Miller Newsletter March 22, 2015

Statement

Veterans Corner

The Biggest Construction Failure in VA History

In response to the call by House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee leadership for answers on construction delays and cost overruns at the replacement Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA reported last week that the new estimated cost for the hospital is $1.73 billion -- more than $1 billion over budget -- and it isn't even close to completion. This makes the replacement Denver VA Medical Center the biggest construction failure in VA history, and it just keeps getting worse. Since the project's inception, the cost of the hospital has ballooned from $328 million to $1.73 billion. Yet as the project spiraled out of control, VA ignored congressional pleas to get things back on track at almost every turn. Because of a near complete and total lack of focus on the project at the highest levels of VA and the department's disregard for Congressional oversight, the future of the Denver replacement hospital is unclear.

One thing is certain: Congress will not authorize another dime until VA gets its construction affairs in order. VA's entire construction program is a disaster and has been for years. Nearly every major VA hospital construction project is behind schedule and hundreds of millions over budget. VA's construction problems have been documented by the Government Accountability Office and at numerous congressional hearings. Every single member of VA's top leadership is fully aware of these issues, yet the senior executives who presided over the mismanagement that led to them remain firmly entrenched at VA, where they collect generous taxpayer-funded salaries. No reasonable person could conclude that VA Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction Principal Executive Director Glenn Haggstrom and VA Office of Construction and Facilities Management Executive Director Stella Fiotes are doing a good job. Therefore, I am calling upon VA's leadership to fire them immediately. As part of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, Congress gave VA leaders the authority to immediately fire VA senior executives for poor performance. It's well past time for the department to fire Haggstrom and Fiotes or explain to America's veterans and American taxpayers why these individuals have earned the right to continued VA employment.

Right now, the department must come to Congress with a list of options for finishing the Denver project in a way that doesn't interrupt current services to local veterans. These could include fully completing construction or decreasing the scope of the project or selling it, while utilizing existing VA facilities, community services or other options to deliver veterans' medical care. Next, VA must generate a deficit-neutral plan to pay for these options. The department owns this mess, and it's not fair to force taxpayers to bail out the bungling bureaucrats who created it. If VA fails to meet these requirements, authorizing any more money for the project could only be described as blatant waste. Right now it's incumbent upon Congress, taxpayers and Colorado veterans to keep the pressure on VA to take this project seriously -- something the department has failed to do from the beginning.

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Full Committee Hearing on "The Power of Legislative Inquiry -- Improving the VA by Improving Transparency"

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a full committee oversight hearing Monday night to hear from VA and VA Office of Inspector General officials regarding VA and VA OIG's transparency challenges and cooperation with Congress. VA has yet to respond to more than 100 information requests from the committee, 63 of which are more than 60 days old. The pace with which VA is returning requests -- and in some cases not returning them -- is an impediment to the basic oversight responsibilities of the committee. In many cases, the department's justification for not providing information is rooted in a confusing interpretation of the law, which appears to be at odds with Congress' constitutionally mandated oversight authority.

Perhaps most disappointing is that even VA's Inspector General has adopted a similar restrictive posture in cooperating with the Committee. In order to ensure VA is providing accurate information to the public and that its programs are operating as Congress intended, the committee needs complete and unfettered access to the information it requests from the department as well as the inspector general. As the old saying goes, "sunlight is the best disinfectant." We will maintain pressure on VA and VA OIG until they learn this important lesson.

House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees Joint Hearing on the Legislative Presentation of Multiple VSOs

The House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees held a joint hearing last week to receive the legislative presentations of multiple Veteran Service Organizations, including the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, Air Force Sergeants Association, Retired Enlisted Association, Fleet Reserve Association, National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs, National Guard Association of the United States, American Ex--Prisoners of War, Gold Star Wives of America, and the Wounded Warrior Project. The witnesses testified on the VA and DOD budgets, medical care for veterans and our wounded warriors, ongoing support to our military families as well as the findings from the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission. I commend these fine organizations for their outstanding work and for continuing to be a tremendous voice for our Nation's veterans.

"Debt of Honor" Documentary Screening

I was honored to co-host a Congressional screening of Ric Burns' "Debt of Honor," a documentary film highlighting the history, service, and sacrifice of disabled veterans. Behind every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine hurt in combat, there's a story. It's important for us to hear these stories in order to truly appreciate the depth of the sacrifices disabled veterans have made on our behalf and in order for us as a Nation to ensure America is keeping the promises we made to our veterans. This is why films like "Debt of Honor" are so important.

