Mark Takano
Representative for California · Democratic · United States
“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment. This amendment's language opens the door to invasive, degrading, and humiliating physical examinations of children, children who simply want to play softball or join a basketball team. That is creepy.”
“He soon became campus supervisor, followed by assistant principal in charge of discipline, and finished his career as an assistant administrator covering discipline and campus security. Since retiring in 2003, Dell has continued his philanthropic efforts through the Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation, alongside his loving wife.”
“He soon became campus supervisor, followed by assistant principal in charge of discipline, and finished his career as an assistant administrator covering discipline and campus security. Since retiring in 2003, Dell has continued his philanthropic efforts through the Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation, alongside his loving wife.”
“Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. Once again, my Republican colleagues are moving forward with a sweeping ban on necessary healthcare, including mental health care for children. This isn't about cost. This isn't about force readiness. In fact, this amendment will harm our military's force readiness.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E716] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING ADRIAN ``DELL'' ROBERTS ______ HON.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E716] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING ADRIAN ``DELL'' ROBERTS ______ HON.”
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“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 1039, the Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act. When a veteran applies for benefits at VA, the agency corresponds with that veteran at multiple points in the process regarding their claim. This communication is often through letters that can be densely laden with legal jargon and confusing information, which makes it hard for the veteran to understand what is required of them or the benefits decision VA has arrived at. This can lead the veteran to miss important deadlines or fail to submit [[Page H1438]] proper documentation, which can ultimately lead to the rejection of their claims.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 586, the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
“Slashing these benefits, particularly when other support systems are also under threat, poses a significant risk for those who rely on them most. I recognize that this offset has been employed historically and in some form since the 1960s. However, in light of this administration's ongoing efforts, enabled by a complacent Republican-led Congress, to systematically weaken VA, we must reevaluate whether it remains appropriate to rely on this offset. I believe it would be prudent to discuss with the Senate whether a more appropriate offset can be identified before this bill becomes law. Mr. Speaker, with those caveats I have identified, I support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
“Vietnam war veterans deserve answers about their health and access to the best treatments. Under this administration's chaotic and damaging workforce cuts across all sectors of government, it will be harder than ever to get these answers. I will support this bill today, but I urge my colleagues to consider that implementation of this bill will be harder than it needs to be in the new CDC workforce realities that we are now in. These workforce cuts have real and lasting consequences, including for our veterans. In addition, while I support the underlying goals of this measure, I must express concern over the majority's decision to offset its cost by diverting pension payments from some of the VA's oldest and sickest veterans. The VA pension programs exist specifically to assist our most vulnerable veterans and their survivors.”
“I certainly understand why Vietnam war veterans would be concerned about their exposure to this disease and believe we should do everything possible to ensure veterans have access to care and treatment for diseases they may have been exposed to as a part of their service. However, I must note that the context in which we are considering this legislation is vastly different than the last time the bill was considered by the House just under 7 months ago. In fact, under Secretary Kennedy's leadership in the past week, the CDC, or Centers for Disease Control, has cut 18 percent of its workforce. Many of these roles have been in global and environmental health roles, which means the individuals in offices best suited to assist with the requirements of this bill may no longer even exist at the CDC.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 586, the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, as amended. Liver fluke is a serious parasitic infection that is a well- recognized risk factor for the development of bile duct cancer. H.R. 586, as amended, would require VA, in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to commence an epidemiological study on the prevalence of bile duct cancer in veterans who served in the Vietnam war versus their nonveteran U.S. resident counterparts. This legislation requires VA to submit a report with the results of the study broken out by age, gender, race, ethnicity, and geographic location.”
“Speaker, in closing, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1228, the Prioritizing Veterans' Survivors Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
“``Even a straightforward solution, such as forcing veterans to sell their homes to cover their arrears, would not leave the veteran better off precisely because the cost of housing has increased dramatically in the past 5 years. Until better policy solutions are in place that provide for stronger underwriting, ending the VASP program abruptly will only harm veterans and their families. ``Congress, VA, and other stakeholders must work together to offer practical, cost-effective solutions that better serve veterans. Our veterans earned their home loan guarantee benefit, and they deserve a viable option to get back on track with payments and keep their homes. ``Secretary Collins, you have repeatedly stated that the mission of VA is to serve veterans and that no benefits would be cut. We call on you now to follow your words.'' {time} 1645 Mr.”
