Miller Newsletter May 3, 2015

Statement

Washington Update

Conference Report to Concurrent resolution setting forth the Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 2016
As a fiscal conservative, I believe that Congress has a moral imperative to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent judiciously, and, as anyone can tell you, the first way to get spending under control is to create a strict budget and adhere to it. While the House has passed an annual budget in each year following the 2010 midterm elections, the Senate has failed to join us, meaning that Congress has operated without a joint budget resolution. That changed last week when negotiators from the House and Senate Budget Committees released a conference agreement setting spending levels for the next ten years. The conference budget agreement, which I voted for and which passed the House, sets forth a responsible budget that prioritizes spending for national security, saves the American people $5.2 trillion, repeals Obamacare, promotes economic growth, and most importantly balances our budget within the 10 year window without a single tax increase.

Providing for the common defense of our Nation is one of the clearest Constitutional directives given to Congress, and the conference budget agreement upholds this directive by including immediate funding increases for our servicemembers to provide them with more robust training, enhanced equipment, and the benefits they have earned. By focusing on readiness and ensuring that our military personnel have all the tools necessary to tackle the current global threat environment, the budget helps keep our Nation safe and our military missions intact.

While we must maintain full funding for our military, the size and scope of our national debt necessitates that Congress take serious steps to rein in out-of-control spending. As a supporter of a balanced budget amendment, I believe that Congress should balance our budget each and every year, and this budget agreement begins that process, balancing the budget and producing a surplus that would put us on a path to paying down our debt. In addition, the budget calls for Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment, which is needed to ensure that future Congresses maintain a commitment to fiscal responsibility.

Crucially, balancing our budget would also help economic growth and job creation. In fact, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the spending plans in this budget would increase the pool of national savings and boost private investment, thereby expanding economic growth by more than $400 billion over the next 10 years, helping to grow our economy and adding an estimated 1.2 million additional jobs by 2025. With too many Americans struggling to get back to work in a sluggish economy, this kind of improved economic growth is precisely what our economy needs.

Finally, the budget agreement protects the American people by fully repealing Obamacare and paving the way for the patient-centered reforms that are needed to expand consumer choice, improve access to care, and lower health care costs for all Americans.

Passing this budget allows Congress to get back to work to make Washington fiscally responsible and accountable to taxpayers.

House Appropriations

The Congressional power of the purse is one of the fundamental aspects of our Nation's democratic system of government. Passing a budget resolution sets the spending ceilings for each year, and through the Appropriations Clause of Article I, Section 9, Congress has the authority to control federal spending. To carry out this constitutional responsibility, regular Congressional order dictates that the House and Senate put forth 12 annual appropriations bills that use the budget resolution to provide discretionary funds for federal agencies and programs.

House Republicans have made a commitment to the American people to address out-of-control spending. That is why, with the passage of the two of the twelve appropriations measures last week​, we began the annual appropriations season ahead of schedule, the earliest that any appropriations bill has been considered by the House since 1974 and under an open-amendment process that allows for any member to offer amendments to the bill on the House floor.

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

H.R.2029, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016, fulfills Congress' obligation to provide our Nation's veterans access to the full range of benefits that they have earned through their service. This bill would provide robust funding for discretionary spending for the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as funds to support the construction budget needed to provide military family housing, military medical facilities, DoD education facilities, and Guard and Reserve facilities for our Nation's servicemembers and their families.

While we must always ensure that Congress and our Nation provides full funding to uphold the solemn promise made to provide for our Nation's veterans, the VA wait list scandal also clearly demonstrated that in order to fulfill this vow, we must have strong oversight of VA. That is why this bill includes provisions that would increase oversight by limiting transfers between construction projects, reporting on bid savings, limiting changes in the scope of construction projects, and restricting the agency from taking certain spending actions without notifying Congress.

In addition, H.R.2029 also contains funding that would help ensure that veterans receive timely access to care from VA by providing funds to modernize the VA electronic health record system, but with provisions restricting funding until the VA demonstrates progress on the system's functionality and interoperability. To address the disability claims backlog, the bill would also provide funding for the paperless claims processing system, digital scanning of health records, a centralized mailing system, while accompanying this funding with rigorous reporting requirements that would track each regional office's performance on claims processing.