Washington Update

House Releases its FY16 Budget Blueprint

As a fiscal conservative, I believe that Congress has a moral obligation to the American people to be good stewards of hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and the best way to achieve this vital goal is to stop spending money that we don't have. Last week, the House released our budget for the 2016 fiscal year. This budget would immediately begin the process of restoring fiscal responsibility to Washington, putting us on a path that would achieve a balanced budget by 2024 and save the American people $5.5 trillion over the next decade.

The budget would also provide robust funding for the foremost responsibility of government--providing for the common defense--by increasing defense spending from the President's requested levels and addressing the impact of the sequester. In addition, the budget would help address many of the issues Americans are most concerned about by paving the way for comprehensive tax reform, which would spur economic growth and job creation, and fully protecting the American people from Obamacare through a full repeal.

With the House Budget Committee passing and favorably reporting the budget last week, the full House will soon consider the proposal as we fight to restore fiscal responsibility to Washington.

Introduction of H.R.1452, to Provide Fee Simple Title Santa Rosa Island Residents

Last week, I introduced legislation that will help ensure fairness on Santa Rosa Island by allowing Santa Rosa Island leaseholders the option of attaining fee simple title to their property that they already pay taxes on, if they so choose. Since the federal government deeded Santa Rosa Island to Escambia County in 1947, the area has grown significantly, and that is why a diverse group of stakeholders asked me to introduce legislation to provide fairness to property owners by giving them the ability to attain title to their property. H.R.1452 would also codify current agreements governing conservation, preservation, public access, and recreation, and it in no way affects the right to public beach access, nor does it change the boundaries of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. My colleague in the Senate, Marco Rubio, also introduced a Senate companion version, and I will continue to work with Senator Rubio and others to move forward this commonsense bill.

House Passes, S.J. Res. 8, Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the National Labor Relations Board Ambush Election Rule

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which is the federal agency responsible for overseeing federal labor standards and practices, as well as conducting elections for labor union representation, finalized a rule in December 2014, which drastically alters the policies regulating union elections. Known as the "ambush election rule," this new rule limits employers' ability to legally prepare for union elections, delays important questions regarding voter eligibility until after the election, and allots workers as little as 11 days to consider joining a union before having to cast their ballots. Perhaps most troubling of all, the rule also requires employers to share their employees' personal information with union leaders, putting their own and their families' privacy in jeopardy.

In order to stop the NLRB from blocking transparency and communication with union elections and to safeguard the privacy rights of workers and their families, the House passed S.J.Res.8, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board relating to representation case procedures. This bill, which has already passed the Senate, would stop the NLRB ambush election rule by using Congress' formal powers of disapproval.

I strongly opposed the NLRB violating privacy and infringing on freedom of choice through excessive rules and regulations, and I strongly feel that access to employment should not be impeded by rules or regulations requiring employees, or potential employees, to join a union or be forced to have union dues deducted from their paychecks. Throughout my time in Congress, I have been a strong supporter of Right-to-Work legislation, and I am glad that many states throughout the country, including Florida, have enacted Right-to-Work laws. With the bill passing both the House and the Senate, it is now up to the President to decide whether to side with the privacy rights of employees and employers or to support big labor by vetoing this measure.

Reining in the EPA

Since retaking control of the House, Republicans have worked diligently to rein in excessive regulations at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), successfully reducing its funding by nearly 25 percent and pushing back on job-killing regulations. Last week, the House passed two more bills aimed at increasing transparency and bringing greater accountability to EPA's decisions.

H.R. 1029, the Science Advisory Board Reform Act, would reform the EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB), which is responsible for reviewing the scientific and technical information being used by the EPA or proposed as the basis for Agency regulations. The SAB was created to ensure that a wide range of experts and stakeholders could review EPA's scientific information, and H.R. 1029 would push back on recent EPA actions, which have ignored or even silenced challenges from the SAB, by requiring the Administrator of the EPA to select members so that the points of view represented are fairly balanced, with at least ten percent of board members coming from state, local, and tribal governments. It is also important that EPA be transparent in its scientific dealings, and H.R. 1029 would significantly increase transparency by making all reports and scientific information available to the public and requiring public input.

o further increase public participation in the EPA regulatory process, the House also passed H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act. This bill would prohibit the EPA from approving regulations unless all scientific and technical information is made available to the public for independent analysis and verification. Ultimately, hard-working American families and businesses are the ones that foot the bill and feel the burden of EPA's numerous rules and regulations, and it is only right that the public should have access to the science that EPA uses to come to these decisions.

