what do you make of just those four and there are couple of others. does speaker mccarthy have the votes now? guest: the answer is no. it makes it a difficult week for him and his leadership to fund -- to find those votes. democrats are likely to oppose this bill given the border measures and the deep cuts to non-defense programs which democrats tend to support as well as the defense programs the public likes sticky flat. the issue here is that mccarthy only has a four seat majority. it was five sees but repub >> we are going to break away for live coverage of the u.s.

house. today lawmakers are considering several bills including legislation to provide more transparency to patients regarding the cost and price of health care services. and we take you live now to the floor of the u.s. house here on c-span. the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r.3981 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 153, h.r.3981, a bill to amend title 38, united states code to improve the methods by which the secretary of veterans' affairs conducts oversight of certain educational institution and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: prudent to the rule, mr. bost and the gentleman from illinois, mr. takano each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. >> i ask members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on h.r.3981 as amended.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> madam speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the the speaker pro tempore: the mr. bost: i rise in support of the bill as amended. this bill makes improvements to protect veterans while they're using their g.i. bill. specifically this bill would require schools to self-report adverse actions to their state approving agencies in addition to the v.a. within 30 days. state approving agencies are required to approve and review school and training programs for and of the g.i. bill. this bill would also require v.a. to create a risk-based survey database within 180 days. congress has been waiting for the v.a. to implement this database for a long time. this proposal would make it clear to the v.a. that congress still intends for this database to be implemented. i appreciate the bipartisan work

that's been done at the committee level to ensure that this bill supports veterans while also not increasing government spending. now i thank mr. mcgarvey for his work in introducing this propose. a i urge all my colleagues to support h.r. 3981 as amended and with that, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. takano: thank you, madam speaker. i rise to express my support for h.r. 3981 as amended. the veterans education oversight expansion act. before i came to congress, i was a teacher and so when i was entrusted with the gavel as chairman of the veterans committee in 2019 one of my primary focuses was helping student veterans. i now serve as ranking member, however, i'm incredibly proud of

what our committee did over -- during our four years in the majority. in 2021 we passed a significant student veteran focused law. representative mike levin's isakson row veterans health care improvement act, named for former house chairman phil roe and johnny isakson. that was a massive step forward in quality and oversight for student veterans. representative mcgarvey's legislation builds on the isakson-roe act in the -- established in the 2021 law. now they will no longer wait for state approving age sis to arch errors before it's too late. the legislation before us also improves transparency for the risk-based surveys created i

biisakson-roe. v.a. starred conducting these surveys in late 2022 but schools need to know how the surveys work so they can better deliver for our student veterans. so legislation improves schools' access to risk-based survey database. madam speaker, thank you and i support h.r. 3981 as amended and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: i have no speakers at this time, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. takano: madam speaker, at this time i'd like to yield three minutes to my good friend who is a member of our subcommittee on economic opportunity and also sponsor of h.r. 3981, the gentleman from kentucky, mr. -- representative garvey. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. garvey: thank you madam speaker. i rise in support of my bill

h.r. 3981, the isakson-roe oversight act. i am proud to sponsor this legislation which builds on congressman levin's comprehensive bill of 2020. my hometown and district in louisville, kentucky is home to nearly 50,000 veterans. today we have an opportunity to show our vets that we're listening to their concerns and are going to do something about it. h.r. 3981 will help deliver on promises made to veterans when they joined the military. it improve gofers sight of and fosters accountability at institutions that receive funding to ensure the men and women who defend our country aren't ky detrodded tabi

biinstitutions that fail to set our veterans up for success. h.r. 3981 is a commonsense bipartisan bill which came out of our committee on a bipartisan basis. it will ensure our veterans and their benefits are supported and protected. we have a sacred responsibility to look after all americans, especially those who have sacrificed for our country. any veteran who wants to get an education, an education they have earned, should be able to do so without fear of being defrauded, losing their benefits, or being left behind. every man and woman who puts on a uniform is willing to risk everything to keep us safe. the least we can do is protect them when they get home. veterans earn their g.i. bill education benefits and no veteran should lose that benefit to bad actors or fraudulent institutions. not a single one. i would like to thank chairman bost, chairman vanned oren, ranking member takano and levin and all those involved for their leadership and support of this

bill. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 3981 and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. takano: i have no further speakers, i'm prepared to close. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: thank you, madam speaker. i ask my colleagues to join me in passing h.r. 3981 as amended. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker: the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: once i want to encourage the members on our side of the aisle and all our colleagues to support this good piece of legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3981 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair -- in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection -- mr. bost: i request the yeas and nays.

