget problems that lie ahead of us and the importance of making sure that the social safety welfare net,

social safety net that's out there, social security, medicare, medicaid, those programs remain solvent. that they do not -- they are right now head food bankruptcy and we have to make sure that we deal with those bigger problems for the longer term so we can continue to fully fund the needs of our veterans and our men and women in uniform. it truly has been a privilege for me to work on this subcommittee with my friend from georgia, mr. bishop. state of georgia and state of texas i feel a special kinship with the people of georgia because they have a commitment to the military that is commensurate to that of the people in texas. we both admire our men and women in uniform immensely. this is a piece of legislation that our folks back home, mr. chairman, may not -- they may not see much disagreement that's because we are, all of us, so strongly in support of making sure our men and women in uniform can focus on their mission and protect this nation with complete peace of mind. i urge all members of the house to support this legislation which is presented to them by a

unanimous vote to the subcommittee and the full committee. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from texas yields back his time. all time for general debate has expired. pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendments under the five-minute rule. during consideration of the bill for amendment the chair may accord priority and recognition to a member offering an amendment who has caused it to be printed an designated place in the congressional record. those amendments will be considered as read. the clerk will read. the clerk: be it enacted the following sums are appropriated for military construction, department of veterans affairs, and related agencies for 2015. namely, title 1, department of defense, military construction, army. $526 million,427,000 to remain available until september 30, 2019. military construction, navy and arine corps, $998,772,000 to

remain available until eptember 30, 2019. military construction, air force, $719,551,000 to remain available until september 30, 2019. the chair: for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? >> i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. cloipped amendment offered by ms. castor of florida, page 3, line 23, after the dollar amount be, insert increased by $9,800,000. page 11, line 23, after the dollar amount, insert reduce by $9,800,000. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. castor: thank you, mr. chairman. i'd like to thank chairman culberson and ranking member bishop for all of their hard work and the committee, all of your work on behalf of america's service members and veterans to ensure that they have the military facilities

that they deserve. i'm very heartened to see the congress on both sides of the aisle working together to ensure that our military families and service members and our veterans have every resource they need to be successful. my amendment proposes to transfer $9.8 million to the air force construction account from the brac account. to really highlight an area in military construction and our facilities that needs a little bit of extra attention because i think we can all agree that it's important to ensure that after our service members serve in hazardous areas across the globe, when they return to the united states and our military installations, that those installations are clean and safe and secure as well. mr. chairman, i have the privilege of representing mcgill air force base in tampa, florida. dill is led by the sixth air

mobility wing but has a host of very important tenants on the base, including united states central command, central operations command, the 927th air refueling wing, joint and communication support element. in fact at mcdill we have 39 mission support partners. it's a very busy base. i wanted to bring to everyone's attention a deficiency in our mission support facility. think about this big active base with all of these tenants, 13,000 military and civilian mcdill.l at add op to that 170,000 military retirees in the area. they come to this mission support facility to get credentialed and take care of the very -- most basic credentialing and security processes at the base. our mission support facility is far from the main gate, it's way too small, but most

seriously it contains black mold. it is on the first floor along the wall, it's -- tampa is a very damp place and humid place, and if you don't take care and maintain these facilities, it causes very expensive problems down the road. they are doing the best they can, but it's very difficult to keep up. i bring this issue because this has occurred at other military installations before with the black mold. there was hampton roads in virginia. military housing. and most notoriously the walter reed building 18 where we had wounded soldiers. thankfully through the efforts of the congress many of these have been dealt with, but i think it's very important that the air force maintain a critical eye on these establishments to make sure that they are up to standards for our military families. i wanted to raise awareness of this matter to the air force, to the committee members, and i do hope that you will work with

me to address this critical issue at mcdill air force base and other substandard military facilities across america. i reserve the balance of my ime. the chair: the gentlelady -- are you yielding back your time? ms. castor: at this time i yield back my time. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? mr. bishop: move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. at this time i'd like to commend the gentlelady for raising a very, very important issue to the health, safety, and welfare of arrestmen an those who go to mcdill and -- airmen and those who if to mcdill, i want to assure the gentlelady that the chair and i will work very closely to make sure that issue

is addressed. it is our hope that the gentlelady will withdraw her amendment and that we can work on it together, but i assure the gentlelady that we will work together to make sure that that is a safe environment, healthy environment so that no one will be exposed to the consequences of black mold. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back his time. ms. castor: i ask unanimous -- i ask unanimous consent that my amendment be withdrawn and thank the committee for their attention. the chair: without objection. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 4, line 12, military construction, defense wide including transfer of funds. $2,021,690,000 remain available until september 30, 2019.

the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? >> mr. chairman i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: printed in the congressional record offered by mr. turner of ohio. the chair: the gentleman from ohio is recognized for five minutes. mr. turner: thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank chairman culberson and ranking member bishop for their hard work and dedication to ensure that we have a great bill for our vets and men and women in uniform, but also for their tenacity. i want to thank chairman culberson for his efforts in working with me on this amendment and also ranking member bishop. today i rise in support of the amendment to provide funding for planning, design, for a defense site capable of defending the homeland from a long radge lipids attack. to date two presidents as well as three secretary of defense have recognized the advantages of an additional missile defense site to provide acontiguousal protection against a long range ballistic missile threat from regions like the middle east. as you i may be aware, we

currently possess only two sites, both on the west coast, limiting our ability to target and intercept incoming icbm's. since 2007, the united states northern command, the combat command in charge of defending the homeland, has on numerous occasions recommended the construction of an east coast site for this purpose. just last year in testimony before the house armed services committee, and again in testimony this year, the u.s. rthern commander stated, quote, the third site if you build it, would give us better weapons access, it would give us increased inventory, and increased battle space. with regards to a threat coming from the direction of the middle east. as china, russia, iran, and north korea push for more advanced launch vehicles, the construction of an east coast site will dramatically improve the ability of our military to intercepted incoming threats by increasing the ability to engage and defeat those threats. with the 2009 cancellation of the missile defense site in poland, coupled with an

increased threat environment, it's imperative that we continue to act to protect the homeland from the long range ballistic missile threat. i thank you for your consideration to this amendment. i want to again thank chairman culberson for his commitment. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from texas, for what purpose. mr. culberson: move to strike the last word. the chair: is recognized for five minutes. mr. culberson: i rise in strong support of this amendment and i thank my colleague from georgia and working with us on making sure we get this done. we are long overdue for any ballistic missile site on the continental united states here on the east coast in particular. my good friend from ohio, mr. turner's right. we face increased threat environment to put it mildly the north koreans who are still at war with us, we are only under an armistice in north korea, north koreans have demonstrated they have a nuclear weapon in hand and visual satellite observers -- i'm an amateur astronomer. as a member of a group of amateur observers of artificial

satellites, one of the members of our network actually observed and tracked the north korean intercontinental lipids overflying the united states december 12 of 2012. that's the first time the north koreans have demonstrated the ability to actually fly an intercontinental ballistic missile payload over the united states. that missile flew over florida, mr. chairman, flew over pensacola, came up from the south, and flew over the southeastern united states and exited the united states over michigan. so the north koreans have already demonstrated they have the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon to the united states, so it's imperative that he we move immediately to design and build an anti-ballistic missile site on the east coast of the united states and i want to compliment nigh good friend from ohio for bringing this amendment. it's my privilege to support it and urge the adoption of the amendment and then urge the department of defense to build this anti-ballistic missile site as fast as possible. i yield back the balance of my time. . mr. bishop: move to strike the last word.

