Transcripts For CSPAN House Session 20240622 : vimarsana.com

The speaker pro tempore on this vote the yeas are 242. The nays are 175. The resolution is adopted. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 the Unfinished Business is the question on agreeing to the speakers approval of the journal which the chair will put de novo. The question is on agreeing to the speakers approval of the journal. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The journal stands approved. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Speaker, i ask for a recorded vote. The speaker pro tempore a recorded vote is requested. Those favoring a recorded vote will rise. A sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. Members will record their votes by electronic device. This will be a fiveminute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] the speaker on this vote the yeas are 249. The nays are 169 with two members voting present. The journal stands approved. The house will come to order. Pursuant to House Resolution 292, this time has been designated for the taking of the official photo of the house of representatives in session. The house will be in a brief recess while the chamber is being prepared for the photo. As soon as the photographer indicates these preparations are complete, the chair will call the house to order to resume its actual session for the taking of the photograph. At that point members will take their cues from the photographer and shortly after the photographers finished, the house will proceed with its business. Pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess speaker gavels out the house subject to the call of the chair. They are going to take the official portrait for the 114th congress. Well show that to you in a minute or two. Later this is an offthefloor briefing by secretary of state john kerry, Energy Secretary moniz about the Iran Nuclear Deal. When members return later this afternoon. Well have live house coverage when they return. Well break away when the house comes back for their portrait which should be in the next 15 minutes or so. Few days. That wording right there is the headline in the Washington Times this morning saying that by the president saying that, that has baffled veterans, republican lawmakers saying that does not match reality. Guest yeah, in this case, unfortunately, the president has some bad information. When i talked to veterans in my district in el paso, texas, they tell me that its very hard to get into the v. A. And when they are able to obtain an appointment, that apolicy is off canceled or rescheduled or they find out the day of that their doctors no longer available. We conducted a survey with the margin of error of just under 4 in el paso and found that veterans on average are waiting more than two months for primary Health Care Appointments and more than two months for mental Health Care Appointments and most shockingly, more than a third of veterans in el paso cant get in to see a Mental Health Care Specialist at all. And at a time when 22 veterans take their own lives, its not enough to have the Choice Program and to have that additional funding. Its not enough to point to the v. A. s own statistic which is i dont know if we can really trust them. And its really important that we listen to veterans and veterans are telling us they cant get in to get the care that they need. Host what is going on . You mentioned the choice act. This is something that congress came together on after the phoenix v. A. Hospital was exposed and the waiting list there and more money. Why has not not resolved the issue . Guest the choice act was passed almost a year ago. It was august of 2014 implemented starting in november of that year. The v. A. And i believe o. M. B. Expected all 16 billion of the choice act to be committed by the First Quarter of this coming year. We had a hearing that found that only 500 million of 16 billion had been spent. And today the secretarys going to be before us on the Veterans Affairs Committee Asking to move 3 billion of that uncommitted choice money over to their budget gap that we just learned about this month. Host wait. So he wants to move the choice money for something unrelated . Guest correct. We just learned and they tell us that they have just learned that the v. A. , that theyre underbudget by 3 billion and if we do not plug that gap, they will begin to shut clinic and hospital doors by the end of next month. And further notice furlough well break away here. The house is gathering for their 114th congress photo. The u. S. House getting their official portrait. Members now will get a briefing off the floor on the Iran Nuclear Deal. Secretary of state john kerry Energy Secretary moniz are on capitol hill and will brief the members shortly. Well have live house coverage when they return. We expect them to start debate on the coal ash disposal bill. Until they dorks well take you back to todays washington journal. Medical part of their of their benefit . Guest no. Im not talking about privatizing. But im talking about doing what to a degree, the v. A. s already doing in a much more intelligent rational way in el paso and thats the best example for me to use to understand the el paso envelope so well. One third of their budget is committed to community carom theyre already sending veterans out from services ranging from oncology to Mental Health to physical rehabilitation out in the community. Theres a better way to do this where the v. A. Could choose to specialize and prioritize certain combat and Service Connected issues and disabilities and im thinking posttraumatic stress, military sexual trauma and do those at the v. A. And have the v. A. Become the center of excellence for that. And if youre going to refer care outside of the community, perhaps