E50 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks January 8, 2009 

INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 297, VETERAN VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2009 

HON. STEVE BUYER OF INDIANA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 8, 2009 

Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, today I am 

introducing the Veteran Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Subsistence Allowance 

Improvement Act of 2009. The Department of 

Veteran Affairs’ Vocational Rehabilitation and 

Employment program should be the crown 

jewel in VA’s benefit system for service-disabled veterans. 

Most of the nearly 100,000 veterans participating in this program are enrolled in longterm education programs, typically those that 

lead to a college degree. Unfortunately, thousands of participants drop out of the Vocational Rehabilitation program because they 

need to work to support their families. This 

legislation would significantly increase the ability of veterans to support their families while 

undergoing rehabilitation. 

Today’s VR&E program, in addition to paying for the costs related to any education or 

training program, also provides a small subsistence per month allowance. For FY09, the 

basic allowance for full-time participation is 

about $541 per month with small additional 

sums for dependents. Considering this modest 

amount, it is not surprising that thousands of 

veterans drop out of their rehabilitation program. This bill would increase the basic subsistence allowance to $1,200 per month. The 

bill would also simplify VA’s administrative burden by standardizing payments for all types of 

services under the program. 

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to 

co-sponsor and support the measure. 

f 

KIDNEY DISEASE EDUCATION 

BENEFITS ACT OF 2009 

HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 8, 2009 

Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, today, I am introducing the Kidney Disease Education Benefits Act. As co-Chairman of the Congressional 

Kidney Caucus, I am proud to join with my fellow Kidney Caucus co-Chairman, Congressman JIM MCDERMOTT (D–WA) to introduce this 

important initiative. 

Each year, some 80,000 people are diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease. This 

stage of kidney disease occurs when the kidneys function at less than 10 percent and, as 

a result, are no longer able to maintain life. 

Patients with kidney disease require regular 

kidney dialysis treatments or a transplant to 

survive. Medicare pays for most renal patients 

at the cost of $20 billion a year, nearly 7 percent of all Medicare expenditures, despite the 

fact that the kidney disease population represents just 1.1 percent of all Medicare patients. 

Complications associated with kidney disease are common, but can be reduced if appropriate education is provided prior to the 

onset of renal failure. There are a number of 

steps chronic kidney disease patients can take 

to reduce renal failure and better prepare 

themselves for dialysis, including making lifestyle changes, learning about renal replacement options, and seeking a compatible kidney donor. Medicare, however, does not provide coverage for education on nutrition, treatment options, venous access, or transplant coordination until after the patient has experienced kidney failure and is already undergoing 

dialysis. 

To remedy this situation, we are introducing 

the Kidney Disease Education Benefits Act of 

2009 to make counseling available to patients 

before they begin dialysis. This is a top National Kidney Foundation legislative priority. 

Our bill would provide reimbursement for an 

estimated $10 million per year for up to six 

educational sessions for Medicare patients. 

These sessions would be offered one year 

prior to kidney failure to help prevent renal failure, better prepare these patients for dialysis, 

and save Medicare costs that can be associated with complications resulting from renal 

failure. 

Kidney disease cannot be reversed, but, 

with appropriate education, its effects can be 

slowed, improving the quality of life for renal 

patients and reducing costs to taxpayers. I 

would like to thank Congressman MCDERMOTT

for joining me in the fight against kidney disease. I look forward to working with him and 

my other colleagues on this important initiative. 

f 

HONORING FREDERIC VON 

RUEDEN 

HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 8, 2009 

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today along with my colleague from California 

Mr. COSTA to commend and congratulate 

Frederic Von Rueden, U.S. Navy Retired, 

upon being honored with the Citizen Soldier 

Award, Mr. Von Rueden was honored on November 7, 2008 at the Fresno City College 

Veterans Day 2008 Memorial and Dedication 

Ceremony. 

