Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Mr. President. as many of my colleagues know. the transition from military to civilian life can be very difficult. To address these kinds of challenges. Vet Centers were created in the wake of the Vietnam War to provide critical services for veterans. service members. and their families in community-based settings separate from other Veterans Health Administration facilities. Today. there is a need to enhance these Centers to continue to realize that original vision-- which is why I am reintroducing the Vet Center Improvement Act.

This legislation is the product of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation that Senator Tester and I requested into allegations that changes to performance metrics at Vet Centers may have negatively impacted quality of care as well as additional concerns that we had about their staffing practices. The GAO report concluded that recent changes ``have the potential to negatively affect care and create undue burden and stress on counselors providing that care at some Vet Centers.'' This report included recommendations to improve care, transparency. and hiring and staffing methods that are the foundation for our legislation.

Specifically, the Vet Center Improvement Act requires periodic review and reform of performance standards at Vet Centers; the creation and periodic reevaluation of a staffing model, along with standardization of position descriptions and responsibilities across Vet Centers; the creation of a working group to implement changes to improve quality of care for veterans and recruitment and retention of staff; and the GAO to review Vet Center infrastructure and examine what future investments are needed. Additionally, our legislation creates a $50 million pilot program to provide grants to combat food insecurity and provide necessary heating and cooling assistance to veterans and their families. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has further underscored the need for this legislation--to ensure that we are providing high quality counseling services and offering programs that help our veterans meet their daily needs, like feeding their families and heating their homes.

I would like to thank Senator Tester for joining me in introducing this important legislation and the attention he has paid to this issue as Ranking Member and now Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Our legislation has received support from such organizations as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Veterans (AMVETS), National Community Action Foundation (NCAF), National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP). the National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC), and the URI Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America. I look forward to continuing our partnership on this and other measures to improve care for our veterans. and I hope our colleagues will join us in this endeavor. ______

By Mr. REED:

S. 1954. A bill to reauthorize the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to reauthorize the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor for the next fifteen years. This legislation will continue to preserve the industrial, natural, and cultural heritage of the Blackstone River Valley for generations to come.

In 1986, Congress designated the Blackstone River Valley as a National Heritage Corridor, recognizing the region's critical contributions to the American Industrial Revolution. Indeed, in 1793. Samuel Slater initiated the American Industrial Revolution in Rhode Island when he built his historic mill along the Blackstone River, Today, the mills and villages throughout the Corridor reflect the legacy of this key chapter in American history.

Encompassing both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor links twenty-four communities along the Blackstone River from Providence to Worcester. The Corridor has also served as a critical partner to the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, resulting in the recovery of dozens of historic villages, waterways, and rural landscapes throughout the Blackstone River Valley, which includes thousands of acres of beautiful lands and waters that are home to diverse wildlife.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to ensure the continued preservation of the Blackstone River Valley for the benefit of our natural resources and our country's history.

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