Mark Takano

I fully support the gentleman's amendment, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California will be postponed. Amendment No. 16 Offered by Mr. O'Rourke The Acting CHAIR. It…

As the designee of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney), I offer amendment No. 15. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 54, after line 2, insert the…

I thank my colleague, Representative Ben Ray Lujan from New Mexico, for yielding. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to ensure our veterans are fully taken care of.

I urge my colleagues to support Representative Gallego's amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano). The amendment…

I have no further speakers, and again, I urge my colleagues to support Representative Frankel's amendment. I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California…

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California will be postponed. {time} 1830 Amendment No. 4 Offered by Ms. Michelle Lujan…

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Minnesota will be postponed. Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Takano The Acting CHAIR. It is…

This amendment really changes nothing favorably, from our point of view, in H.R. 5620. It does not cure the fundamental flaws in the bill which relate to its possible unconstitutionality, and, therefore, I will oppose the amendment. I…

Yes, September 13. And it is regarding pending legislation to protect VA whistleblowers?

I have no further speakers. I simply want to urge my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 5985, as amended. I want to thank, sincerely, the work that we have done together with Chairman Miller on this legislation. I am so pleased that we…

I agree with Ms. Brownley and Ms. Bradley, that is the key element in that effort is changing the culture.

I feel we have done a good job of beginning what I hope will be an ongoing involvement in these matters with VA as the agency works to reform its culture.

Certainly the minority does not agree with any practices of the VA which would encourage the retention of bad employees and certainly we want to see accountability occur at the VA.

I want to make sure, as we all do, that settlement agreements between the VA and whistleblowers do not preclude accountability for bad supervisors.

We are here as part of our ongoing responsibility to oversee the Department of Veterans Affairs to investigate how the people's money is being spent by the VA and why.

I also wonder what type of message that VA is sending to other good employees when they allow bad employees to settle for thousands of dollars just because it would be too expensive or possibly embarrassing to litigate.

I have no further speakers. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 3471, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I strongly support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5936, as amended. And I want to express, again, my deep appreciation in working with the majority to get this bill done. It is really important to those…

So perhaps rather than focusing in on the due process procedures and all of that, I mean, there is some value in that, but focusing on the investment in HR would be a worthwhile thing for this Committee to look at.

You change the leadership, you put a better leader in, you get better performance. I can't stress too much the importance of leadership.

Many of the national veterans service organizations are very troubled by Recommendation No. 1.

I don't believe that completely remaking the VA is the right answer either.

The status quo, the VA as we know it, is unacceptable.

Honorable Mark Takano, Acting Ranking Member