the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this bill by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? mr. bost: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1530, veterans benefits improvement act of 2023 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will reboard the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar 162, a bill to amend title 38, united states code to improve the r50eur78 to publish disability benefit questionnaire forms at the department of veterans' affairs and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, and the gentleman from california, mr. takano, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all

members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on h.r. 1530 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. bost: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bost: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 1530 as amended offered by my friend from texas and our memorial affairs comirm representative lieu trel. i congratulate representative lutrell on this bill, it's his first since coming to cronk. this would make improvements for veterans applying for benefits on i'm grateful to my fellow veteran for his work on it. it is no secret that the v.a. disability claims process is lengthy and difficult. mr. luttrell's bill is the right solution to modernize the process. an example of which would be the requirement for v.a. to publish

disability benefits, questionnaires, forms on v.a.'s websites, to ease access between veterans and providers, completely -- completing disability claims. this is a commonsense change that honestly we should have done a long time ago. this bill also includes representative -- another representative's legislation to include a board of apees. this program would offer certain incentive tots legal interns to get them into v.a. and fighting for veterans. wile also addressing hiring -- hiring and retention challenges at the board head on. lastly, this bill includes representative self's proposal to make sure that the court of

appeals for veteran's dlaims has enough judges -- claims has enough judges to process the backlog of appeals expected in growth since the passage of the pact act last year. these commonsense solutions should help us make the claims process a little easier to navigate for veterans and their families. it would be also -- it would also provide the court with dation -- with additional resources we know they need to manage the workload coming in from the board. now once again i'd like to thank representative luttrell, m mr. self and others for their work on this legislation and i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 1530 as amended. with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. takano: madam speaker, i rise to express my support for h.r. 1530 as amended. the veterans' benefits

improvement act. i want to thank disability assistance and memorial affairs subcommittee chairman luttrell and ranking member pappas for work on this package. i commend the other representatives for their contributions as well. madam speaker, this bill makes several important changes that will serve to help streamline the medical disability exam process for veants. it will also help strengthen recruitment, hiring and retention at the board of veterans appeals by creating a new internship program for law students and will ebltion up and down the reimbursement programs for current employees to expand student loans. it will expand the number of judges appointed to the court of appeals for veteran's claim arks louing the court to process cases faster and grant veterans

and survivors the relief they deserve. i support h.r. 1530 as amended. thank you, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: thank you, madam chair. at this time i yield two minutes to the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from texas, mr. luttrell. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. luttrell: i'm honored to be here to talk about h.r. 1530 as amended, the veterans improvement act of 2023. we have an obligation to support our veterans who served and sacrificed for our country, however there is currently a lot of red tape that prevents veterans from easily accessing the disability benefits they have earned from the v.a. this bill takes steps to make improvements including clarifying publishing requirement, questionnaire fornls v.a. website, these communication -- ease

communications about the schedules of exam, veterans don't miss appointments. i would like to thank ranking member pappas and my colleagues, ciscomani and self, for their work on this amendment. it will provide veterans access they need to access benefits especially since the passage of the pact act last year as well as get new lawyers in the door for our veterans. i know firsthand how cumbersome the disability claims process can be and it is past time to modernize these efforts. i'm proud to have a bill on the floor to make improvements for my fellow veterans going through the claims process. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 1530 as amended and i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. takano: i'd like to yield to my good friend, house veterans' affairs committee, the gentleman from new hampshire, mr. pappas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pappas: thank you, mr. speaker, and thank you for yielding. i rise in support of the veterans benefits improvement act and as ranking member of the assistance and memorial subcommittee, i'm honored to partner with the subcommittee's chair, mr. luttrell, and thank him for working in a bipartisanship fashion to ensure our veterans can access the benefits and services they're owed. we all have a solemn obligation to ensure the needs of veterans are met but we know too many of our heroes encounter red tape, delays and backlogs trying to access benefits. my office has spoken with countless veterans across new hampshire who have trouble completing and filing questionnaires due to a lack of timely communication. often our office will step in when things go awry and advocate

on their behalf with the v.a. but veterans shouldn't have to reach out to another office to navigate these processes which are all too complicated. so improving those filing a disability claim as well as communication between veterans, their accredited representatives and contractors, we can make sure veterans receive the support they've earned. as we see more veterans file claims as a result of the pact act it's crucial we have steps in place to improve these processes as soon as possible. i urge my colleagues to support this common sense legislation which will help reduce the v.a. claims backlog and minimize delays our veterans are facing today. thank you and i yield back. mr. takano: i have no further speakers. i ask my colleagues to join me in passing h.r.1530 as amended the veterans benefits improvement act and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman wish to yield or reserve from california?