“All have testified that VASP is the only program of its kind that currently exists as the last resort for veterans facing foreclosure. ``Critics of VASP, who believe the program will incentivize veterans to purposely default on their loans to get a lower mortgage rate, grossly misunderstand and mischaracterize the sacrifices veterans and their loved ones have made in service to our Nation. The VA should learn from its past, when in the 1990s, GAO found that VA- insured homes foreclosed upon was the most expensive option, costing VA an average of $25,387, which is the equivalent of $65,038 today. While past policies have assumed that veterans have been financially irresponsible for assuming mortgages they can't afford, today's financial and housing market puts veterans at risk of losing their homes in a much more vulnerable situation.”
“``Upon expiration of this pandemic program, VA used this authority to end borrowers' ability to push missed payments to the end of the loan term and created VASP to help up to 80,000 veterans at risk of foreclosure. Now VA is taking a misstep that will push thousands of veterans into foreclosure. This is cruel, wrong, and runs counter to the benefits earned by the veterans as led by the VA Loan Guaranty Office, which always seeks to use foreclosures as an absolute last resort. ``Furthermore, with the rising costs of housing and overall inflation, VA must ask itself: Is it more cost effective to allow veterans to lose their homes or help them? VA leaders, veterans service organizations, and housing organizations have all recently shared with Congress their concerns about ending VASP too soon.”
“We write today to urge you to immediately reverse this decision, and avoid foreclosing on veterans who simply wish to keep paying their mortgage and keep their home. ``Since the inception of the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program (VASP) in May 2024, over 17,000 veterans have been able to avoid foreclosure and remain in their homes.'' This represents 0.46 percent of the 3.7 million total loans under the VA home loan program. ``VASP was established as a last resort option within VA's Home Retention Waterfall to help veterans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this emergency, Congress and the VA rightfully allowed borrowers to request forbearance and allowed missed payments to be added to the end of the loan term.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I will return back to the issue of VASP and read aloud a letter that I am circulating to my colleagues for a signature to the Secretary, and it begins with: ``Dear Secretary Collins: On April 3, 2025, you abruptly announced the closure of the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program (VASP), leaving tens of thousands of veterans at risk of foreclosure. These actions were taken unilaterally, leaving veterans, veterans service organizations, and mortgage services unsure how the closure would be administered, and what would happen to veterans that are already reeling from this administration's assault on veterans and our economy.”
“Your stories demonstrate bravery and courage, and you deserve every ounce of our effort in creating a VA that is welcoming and accessible, and every dollar of benefits we can muster on your behalf. Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
“Representative Jahana Hayes has introduced legislation to raise the levels of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits to be on par with other Federal survivors' programs. We have Republican Members like Richard Hudson, who has introduced the Love Lives On Act, with Veterans' Affairs Committee member Representative Kelly Morrison, that would repeal the ridiculous penalties survivors face when they choose to remarry. My hope is that we can consider those bills soon. In the meantime, however, I do support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support it, as well. I extend a special thanks to the survivors who may be listening today and those who are with us only in spirit.”
“That is why I am deeply concerned by all of the DOGE cuts to the VA's outreach efforts. Overall, we have seen an underutilization of survivors' benefits, so we must do whatever we can to remedy that situation. This bill is a small but important step in that process. I would be remiss, however, if I didn't also point to other legislation that we can and should be taking up to improve benefits for survivors. I have introduced H.R. 2278, the Survivor Benefits Delivery Improvement Act, a bill that puts new tools in the VA's hands to aid in reaching survivors where they are and better inform them of the benefits they have earned. We have Members, like Representative Julia Brownley, who have introduced legislation to extend CHAMPVA eligibility.”
“The VA made this move with the idea that it would increase emphasis on the office and oversight of OSA as VBA has more capacity to properly oversee the function. However, the survivors' community has been critical of this move, characterizing it as a downgrade of the function and a diminishing of the importance of survivors in the VA's mission. H.R. 1228 is responsive to those concerns. Now, historically, there has been a lack of resources dedicated to the mission of serving survivors. For example, there are only four employees in the Office of Survivors Assistance to serve over 450,000 potentially eligible beneficiaries. By the way, Secretary Collins actually fired one of those four people. We also see a lack of awareness of who is part of the survivors' community, where the community is, and a lack of direct and targeted outreach.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 1228, the Prioritizing Veterans' Survivors Act. The bill requires the VA to move the Office of Survivors Assistance, or OSA, to a position directly reporting to the Office of the VA Secretary. The Office of Survivors Assistance was established by statute in 2008 to serve as a resource regarding all benefits and services furnished by the Department to survivors and dependents of deceased veterans and members of the Armed Forces. OSA also serves as a principal adviser to the Secretary and promotes the use of VA benefits, programs, and services to survivors. VA moved the supervision of OSA from the Office of Outreach, Transition and Economic Development to VBA's Pension and Fiduciary Service.”