the chair: you're recorded. mr. bishop: mr. speaker, i join the chairman in accepting this amendment. i think -- commend the gentleman for offering it and i think our national defense will certainly be enhanced by the adoption of this amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from ohio. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, it's adopted. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 5, line 20, military construction, army national guard. $126,920,000 to remain available until september 30, 2019. military construction, air national guard, $94.663,000 to remain available until september 30, 2019. military construction, army

reserve, $103,946,000 to remain vailable until september 30, 2019. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? mr. mica: mr. chairman, i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. mica: thank you, mr. chairman. mr. chairman, i ask if the chair of the military construction-veterans affairs and related agencies appropriations subcommittee would rise and engage in a colloquy. mr. culberson: it would be my privilege. mr. mica: thank you, sir. first, i'd like to commend you, chairman culberson and ranking member bishop and the appropriations committee staff for their efforts in bringing this important measure for our veterans and our military to the floor. i'd also like to take this opportunity to highlight a vital need to our central florida veterans population. this year as we approach the

completion of construction of the new veterans hospital and edical complex at lake orlando, i'd like to help keep the existing medical facilities and clinic at baldwin park in service to our veterans. this medical resource is an important federal asset that must not set idle even before the new medical facility and center opens. it's critical that the v.a. make a positive determination on the future use of this property and medical center. with florida's growing veterans population that is already the second largest in the nation, it's important that we plan now for the future medical care for our veterans. additionally, with those services for our men and women now returning from overseas

conflicts, we must prepare for the future demand for medical services. two years ago in a letter i wrote secretary of veterans affairs to plan for this day, for today, and anticipate keeping this medical facility open and using it for the benefit of our veterans. most recently -- i have a joint letter and i'll ask shortly to have both of these entered in the record. i have a joint letter from the central florida delegation, both democrats and republicans, asking for the v.a.'s consideration of this request. i am now hoping, mr. chairman, that you'll join us in our effort to ensure that the v.a. takes steps to preserve and utilize this much-needed medical capability that we have there. h recently opened lake no veterans 160-bed are already at

capacity, confirming the need to maintain the baldwin park complex. mr. chairman, finally, i'd just ask for your support. you've been most helpful in the past. in these current efforts to ensure that the existing v.a. medical facilities at baldwin park remain open and continue to provide world-class treatment for our veterans population. mr. culberson: i want to ensure that my good friend from florida, mr. mica, that the v.a. does complete its independent study at this facility and confident -- hopefully that report will come back and show the continued need for the baldwin park facility and work with you and ensure that the veterans administration does everything in its power to work to keep that facility open. mr. mica: again, i thank you, mr. chairman, for your past work, mr. bishop, and the staff working with us. we look forward to ensuring that the v.a. medical complex remains open

and continue the medical services needed by our veterans. mr. chairman, i'd like at the appropriate time insert in the record, ask unanimous consent, letter both from the central florida delegation to be made part of the record and, secondly, a letter to the secretary of veterans affairs, which i sent him back in 2012 hopefully in anticipation of using that facility that we're talking about in this colloquy. the chair: the chairman's request is actually covered by general rule. mr. mica: i thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back his time. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 7, line 15, military construction, navy verve. $51,528,000 to remain available ntil september 30, 2019. military construction, air force reserve, $49,492,000 to

remain available until eptember 30, 2019. north atlantic treaty organization, security investment program, $199,700,000. family housing construction, army, $78,609,000 to remain available until september 30, 2019. family housing operation and intenance, army, $350,976,000. family housing construction, navy and marine corps, $16,412,000 to remain available until september 30, 2019. family housing operation and maintenance, navy and marine corps, $354,029,000. family housing operation and maintenance, air force, $327,747,000. family housing operation and

maintenance, defensewide, $61,100,000. department of defense, family housing improvement fund, $1,662,000. chemical demilitarization nstruction, defensewide, $38,715,000 to remain available until september 30, 2019. department of defense base $270,085,000.t, administrative provisions, section 101, none of the funds shall be expended for payments for construction where estimates exceed $25,000. section 102, funds shall be vailable for higher -- hire of passenger motor vehicles. section 103, funds may be used for the federal highway administration for construction of access roads when projects authorized are certified as important to the national

defense. section 104, none of the funds may be used to begin construction of new bases in the united states. section 105, none of the funds shall be used to purchase of land in excess of 100% of the value as determined by the army corps of engineers. section 106, none of the funds shall be used to acquire land. section 107, none of the funds for minor construction may be used to transfer any activity from one base to another without prior notification to the committees. section 108, none of the funds may be used for the procurement of steel for which american steel producers had been denied the opportunity to compete for such steel procurement. section 109, none of the funds for military construction may be used to pay real property taxes in any foreign nation. section 110, none of the funds may be used to initiate a new installation overseas without

prior notification to the committees. section 111, none of the funds may be obligated for architect contracts to exceed $500,000 for projects in japan. section 112, none of the funds for military construction may be used to award any contract to exceed $1 million to a foreign contractor. section 113, the secretary shall inform the committees if amounts expended are anticipated to exceed $100,000. section 114, not more than 20% of the funds shall be obligated during the last two months of the fiscal year. section 115, funds for construction shall be available for each such military department by the authorizations. section 116, for projects being completed with funds otherwise expired, expired or lapsed funds may be used. section 117, funds made available to a military

department for the construction of military projects may be obligated if the funds obligated for such project are obligated from funds available for military construction projects. section 118, including transfer of funds. proceeds deposited to the department of defense base closure account may be transferred to the account established by the defense base closure and realignment act of 1990. section 119, including transfer of funds. subject to 30 days prior notification such amounts may be determined -- such amounts as may be determined may be transferred to the family housing improvement fund from accounts appropriated for construction and family housing accounts. section 120, including transfer of funds. amounts may be transferred from the department of defense base closure account to pay for expenses associated with the

homeowners assistance program. section 121, funds made available for operation and maintenance of family housing for repair and maintenance of all family housing units. section 122, amounts in the ford island improvement account shall be available until expended. section 123, including transfer of fubbeds, during the five-year period under appropriations for military construction have expired, unobligated balances may be transferred into the appropriation foreign currencies fluctuations defense. section 124, except as provided in subsection b, none of the funds may be used by the secretary to relocate a unit in the army that performs a testing mission. section 125, amounts may be transferred within the account in accordance with the reprogramming guidelines for military construction.

section 126, none of the funds may be obligated for planning and design at arlington national cemetery. section 127, $125 million. section 128, $245 million. section 129, including rescission of funds, $79,577,000 are rescinded. section 130, including rescission of funds, $25 million are rescinded. section 131, including $100 sion of funds, million are rescinded. section 132, the term congressional defense committees means the committee on armed services of the house of representatives and senate. title 2, department of veterans affairs. veterans benefits administration, compensation and pensions, including

transfer of funds, $78,679,709,000. readjustment benefits, $14,761,862,000. veterans insurance and ndemnities, $63,257,000. veterans housing benefit program fund, for direct and guaranteed loans such sums as may be necessary. for administrative expenses, $160 -- the chair: for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise? >> mr. chairman, i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i rise today to bring the house attention to an important issue. the veterans retraining assistance program, also known as vrap, has helped our veterans retrain to develop the

skills they need for jobs of today expired on march 31. ms. brownley: i planned to offer an amendment today to provide funding for the veterans retraining assistance program, however, i understand the amendment would have been subject to a point of order. nevertheless, this critical issue is deserving of the house's attention. as a member of the house veterans' subcommittee on economic opportunity, i know well the struggles our unemployed veterans face on a daily basis to re-enter the ork force. in my home district of ventura county, where i'm proud oto represent naval base ventura county, we have a large group of veterans who have sacrificed for our country around deserve every effort we can to ensure they receive the training they need to find the jobs they deserve, especially after the recent

resession. it is deeply disappointing that the 113th congress has allowed this critical job training program to expire. vrap helps veterans who are no longer eligible for the fwmplet i. bill to get the training they need at community colleges and technical schools in high demand occupations. one such veteran who is being helped by vrap is my constituent, jonathan. jonathan is a first generation filipino american from oxnard who served in the united states marine corps from 1995 to 2013. as an active duty marine he, handled telecommunications on a vessel in theater during the iraq war supporting his brothers and sisters who landed ashore. when jonathan was preparing to retire from the marine corps, he learned about vrap through their education benefits class and

signed up for the program. he is currently a full-time student in oxnard, majoring in business management, and is scheduled to graduate in 2015. as a result of vrap's expiration, jonathan may not be able to afford to continue. that would be devastating for jonathan and a tragedy for our country. that is why i introduced h.r. 4149, the bipartisan help hire our heroes act which has gained support from the american legion, veterans after foreign wars and the -- veterans of foreign wars and the united states knave. -- navy. despite this body's solemn obligation to serve our veterans as they have served our nation, my bill has still not been brought forward for a vote. my amendment would have ensured that this critical program could continue and i am disappointed that i was unable to offer it here today.

