Cliff Stearns: “I thank my distinguished chairman and colleague. I rise today in support of H.R. 4057, the Improving Transparency of…”

“I thank my distinguished chairman and colleague. I rise today in support of H.R. 4057, the Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012. It has been offered by my colleague from Florida, Gus Bilirakis. My colleagues, this bill would provide veterans and servicemembers the resources that they need to make informed decisions when choosing the right institution or school for the career they wish to pursue. The other provisions included would help veterans with State certification credentials for skills acquired while on active duty. It ensures homeless veterans have access to shelters, in compliance with the State and local codes, and would require the Secretary to establish and maintain a burn pit registry program for individuals who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals. During the committee markup, I offered an amendment that would limit the amount the VA would pay in performance awards to senior staff from fiscal year 2013 to 2017 to adequately cover the costs associated with H.R. 4057, along with the provisions included from the other three bills. {time} 1610 My colleagues, in the last 3 years, the worst economic climate this country has seen since the Great Depression, almost 800,000 VA employees received monetary awards totaling $1.1 billion.…”