mr. bost: he yield back. the speaker pro tempore: do you wish to yield or reserve? mr. takano: i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: i'd like to recognize the gentleman from texas, representative self, for two minutes, please. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. self: i rise in support of the veterans benefits improvement act and will streamline the process through several actions including adding information from h.r.2239 by adding two judges to the united states court of appeals for veterans claims. for decades the board of veterans appeals has been maligned because they can't provide timely decisions to veterans who appeal their cases. to make matters worse the courts anticipate the caseload in fy-2023 increasing even more due to the amount of cases generated from the pact act. quite simply, more cases before the board will lead to more

denials and more denials will lead to more appeals. the rapid growth of appeals will create an even larger backlog and leave veterans waiting longer periods of time potentially years for their cases to be resolved. since the court's expansion from 5-7 permanent judges in 2011, appeals that have been filed to the court have more than doubled from just under 4,000 to just under 9,000 in 2020. increasing the number of judges will provide the court with an opportunity to prevent a backlog and provide veterans with decisions in a timely manner. the addition of this language to the bill is endorsed by the court itself. i urge my colleagues to vote yes on h.r.1530, and i yield back. mr. bost: i thank the gentleman from yielding back. at this time i'd like to recognize the gentleman from arizona, representative ciscomani, for two minutes.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. ciscomani: thank you, chairman bost, and thank you for yielding. it's time to speak in support of representative luttrell's bill, the veterans benefits improvement act of 2023. i'm grateful my bill, the veterans appeals backlog improvement act is included in this package. my bipartisan bill which i introduced with congress congressman mcgraffy is aimed at reducing wait times. for too many veterans, they're waiting weeks, months and even sometimes years to hear back. these delays create an incredible hurdle for our veterans who are trying to get a potentially life-changing decision. while progress has been made in this area to older legacy v.a. appeals from veterans, the backlog is only increasing with newer claims stemming from the pact act. simply put, the board of

veterans appeals, like all employers, is having issues recruiting employees and does not have enough staff to process the volume of the cases. to address this shortage, my bill would create an internship program for law students at the board of veterans appeals. additionally, it would create a nine-year honors program at the v.a. for recruiting entry level attorneys to work at the board of veterans appeals. this bill makes major strides in improving and addressing the backlog and delays that our veterans see far too often and will help recruit much needed staff. i look forward to supporting this legislation and swift passage on the house floor and i yield back. mr. bost: i thank the gentleman for yielding back. i want to encourage all members to support this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r.1530 as amended.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, "2 minute drill" -- 2/3 being present -- mr. bost: i make apoidea quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. pursuant to clause -- for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? mr. bost: i move to strike the last word to suspend the rules and pass s.112. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 112, an act to strengthen benefits for children of vietnam veterans born with spina bidda and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: suspend the rule, the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, and the gentleman from california, mr. takano, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the

gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: i ask unanimous consent all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on s.112. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. bost: madam speaker, i i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bost: thank you. madam speaker, i rise today in support of mr. bran's bill s.112 which strengthens the benefits for children born with spina bidda. children exposed to herbicides have a higher risk of being born with this condition. their condition can range from mild to severe but children faced with this lifelong impact of spina bidda -- spina bifida have many needs. the program provides monetary and health care benefits to the select children of vietnam era

veterans and veterans that have covered services in korea or thailand. senator brawn's legislation would improve the current program by establishing care and coordination for these children to make sure they have the care and support and continued connection they need for their entire lives. additionally, this will would require v.a. to create ad advisory council on health care and benefits for children living with spina bifida. this council will solicit feedback on health care, job training and monetary benefits to ensure these children have access to leading therapies and medical research. for a lot of veterans families, i know this legislation would make a real difference in their daily airlines. daily lives. i'd like to thank representative baird for his work on this issue and introduce the house companion to this bill, h.r.3888. i know these members have heard

from hoosiers about this problem for many years and i appreciate their efforts to help their constituents and other families. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting s.112 today and with that, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the chair recognizes gentleman from california. mr. takano: madam speaker, i rise to express my support for s.112, a bipartisanship bill sponsored by senator braun of indiana. this legislation aims to strengthen the department of veterans' affairs administration of an existing program that provides health care benefits and compensation to children of vietnam war veterans who are born with spina bifida. this bill is endorsed by vietnam veterans of america. spina bifida is a birth defect that can cause paralysis, nerve damage and bowel and bladder problems. children born with spina bifida may receive benefits from the

v.a. if one of their biological parents is a veteran presumed to have been exposed to agent orange during the vietnam war. the program is jointly administered by the benefits administration and the veterans health administration or v.h.a. it provides a monetary allowance, health care coverage, and vocational training and rehabilitation. as of 2022, fewer than 1,000 beneficiaries were enrolled in the program. according to a 2021v.a. office of inspector general report examining the v.a.'s administration's administration of this program, v.h.a. and v.b.a. were not communicating or sharing data on beneficiaries and contributed to delays and some new beneficiaries being enrolled in health care and improper payments being sent to some beneficiaries after their deaths. the inspector general also found v.a. did not consistently conduct outreach to eligible and