I supported both of these commonsense bills, which would increase transparency and accountability to ensure that the EPA is working on behalf of the American people, not on behalf of a specific political agenda, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to rein in out-of-control regulatory agencies and ensure that the American people are given the chance to fully weigh in on rules and regulations.

House Passes H.R. 284, Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Improvement Act of 2015, as amended
Seniors in Northwest Florida and across the country rely on durable medical equipment, prosthetic and orthotic devices, and supplies (DMEPOS) provided by Medicare to meet their health care needs. Unfortunately, the current bidding process is flawed, making it more difficult for suppliers to provide the equipment that beneficiaries require. Last week, the House passed legislation that would address the flawed process. H.R. 284, the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Improvement Act of 2015, would increase price transparency, promote fair competition, and ensure access by requiring DMEPOS suppliers that participate in the competitive bidding program to secure a bid bond of between $50,000 and $100,000 and to require that these suppliers meet applicable state licensure laws. These reforms would ensure that suppliers participating in the bidding process operate in good faith to increase competition and create more certainty for seniors and suppliers alike.

House Armed Services Full Committee Hearing on Fiscal Year 2016 Budget

On Tuesday, the House Armed Services Committee held a Full Committee Hearing to address the budget request proposed by the military departments. In a relatively rare occasion, three service secretaries--Secretary of the Army John McHugh, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, and Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James--joined the four service chiefs in testimony to the Committee.

There is no question that we currently work in a fiscally restrained environment. While the threat picture around the world becomes increasingly more complex, now is not the time to sacrifice readiness, capability, and technological advantage of our military forces. We are currently at historically low funding levels for our Nation's military, which has resulted in increased risk. Allowing additional devastating cuts through sequestration to take effect would further allocate an unacceptably high level of this risk both now and in the future, which would amount to increased response time around the world and unnecessary exposure of danger to our Nation's fighting men and women.

Additionally, there is no question that our fiscal house is not in order. In the first 224 years of our Nation's history, we accumulated $5.6 trillion of national debt, amounting to approximately $25 million per year. In the last 14 years alone, we have amassed an additional $12.2 trillion, amounting to $871 million per year, a rate 35 times higher.

While spending reform across all federal agencies must occur, budget cuts must not be unduly placed on the backs of our men and women in uniform in harm's way. Furthermore, as a fiscal conservative committed to the defense of our Nation and a supporter of the greatest fighting force the world has ever known, I believe we should audit the Defense budget to find fraud, waste, and abuse within the system instead of drastic, across-the-board cuts that would come from sequestration. Finding inefficiencies and cutting out wasteful or unnecessary spending within the Defense Department will ensure proper utilization of taxpayer dollars, while also ensuring we do not allow unacceptable levels of risk to our national security.

Letter to the President Regarding the Iranian Nuclear Deal

While the Obama Administration continues to seek a deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program, the Iranians have consistently failed to produce the required evidence that their endeavors are of a peaceful nature to both the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United States. In fact, of the 12 sets of questions sought by the IAEA, Tehran has answered just part of one. As the world's largest financier of terrorist activities, the Iranian regime must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapons capability, and just last week IAEA reported it is still concerned about signs of Iran's military related activities, including design of an intercontinental ballistic missile. As a result, I joined more than 310 of my colleagues in the House in sending a bipartisan letter to the President stating that a final comprehensive nuclear agreement must constrain Iran's nuclear infrastructure so that Iran has no pathway to a nuclear bomb, and any such agreement must be long-lasting. Additionally, the letter states that members of Congress are prepared to evaluate any agreement to determine its long-term impact on the United States, our allies, and the region.

In the News

White House Sharply Criticizes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Reelection Campaign Tactics

Last week, the White House sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reelection campaign tactics and went as far as warning that it could alter U.S. policy towards Israel and the Palestinian bid for statehood.

I find it ironic and deeply disappointing that this President would jeopardize the relationship with our strongest ally in the region over divisive campaign rhetoric. Israel has a right to defend itself against those countries and individuals wishing to do it harm. I also find it troubling that the President seems willing to unravel the deep-seated alliance and friendship with Israel because the will of the Israeli people does not fit neatly into the President's agenda and world view. With 7 out of 10 Americans favorably viewing Israel, President Obama certainly does not speak for the vast majority of the American people.

Israel provides a beacon of hope in a corner of the world marred by darkness, evil, and death. It is critical that we provide the support needed to help protect the sovereignty of Israel and the right of its people to defend themselves from terrorism and the threat of a nuclear Iran. I hope President Obama will reconsider his administration's inflammatory rhetoric regarding America's relationship with Israel and continue the support of one of our closest allies.

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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