Frank Mrvan

I also want to commend the work of the subcommittee on whistleblower issues over the last two Congresses under the leadership of my colleague Representative Pappas.

I appreciate you holding this hearing today.

It is with great respect that I rise to recognize former Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon as we reflect on the 20-year anniversary of his passing. The O'Bannon family and the Mrvan family have had great partnerships over the decades. My…

I am very pleased to see that President Biden has made it a core issue to ensure that we invest in American manufacturing.

the Build America, Buy America Act re-emphasizes the requirement for Federal infrastructure to use domestically produced steel, which I am a huge proponent of.

I appreciate the testimony and the answers from our witnesses today. I would like to re-emphasize my support for all that the administration and VA are doing to ensure that we make Buy America a priority.

I hope that Congress can put more of an emphasis on funding these requirements.

President Biden has made investing in our manufacturing base and strengthening our supply chains a priority during his administration.

Relying on foreign products in a time of crisis is a flawed strategy that unfortunately was felt directly by the VA employees and veterans.

The importance and impact of Buy America for the Federal Government is something that is felt at a very local level in Indiana.

As the chairman last Congress of Technology Modernization Subcommittee, and as ranking member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee this Congress, I have seen how large an impact contracting has on the VA.

I have introduced legislation to create an acquisition review board at the VA this Congress

The fox is in the hen house when it comes to providing supplies across VA and veteran small businesses are suffering.

I am pleased the subcommittee is considering my legislation H.R. 4225, the VA Acquisition Review Board Act of 2023.

This particular legislation will allow us to build a structure that we are calling an enterprise program management structure that will be used for both major and non-major programs.

This legislation will provide a structure for those checks and balances.

Union jobs and union wages lift up all wages throughout every community.

This is the strongest administration for union labor and the middle class, uplifting the middle class that we have seen in history.

It is with great respect that I rise today to congratulate Mr. Rick Bucher, assistant director for District 7 of the United Steelworkers, on his retirement. Rick began his career as a pipefitter with the Steelworkers Local 6103 in Portage…

If you are in charge of a program but not giving people enough time, do you see how the frustration we all have that we put these forward?

Even with the enactment of the PACT Act, which has provided VA with a broad range of new authorities to aid in recruiting and retaining staff, we continue to hear that VA is experiencing issues.

Congress provided many new authorities under the Choice Act, the VA Accountability Act and the Mission Act and the PACT Act, but we have not seen any data on the extent of which the VA is using all these authorities.

With more than 400,000 employees nationwide, and the second largest budget in the federal government, VA employees are the lifeblood of the healthcare and benefits that we provide our veterans.

I am proud to co-sponsor, along with Ranking Member Brownley, of H.R. 1322, the Bipartisan Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act, which will provide equal pay and retirement benefits for all Federal law enforcement officers.

If there is any way legislatively we can work with you to do that, please let us know.