the veterans retraining assistance program has succeeded in helping many veterans retrain and find employment and it should not have been allowed to lapse. because our veterans like jonathan were there for us, it is our duet to be there for them. therefore i urge the leadership of this chamber to quickly bring forward legislation that will extend the vrap program and help our unemployed veterans. i yield back the balance of our time. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 26, line 17, vocational rehabilitation loans program account for direct oans, $10,000. the chair: the clerk will suspend. for what purpose does the gentleman from washington rise? >> mr. chairman, i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is

recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. rye -- i rise to speak in support of project labor agreements. as the house begins onsideration of military appropriations, i urge my colleagues to support project labor agreements. we know how important they can with the navy's ongoing largest military project. the explosive handling wharf is a critical component of the nuclear capability. mr. kilmer: the use of a p.l.a. at the site of this significance is telling. the navy recently shared with me, and i quote, the p.l.a. has served its function by ensure nothing labor disputes with work on the project, and the project is on schedule and the p.l.a. is operating as intended.

why would we remove such a useful tool from military construction especially at a time when budgets are tight and milestones are tighter. let's stay on a path to success and continued use of project labor agreements. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? >> i rise for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy with the gentleman from texas. the chair: the gentleman moves to strike the last word. >> i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> i believe we can all agree that honoring our nation's veterans is of vital importance. they sacrifice so much for us and ask for so little in return. mr. lamborn: one thing that means so much to so many veterans in the fifth congressional district of colorado is the establishment of a southern colorado national v.a. cemetery. would the chairman agree it is critical to provide a digny -- to provide dignified final

resting places for our heroes and it's important to conveniently locate them near large veterans population. i yield. >> i thank the gentleman for yielding and i agree that's one of the fundamental obligations of the united states of america, those who have served have earned that piece of earth. mr. lamborn: i thank the chairman for his words of agreement. given the advance stable of the project and the amount of work that's already taken place on the southern colorado v.a. cemetery, including land being purchased in southeast colorado springs and master planning due to start in mere months, would the chairman also agree that it is vital that we work together to ensure that construction is fully funded in the appropriations process for upcoming fiscal years? i yield to the gentleman. mr. culberson: i agree with you, this project is too far along and it's important that we fund it in fiscal year 2016 and i'll work with you and your

colleagues from colorado to ensure it is funded. mr. lamborn: i thank the chairman and look forward to working with him. i appreciate the hard work he does for our military and for our veterans, including this particular important project. i pledge to work with him on these and other matters as we seek to honor our nation's veterans. thank you, mr. chairman, i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the clerk will will read. the clerk: page 27, line one. for administrate i have expenses, $361,000. native american veteran housing loan program account, $1,130,000. veterans health administration, medical services, $47,603,202,000. medical support and compliance, $6,144,000,000. medical facilities.

$4,915,000,000. medical and prosthetic research, -- -- $588,922,000. departmental administration, general administration, $321,591,000. the chair: the clerk will esuspend. for what purpose does the gentlelady from arizona rise? >> i have an amendment at the desk and offer that amendment at this time. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by ms. sinema of arizona, page 31, line 12, after the first dollar amount, insert reduced by $1 million. page 36, line five, after the first dollar amount insert increased by $1 million. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ss sinema: this is a budget neutral fix that helps restore

veterans trust in the v.a. by transferring additional resources to the office of inspector general to carry out its mission of oversight and accountability. our amendment increasing funding for the o. inch g. by $1 million and offsets it by reducing general fund big the same amount. i want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the v. ample appropriations subcommittee, mr. culberson and mr. bishop, for supporting this amendment and working with us on this issue. mr. chairman, we offer this amendment because the recent allegation of secret lists and long wait times at the phoenix v.a. which may have caused some 40 veterans' deaths, require answers and action. this is immoral, unconscionable, irresponsible and un-american. we need answers in phoenix, but this is not an isolated incident. a december, 2012, g.a.o. report found that veterans health administration wait times are unreliable. stories of health complications and deaths because of wait times have surfaced in other parts of the country, including south

carolina and texas. that this is happening to the good people who have defended our flag and our freedom is beyond the pale. i have worked on veterans issues for a long time and it is wrong that it took deaths to get action, but there had better be action now. i vow to help veterans and veteran families in any ways i can and i urge families to reach out to my office so we can help. the morning after the story was reported in arizona, the parents of daniel somers a veteran who committed suicide in my district last summer, called me and told me that they believe daniel may have been one of the 40 on that list. our veterans and their families, families like the somers, need answers and we must hold accountable those responsible. that is the only way that we can restore veteran's trust and the public trust in the v.a. health care system. the sinema-salmon amendment which will improve oversight and accountability at the v.a. is a

step toward restoring that trust. i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from arizona, mr. salmon. mr. salmon: i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentlelady can yield back. ms. sinema: i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from arizona strikes the last word and is recognized for five minutes. mr. salmon: i'd like to congratulate the gentlewoman from the ninth congressional district of arizona which is right adjacent to mine, she's my neighbor. i'm proud to co-sponsor this ith her to show a strong unity of bipartisanship for our veterans. if there isn't a better cause here in washington, d.c. to stand bipartisan with, i don't know what it is. i want to echo some of the sinemathat congresswoman has said this is unconscionable and since these allegations have

come to light, we've received numerous phone calls in our district from other likeminded people that have said, i had a similar circumstance happen to me and so when representative sinema approached me about co-sponsoring this amendment to allocate $1 million from the general fund of the veterans administration and appropriate it to the i.g. so that we can get a thorough investigation, it seems to me that this is the least we can do. why is this important? you might remember a few years ago that a gentleman named, i call him gentleman, i think that's a loose term, ken lay, the c.e.o. of enron, went to prison for cooking the books. now we've got some serious allegations about those that are entrusted with a sick red -- sacred trust. our veterans' very livelihood at stake. group ofieve that this

folks in the veterans administration has betrayed that trust but we've got to get to the bottom of it. why is it important? because it's the integrity of the system. a lot of the folks in my district, veterans, have said that they don't have the confidence to even be utilizing that system anymore. right now they're going out of network, paying out of their pocket. i've heard many say that as well. so we as a congress who are required to provide oversight for these kinds of programs and ensure that they're getting the best, not the mediocre, certainly not the worst, which i believe is happening right now in our own state in arizona and we demand justice, we demand some sunshine, sunshine is the best disinfectant. we demand some sunshine on this process. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. >> i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes.

mr. culberson: i rise in strong support of this amendment. i urge my colleagues to adopt it. we are all apalled, medical report fid and heart sick over the reports out of the phoenix v.a. it's appalling to think any veteran who served our country would be denied access to medical care much less lose their life or have permanent damage to their health. the amendment is a good idea to give an additional $1 million to the inspector general who is capable of conducting the type of investigation to determine what happened here. if there does indeed appear to be deliberate, intentional refusal to put these folks into the v.a. system, there will be criminal charges and we'll make sure of that. we'll make sure that those who have actually -- if anyone has been denied service, they're held accountable for it. it's an appalling set of circumstances, genuinely -- it also reflects not only, it's a terrible reflection on all the good men and women, the doctors and health care professional this is a work throughout the

v.a. system to do their best to provide top quality medical care to our veterans as they come out of active duty service to the country system of we're anxious to see what the facts are and that criminal charges be pressed if indeed it turns out to be as we have seen in the press. i strongly support the amendment and urge members to adopt it. i queeled back the balance of my time. -- i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. bishop: when i learned of intentional misrepresentations of wait times which may have caused 40 deaths at the phoenix v.a., i was deeply disapointed and downright disgusted. i'm pleased to see a bipartisan approach and i believe that this amendment will provide additional resources to the v.a. office of inspector general to improve oversight and accountability at the v.a. i agree with my colleagues from arizona that this situation requires answers and a thorough nvestigation.