“VA had the tools, and has the responsibility, to intervene when veterans faced foreclosure. VASP was working. It had already helped over 15,000 veterans keep their homes with tens of thousands more eligible. Ending it based on the false narrative that veterans would game the system is an insult to their service and sacrifices. This decision abandons our values. It punishes the very people who kept their promise to America. Mr. Speaker, it is our turn to keep our promise to them. I urge my colleagues to support the FAIR Act and send a clear message: We don't let veterans fall through the cracks. Not on our watch. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 983, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
“Ending this critical support without a clear plan is not just reckless, but it is cruel. That is why I am introducing the Foreclosure Assistance Immediately Reinstated, or FAIR Act, to reinstate the VASP program and make it clear that VA's job is to help veterans stay in their homes, not push them into homelessness. The VA Home Loan Program has been a pillar of the American middle class since the original GI Bill. It helped returning World War II veterans achieve economic security through homeownership. Yet, today's veterans, facing high costs, low wages, and an unstable economy, need that same promise fulfilled. Let me be very clear. This is not a handout. These are earned benefits. Veterans stepped up to defend our country, our Nation, and they deserve more than empty slogans and broken promises in return.”
“The decision came down just hours after the new Trump tariffs sent our economy reeling, plunging the stock market, increasing job insecurity, and deepening financial strain on working families, including veterans. It is hard to imagine a starker representation of their values. At the very moment veterans are needing stability, the administration chose to take it away. They did it while Republicans in Congress are pushing massive tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. The Republicans are pushing for massive tax cuts for billionaires while forcing veterans into foreclosures. Veterans who served this Nation are now calling our offices, panicked and unsure if they will lose their homes. They don't know what is next, and the truth is neither does VA. Secretary Collins has provided no answers and no alternatives to VASP.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, while the House debates various veterans-related legislation today, none are more urgent than the legislation I am introducing to stop thousands of veterans from losing their homes. Last Thursday, Secretary Doug Collins and President Trump announced the abrupt termination of the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program, known as VASP. This program was designed to prevent foreclosures for veterans with VA home loans who had exhausted every other option. With no notice, no replacement, and no plan, the Trump administration decided that these veterans are on their own.”
“It preserves the GI Bill benefits for student veterans, and it makes the entire GI Bill program more solvent and sustainable so that the GI Bill stays available for veterans for generations into the future. Mr. Speaker, it is also crucial to ensure that selected reservists receive the same benefits as their Active-Duty counterparts by ensuring that in-State tuition is granted regardless of their residency. This bill will expand educational opportunities by providing them with more affordable education options. Their dedication to serving our country deserves nothing less. We passed this bill last Congress, but, unfortunately, the Senate did not consider it in time. I hope we finish this work in this Congress, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 983, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2025. This bill mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs to deny courses that do not charge in-State tuition rates to veterans using certain educational assistance under title 10. The VA already has the authority to disapprove courses at higher education institutions that do not offer in-State tuition rates for other GI Bill beneficiaries. Mandating in-State tuition rates is good policy. It ensures that only schools who prioritize quality education at a fair price participate in the programs.”
“We must do everything possible to ensure that student veterans are able to access their educational benefits and that they can get the quality education they deserve so that they can have a better chance of success after they transition from military service. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 981 and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1615”
“Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act, authored by Representative Mike Levin, created these Shopping Sheets, benefiting student veterans around the country who now know more about what a school offers and charges. This legislation further refines the sheets so that they can be better tailored for specific school programs and student needs. This is a welcome improvement that ensures we won't waste time on paperwork that doesn't benefit student veterans. Mr. Speaker, Democrats in the House have continued to advocate for increased transparency and quality of education for student veterans. Transparency and accountability in education are under assault with the dismantling of the Department of Education, which leaves student veterans and their hard-earned benefits at risk of exploitation and fraud.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 981, the Veterans Education Transparency and Training Act, or VETT Act, introduced by Representative Van Orden. The bill makes improvements to the Shopping Sheet that is offered to student veterans when they are applying to institutions of higher learning. These Shopping Sheets give student veterans more information about the schools they are considering before they take the major step of enrollment. This legislation improves student Shopping Sheets for enrollments at colleges and universities. The Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D.”