Dina Titus

So I would like to focus on that, your so-called rural initiatives, how you choose where you put those rural initiatives, what input you get from local veterans.

I think it is time that we look very seriously about opening one that is going to be available to the 1.8 million, 1.8 million veterans who do not have this option.

I think that it is fine to have a state cemetery, but I think you also--veterans--you want me to go back and tell Nevada veterans, well, you can have a state cemetery or you can have a rural initiative if you can get your family up to…

Well, I think that the states built some of these cemeteries on their own in the west because they did not have a national cemetery.

Let's remember all these veterans and servicemembers served our Nation not just those kind of east of the Mississippi.

If the NCA hopes to offer options that serve all veterans and their families, the self-selecting survey is going to fail to provide any honest feedback for those determinations.

Now, while I applaud the VA's efforts to reach under-served populations, I am also concerned that the NCA is not working closely enough with local veterans' communities as they determine new locations for the so-called rural initiative.

It is my belief like yours, Mr. Chairman, that option of a burial in a VA national cemetery in one's home state is a solemn obligation that our government should fulfill.

Thank you, Mr. Hallinan, for all the improvements you are making at Arlington and for staying open during the shutdown so that people could come and visit the cemetery even if they could not go to other places.

I would urge my colleagues to join us in support of H.R. 1405, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I guess we won't be able to get those now because of this unnecessary shutdown.

I can only imagine that the challenges you are facing are much greater than those that you have even outlined for us here today because of this unnecessary shutdown.

I think it is remarkable progress, and it is just a crying shame that some of that is going to now be pushed back because of this shutdown.

I am joining the entire Nevada delegation in support of this bill because its provisions will certainly affect people who live throughout the valley.

I encourage all Members on our Committee to reach out to their local VSO leadership to promote this effort.

The Fully Developed Claims initiative provides a method for veterans, with the help of their advocates and DoD, to provide all the necessary evidence to process a claim.

I would just like to look a little more closely at the numbers, because sometimes when you give us national numbers, that mask problems that may exist at regional offices.

There is still a lot that needs to be done to address the backlog.

The VA has reduced the claims inventory by nearly 150,000 veterans in pretty short order.

I think it is a very important topic.

I am proud to work on behalf of the more than 100,000 veterans in Southern Nevada.

Forty-five percent of the people who come to Las Vegas come through McCarran Airport.

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Page 59, lines 10 through 16, strike section 509. Ms. TITUS (during the reading). Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to…

I support several of these provisions brought forth by my colleagues, and am also proud to have introduced H.R. 2086, the Pay As You Rate Act.

These just seem like common sense approaches and I hope Mr. Chairman, working together, we can move these bills to the floor as quickly as possible.