[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5655 Introduced in House (IH)]






107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5655

 To name the Department of Veterans Affairs in Houston, Texas, as the 
 ``Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 16, 2002

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas (for herself, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. Barton of 
Texas, Mr. Bentsen, Mr. Evans, Mr. Weldon of Florida, Mr. Stenholm, Mr. 
Turner, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Frost, and Mr. Armey) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To name the Department of Veterans Affairs in Houston, Texas, as the 
 ``Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Dr. DeBakey played a critical role in establishing and 
        developing the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 
        Houston, Texas. He has successfully elevated its professional 
        staff and quality healthcare to meet high standards of 
        excellence and encouraged minorities to fulfill their potential 
        in education, and particularly in the health professions.
            (2) Dr. DeBakey's dedication to the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs Medical Center is ongoing. He is still chairman of the 
        Dean's Committee of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
        Center, as he has been since the beginning of the institution.
            (3) Dr. DeBakey brought both the City of Houston and the 
        State of Texas international recognition for the Texas Medical 
        Center through his pioneering of medical research, his 
        leadership at Baylor College of Medicine, his national and 
        international medical statesmanship, and his championing of the 
        rights and the welfare of the underprivileged.
            (4) Dr. DeBakey is credited with the development of the 
        Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH) concepts for the 
        military, which has led to saving thousands of lives during the 
        Korean and Vietnam conflicts, as well as the development of 
        specialized medical and surgical center systems in order to 
        treat returning military personnel.
            (5) During World War II, he served as Colonel in the United 
        States Army assigned to the Surgical Consultant Division in the 
        office of the Surgeon General. His active duty service ran from 
        1942 to 1946. He remained on active duty in 1946 and recruited 
        100 additional specialists to care for World War II wounded 
        military personnel in U.S. Army specialty centers.
            (6) For his service in the armed forces, Dr. DeBakey 
        received the Legion of Merit.

SEC. 2. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER, HOUSTON, 
              TEXAS.

    (a) The Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Houston, 
Texas, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and 
designated as the ``Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs 
Medical Center''.

SEC. 3. REFERENCES.

    Any reference in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or 
other paper of the United States to the medical center referred to in 
section 1 shall be considered to be a reference to the Michael E. 
DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
                                 <all>