Providing for Consideration of H.R. 4870, Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2015, and Providing Consideration of Senate Amendments to H.R. 3230, Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I certainly appreciate the gentleman's very expansive assessment on the two underlying bills that we are about to address today.

Let me, first of all, say that I live in a community of a very major veterans hospital. In fact, I carried the legislation to name it after Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, who created the MASH units in World War II. We care about veterans, as do my colleagues across the aisle in both the House and the Senate.

I believe that it is important to move the Veterans' Access to Care Through Choice, Accountability, continue through the process, and to make sure that our veterans, after the many audits that we have received on the individual hospitals, know that there is a long period of time for those veterans newly accessing veterans health care.

Who does that include? That includes the recent returnees of Afghanistan veterans or Iraq veterans or even those veterans who have maintained good health and now find themselves in senior years, such as Vietnam veterans, and are coming to the system for the first time. It is intolerable for them to have to wait. I believe this is a very important initiative. If we are to send soldiers overseas or in the line of battle, as many are promoting now in light of the violence in Iraq, can we not without shame stand and provide them the kind of health care for them and their families?

I rise as well to comment on the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, and I am glad that there has been attention to PTSD. I intend to offer an amendment addressing resources for PTSD and resources for the epidemic of breast cancer among military women in the Appropriations Act.

But I do think it is important that again we have a prohibition against the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the United States. That means that this facility continues to be open.

Then, of course, we have appropriations for the overseas contingency operations, for which the President has not yet made a request. But I think in the context of providing an increase in wages for our military personnel, I congratulate the chairman and ranking member for working so cooperatively.

But I raise a point in the backdrop of the crisis in Iraq, the ISIS, and all of the disjangled chords of calling for troops on the ground and to do airstrikes when in actuality we live in a world family, we live in a family with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan, we live in a family with NATO alliances, and we need to be able to work together to demand why an untoward leader in Iraq, who was given an opportunity for a consensus government, never made any effort. Yes, these individuals are horrific, they are radicalized, they are vicious, they are vile. But there are Sunnis and Shiites who have worked together, there are Sunnis who are moderate, who want to be in the government, who want their children to have an opportunity for education, they want their young people to have jobs, they want an Iraq where they can pledge allegiance to their flag, a united Iraq. Where was the leadership, the selfish leadership of Maliki, to be able to do that--and now we must clean up his dirty kitchen? I think not.

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Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman.

This must be a unified effort. Frankly, the President is right to be deliberative. We yet do not know, as I speak--there may be some news announcement--what his decision may be. But I do believe he has done the right thing by providing security and safety for the thousands of Americans that are in Baghdad and protecting our Embassy. That is the right thing to do. He has done the right thing by finding one of the perpetrators of Benghazi.

I would ask we do the right thing by not ignoring again another terrorist threat, Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria, that is fueling the flames, taking over municipalities, ready to pounce on places other than the northeast. These are threats that need the collective body of the United Nations--in this instance, the African Union, the ECOWAS, and all the states surrounding Nigeria, and, of course, the Nigerian government, of which we are friends with.

But I will say that America cannot continuously go it alone. We have given our treasure. Our young men and women never say ``no.'' When they are called to duty, they go, reservists and all.

I believe it is time to be responsible, respectful, and cautious in the way we move forward using our troops around the world. I ask my colleague to consider this as we deliberate on this appropriations bill.

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Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the rule for H.R. 4860, the ``Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2015'' and the underlying bill.

I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member VISCLOSKY for their work on this legislation to the floor and for their devotion to the men and women of the Armed Forces who risk their lives to keep our nation safe.

I also want to extend thanks and appreciation to the men and women in and out of uniform who defend our nation and serve honor and distinction.

My work in the 18th Congressional District of Texas has allowed me the privilege of working with men and women in the military, the workers in aeronautics and space industries that contribute to our nation's defense as well as those in the Department of Defense who work in and around our nation's capital.

Through my work as a Member of Congress I know those who have served and returned home to a tough economy, struggles with physical disabilities and life changing injuries associated with their service to our nation.

The men and women who serve in the military are collection of statistics and data points, but individuals with names and faces--real people who depend on us to ensure they are the best trained, best equipped, and best led defense force in the world.

I appreciate the Committee's continued support for providing funding that assists military men and women's ability in operating in unconventional and irregular warfare and countering unconventional threats, supports capacity-building efforts with foreign military forces, and supports ongoing operations, as well as programs that will improve the health and well-being of the force, including sexual assault prevention.

This bill before us does much but not enough to recognize the sacrifices of the men and women serving in the military.

The fiscal year 2015 Department of Defense military personnel budget request was for $128.95 billion. The Committee appropriated $128.127 billion, nearly $800 million less the request and less than the need.

While we watch Al Qaeda-inspired terrorists in Nigeria in the form of Boko Haram and ISIS in Iraq carry out terrible acts of violence, it is important to ensure that military has the resources needed to respond to any threat to our nation or its allies.

The bill recognizes that the military is changing due to the expanded roles for women who pursue careers in the armed services and it is essential that this change not lead to a diminution of rights or opportunities from what women would enjoy had they pursued a different career path.

That is why I will be offering an amendment (Jackson Lee No. 1) to provide $5 million in increased funding and support for medical research related to breast cancer research. The identical amendment was offered and adopted by the House last year.

This additional funding will be made available for Triple Negative Breast Cancer research. TNBC is one of the most deadly forms of the disease that is extremely difficult to detect, and has an extremely high mortality rate.

I will also be offering an amendment (Jackson Lee Amendment No. 2) to reprogramming $500,000 toward outreach programs targeting hard to reach veterans, especially those who are homeless or reside in underserved urban and rural areas, who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). An identical amendment was offered by me and adopted by the House last year.

PTSD, along with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), are the signature wounds of the Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The need for treatment and support of those afflicted will be with us long after the conflict ceases and our heroes have returned home.

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