enrolled beneficiaries and did not provide effective case management services for the most seriously disabled beneficiaries. in some cases, v.a.'s call center agents provided inaccurate information about the spina bifida program or could not direct callers to reliable sources of information. s.112 directs j.a. to establish and ad advisory council for the spina bifida program which would be responsible for soliciting feedback from covered children and veterans about program's effectiveness. this legislation requires v.a. to establish care coordination teams which will contact beneficiaries at least once every 180 days to ensure they're accessing needed care. finally, s.112 would require the v.a. to report to congress on the number of covered children receiving benefits. the number of covered children receiving care coordination and the outcough the outreach

conducted to these populations. madam speaker, once again, i support this important piece of legislation. thank you and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: madam speaker, i have no speakers and i'm -- i will reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from from california. mr. takano: i have no further speakers and ask all my colleagues to join me in passing s.112 to strengthen v.a. benefits for children of vietnam veterans born with spina bifida and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: i encourage all members to support the legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 112. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair -- mr. bost: madam speaker, i object.

the speaker pro tempore: in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative. mr. bost: i object on the grounds a quorum is not present and make apoidea quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? mr. bost: madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass s.47 5. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 475, an act to designate the clinic of the department of veterans affairs in gallup, a sufficient number having arisen as the her oshie "hershey" miyamura clinic. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule, mr. bost and mr. takano each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: i ask unanimous consent all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on s.475. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

mr. bost: madam speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bost: thank you, madam speaker. today i rise in support of a bill regulatorying the clinic in gallup, new mexico, as the her oshie miyamura clinic. mr. miyamura was born in new mexico, the son of a imgrant and received the name hershey from his fourth grade teacher who could not pronounce his first name correctly. i know how that happens. he joined the u.s. army during the final day of world war ii and served as of world war ii, served as a machine gunner in, the storied 442nd regiment. following the war he remained in the army reserve. in the onset of the korean war he was recalled to active duty and once again sent the -- sent

to the frontlines. he earned the medal of honor for his actions during a fire fight that occurred overnight from april 24 to april 25, 1951. overwhelmed by enemy forces, corporal miyamura covered the safe withdrawal of his entire company, despite being wounded himself. unfortunately he was captured immediately after his heroic actions. he was held as a prisoner of war for 28 months and released on august 20, 1953. a month after the end of the korean war. in october of that year, president eisenhower presented the medal of honor to staff sergeant miyamura after his ho -- miyamura. after his honorable discharge he returned to new mexico where he became an automobile mechanic

and service station owner. he remained actively supporting his fellow veterans with patriotism and continued service. hiroshi miyamura is an inspiring american story. he was born to immigrants, rose to the call of a nation, put himself before others in combat and served as a valuable member of society afterwards. this bill ensures his sacrifice and legacy will always be remembered and i want to thank the sponsor of this bill, senator hendrick, as well as the entire new mexico delegation for recognizing this american hero. i urge all my colleagues to support 475 and with that, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. takano: madam speaker, i

yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. takano: i rise to express my support for s. 475, a bill to designate the clinic at the department of veterans fairs in gallup, new mexico, as the hiroshi "hershey" miyamura v.a. clinic. this bill honors a great american from the greatest generation. i thank senator heinrich for spon soring this bill and representative leger fernandez for offer thinking house bill. mr. miyamura joined the army in 1954. he was assigned to the now-storied 442nd regimental combat team though he arrived too late in europe to see much action. however his military service did not end with world war ii. he enlisted in the army reserves after the war and was called into active duty with the outbreak of the korean war.

he became a squad leader in the third infantry division. on the night of april 24, 1951, corporal miyamura's unit of machine gunners and riflemen came under attack. he kill 10d enemy soldiers with his bayonet and then blasted his way with his machine gun, a rifle and grenades and wielded his bayonet again to allow his men to retreat. he killed more than 50 of the enemy before his ammunition was decompleted and he was severely wounded. he was captured and held for 28 months as a prisoner of war until he was released in 1953 after the armistice. for his conduct, then-corporal miyamura was award the congressional medal of honor for his conspicuous gal rantly and intrepidity. he was awarded in secret in 1951 while he was a p.o.w. but it was presented in public in 1953. achieving the rank of staff

sergeant, mr. miyamura returned to new mexico. his dedication and patriotism continued as he returned to south korea to share his experiences in the war. he also served as an integral part of the lives of veterans and others in his community. mr. miyamura once said, until i saw that flag, the star spangled banner, waving in the breeze, did i know, i've learned what it represents. that alone is what makes you feel so humble. excuse me, madam speaker. so many of these fellows who deserve it never came home to any recognition. there are so many americans who don't know what the medal represents or what any soldier or servicewoman or man does for this country. i believe one of these days -- i hope one of these days they will learn of the sacrifices that a lot of men and women have made