i believe that they should allow the i.g. to complete its investigation so the congress can take appropriate action if it's needed. the last thing i want is a knee jerk reaction that can cause additional problems. i believe this amendment is the right approach and i fully support it and i urge all members to do the same. i believe that a thorough investigation on the matter is the only way to restore our veterans' trust and the public trust in the v.a. health care system. we owe it to our veterans to ensure that the v.a. is providing the best possible care and that care is timely and accessible. i think this amendment will help achieve that goal. with that, mr. chairman, i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from georgia yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? >> mr. chairman, i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> mr. chairman, i rise today in support of this amendment which seeks to redirect funds from the general administration account to the department of

veterans affairs inspector general's office. as a member of the house oversight and government reform committee, i am a firm believer in oversite of the government. the more sunlight on federal activity, the more honest and efficient it will be. i am also a strong proponent of the inspector general community. since the inspector general act was passed into law, the i.g. community has saved taxpayers billions of dollars and has uncovered countless examples of wrongdoing in the federal government. these allegations about the phoenix v.a. health care stim system are troubling, but i am also a firm believer of the rule of law. mr. gosar: these investigations must be completed in order for us to have these answers. the answers from the i.g. report will yield both improvements to the v.a. process, hold accountable anyone who has ton any harm. i support this amendment -- has done any harm. i support this amendment because i support a thorough report to this investigation. thank you for consideration. i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support

passage of this commonsense amendment, and with that, mr. chairman, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from arizona yields back his time. the question is on the the ent offered -- gentleman from colorado is recognized for five minutes. rise in support, as the chairman of the subcommittee, the chairman of the oversight and investigations committee, i rise in support of this bipartisan amendment to transfer funds from the general administration line item within the department of veterans affairs to the office of inspector general for the purpose of really looking into this issue. the issue of veterans dying from preventable illnesses because in fact that the v.a. was playing a game in the oenix v.a. hospital with the

appointment times. you know, my office, my investigators last monday turned over this quote-unquote secret list that the v.a. was using that they in fact are denying today to the v.a. office of inspector general. and in that list it does in fact show, it well demonstrates that there are veterans with preventable illnesses that they died waiting for an appointment. and so -- and we also know that there administrators that received bonuses for supposedly bringing down these wait times for appointments. d so my greatest fear is not only that this act, which has criminal implications, this

alleged act which has criminal implications occurred in the phoenix v.a. hospital but also my concern is that it is more widespread, it's more systematic, that it is something that the leadership at v.a. has knowingly or unwittingly allowed to occur. and so i think it's important for us to get to the bottom of this. it's a great tragedy that we don't have confidence. i certainly don't have confidence in the leadership of the veterans administration to in and of itself to get down to the bottom of it, that it takes the office of the inspector general, that it takes my investigators in the oversight and investigations subcommittee for the house veterans' affairs committee to uncover these things, bring these things to light and move them forward. so, again, i rise in support of the bipartisan amendment to

transfer moneys from the administration of the veterans administration to the office of inspector general to move these investigations forward. and if in fact they are found to be true, i certainly hope that they are referred to criminal prosecution. with that, mr. chairman, i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from colorado yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from -- >> i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. rise today in support of the salmon-cinema amendment in order to provide -- sinn ma amendment in order to provide investigation. it has recently been supported that veterans are dying, including at the west palm beach v.a. facility that serves my district. following this news, allegations have surfaced that 40 veterans in phoenix v.a.

have died while being placed on a secret wait list. this is beyond unacceptable. mr. speaker, it is vital that the inspector get to the bottom of these claims as soon as possible so that veterans of the palm beaches, treasure coast and those around the country who fought for our freedoms get the timely and high-quality care they deserve. i thank my colleagues from arizona, congresswoman sinn ma sinema and esswoman congressman salmon. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from arizona seek recognition? mr. speaker -- ms. kirk patrick: i move to

strike the last word. the chair: the gentlewoman is recognized for five minutes. mrs. kirkpatrick: i want to ensure that the inspector general has the resources it needs to conduct a swift and thorough investigation of the phoenix v.a. and at other facilities where treatment delays are reported. we need to ensure there is accountability and that veterans will never again wait for the care they deserve. delayed care is denied care, and veterans should never have to fight to receive care when they have already served and sacrificed for our country.

our veterans needs to get the needs theyss to the deserve. this will provide the necessary resources to the inspector general will need to investigate these horrendous allegations and provide the public and the grieving families the answers they deserve. once the investigation is completed, those who are found responsible should be quickly held accountable. we must restore our veterans' trust in the v.a. system, health care system but more importantly we must improve the v.a. health care system so that our men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country can finally get the care they have earned. as the son of a veteran and member of congress representing 85,000 veterans, mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment so we can find the answers and take action to hold the v.a. accountable. i yield back the balance of my time to my colleague from

arizona, ms. sinema. the chair: the gentleman yields back. you only have the choice of yielding back the time. that's it. you're recognized. ms. sinema: i want to thank the chair of the committee, mr. culberson, the ranking member, and all of our colleagues in arizona and around the country for joining in this bipartisan amendment. thank you, mr. chair. the chair: the gentlelady from -- the gentlewoman from arizona yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from arizona. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. the clerk will read. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. chairman, i rise today to offer an amendment to h.r.

4486. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: an amendment offered by mr. costa of california. page 34, line 12, after the first dollar amount insert the following -- reduce by $10,500,000. page 32, line 5, after the dollar amount insert the following -- increased by $10 million. the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized for five minutes. mr. costa: thank you very much, mr. chairman. this bill makes critical investments in our military and upholds a sacred promise we made to our men and women in uniform, that we will stand by them when they return home. do more. my amendment provides additional funding to end what has been a shameful backlog of disability claims that for too long has delayed benefits for veterans throughout the west coast, especially in the san joaquin valley that i represent. the oakland regional office services the majority of veterans throughout the west

coast and in my district, and sadly it has one of the largest back loads of casework. currently more than 10,000 entitlement claims are stuck in this backlog, and an average claim is left pending for nearly 400 days, which is over a year. this is unacceptable. it's immoral. yesterday, the san joaquin valley honored a group of veterans that came here, world war ii veterans, 68 of them to see the world war 1992 memorial and other important monuments in our nation's capital. these men and women raised their right hand over 70 years ago and took an oath they would defend our nation and our freedom, for the future of democracy and throughout the world. -- heir efforts and their

their efforts and their honor is without question. we are obligated to provide them the care for their service to our country. this amendment offers the service of these world war ii veterans and veterans of all the wars who have served our nation. specifically, this amendment provides $10 million to the veterans benefit administration to pay for programs like veterans claims intake program where the backlog has taken place. the centralized mail initiative and for staff overtime. no one could deny that the veterans administration recently has taken strong and meaningful steps to end the backlog, but we can do more. they've gone from 2 1/2 years now to over 400 days. well, that's progress but it's not good enough. our work is not complete until we are able to strip every bit of red tape, separating a veteran from the benefits they have earned and should receive.

i want to thank my colleagues who've co-sponsored this amendment, congressman lamalfa, congressmember thompson, congressmember denham and congressmember lowenthal. and i want to thank congressman culberson and ranking member bishop for your efforts and your good work on this important bill. so i want to yield back the balance of my time. i hope that we will adopt this amendment so that we could do the right thing which is end this backlog once and for all so veterans who have served their country can receive the benefits that they so richly deserve. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek reck snigs? the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. lamalfa: i would like to thank my colleague, as well as

everybody in this body that seeks to make things right with our veterans and the v.a. while i would support reasonable spending, i would rather appropriate funding from the general fund toward the issue that's causing other horrendous issues at the v.a., the backlog of veterans' claims. all the illegal, unthinkable activities uncovered in the last year, much of it stem necessary backlog that is going to increase if the v.a. doesn't get it right and quickly. i have veterans in my district who have claims pending for over a year. many cases well over a year. some cases decades. much like mr. cost tark my veterans feed into the oakland v.a. this facility as the longest wait time for claims to be finished in all of the u.s. our veterans do not deserve this something has to change, it has to happen now. today, we are drawing a line in the sand that this backlog is unacceptable. my hope is that this amendment offered by mr. costa, mr. thompson, myself and several others will be a step in the

drithe -- in the right direction in getting these claims closed in a fair and timely manner. we are giving the v.a. the necessary resources to get this done. we expect them to actually get it done. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from california yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> i want to rise in support of the gentleman's amendment. there's -- along with electronic medical records there's no more important thing we can do to help our veterans ensure the rapid dispose of this terrible backlog in disability claims. mr. culberson: i fully support the amendment, it builds on the $10 million increase we've already provided, i assure my colleagues mr. bishop and i will continue to ensure aggressive oversight to make sure the money is spent wisely and carefully and make sure the v.a. meet their deadlines to get the backlog disposed of as quickly

as humanly possible. i support the amendment and yield back. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i rise to strike the last cord. -- word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. lowenthal: i want to thank ranking member wish shp and representative costa for the time they've given to speak. my congressional district is the home to the long beach v.a. which is one of the largest institutions for veterans in southern california. in california, there is currently one congressional affairs analyst who assist 33 congressional offices about case work. there are delays in responses to caseworkers, an even longer delay in aid and attendance claims, particularly when those claims regard elderly frail

veterans with rapidly declining hell issues and sometimes unfortunately, approval comes too late. while it is critically important that we provide overtime pay for workers who are already stretched thin, but i also and i think that is critically important but i also encourage the department to use some of these funds to hire additional staff. i urge my colleagues to support the costa amendment to h.r. 4486 and encourage the veterans benefits administration to hire more staff to address the v.a. backlog and to help our nation's veterans. thank you and i yield back my time. the chair: the gentleman from california yields back his time. think question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from california. those in favor of the amendment say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair the ayes have it. he amendment is agreed to.