you refer care out that is comparable to conditions and issues that the general population has. So diabetes, you come into the v. A. With the flu. You need to get your teeth fixed. Perhaps the v. A. Can take care of that but lets refer care out thats comparable to the general population. But if you come back from afghanistan today or you came back from v. M. A. 30 years ago and you vietnam 30 years ago i want to know that youre seen at the v. A. The same day as necessary that you called for thepoint appointment and then you have continuity and consistency in that treatment. We hear from veterans who come in for initial instake and appointment and are not seen by anyone ever again. And i hear from some psychologists that in some cases, it might be better for that veteran to not come in in the first place and uncork all those emotions and feelings and trauma that have been held inside whether it was for the last year or the last 35 years if theyre not going to get that quality level of care. So i think the v. A. Really has an opportunity to do something really really well that veterans, at least those that i speak with in my community desperately need and have certainly earned. And then the communities there for those services and treatment that are comparable to what you and i and the general population might need. Host sounds like personal privatization. Guest yeah, or doing what a very thoughtful strategic way versus what is today, a very haphazard way. It is not working for anyone. Host phone lines are lighting up. Congressman telling us that the Veterans Affairs secretary is going tell lawmakers today that they face a shortfall by 3 billion, that they need money that was set aside for veterans medical care to fill that gap. What are your questions and comments on this . Well go to milton in West Virginia, a democrat. Youre up first. Caller good morning, greta. First thing i want to say is that you know, talk is cheap. He can sit there and say all the things theyre going to do but im talking about for my son. He was in the first desert storm. It took us 15 years to get the v. A. To do something for him. Now, hes 100 disabled. Hes got ptsd. Hes went through about 15 therapists a psychiatrist, and they give him somebody right now, hes got a pregnant woman. Shes going to have a baby. So shes going to leave him so theyll put somebody else in her place. And he has to dipping all that stuff again, explain it to this person. He does that every time that they give him somebody new. So he is not given any help because they keep digging it up every time they give him a different representative to take care of him. This is ridiculous and these people sit here and talk about its nothing but b. S. They do not do nothing to help the veteran. Guest yeah, well, milton, first of all thank you for calling in and through you, i want to thank your son for his service and tell you that the experience that you just shared with us is absolutely unacceptable and unfortunately is shared by many veterans across the country furthermore, i agree with the of that talk is cheap and it is not enough for congress and people in the ba to say we will do better. And it is not enough for the president to say we need to do better. We actually need to do better. Im offering a proposal and solution which is that if Mental Health care, including tooting ptsd is really important, then we need to prioritize it. We heard from the secretary earlier this year that he is trying to hire 20,004 Veterans Health administration. A thousand positions that are funded, authorized. 20,000 positions that are funded and authorized. My proposal is that for your son , milton, and others suffering from pts and dramatic right injury and to need Mental Health care, that is a priority and thats prioritize that. Lets prioritize back in Capital Expenditures for the v. A. , pts, military sexual trauma, and in part of the bargain, which is not going to be popular and probably not politically easy to take on is to reverse some of that care that is not related to military sexual trauma in the signature conditions and bones from radel and service in this country to care and community. Not every veteran is going to like that and the the a may not like that but we will have to make tough decisions and we can no longer just talk about it and their money. We saw the 16 billion committed last year has really not turned into greater access or lower weight time for veterans. In fact, we are seeing weight times increase wait times increase and not decrease, following the scandal in phoenix and revelations that we and other members of congress brought to light about issues in our community. Guest host we are talking about congress we are talking with congressman beto orourke on health care. You have the National Unemployment rate at 5. 3 and four iraq and iran offender in unemployment, 7. 2 . The amount of homelessness, 49,933. Mark is a veteran in bronx, new york. An independent. Caller good morning, greta. Thank you for cspan. Good morning, congressman. I had the same problem that milton had in West Virginia for years and i had stopped going to the v. A. , but they changed everything about 20 years ago at the bronx v. A. And the James J Peters system. Im getting excellent Mental Health care there now. I have had one doctor for 15, 20 years or Something Like that. I am properly medicated and the other day i had to go there because i had an ulcer on my tongue. I emailed my doctor and he said to come in right away. I went in they examined me, they gave me an ammonia shot, they sent me up to, nose, and throat. The examined me, they claimed my ears, they sent me to dental, i went to dental and they filed down my tooth that was close to bolster on my tongue and all of that in three hours. You should take a page and see what they are doing there at the James J Peters v. A. Because it was terrific. Host ok, mark. Guest id love to come out to the bronx and see the change at the James J Peters facility in the bronx. I want to find out where the v. A. Is succeeding and apply that success to our issues in el paso where we just found out last week we had the worst way time in the country. 