for this country. madam speaker, let this legislation be an opportunity to let our fellow americans know about the service and sacrifice that came before. madam speaker, i support this important bees of legislation and i ask my colleagues to do the same. thank you and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: i have no speakers, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. takano: i'd like to yield three minutes to my very good friend who serves on the house rules can committee and house committee on natural resources, the gentlewoman from the extraordinarily beautiful state of new mexico, representative teresa leger fernandez. ms. leger fernandez: thank you very much, mr. takano. thank you very much, madam speaker, and the chair, for allowing me to speak today in support of senate 475 which

senator heinrich and i introduced. it would designate the veterans affairs clinic in gallup, new mexico, as the hiroshi "hershey" miyamura v.a. clinic. he was born in 1935 to immigrants in gallup, new mexico. gallup, new mexico is in my district, it's surrounded by beautiful mown teenagers mesas, the navajo nations and others. it's a tremendously, achingly beautiful place. but from gallup he answered the call to serve not just once but twice in his life. first in world war ii and then in the korean war. he wanted to fight for his country in world war ii. but was ineligible because of his ancestry until 1945. he then served in the forward

142nd infantry reg meant, a unit entirely come poafdz japanese americans, because we must remember that at the time that he was answering the call to service, we were suffering in the united states a period of pay hey tread and xenophobia toward japanese americans. which makes his answer to the call of service even more extraordinary. and for which we are even more gratele. in 1959, corporal miyamura held off enemy soldiers that threatened his machine gun squad. he faced them in hand-to-hand combat. he single handedly held the line, giving his squad time to reach safety. corporal miyamura would spend the next 28 months as a prisoner of war. corporal miyamura was atoward the congressional medal of honor for his service, only learning

of his achievement upon his release in 1953. and thank you for sharing those moving words that he spoke upon receiving that medal. he was the second to the last living korean war medal of honor recipient. now, his passing in november, 2022, reminds us of the sacrifices our veterans make to defend our beautiful nation. the gallup community is extremely proud to have been corporal my miura's home where -- corporal miyamura's home where he returned. the v.a. hospital there is one e essential care soals that veterans don't have to spend two or three thoirns road to get the care we have promised them. i have visited this clinic. i have visited with the veterans in gallup. they have asked me about the status of this designation. so i'm going to be really happy

when we pass this, hopefully, this week, to tell them we have done it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. mr. takano: i yield an additional 30 seconds. ms. leger fernandez: we will name this clinic after him so he can keep watch over his brothers and sisters in arms as their guardian angel. we will remember. gallup will miss him. a nation will miss him. but most of all we will continue to honor him. i hope my colleagues will join me in honoring corporate miyamura and vote for senate bill 475. with that, i yield back. mr. takano: i have no further speakers. i ask all my colleagues to join me in passing s. 475, a bill to designate the clinic of the department of veterans affairs in tbal lineup, new mexico, as the hiroshi "hershey" miyamura v.a. clinic. let me say, let me add, i had

three great uncles who served in the 442nd, a storied regimental combat team. always appoint -- always a poignant story about their service. i thank the chairman for offering his support in the commemoration of their service to our country. and at this time i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: thank you, madam speaker. i want to once again -- once again i want to encourage members to support this legislation. this is truly a piece of legislation that the community knows and understands how a gallant hero that served this nation, congressional medal of honor, is the highest award. it's not given lightly. and for a person who truly did face a time when persecution

happened to his people, but still served this nation. it is a true honor. that we need to bestow upon him. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 475. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- mr. bost: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3371. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 160, h.r. 3371, a bill to direct

the secretary of the interior to complete all actions necessary for certain land to be held in restricted status by the ooglala sioux tried and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia, mr. collins, and the gentleman, mr. gallego, each will control 20 minutes. mr. collins: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 3371, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. collins: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. collins: h.r. 3371, the wounded niemi moirl and sacred site act introduced by congressman johnson of south dakota would place approximately 40 ache he was of land within the pine ridge reservation into

restricted fee status for the oglala sioux tribe and cheyenne river sioux tribe. it would be held as a memorial and sacred site in remembrance of the indian people killed in the wounded knee massacre in 1890. in the mid and late 1800's there were many armed conflicts between the tribe, settlers and others on the great plains and western united states. this contributed to distrust, fear and misconceptions between groups the wounded knee massacre was a result of that atmosphere. on december 29, 1890, a group of lakota indian, led by chief spotted elk, made camp near wounded knee creek on the pine ridge indian reservation in south dakota. u.s. army's seventh cavalry troop were stlent to distharym lakota. a struggle occurred between the u.s. army and some of chief spotted el balings' band, the majority of which consisted of

women and chirp. a shot rang out and the u.s. army opened fireit was estimaten people -- 300 indian people were killed. in september of 2022, the oglala sioux tribe bought land. the piece of land also contains a portion of the area where the wounded knee massacre took place. on october 21, 2022, both tribes signed a covenant stating that this property shall be held and maintained as a memorial and a sacred site without any economic development and prohibited any gaming on the land. i applaud mr. johnson for working collaboratively with both tribes to develop h.r. 3371, which would place the 40 acres into restricted fee status, held jointly by both tribes and memorializes the covenant between them.