H.R.2029 also ensures that servicemembers and their families have the benefits and resources they deserve by funding construction projects that advance the effectiveness of our missions, sustain quality housing for the 1.4 million military families currently served by the military housing program, and allow continued support and care for 9.8 million beneficiaries eligible to receive care at military medical facilities.

The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 once again demonstrates the House's clear commitment to our Nation's veterans and servicemembers. I voted in favor of this bill, which passed the House by a vote of 255-163, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join us in passing this important bill.

Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

The House also passed H.R. 2028, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016, last week, which would fund national defense nuclear weapons activities, the Army Corps of Engineers, and programs under the Department of Energy (DOE). Funding for DOE's nuclear weapons security programs--which includes Weapons Activities, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, and Naval Reactors--supports critical national defense missions to uphold our nuclear deterrence posture, while maintaining the safety and readiness of our nuclear stockpile.

In addition, H.R.2028 also includes policy provisions that would push back on excessive regulations by prohibiting any change to the federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, prohibiting the application of the Clean Water Act to farm ponds or irrigation ditches, and allowing for the possession of firearms on Army Corps of Engineers land.

Passing the annual appropriations bills on time ensures that Congress is not forced to fund the government through last-minute continuing resolutions. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to fight for fiscal responsibility as we move forward with the additional appropriations bills.

House Passes Bill Disapproving the Action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014

The House voted on an important measure that would ensure protections of religious beliefs and rights of conscience for District of Columbia employers. H.J.Res.43, which I voted for and that passed by a vote of 228-192, expresses the House's disapproval with the D.C. City Council's bill, Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act (RHNDA). The RHNDA presents a number of concerns for religious or pro-life advocacy group's operating in D.C., by forcing these organizations to make personnel decisions that violate their deeply held religious beliefs or moral convictions, as well as mandate they provide insurance coverage for surgical abortions. Congress has the authority and responsibility to review legislation passed by the D.C. City Council in addition to retaining authority over its budget, and I am pleased the House acted and passed H.J.Res.43.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016

In an 18-hour session last Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee passed H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016. This bill is consistent with the House Budget Resolution and the President's Budget Request. In a fiscally-restrained environment, difficult choices had to be made between important programs and vital programs, and this bill contains significant efforts to reform the Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition processes and to ensure our servicemembers receive the best training, equipment, and benefits they deserve.

Specifically, H.R. 1735 would streamline the acquisition process by placing critical decision making authorities in the process' early stages, empowering the workforce by removing obstacles that make it difficult for top military talent to serve in acquisition roles, and simplifying the chain of command. Additionally, this bill keeps the size of headquarters in balance with the force in the field; allows the Secretary of Defense to consider performance most significantly when restructuring the workforce; increases military construction above the Fiscal Year 2015 levels to maintain readiness; augments cybersecurity efforts; addresses the threats from Russian aggression and requires the Defense Secretary to submit a strategy to counter threats from Iran in coordination with the President. H.R. 1735 also authorizes funding to combat the threat from Daesh, or ISIL, in Iraq, and I was proud to cosponsor an amendment introduced by Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) that would ensure the Kurdish Peshmerga receive a significant portion of that assistance. This bill also ensures no Guantanamo Bay detainees would be housed on U.S. soil and strengthens requirements for the release of any detainee by this Administration.

In addition, the NDAA also addressed compensation and retirement reform. Frustrated with piecemeal approaches to ensure our military personnel programs were robust and solvent, Congress established the Military Retirement and Compensation Modernization Commission in 2013 to delve into these issues. The commission's report was published earlier this year in February. To compete effectively against the private industry for the best and brightest of our Nation, the Department of Defense must offer benefits on par with or better than the private marketplace. Under this bill, for the first time, 83 percent of servicemembers not eligible for military retirement would be able to participate in a retirement plan within the confines of the retirement system. This system would allow new service members to contribute to a portable Thrift Savings Plan with matching contributions from DoD. The reform also preserves a structure that encourages service beyond 12 or 20 years. Those currently serving have the option of remaining grandfathered into the old system or choosing the new TSP option.