the clerk will read. e clerk: page 31, line 17, veterans appeals, $4,491,000. general operating expenses, veterans administration, $2,254,000. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. ruiz of california, page 32, line five, after the dollar amount, insert, reduced by $5 million, increased by $5 million. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. ruiz: i rise to offer an amendment to h.r. 4486, the military construction and veterans affairs and related agencies appropriations act this amendment is for the brave men

and women who have served our country. right now in my district and across the nation, thousands of veterans who have sacrificed for our country are struggling to receive access to benefits they have earned. this is due to the enormous claims backlog at the veterans affairs administration. california is home to almost two million veterans, almost 140,000 in riverside county alone. there's an additional 40,000 veterans expected to return to the state every year for the next several years. as our troops continue to return home and assimilate back into civilian life, it is critical we are able to keep faith with our veterans and ensure they have timely access to critical benefits. too often, washington becomes bogged down with statistics on a page or numbers on a screen that show how this backlog is affecting veterans. but the people this is affecting are not just a statistic.

they are men and women like retired air force master sergeant andrew walker and his family from beaumont, california who i represent. mr. walker and his family struggle with the v.a. waiting years on end without receiving the critical health benefit he is earned and needed. due to what seemed like an insurmountable claims backlog, mr. walker told me that he suffered pain, frustration, leading to hopelessness and despair. he felt dejected and lost. this is unconscionable and no way to treat a veteran and his family. i am thankful i was able to help resolve mr. walker's claim but the reality is, there are many more stories just like this one that continue every day across the country. it is critical that we as a nation work urgently to address the claims backlog. that's why i'm offering this

amendment to advocate for an additional $5 million to fund the digital scanning of hell and benefits files to reduce the backlog by redirecting funding within the general operating expenses account of the veterans benefits administration. this amendment simply directs funds toward the digital scanning of health and benefit files that will reduce the claims backlog without any new spending. as an emergency medical physicians i understand the importance of efficiency in health care and by committing resources to digitizing health and benefit files we will further increase v.a.'s capacity to tackle the claims backlog, ensuring veterans receive the benefits they have earned in a timely mannerful let's continue to bear in mind that the men and women have served this country and put their lives on the line. we must serve them by making certain that congress focuses on eliminating the claims backlog for good. i encourage my colleagues to

stand up for veterans and support my pragmatic amendment to reduce the veterans claims processing time. mr. chairman, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from california yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. culberson: i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. culberson: i rise in support of the gentleman's amendment. we welcome additional resources with the assurance to our employers, the tax players, that we will provide aggressive oversight and make sure the money is used to reduce the backlog as fast as humanly possible and above all to enforce the law because that's the greatest check and balance we have as guardians of the treasury and good stewards of our taxpayers oar hard-earned tax dollars so i support the gentleman's amendment and look forward to supporting it. thank you. the chair: the gentleman from texas yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from california. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair the

ayes have it. he amendment is agreed to. for what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek reck anything? >> mr. chairman, i rise to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> mr. chairman, i'd like to engage in a colloquy with the subcommittee leadership. first i want to thank the chairman and ranking member for agreeing to work with me on an issue that's very prnt to former service members. after a decade of war, many women service members, for example, are at risk for reproductive and urinary tract problems, rulling from deployment conditions and lack of predeployment women's health information. in addition, the nature of the increasingflicts and improvised explosive devices have resulted in trauma

to these service members, affecting their ability to create and raise a family on return from the battlefield. mr. larsen: between 2003 and 2011, nearly 2,000 women and men suffered life changing battle injuries during operation iraqi freedom and iraqi -- and operation enduring freedom. disabled veterans have already paid much too high a price in service to our country and should not have to pay a higher cost when they come home to try to start a family. the department of veterans' affairs cannot provide the care they need while the department of defense and tricare are already able to provide necessary treatment tosser vis members with these injury the v.a. services are not able to meet the complex needs ofer is veerly injured veterans. i hope i can continue to call upon the label leader sthoich subcommittee to help resolve this issue as we move forward on this bill and move it to conference. i yield to the ranking member.

mr. bishop: i would like to thank the gentleman from washington for bringing this issue to our attention. work with you as we move forward to find a meaningful solution to this problem. mr. larsen: i thank the ranking member and the leadership of the subcommittee and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 32, line 16. information technology system including transfer of funds, $3,827,552,000. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman rise? >> i ask unanimous consent that the remainder of the bill be considered as read, printed in the record and open to amendment at any point. the chair: is there any objection? seeing none, without objection, o ordered.

>> i have an amendment at the desk. n page 54. the chair: the clerk will read the next section. clip page 54, line one, section 232, none of the funds may be used to award a contract if the past performance resulted in completion more than 24 month that was original agreed upon completion date. section 233 include regular sigs of funds, $232 million are rescinded. the chair: the clerk will reminority amendment. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. terry of nebraska. page 5 , after line 12, insert the following. section 224. noiven funds made available in this act for department of veterans' affairs departmental administration, general administration, for administrative expenses for the

secretary of veterans afairs may be obligated or expended until the secretary of veterans afairs meets with the nebraska delegation to discuss alternative options for the department of veterans' affairs hospital planned for construction in omaha, nebraska. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? , i rise -- er mr. terry: i rise in favor of my amendment. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. >> i want to reserve a point of order on the gentleman's amendment. the chair: the gentleman from nebraska. mr. terry: thank you, mr. chairman. i first want to thank my colleagues on the v.a. milcon subcommittee, in particular mr. fortenberry and mr. culberson and their staff for the excellent work on this legislation and helping me facilitate this amendment and discussion. i also want to thank, of course, the committee staff who has just been wonderful. my amendment would require that no funds in this opings bill

shall be used for the administrative expenses until the secretary meets with the nebraska delegation. the secretary's calendar should never be so busy he cannot meet with an entire delegation. now, mr. chairman, on june 6 of 2013, almost 11 months ago. our delegation asked for a meeting with secretary shin sec key. when i asked -- with secretary shinseki. when i say delegation, i mean all the house members and both senators signed on to the letter, which i ask unanimous consent to submit for the record. the chair: that request is covered under general leave. mr. terry: yes, sir. now the purpose of this inquiry was to discuss some health care alternatives for the v.a. nebraska-western iowa health care system. our hospital for 170,000 area

veterans is in serious disrepair. boilers, hvac, emergency generators, just a very suer and water pipes are literally duct taped together. we have heard that it's the second worst hospital infrastructure in all of their ospital inventory. now, even last march, the operating rooms had to be closed down to failing humidifiers, and we're talking about the basic functioning of this hospital, that's out of date. without replacement soon the hospital could face additional shutdowns for costly replacements of this infrastructure. now, currently we are on the list to be built. somewhere around 18 to 20, but the reality is for years now the list hasn't moved.

and now our v.a. employees are being told that it would be somewhere in the 2021 to 2022 range. i fear it will be later than that before the new in-patient tower could be built. now, why do we need to talk to the general or the secretary shinseki about this hospital is that there are alternatives available in our community that we need to discuss with the decision maker. now, i will tell you that even though we made the request in june of 2013, as we head into may of 2014 now, they did get back to us in november of 2013 when they said that we could meet with the low-level employee. and the entire delegation rewrote a letter in november rejecting meeting with the low-level employee.

we need to meet with the secretary, the decision maker on these type of alternatives that uld be available frankly are much cheaper than the $600 billion -- million budgeted. now, the secretary then did call back in december when the house was out of session and the senate was wrapping up i think it was the debt resolution issue friday. but even the senators left on wednesday so they, at a late notice, scheduled a meeting but that was when no one was here. so we made numerous requests for additional meetings to discuss these great options that would be available. some of them would involve a leaseback-type of provision where they would lease it back, reducing the burdens on the v.a. budget.