restricted fee land contains the same restrictions against alienation and taxation as land held in trust, but title is not held by the federal government. it is held by the tribes. this legislation and land it sets aside will memorialize and honor the indian men, women and children that were killed in 1890. thank you to the gentleman from south dakota, mr. johnson, and the tribes for their work on this important legislation and i urge my colleagues to support this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 3371, the wounded knee massacre memorial and sake receiptside -- sacred site act introduced by representative

johnson. this legislation is an important step to honor la cota lives lost at wounded knee and honor the lakota for generations to come. in particular, this bill would place approximately 40 acres of land located within the pine ridge indian reservation into restricted fee status for the oglala sioux tribe and the shy yab river sioux tribe. in the late 1880's, tribes began hosting ghost dances for the renewable of land in protest of the u.s. government, a government that prohibited american indians from practicalg their religious freedom. mr. gallego: lakota, a struckle occurred and the seventh cavalry brutally massacred over 350 american indian men, women and children near wounded creek. the wounded knee massacre was one of the most atrocious acts in our nation's history. the healing is still continuing today.

in 2022, the oglala sioux tribe and the cheyenne river sioux tribe bought the land. representative johnson's bill affirms that covenant and would allow the tribes to hold, maintain and protect the land as a memorial and sacred site without any development. mr. collins: i yield five minutes to the gentleman from south dakota, the lead sponsor of this bill, mr. johnson. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. in december, 1890, chief spotted elk and his band of lakota, including many women and children, were moving from the cheyenne river sioux tribe, the reservation, to the pine ridge sioux reservation. as was mentioned, they were stopped by the army's seventh cavalry and they were forced to

make camp as wounded knee creek in south dakota. the next morning, on december 29, the seventh cavalry attempted to disarm the lakota. a struggle ensued, a shot ran out, and before long, the seventh cavalry was opening fire on the lakota. almost all of them unarmed and, as was mentioned earlier, most were women and children. more than 300 noncombatants were killed. mr. speaker, this was a mas massacre. too many think of wounded knee as something that happened in the long-ago past and in a far-away place. the inaccuracy of that view was driven home to me in june when i went to the site and i spoke to the descendents of wounded knee. there i sat at length with an elder whose grandmother survived

that day. he grew up hearing from her own voice of the fear, of the violence, of the tragedy of that day. mr. speaker, this was not a history book. this was his grandmother. close by, at st. john's church, i looked at the site where the wounded and the dying were taken. the floor boards of that church are still stained with their blood. these are real people, these are real places. these are not ancient tales of a distant land. our nation has struggled with how best to remember, to mourn that terrible day. on the 100th anniversary of wounded knee, this body issued a

formal apology and expressed deep regret for the actions of that day and that is obviously altogether appropriate, although on its own, it is woefully insufficient. last year, the oglala sioux tribe and the cheyenne river sioux tribe exercised tremendous leadership by coming together to purchase the 40 acres surrounding this site, an area that was mentioned, was just an old trading post. the management of that site was not an appropriate memory of those who had died that day. and so this bill, the wounded knee massacre memorial and sacred site act, would place those 40 acres into restricted fee status. in essence, placing them into trust for the tribes. that with a provide the tribes additional tools that they could use to better protect this sacred land. i want to recognize the leadership of the tribal leaders

involved. firstly, president frank star comes out, who graces our body with his presence in this chamber today. but also chairman ryman labeouf, former president, kevin killer, former chairman, harold frazier. we have spent months working together, along with committee staff, and along with the department of interior, to craft this important legislation. my colleagues, i ask for a yes vote on this bill. wounded knee is sacred ground. it has been hallowed by the blood of innocent women and children. it deserves protection. this act can give the tribes, the descendents of those who died, the tools they need to do just that, and i would yield back. mr. collins: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time and

i'm prepared to close. i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. gallego: mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. collins: mr. speaker, this legislation will further allow the lakota people to memorialize and honor their relatives an ancestors killed in the wounded knee massacre. it gives title of the land to both the oglala sioux tribe and the cheyenne river sioux tribe, while ensuring that the land has the protections that restrictions against alienation and taxation provide. i urge the adoption of this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 3371. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no.