H.R.1735 passed out of the committee by a vote of 60-2 and will now be sent to the full House for final passage in the coming weeks.

His Excellency Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, Addresses Joint Meeting of Congress
Seventy-four years ago, the United States suffered the greatest single attack at the time on U.S. soil when the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, thrusting America into a long, bloody, and costly campaign in World War II. Our two nations would fight fierce battles across the Pacific for the next four years until the end of the war. Since 1945, however, Japan and the United States have enjoyed a close economic, political, and military relationship. In light of this important partnership with our strongest Asian ally, I was honored to attend the first Joint Address to Congress by Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. The timing for this historic event is important. Prime Minister Abe spoke to Congress after signing a new defense agreement earlier last week. Additionally, as the Obama Administration seeks to pivot our military forces back to the Pacific theater and in light of rising Chinese influence in the South China Sea, the United States will rely more heavily on our close alliance with Japan.

I want to thank Prime Minister Abe for his remarks to Congress, and I agree wholeheartedly with his call to "Let the two of us, America and Japan, join our hands together and do our best to make the world a better...place to live." To view Prime Minister Abe's address, click on the below image.

Meeting with the Honorable M. Casey Rodgers Chief Judge, US District Court Judge
Judge Casey Rodgers, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for Northern District of Florida based in Pensacola, stopped by my office last week to further discuss the situation at the Pensacola Courthouse. During her time in Washington, Judge Rodgers also met with officials from the General Services Administration (GSA), who agreed that the courthouse should be evacuated and the facilities relocated as GSA deals with the serious mold and water intrusion issues at the courthouse. After recently bringing my colleagues Congressman Bill Shuster, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which has Congressional oversight of the GSA, and Congressman Vern Buchanan to visit the Pensacola Courthouse, I saw once again that GSA must take immediate action to address this serious public health situation.

Veterans Corner

Meeting with Councilwoman Ashley Lay, City of Milton
I also met with Councilwoman Ashley Lay, who was sworn into the Milton City Council last October. Passionate about serving the residents of Santa Rosa county and being a voice for Ward I, Councilwoman Lay enjoyed sharing with me her the time on the Council thus far. I appreciate Councilwoman Lay for stopping by to visit while in Washington and her dedication and tireless work striving to make the Santa Rosa community the best it can be.

Pensacola Energy and Okaloosa Gas Meeting
I met with Jose Lozano and Gordon King from Okaloosa Gas and Don Suarez from Pensacola Energy during their visit to Washington to attend the American Public Gas Association's Government Relations Conference. These two utilities supply gas to thousands of customers throughout Northwest Florida, and I thank them for taking the time to discuss how to help keep gas affordable for the consumers that rely on it.

Veterans Corner

Joint Press Conference to Highlight the Need for the Bipartisan VA Accountability Act
I, along with Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), joined representatives from leading veterans groups, including Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, American Legion, AMVETS, and Concerned Veterans for America, in holding a press conference to highlight the need for the bipartisan VA Accountability Act of 2015. This important measure​, which I recently introduced in the House and Senator Rubio introduced in the Senate, would give the Department of Veterans Affairs secretary sweeping new authority to fire corrupt or incompetent employees for cause.

The bill comes in response to VA's long and well documented history of not holding problem employees accountable. This trend is underscored by the fact that in response to the VA scandal, which centered around medical appointment wait time manipulation, VA has not fired any employees at all for wait time manipulation. Last year, after an internal department audit uncovered secret lists to hide wait times at 110 VA facilities, VA leaders at nearly every level and President Obama vowed to hold the responsible employees accountable. That hasn't happened yet, as VA has only attempted to discipline eight employees so far for a scandal that affected more than 100 VA medical facilities. Of the eight employees VA actually tried to discipline, two received temporary written warnings, three received short suspensions, one was allowed to retire, one was fired for receiving "inappropriate gifts" -- not wait time issues -- and one's disciplinary action is pending.