but we have no one to talk to. so that's why i'm saying let's hold back the administrative dget until the head of the administration for the v.a. meets with the nebraska delegation on this really important safety and health issue for our veterans. i'd like to yield to my colleague, jeff fortenberry from lincoln, nebraska. mr. fortenberry: well, i thank my friend and colleague, congressman terry, on trying to find a creative solution to this problem. he's absolutely right in timelining this frustration we had, mr. chairman, in dealing with the v.a. and simply trying to get a hearing to discuss innovative ideas that are potentially out there to resolve this very difficult situation that we have in giving veterans the highest service that they deserve. i did want to mention to my colleague and thank chairman culberson as well for working with me on getting some

language in the current bill that hopefully gets us out of this dilemma and reframes it. i'd like to read the language that is in this bill. it says this -- alternative financing. the committee is concerned about meeting the need for access to high-quality veterans' health care facilities, including in rural areas where access to facilities, including clinics and hospitals, is more limited. the committee directs -- the chair: the gentleman from nebraska has expired. does the gentleman from nebraska move to strike the last word? the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. fortenberry: the committee directs the department of veterans affairs to work collaborative with other executive branch agencies with substantial construction portfolios, private sector contractors and other nongovernmental experts together with the appropriate congressional committees to explore the feasibility of employing new funding mechanisms to meet the need for such facilities, including but

not limited to private development leaseback arrangements and to provide a report on their conclusions to the committee. no later than september 13 of this year. so right around the corner. we didn't want to linger this any more. the secretary, the v.a. secretary did appear before our committee. i laid out some of these concerns. he appeared to be open to ideas, new ideas and suggestions, but we wanted to for theify this by putting in this language in the underlying bill. and hopefully this gets us some resolution quickly. if we don't resolve this, there is something called opportunity cost. veterans who deserve the highest quality care may not be getting that care over the longer term when we could be doing something creative right now and innovative to build out a potentially new facility or rehab old ones to modern standards to make sure they get the best and highest quality of care. this puts us hopefully on a pathway to creating new and

innovative ideas. to simply move past the old way of doing things which makes us wait and wait and wait for who knows how long. so i want to thank my colleague for, again, bringing awareness to this issue. i'd yield to you. mr. terry: thank you, mr. fortenberry. i think the language is innovative and absolutely necessary, and i compliment you on your perseverance on this issue as well and insertion of this language into the bill. the land lease or the leaseback provisions could be helpful. there's at least two community options that i think are high credible options. one of them would be a leaseback type of option. they do it on clinics but hospitals. it on i yield back on that point. mr. fortenberry: there are

creative options out there that do not give the government longer term budgetary risks, but nonetheless help us move past a process that seems to be very stuck. simply putting money under the mattress until we finally get enough someday way into the future where we can give the veterans services they need. i would yield back to congressman terry. mr. terry: did the secretary -- he mentioned he was open to the language that you have inserted which is a great step forward, was he open to actually meeting with the delegation on the options that our community is putting forward? mr. fortenberry: we discussed not necessarily this specific language in working with the committee to coming up with this. i want to thank chairman culberson in helping craft this. he wanted to talk about alternative models that are already being deployed in clinics and veterans' housing.

i did not raise the issue of meeting with this. but hopefully this conversation, this language helps further that cause. i yield. mr. terry: so i am intending, mr. chairman, to withdraw this amendment and, mr. chairman, at the end of your five minutes, but i do want to encourage general secretary shinseki to actually sit down and listen to these options. we are not here to berate him or the v.a. but simply say our community is serious about finding solutions, working with the v.a., as mr. fortenberry now inserted language that would encourage that, and i yield my time back to you. mr. fortenberry: again, i want to thank lee terry for his steadfast commitment on this issue. i think we should be on the same page. everyone shares the goal and mission how to get this new hospital potentially in a much better situation either with a new facility or something

that's rehabilitated to modern standards. we've got some innovative ways to do this. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from nebraska, mr. terry, withdraws his amendment. is there objection? seeing none, the amendment is withdrawn. mr. terry: thank you, mr. chairman. the chair: the clerk will continue to read the bill. the clerk: page 54, line 13. title -- the chair: the clerk will suspend. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, amendment at the desk. the chair: the gentleman will please send his amendment to he desk.

amendment offered by mr. lamalfa of california. page 54 after line 12 insert the following -- section. if department of veterans affairs casework is brokered out to another office of the department from its original submission site, a caseworker in a congressional office may contact the brokered office to receive an update on the constituent's case and that office of the department is required to update the congressional staffer regardless of their thoughts on jurisdiction. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. culberson: i reserve a point of order. the chair: the gentleman's point of order is requested. the gentleman from california. mr. lal mall if a: i appreciate the time -- mr. lamalfa: i appreciate the time to talk on this important

topic. they broker cases as a means to lessen the backlog that many are clamoring about. mr. huffman, who wished to speak today, is concerned about this. however, when a case is brokered out of the oakland to the san diego office, for example, san diego will tell my staff they are not allowed to update them on a status of a case because it is not in san diego's jurisdiction to do so. basically claim. we know there are no v.a. rules in law that state that caseworkers cannot be updated by -- on a veteran's case. so this amendment simply states that if a congressional office is looking for an update on a veteran's case that has been brokered to another v.a. office, the staff will be given a status update with no jurisdictional concerns. as members, we serve our constituents. it is a reasonable request that caseworkers in our offices should be allowed to receive an update on a case regardless of

where that case has been sent to so that this v.a. backlog can be solved. our veterans should not suffer because of this backlog. this issue of jurisdiction needs to be clear to all v.a. facilities across the u.s. so that our veterans are getting the answers they need through our casework staff. if we're going to continue to broker cases, then the brokered office must be communicative with our staff who are trying to get the answers to the veterans that they need. mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to my california colleague, mr. garamendi. the chair: the gentleman may yield but not in enforceable blocks of time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. garamendi: thank you, mr. chairman. let's see, there's 435 of us in this house and maybe 100 over on the other side give or take a few who may be retiring or going to other jobs. each and every one of us have constituents that come to us

seeking help and seeking our assistance in solving a problem. it's our work. that's what a representative is. the people in our district. and we help solve their problems. the veterans have a very special place in our office. in my own notion of what i'm supposed to do as a representative, i know they do for mr. lamalfa, probably every other member of this house. we have over 130 active cases with veterans in our district working through the problems that they have with the veterans administration. and i must tell you that one thing that sets me off is when my staff tells me, we're not able to contact the veterans administration because they ave sent the case to another office. and that office won't respond to us. we talked about this amongst ourselves. mr. lamalfa and i and other representatives in our area,

and frankly we've had enough. we are the legislature of the united states government, and the veterans administration has a task and they better be responsible and responsive to veterans and to those who represent veterans, namely, the 435 members of this house. it's part of our job, and when the veterans administration office in some far off land, county, other state has been given a file from our district to handle and to work through because of an overload in our area and then they don't respond to us, then they get his piece of legislation. thank you very much. this ought to become law, not withstanding the objection. we thank you for carrying this bill. let's make this part of the law and let's make this organization responsive to us and our constituents.

thank you and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from california has one minute remaining. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate my colleagues, this has been a bipartisan effort on the part of everybody here. i will be withdrawing this amendment at this time but we will be following up on this issue via other means soon because it's key we have the ability as the elected official and our staff to communicate fully with all aspects of the v.a., especially since there is, as i mentioned earlier new york law, no rule, stating we can't have this but more maybe roadblocks put in place by certain staff. mr. speaker, i will withdraw the amendment at this time. thank you very much. the chair: the gentleman yields back and legs -- begs leave to withdraw his amendment. if there's no objection, the amendment is withdrawn. for what purpose does the gentlelady from nevada seek recognition? ms. titus: i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. titus: thank you.

