Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2014

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. Speaker, as we continue to tackle the pressing need for VA health care reform, the last thing our veterans need is even more uncertainty with the many other benefits that have an equally important impact on their lives.

H.R. 5404, the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act, extends several important VA authorities that support the services they rely on every single day.

As current military forces overseas draw down, our country must prepare to welcome back thousands of returning soldiers, many of whom are young and aspiring to build a new life for themselves and their loved ones.

For the next year, veterans can continue to utilize programs that help them pay off school debt, for health education, and buy affordable homes, helping their transition into civilian life be an easier one.

For those veterans who require more day-to-day medical care, they can continue to qualify for child care assistance and specially adaptive housing grants, as well as accessing expanded health services, such as those provided by the VA's 70-plus mobile vet centers around the country.

Transportation services to VA medical facilities will also continue, giving peace of mind to the many disabled or rural-based vets that too often find themselves restricted by mobility or distance. In rural districts like mine across the country, veterans often travel over 90 miles for an appointment, disrupting their lives and causing physical and financial hardship.

Additionally, this bill reinforces our fight against homelessness by expanding rehabilitation, counseling, and housing programs to help these underserved veterans get back on their feet. Since 2009, veteran homelessness has dropped 23 percent, largely due to the success of these services. Whenever I travel back to my district and meet with local veteran constituents and organizations, it is clear that these grant programs are making a real difference.

In California's Central Valley, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Stockton has received a grant from the VA that is helping preserve 791 households in San Joaquin County from the threat of homelessness. That is 791 families who have a chance to build a stable home life and keep their kids in school.

As cochair of the Veterans Jobs Caucus, I place especially high importance on the continuance of our essential reintegration and job training programs. Through their service, these hardworking men and women gain the skills and qualities that are highly valued by employers. We must do all we can to connect them with the resources and training they need to land worthwhile jobs that will bring this financial security and dignity to their lives.

In closing, I would just like to thank the ranking member and the chairman as well as all of the committee for their hard work in putting this bill together. This is a great bipartisan bill that will continue to help the lives of those that have given everything for the freedoms of our country.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source