The VA Accountability Act of 2015 would address VA's accountability struggles head on and aims to replace VA's culture of complacency with a climate of accountability. To view the press conference, click on the below image.

House Committee on Veterans Affairs Full Committee Business Meeting to Issue a Subpoena to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and to Examine Access and Quality of Care and Services for Women Veterans

Last Thursday, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs met to issue a subpoena to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to produce all documents and communications of the Philadelphia Regional Office relating to matters investigated, pending, or completed before the Equal Opportunity Commission and/or the Merit Systems Protection Board from December 31, 2008. Directly following the business meeting, the House examined access and quality of care issues regarding Department of Veterans Affairs' services for women veterans, who by 2040, are expected to make up almost 18 percent of the American veteran population, up from about ten percent today. Women veterans often experience different challenges than men when transitioning into civilian life, especially when attempting to access health care and other VA services, and according to Disabled American Veterans, women veterans are twice as likely to be homeless. Additionally, there are gaps in many VA programs that serve women veterans, including a lack of access to gender-specific healthcare. These problems will only increase if VA does not adapt to better serve the growing population of women veterans. During the hearing, we had the opportunity to take a closer look at VA's current care and services for women veterans and determine what actions are needed to increase access to medical care, meaningful employment and housing for women veterans.

Concerned Veterans for America Meeting

As part of Concerned Veterans for America's annual "Vets on the Hill" event, I visited with CVA members to discuss the group's legislative agenda for the upcoming year, including reforms to veterans health care, military voting, defense spending reform and other national security matters. I commend CVA for its efforts on behalf of our Nation's service members and veterans, and I also appreciate the group's steadfast support of my bill, H.R.1994, the VA Accountability Act of 2015.

Texas Tech University Meeting

I met with Dr. Tedd Mitchell and Mr. Ryan Henry, the President and Vice President of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, respectively. We discussed the status of the Lubbock VA clinic and current VA medical center construction delays occurring throughout the country. Dr. Mitchell and Mr. Henry expressed their concerns and the need for better management. We also discussed the potential role that the University Health Sciences Center, also located in Lubbock, will have once the clinic opens its doors, as well as Texas Tech's interest in future collaboration with the department's clinic.

RAND Corporation Meeting

I also met with RAND Corporation President and CEO Michael Rich, who took the opportunity last week to highlight RAND's critical research and policy analysis regarding veterans, national security and health care. We discussed RAND's mental health studies on Post-traumatic Stress and the existing challenges facing our veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. I applaud RAND for its continued commitment and ongoing efforts aimed at supporting our Nation's warriors.

Constituent Voice

Pensacola Christian Academy

I had the opportunity to hear what was on the minds of some of Northwest Florida's younger constituents when I met with 80 high school seniors from Pensacola Christian Academy. The students were eager to visit our Nation's capital, and I enjoyed answering their questions on my role as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, as well as major legislation discussed this week such as the National Defense Authorization Act. Pensacola Christian Academy is dedicated to providing its students with a quality education that incorporates Christian principles and character, and I am confident this great group of students will go on to achieve much academic and personal success.

Veterans Corner

In the District

Military Appreciation Month

We as Americans have been blessed with the greatest military in the world whose importance has long held throughout our Nation's history, and in 1999, Congress passed a resolution to designate May as National Military Appreciation Month. Though I feel it is always appropriate and important to take time to remember and honor the service and sacrifice of the members of our Armed Forces and their families, I join the many across the country who during this month stand united in support of our Nation's heroes who have helped secure our freedom and prosperity that so many today enjoy but often take for granted. I am humbled and especially proud to recognize the tens of thousands of families and individuals of the Armed Forces who call the First Congressional District of Florida, home. Thank you for your service.

As always, I welcome your comments. To share your thoughts on legislation, votes or issues, please visit http://jeffmiller.house.gov/ to send an e-mail or call any of my offices.

Thanks,
Jeff

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