School Milk Nutrition Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I recently teamed up with Congressman Joe Courtney of Connecticut to introduce H.R. 2407, the bipartisan School Milk Nutrition Act of 2015.

Between 2012 and 2014, schools across the country served 187 million fewer pints of milk, despite an increase in public school enrollment. Mr. Speaker, this is an alarming statistic considering milk is the number one source of nine essential nutrients in young Americans' diets and provides many significant health benefits.

The School Milk Nutrition Act, which has the strong support of the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation, seeks to reverse the decline of milk consumption in schools throughout Pennsylvania and across the country.

To help achieve this goal, the bill would reaffirm the requirement that milk is offered with each meal and also give schools the option of offering low-fat flavored milk, rather than only fat free.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get behind this legislation and become a cosponsor of the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2015.

THE VETERANS E-HEALTH AND TELEMEDICINE SUPPORT ACT OF 2015

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, with this past week being celebrated and remembering Memorial Day--Memorial Day having just passed--it is important that we continue to remember and honor our fallen soldiers and the new generation of heroes who equally deserve our respect, our gratitude, and the promise of continued support.

This is why I recently joined with New York Congressman Charles Rangel to introduce H.R. 2516, the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act of 2015.

This bipartisan legislation would allow Veterans Affairs health professionals, including contractors, to practice telemedicine across State borders if they are qualified and practice within the scope of their authorized Federal duties.

Currently, overly cumbersome location requirements can make it difficult for veterans, especially those struggling with mental health issues, to get the help they need and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, under current law, the VA can only waive the State license requirement for treatment if both the physician and the patient are located in a federally owned facility.

The Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act of 2015 removes these barriers and allows the VA to provide treatment through physicians free of this restriction. Veterans will no longer be required to travel to a VA facility but, rather, can receive telemedicine treatment from anywhere, including their home or a community center.

Mr. Speaker, these brave men and women put so much on the line each and every day in service to our country that when they return home it is our shared duty to be there for these heroes by making lifesaving resources readily available.

This legislation will eliminate the multiple layers of bureaucracy, allowing our veterans to have greater access to mental and behavioral health services, especially in rural areas.

I rise today and ask my colleagues in both parties to get behind this bipartisan, commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, sadly, 22 veterans commit suicide every day. Let's end that crisis.

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