as the ranking member of the disability assistance and memorial affairs subcommittee of the veterans afairs authorizing committee, i rise in support of this appropriations bill and i thank the chairman and the ranking member for the hard work that they put into this bill. one of the main reasons i support it is because it furthers our goal of eliminating the v.a. benefits become log which is an issue our committee has worked on daily for the last year and a half. one of my top priorities is ensuring that our nation's heroes receive all the benefits they have earned in a timely fashion. so while i support this bill, i would like to take just a minute or two, to raise an issue that is troubling to me and hope to bring it to the attention of the other members of the house. i know many of my colleagues will be deeply saddened to learn that some veterans and their families across the country are being denied benefits they earned while serving our nation. a recent example of this discrimination against some of our nation's veterans was

highlighted in a report by cbs news just last week. 74-year-old madeleine taylor of boise, idaho, proudly served in the united states navy for six years. she lost her spouse in 2012 and soon afghan the task of making arrangements to ensure that -- and soon after began the task of making arrangement this is a the together m would be for life. eing a veteran she had the right to be in a veterans cemetery. she decided to ask about a dual spot in the memorial wall with her husband. the idaho state cemetery was opened a decade ago with 100% of funding for the design,

construction and equipment costs coming from a federal grant from the department of veterans afairs. state cemetery grants programs and the cemetery continue to receive federal funding for operations. when madeleine brought the necessary paperwork including her discharge papers and marriage certificate she was told she and her spouse would not be allowed to be buried together. why, you ask, was she denied this right? the answer is that madeleine is a lesbian. idaho state law does not recognize the legality of the marriage between madeleine and her wife jean and therefore is denying the couple the honor and dignity earned through madeleine's service as a member of the united states navy. madeleine said this of her situation -- i just feel it's the right place for me. i'm a veteran so they should let me, in fact they would let me alone be in that crypt but i don't want to be alone, i want jean with me. we rightfully elevate our vet raps and their families because

of -- our veterans and their families because of their service and sacrifice yet today some veterans face discrimination by the states and federal government they sought to defend. no vet an or this their family should be treated as second class citizens. nearly a year after the landmark supreme court decision to strike down the defense of marriage act which extended benefit to legally married couples, we see the nation's gay and lesbian veterans face obstacles to get the right this is a i d deserve. while in uniform they have access to the full complement of benefits available to members of the armed service bus the second they transition out of the military they are forced to leave these benefits bind. i've introduced legislation to end this disservice and invite my colleagues to gin join me in supporting this effort. mr. chairman, today we debate legislation to fund the critical work in the v.a. and earned

benefits of our nation's hero and their families. my hope is that this body will give equal attention to all our veterans and their famries and end dethe discrimination they experienced when seeking benefits including the right to be buried with their legally marry same seblings spouses. thank you, mr. chairman, i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> mr. chairman, i rise to strike the last word in order to engage in a colloquy. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> mr. chairman we're all aware of the tragic backlog that affects so many of our nation's heroes across this country and particularly in my district back home in north carolina. fixing this issue needs to be one of the highest prior toifs congress and this administration. we owe it to our veterans an i know that many of my colleagues agree that we owe them to do this mr. hudson: however the solution is not necessarily to continue to throw money at the problem. we've done that for years

without the results we're looking for. the reality is the fiscal situation we find ourselves in today mean this is a we can no longer afford to be so short sighted in our approach. -- means we can no longer afford to be so short sighted in our approach. need to root out wasteful, duplicative and underperforming programs. i know you've been a leader on this issue and tried to get from the v.a. a clear breakdown of what their administrative costs re, is that correct? mr. culberson: yes, i have. documents get any telling what their costs are but we'll continue to work with you to ensure our tax dollars are spent wisely. mr. hudson: i thank the gentleman for his commitment, share his frustration.

i've had a difficult time as well trying to understand how the v.a. deals with its overhead. i've got a story i just heard from a veteran in my district that's probably not unique this gentleman went to the v.a. cent for the winston-salem for an appeals hearing. veterans service officer, one of the hardworking veterans service officers around the country, accompanied him, sat down with the v.a. employee and said, do you have my file? i don't see it on your desk. the employee said, we've computerized the files, i've got it all here. the veteran said which page are you looking at? sheepishly, he said, i don't know how to access the files in the computer. outrageous. but it got worse from there. they went forward with the hearing. at the conclusion of the hearing the employee turned off a tape recorder and popped out the ka set and the veteran said what do you do with that ka set? he said we send toyota san diego so they can transcribe it and in about six weeks we'll get it

back to start processing your claim. mr. chairman, this is not what we intended when we asked that we go to a computerized v.a. system. it's outrageous that our veterans are having to see these kind of delays. i would just ask that you work with us to try to solve this problem. mr. culberson: i've got a software application called dragon naturally speaking and it transcribes what you say into it. the v.a. needs to, as we used to say, get to the 1990's. we'll bird dog them relentlessly. mr. hudson: i appreciate the time you've put into this our veteran deserve the best we can give them. they deserve to be treated with the highest respect and they deserve to not have to wait these extraordinary amounts of time just to be heard. so mr. chairman, i commit to working with you to continue to deal with this issue, to take care of our veterans not just in

north carolina's eighth district but around the country. with that i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. wilson: i commend the chairman of the committee for his -- >> i commend the chairman of the committee for his work on this it provides the funding for the veterans affairs population but sets a clear priority of addressing the clear problems at hand in the v.a. mr. duncan: we're aware as a congress of all the problems that we're seeing in the v.a. for too long, the heroes that have served this country have been mistreed, overlooked or flat out ignored by the v.a. when these brave men and women signed up to defend our nation they were promised to be taken care of when they returned home. promised to be taken care of. however, today we see less than adequate care, doctors visit wait times stretching months and

in some cases years and hundreds of thousands of backlog benefit cases. the instant the -- the incident the gentleman from north carolina talked about are prevalent across this land in every congressional district, including mine. mr. speaker, when i talked to the veterans back home in my district, i hear a loss of confidence in a government that promised to be there for them. i hear from veteran whors just plain giving up on the department of veterans' affairs. the latest report on v.a. claims from april 28, 2014, shows there's almost 600,000 pending claims with over 300,000 considered backlogged that have been pending for over 125 days. mr. speaker, that's 125 days without an answer or resolution that these veterans will never get back. we've seen a multitude of cases that demonstrate the current ongoing crisis at the v.a. one korean war veteran has been working with my office on a decision review -- officer review for over 18 months now. this is a decision process that

was supposed to be quicker than a board of vet ans appeal in washington. after waiting more than a year for a meeting he couldn't wait any longer and asked for the decision to be made with the information that was at hand. while he is still waiting for an answer, i'm praying for a resolution for that veteran. we have seen other instances where we're able to send documentation on behalf of constituents to various veterans administration offices for the offices to turn around months later and ask for the same information again. is this any way to treat the men and women who sacrificed their lives to defend the freedom this country enjoys? thankfully the legislation we are considering today makes a stride in the right direction by making efforts to end the current backlog. holding the v.a. accountable, not just awarded -- awarding bonuses for someone when the facilities are in need of some attention. increasing medical services for veterans is the most important part. this bill prioritizes the timely

and accurate exchange of medical day tark updating the v.a. health record system, and ensuring the system is operable with the department of defense. this is not a silver bullet, mr. speaker. we still have a long way to go to get the v.a. clicking and ticking again. i hope we can use this momentum to continue working toward fulfilling the promises made to our veterans and improving the lives of our nation's heroes. they deserve it. may god bless our nation's troops and veterans and continue to bless the united states of america and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the clerk will read. the clerk: page 54, line 13, title 3, related agencies, american battle monuments commission, salaries and expenses, $75 million. foreign currency fluctuations account, for necessariest expenses of the american battle of monuments commissions, sums for purposes authorized in section 2109 of title 36 united states code. united states court of appeals for veterans claims, salaries nd expenses, delrs 31,386,000.

department of defense, cemetery expenses, army salaries and expenses, $61,881,000. armed forces retirmente home trust fund, $63,400,000. administrative provision, section 301, funds appropriated in this act may be provided to arlington county, virginia, for the relocation of the federally owned water main at arlington national cemetery making additional land available for ground burial. itle 4, general provision. section 401. no appropriation shall remain available beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided. section 402. none of the funds may be used for any program not in compliance with any federal law relating to risk assessment. section 403. no funds for publicly or --

publicity or propaganda purposes. all agencies encouraged to expand use of e commerce technologies. section 405, all reports shall be submitted to the subcommittee on military construction and veterans affairs, section 406, none of the funds may be transferred except pursuant to or transfer -- to transfer authority provided. section 407, none of the funds may be used for a project nayed for an individual serving as a member, delegate or resident commissioner. section 408, any agency receiving funds in this action shall post on the public website any report required. none of the funds may be used to maintain a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading or exchanging of pornography. section 410, none of the funds may be used by an agency to pay for first class travel. section 411, none of the funds

appropriated -- choip please the clerk: any facility in the united states' territories or possessions to have any individual detained at united states naval stations, uantanamo bay, cuba. amendment number 5 offered by mr. moran of virginia. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. moran: mr. speaker, thank you. this amendment would strike section 411, which specifically restricts the defense department from transferring guantanamo detainees to the united states. striking section 411 would enable the u.s. military to be able to make the most responsible decisions on transferring the 77 detainees

who have been cleared by our intelligence community and the joint chiefs of staff to be able to go to their home countries and bring those not cleared for release to the united states to be charged, tried and sentenced. now,ed administration, the obama administration -- now, the administration, the obama administration, has made some real progress on this issue over the last year. but it is still the case that guantanamo is a rallying cry for extremists around the world and until we transfer and try these detainees there is no denying that guantanamo is in fact hurting our national security. we need to re-evaluate our response to the long-term threat of terrorism and realize that policies that mark the rule -- mock the rule of law make it more likely rather than less likely that we will be attacked again. how can we expect americans who are captive abroader to accorded the right to be sentenced and brought to while