Mr. Von Rueden was born in Farihault, Minnesota, on October 25, 1917. In 1936 he enlisted in the Navy, went through ‘‘Boot Camp’’ 

at Great Lakes, Illinois, and underwent further 

training in San Francisco, California. From 

San Francisco he went to San Diego to board 

the Light Cruiser USS Richmond where he 

spent the next 9 years. The home port for the 

ship was Panama. He was in Valparaiso the 

day Pearl Harbor was hit. The ship escorted 

many convoys to the South Pacific and conducted regular bombardment off the coast of 

Japan in company with the USS Salt Lake 

City, where they often engaged the Japanese 

Fleet in battle. Mr. Von Rueden was a boiler 

technician. Most of his days were spent below 

deck in the engine rooms. At the end of World 

War II the USS Richmond was returned to 

Philadelphia and was decommissioned. 

In Philadelphia, Mr. Von Rueden went 

through some schooling and was reassigned 

to the Battleship USS Iowa out of Long Beach, 

California for about 6 months. After that he 

spent some time aboard the USS Topeka and 

the USS Los Angeles for tours. He decided to 

spend some time on land training at Port Hueneme, California. With this new training he 

was sent to Kwadjelien in the South Pacific for 

18 months to do utility maintenance. After 

completing another tour aboard the USS 

Theodore E. Chandler he trained to be a Recruiter and was sent to the Fresno Recruit 

Center. He completed one more 18 month 

tour aboard the USS Iowa before returning to 

Fresno. In 1955, Mr. Von Rueden became a 

permanent resident in Fresno and retired to 

the Fleet Reserve on February 5, 1957. 

After retiring from the Navy, Mr. Von 

Rueden was hired by the County of Fresno to 

work at Juvenile Hall. He attended school, part 

time, at Fresno City College on the GI Bill, 

and graduated with a degree in 1961. In 1968 

he transferred to the County Public Works Department and was a maintenance engineer at 

Fresno County Hospital until he retired on 

March 1, 1980. Mr. Von Rueden and his wife 

reside at a retirement home in Clovis, California. He is still active in the Fresno Branch 

249 of the Fleet Reserve Association. 

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend 

and congratulate Frederic Von Rueden upon 

his achievements. I invite my colleagues to 

join me in wishing Mr. Von Rueden many 

years of continued success. 

f 

HONORING PFC GARFIELD M. 

LANGHORN, MOH 

HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 8, 2009 

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, 

our brave men and women in uniform are all 

heroes. But the exceptional few who make the 

supreme sacrifice to protect the lives of their 

brothers-in-arms become more than heroes; 

they become legends. Today, I rise to honor 

U.S. Army Private First Class Garfield M. 

Langhorn, a resident of Riverhead in Eastern 

Long Island who received the Medal of Honor 

for his heroic actions in Pleiku Province, Vietnam, 40 years ago this month. 

As they attempted to rescue the crew of a 

downed helicopter, PFC Langhorn’s unit was 

trapped under intense enemy fire. As night fell 

and U.S. air support was called off, enemy 

fighters began to probe their perimeter. The citation for PFC Langhorn’s Medal of Honor 

reads: 

‘‘An enemy hand grenade landed in front of 

PFC Langhorn and a few feet from personnel 

who had become casualties. Choosing to protect these wounded, he unhesitatingly threw 

himself on the grenade, scooped it beneath 

his body and absorbed the blast. By sacrificing 

himself, he saved the lives of his comrades. 

PFC Langhorn’s extraordinary heroism at the 

cost of his life was in keeping with the highest 

traditions of the military service and reflect 

great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. 

Army.’’ 

Madam Speaker, PFC Langhorn’s sacrifice 

half a world away remains a credit to the 

Riverhead community, which is proud to celebrate his achievements on the 40th anniversary of his death. May his example continue to 

inspire all those who aspire to service ‘‘beyond 

the call of duty.’’ 


wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with REMARKS