141 Mental Health facilities within the v. A. Throughout the countries and we rank 141st in the country which means that veterans are delayed in getting care they are effectively denied in getting care and there are real consequences. In the bronx with marked or other parts of the country, we seek to the a succeeding and much to get what they did right. Some of what we learned already is that the Top Performing the as of the country are affiliated or in some way partnered with academic medical institutions. El paso, we are lucky and they are part of our proposal to improve the care in that community. Mark, it gives me an opportunity to thank the the a, the doctors, the frontline staff, the Mental Health Care Specialists and in many cases, they are veterans and in many cases earning far below what they can earn even in other federal departments and agencies and certainly in the private sector, but they do this because they care for veterans and they want to serve those of veterans. I think they have a really difficult job, not just in resources but in the model that is not working today. I love hearing about Success Stories and i appreciate mark. Host augusta georgia, a democrat. Good morning, you are on the air. Caller good morning, god bless you. I saw you in june 2013 in el paso. I was actually one of their constituents in el paso at the v. A. In el paso. After relocating to augustine, i would have to say kudos to the staff at the ba there in el paso at the v. A. In el paso. In 2013, as a newly discharged soldier, they treated me with so much care and respect that it was surprising to me to hear the older veterans to bring up issues and concerns. I counted it to being a newly separated servicemember however, after being out for two years, the el paso v. A. , anytime i come into town, they are always willing to give me red carpet service, so i really take my hat off to them that, especially in light of the tragedy. Like i brought up in june 2013 at one of those town hall meetings, congressman, was that i truly believe that one of the main issues that the v. A. Is having is stemming from the toxic leadership on the department out of the house. You have so many servicemembers who are being separated expeditiously because we are trying to downsize the armed forces that they are actually not getting the proper care that they need on the department. I brought that up to your attention in june 2013. Host lets take that up now. Guest first of all, thank you for calling in an thank you for your service. It is to hear a familiar voice from el paso and i hope things are going well in augusta georgia. I am always pleased to hear anecdotes of good experiences that a veteran had, especially at the el paso the eighth i have pursued with the president s comments that when veterans are able to get in and obtain that appointment and it is honored and they are able to see that dr. Or care provider it is typically a good experience. I think our effort on the v. A. Committee and certainly the secretary and president committed and we want to make sure more people have an opportunity to have that experience and shawna brought up an interesting point which is the connection between the department of defense policy decisions that we make and that spirit that end up impacting with the v. A. Does and whether that is a drawdown of our armed forces especially the u. S. Army. Something i dont really agree with on National Security basis given the threats we face around the world, but there is a second order consequence of people who are transitioning out earlier than they had expected to. Maybe too quickly and not prepared for civilian life whether that is treatment and care at the v. A. , getting a job or connecting with disabilities benefits that they have earned where the v. A. Today is north of 200 days on average to resolve a disability claim. If you are appealing over 2. 5 years to get a response back. The last thing, greta, on this probably the most important decision that we make as lawmakers and as a country and within the department of defense is how and when we go to war. These wars we have to understand whether it is in afghanistan and iraq or whether it is back to vietnam and korea for these veterans to come back from these countries significantly changed in many cases. Somewhat lifelong disabilities and need for treatment at a v. A. That is under capacity and incapable of taking care of them. I think that needs to way, in any decision we make, whether it is today in the middle east, tomorrow in another part of the world with another conflict or war, before we send men and women into harms way, lets ensure that when they come back he can take care of them. Host leila on twitter wants to know, who has been accountable for the problems that the v. A. . Do you support events over unions . Do support vetws over unions . Guest i dont think that is the case here. She is probably talking about and accountability bill that has been offered by the chairman of the v. A. Committee and i want to begin by commending him for addressing this issue. I mentioned earlier that i dont know if we can spend enough money to fix the v. A. It is not a resource issue primarily and i dont think we can fire enough people to fix the v. A. We will not be able to fire our way out of this, but yes we do need to hold people accountable. It is astonishing to see some of these egregious examples of lost reasons and misconduct. For example t