in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- mr. collins: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. collins: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on the motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. collins: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 2872, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 161, h.r. 2872. a bill to amend the permanent electronic duck stamp act of 2013 to allow states to issue electronic stamps under such act, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. collins, and the gentleman from arizona, mr. gallego, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. collins: mr. speaker, i ask

unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 28 72, as -- 2872, as amended, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. collins: i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 2872, sponsored by my friend and colleague, congressman graves of louisiana. this bill makes commonsense improvements to the federal duck stamp program by modernizing how water fowler hunters a-- foowl hunters a-- fowl hunters across the country can buy a duck stamp. it started in 1934. that law required water fowl and other migratory bird hunters ages 16 and over to purchase and possess a valid duck stamp prior to taking of migratory water

fowl. current law requires hunters to have a signed duck stamp on their person while hunting any migratory water fowl. even in states where electronic licensing is used, a signed physical duck stamp is required. h.r. 2872 further modernizes the program by removing the 45-day requirement to have a physical duck stamp and it allows states the option to sell electronic dump stamps for the entirety of the hunting season. under this bill, purchasers would still receive the physical stamp at the end of their state water fowl hunting season, therefore preserving the long legacy of the federal duck stamp as a physical representation of the conservation efforts of hunters for generations to come. this is good governance -- a good governance approach that will reassure water fowl hunters and continue the unmatched american tradition of wildlife conservation through sportsman

participation. i applaud mr. graves for his work on this bill and i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. gallego: mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gallego: thraw, mr. speaker -- thank you, mr. speaker. the duck stamp is the only federal conservation revenue stamp. this means 98% of the sale price is used to purchase conservation easements and to acquire wetland habitats for the national wildlife refuge system. the duck stamp also provided an opportunity to showcase wildlife art with the fish and wildlife service hosting an art competition each year and a winning piece selected for next year's design. sportsmen and women, artists and conservationists purchase duck stamps as a collectible to cover entry fees to any wildlife refuge system unit, as a hunting license or as a donation to conservation.

millions of stamps have been sold in recent years, contributing to tens of millions of dollars toward conservation each year. this bipartisan bill will modernize government stamp services by allowing online access to federal duck stamps. this improvement will save applicants and agency officials time and money and make it more accessible for hunters, conservationists and collectors to purchase duck stamps and support wetland conservation. it's a good bill and i'm happy to support it. i yield back the balance of my time -- i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. collins: mr. speaker, i yield five minutes to the gentleman from louisiana, the lead sponsor of this bill, mr. graves. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. graves: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank my friend from georgia for yielding the time. mr. speaker, this legislation is related, as you heard, to the duck stamp. in 1932, president roosevelt signed into law legislation that authorized the duck stamp, that allowed for hunters to get this

stamp in order to go hunt water fowl. this program has been incredibly successful over that 09-year period -- 90-year period, selling today approximately 1.6 million stamps every single year. this is generated -- this has generated approximately $1.1 billion that has all, all of these proceeds invested back into conservation. into the migratory bird conservation fund. this has benefited over 600,000 acres of our national wildlife refuge system and benefited conservation. now, i'll say it again. this program has been wildly successful. mr. speaker, in mr. speaker in 2013, legislation was signed into law that created an electronic duck stamp. the thought there was with the internet work the ability to improve access to compliance, we

would allow for a digital duck stamp to allow -- to provide 45 days of authorization to go hunt. 45 days. the problem was, the physical paper stamp often missed that 45-day window. so the problem would be, someone paid to get a duck stamp, they had a 45-day authorization window, the physical stamp didn't come in after the opened they have period, so the hunter would be out of compliance yet they did everything right. this bill is simple. it allows for the digit at authorization, electronic authorization, to be extended throughout the season. importantly, mr. speaker, it still preserves the physical stamp that so many people treasure and collect annually. so it does allow for -- it does require the stamp be physically mailed later on. i want to give a huge shout out to co-sponsor cor of this legislation, congressman mike

thompson, a fellow sportsman from california. i want to thank senator boozman and senator manchin who have co-sponsored the senate companion bill. i want to thank bruce westerman, the chair of the committee, and representative grijalva, for helping us with this legislation. before i close i want to let you know about how this came about. i love it whenever you're out there in the field or meeting with constituents back home and people bring up ideas. in this case, it was actually a sportsman in our office. taylor playforth. we call him baylor because he sunk his boat but that's another story. he's an avid sportsman, he came up with this idea. we were able to get this turned into legislative text, work with senator tots introduce it, work with the congressional sportsman's caucus and others. my friend from arizona is going