when we hold 154 prisoners in guantanamo without charge and without trial? some of my colleagues are going to argue that detaining or trying suspected terrorists in the united states would endanger national security. but it's not the case. more than 400 defendants charged with crimes related to international terrorism have been successfully convicted in the united states since 9/11. that includes the times square mber, the shoe bomber, a man tried and convicted in my congressional district for his role in the 9/11 attack. all them are in our prisons here in the united states. most americans don't know that because there haven't been any security incidents. more than 300 individuals convicted of crimes related to international terrorism are currently incarcerated in 98 federal prisons within the united states. with no escapes and no attempts to free them. there are six defense

department facilities which are less than half full where guantanamo bay detainees could be held here in the united states. the current approach of military commission has proven unworkable because many of these prisoners merit a trial but they're not getting the kind of trial that can withstand scrutiny. in fact, the only two guilty verdicts these commissions issued were both overturned. and keeping guantanamo open is expensive. we are currently spending $2,670,000 per detainee per year at guantanamo compared to $34,046 per inmate at a high-security federal prison here in the united states. this year alone the defense department estimates that it will spend $443 million in operations of personnel costs to operate this detention facility. so when we're facing the negative effects of sequestration, it just does not

make sense to continue what is in effect a permanent scar on our judicial system. so in conclusion, the political and legal expediency of the detention center at guantanamo has not been worth the cost to america's reputation around the world, nor to the erosion of our own legal and ethical standards here at home. i support the president in his recent statements and i encourage the members of this body to support this amendment. it's the right thing to do, morally, ethically and legally. thank you, mr. speaker. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> move to strike the last word. the rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment. we have in this piece of legislation, presented it to the house in a bipartisan fashion, we've got unanimous support for it. mr. culberson: this is one of those areas we just have an honest but ernest philosophical agreement. my good friend, mr. moran from

virginia, this is something he's been pursuing over the years but it's again something the constituents i represent, the folks of texas i know oppose the idea of giving constitutional rights to enemy soldiers captured on foreign battlefields. especially these cowardly terrorists who hide behind women and children and launch sneak attacks against our men and women in uniform. we have asked the congressional research service to attempt to tell us when if ever constitutional rights have been granted to enemy soldiers captured on foreign battlefields and the congressional research service tells us the only example they can find is the dictator of panama who was captured during the bush 41 administration and brought to trial in florida. the individuals at guantanamo bay are the most dangerous, radical individuals that have been captured during the war on terror. these folks are extremely dangerous and any evidence that's been gathered, for example, even if they were to be transferred to the united states and given a civil -- a

criminal trial under the constitution, which i sten white housely object to, -- strenuously object to, even if they were brought to the united states and put on trial, how would any of the evidence gathered against them in guantanamo be used to convict them? because -- so this just presents insurmountable problems and creates -- it's a divisive issue that is going to cause a tremendous amount of disagreement among the members of the congress on a bill that has enjoyed unanimous and enthusiastic support from everyone in this body. to make sure that our veterans and our men and women in uniform are taken care of, it's essential that this amendment be defeated in order to make sure that enemy soldiers are not given the protections of the united states constitution. it's just fundamentally something i strenuously disagree with, as do my constituents, and i urge my -- the members of this house to reject this amendment and i to also have the support

of the people of georgia in opposing this amendment as well. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. >> mr. speaker, i rise in support of this amendment. i believe we need to set the conditions for the closure of he detention facility at guantanamo. mr. bishop: it's in the united states' national security interest to do so. guantanamo has become a rallying cry, serves as a recruitment tool for terrorists and increases the will of our enemies to fight. while it decreases the will of others to work with america. part of the rationale for establishing guantanamo in the first place was the misplaced idea that the facility would be beyond the law. a proposition that has been soundly rejected by the supreme court. as a result, continued operations of this facility creates the impression in the eyes of our allies and our enemies that the united states selectively observes the rule of law.

there's no reason that we should impose on ourselves the legal and moral problems arising from the prospect of indefinite detentions at guantanamo. working through civil courts since 9/11, hundreds of individuals have been convicted of terrorism or terrorism-related offenses and are now serving long sentences in federal prisons. not one single person has ever escaped custody. for these reasons i believe that the time has come to take the actions needed to initiate closure of the detention facility at guantanamo and i think this amendment sends that strong message. i support it and i yield back, mr. speaker. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes.

mr. nadler: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in support of the moran-myth-nadler amendment. we are told by some in the majority that enemy soldiers should not have constitutional rights. but, mr. speaker, a majority concededly of those at guantanamo were never involved in a hostile act toward the united states. 86% were turned in for bounties. we don't know whether these people are enemy soldiers. some of them may be and some of them are probably not. and we don't know that they're terrorists. those facts must be determined in a fair proceeding of some sort. but at guantanamo there are no proceedings. they haven't managed to hold military trials. and we can't hold civilian trials there. so we are holding people for no purpose with no proceedings, no hearings, no opportunity essentially forever.

the time to close guantanamo is now. guantanamo is a stain on our national honor. never mind the foreign policy reasons why it's poisoning our relations with foreign countries. it's instigating terrorism against it. the fact is it's wrong. we're holding 154 people at guantanamo. 77 of whom have been cleared for releels. that is to say -- release. that is to say they've been found guilty of nothing, are thought to be guilty of nothing and have been judged not to pose any danger but nonetheless they're not released. there's no reason, there's no right for us to hold them further. and the others should be brought to the united states and tried for their offenses. mr. chairman, i wonder which of our colleagues does not believe in the american system of justice. i wonder which one of us does not trust our own american courts. i wonder who among us does not believe in the bill of rights, who does not believe in the right to counsel, or that people should have an opportunity to have their

guilty or innocence established -- guilt or innocence established in court. what we have in guantanamo is a system that's an affront to those beliefs and to the united states. in the last decade we have begun to let go of our freedoms bit by bit, with each new executive order, each new court decision and, yes, each new act of congress. we've begun giving away our rights to privacy, a right to our day in court when the government arms us, and with this ledge -- harms us, and with this legislation we are continuing down the path of destroying the right to be free from imprisonment without due process of law. indeed, i wonder if some of the people in guantanamo broke out of jail and inflicted injuries on american personnel in so doing and were caught, how we would defend ourselves when they said, we were just victims of kidnapping. the united states government kidnapped us with no claim of right and we have every right to use force to escape an illegal kidnapping by a government acting essentially under no law. i want to commend the gentleman from georgia and the gentleman from washington for -- virginia

and the gentleman from washington for fighting to close the defention facility at guantanamo -- detention facility at began toe mow. this prohibblets -- guantanamo. this says people who may not be terrorists, some of whom we may suspect to be terrorist, none of whom have had a day in court to prove they are or are not terrorists, we will continue to hold them indefinitely without charge, contrary to every tradition this country stands for, contrary to any notion of due process. because of this moment us challenge to the founding -- momentous challenge to the founding principles of the united states, that no person may be deprived of liberty without due process of law and may not be deprived of liberty indefinitely without due process of law, we must close the detention facility at guantanamo now to restore our national honor. this will afford the detain ayes -- detainees no additional constitutional rights. the supreme court has already ruled that detainees at guantanamo have the same constitutional rights as they would have if they were brought here. we must close this facility, try these people or less let them go and restore our

national honor -- or let them go and restore our national honor. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon seek recognition? the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. blumenauer: thank you very much. i listened over the years to my good friend from virginia, my friend from new york advance this issue, mr. smith's from washington, and i think maybe now is the time for us to address this frontly. if only as a going-away present. because this is the last time mr. moran is going to be able to offer this since he's decided to leave us for greener pastures someplace else. i think it would be fitting for us to address this directly. i have great respect for my dear friend from the state of texas who talks about what the people he represents feel about this issue. and i, with all due respect,

wonder if the conversation with his constituents in texas were like the conversations i have with my constituents in oregon, if people knew that we are spending eight times as much to incarcerate these people as if they were in other federal facilities. the gentleman from virginia talks about the space that is available now in terms of federal facilities. if they -- do people know that we have convicted hundreds of people suspected of terrorist acts and under the provisions none. military, what do our constituents really ant if they knew that fact? the sad truth is that americans are at greater risk because of our