to ensure that we pass this unanimously today. so with that, mr. speaker, i want to thank all the folks that worked on this. i want to thank vivian, staff from the natural resources committee, and sandra, as well. and urge adoption of this legislation and i yield back. mr. collins: i have no further requests for time. i continue toe verve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gallego: i have in fourth requests for time. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. collins: mr. speaker, the north american model of wildlife conservation, based on a user pays system through the purchase of items like the federal duck stamp is the envy of the world. in total, fees paid by

sportsmans' communities contribute over $1 billion per year in revenue. it goes toward wildlife conservation which is a truly remarkable achievement. h.r. 2872 is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that underpins the north american mold by giving hundreders certainty while modernizing the federal duck stamp process. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2872 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair -- mr. collins: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quarter is not present. the speaker pro tempore: the rules are suspended. for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? mr. collins: mr. speaker, i object to the vote on the ground

that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. collins: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 663, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 663, a bill to amend the indian child protection and family violence prevention act. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule the gentleman from georgia, mr. collins, and the gentleman from arizona, mr. gallego, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. collins: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 663 as amended on the bill

now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. collins: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. collins: h.r. 663, the native american child protection act, introduced by congressman gallego of arizona, would amend the indian child protection and family violence prevention act to re-authorize three programs administered by the department of health and human services and department of interior. these programs include the indian child abuse treatment grant program, the indian child protection and family violence prevention program, and the indian child resource and family service centers, which would be renamed the national indian child resource and family service center under this legislation. these programs are intended to prevent cases within indian communities where child abuse, neglect, family violence, and

trauma may occur. and to provide treatment for victims of indian child sexual abuse. h.r. 663 also makes several technical changes to the underlying statute and requires agency reports on grant awards and performance. the end&child protection and family violence prevention act was introduced in 1989 by the late arizona senator john mccain in response to widespread reports that native children were being physically and sexually abused, that these incidences were going underreported, and that there needed to be supports in place to ensure the bureau of indian affairs could handle the situation at the time. the act created the programs h.r. 663, would re-authorize and include provisions to provide tribes with technical assistance training. and other resources related to the investigation and treatment of the cases of family violence, abuse and neglect.

the authorization for these programs expired in 1997. h.r. 663 would re-authorize these programs and make improvements to the programs operations and service delivery. advocates cite the indian child protection and family violence prevention act as the only federal statute that sets aside funding for tribal governments dedicated to child abuse prevention. and victim treatment funding for tribal governments. i appreciate the gentleman from arizona for bringing attention to this important issue as abuse, neglect and violence have no place in any community. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. gallegos: i yield myself such times i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gallegos: i rise in support of my bill, h.r. 663, the native

american child protection act. native american children have the highest rate of abuse, at a rate of 15 cases per 1,000 children. this can affect they will well into adulthood and even their entire life. on top of this crisis, the supreme court recently heard a case attempting to gut the indian child welfare act which protects the rights of native children and families. that's why passing the native american child protection act today is so timely. my bipartisan bill re-authorizes and revises programs against -- that give tribes the tools to treat, prevent, investigate and prosecute child abuse and family violence involving native american children. the programs in this bill were originally led by another arizonan back in 1990, through john mccain's indian child protection and family violence prevention act. that bill was part of a promise to answer for abuse that happened at native american

boarding schools. but the programs have never been fully funded, were never authorized, and eventually expired. this is a failure by the federal government and the continuation of centuries of broken promises. by passing h.r. 663, we will take a step to right this wrong. we will create a national indian child resource and family services center to help tribes and urban indian organizations with training and program development. we will develop new intergovernment agreements between tribes and states to prevent, investigate, treat, and prosecute family violence. and we will encourage culturally appropriate treatments and services for children that have been impacted. in a place where we see a lot of bipartisan -- a lot of partisan bickering it's heartening to see so much bipartisan support around tribal issues. including my republican counterpart and co-lead on this bill, representative newhouse. i want to thank committee chair

westerman and ranking member grijalva as well as indian and other affairs chairman highman and -- i urge my colleagues to support final passage of h.r. 663 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. collins: i have no further requests for time and am rep paired to close. i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. gallego: i urge support of this legislation and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. collins: this legislation does the critical work of congress to update and re-authorize programs. this work is especially important when the programs in question help protect children and support tribes in caring for their tribal members. i urge adoption of this bill and i yield back the balance of my

time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 663 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- mr. collins: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. collins: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately 6:30 p.m. today.

>> join us tonight for the premier of c-span's new series, books that shaped america. in partnership with the library of congress, we'll explore 10 books from american literature that provoke thought, won awards, led to significant societal change, and are still talked about today. this week we'll feature "common sense," a 47 pages pamphlet written by thomas paine in early 1776 at the height of tensions between the american colonies and great britain. our guest, richard bell, history profitser at the -- professor at the university of maryland, talked about how paine strongly urged for american independence from the british