[House Hearing, 114 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
MARKUP ON: H.R. 1670, THE NATIONAL
POW/MIA REMEMBRANCE ACT OF 2015
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MARKUP
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
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Held in Washington, DC, December 2, 2015
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Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
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COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan,
Chairman
ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania, Ranking
GREG HARPER,Mississippi Minority Member
RICHARD NUGENT, Florida ZOE LOFGREN, California
RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois JUAN VARGAS, California
BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia
MARK WALKER, North Carolina
Professional Staff
Sean Moran, Staff Director
Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director
MARKUP ON: H.R. 1670, THE NATIONAL
POW/MIA REMEMBRANCE ACT OF 2015
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2015
House of Representatives,
Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 11:05 a.m., in Room
1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Candice S. Miller
[chairman of the Committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Miller, Harper, Nugent, Davis,
Comstock, Walker, Brady, Lofgren, and Vargas.
Staff Present: Sean Moran, Staff Director; John Clocker,
Deputy Staff Director; Bob Sensenbrenner, Deputy General
Counsel; John L. Dickhaus, Legislative Clerk; Erin McCracken,
Communications Director; Reynold Schweickhardt, Director of
Technology Policy; Brad D. Walvort, Professional Staff Member;
Edward J. Puccerella, Professional Staff Member; Jamie Fleet,
Minority Staff Director; Matt Pinkus, Minority Senior Policy
Advisor; Khalil Abboud, Minority Deputy Staff Director/Director
of Legislative Operations; Mike Harrison, Minority Chief
Counsel; and Eddie Flaherty, Minority Chief Clerk.
The Chairman. I now call to order the Committee on House
Administration for today's Committee markup. We do have a
quorum, so we can proceed. I would note that the meeting record
will remain open for 5 legislative days so that members might
submit any materials that they wish to be included therein.
[The information follows:]
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The Chairman. The measure before the Committee today is to
direct the Architect of the Capitol to obtain a chair featuring
the logo of the National League of POW/MIA Families and to
prominently place it on display in the U.S. Capitol. This
measure, which was introduced by Representative Steve Lynch of
Massachusetts, we think would be an extremely powerful symbol
in our Nation's Capital honoring American prisoners of war and
Americans missing in action.
As Members of Congress, obviously, we each represent
districts where so many brave men and women went off to stand
on the battle lines in defense of our Nation's freedom, our
liberty, our way of life. The importance of remembering and
honoring their great sacrifice can never ever be overstated.
Our Nation has a responsibility to them and to their families
who have shared in their sacrifice and we must never forget.
This chair will serve as the permanent reminder of the
enormous sacrifice made by those who served our country and
were taken as POWs or listed as MIA. They deserve to be
honored, they need to be honored in the U.S. Capitol, which is
a symbol itself of our American beliefs and the liberties and
freedoms they sacrificed to defend.
I would just say for me personally, when I would look at a
chair like that I would think about a fellow who lives in my
district. His name is Donald, but we call him Digger, Digger
O'Dell. He is now in his eighties, but he served 5\1/2\ years
in the Hanoi Hilton, the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Of course,
there were 123 of those guys. Another one of them is our
colleague, Sam Johnson.
Thankfully, Digger made it home, as Sam did, after all
those years in a North Vietnam camp, and today he serves as a
member of our local air base community council. He chairs a
fundraising event for Special Olympics. He is just a remarkable
fellow, but he is just one of many who selflessly serving our
Nation faced enormous adversity.
So I think it is just very important that we, especially
here in our Nation's Capital, remember their stories and their
sacrifice for our great country.
And with that, I would now recognize my colleague, the
Committee's ranking member, Mr. Brady, for the purpose of an
opening statement.
Mr. Brady. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Thank you for
considering this measure today.
Advancing this legislation brings us one step closer to
giving American POWs and MIAs the honor that they do deserve.
In the Philadelphia area, chairs have been placed at many of
our sports venues and local city halls. And just a few weeks
ago, the Philadelphia Eagles recognized this effort during
halftime at one of our home games. By placing a chair like this
in the Nation's Capital, we will send a message to those
servicemembers and their families that we will never forget
their sacrifice.
I would like to thank many of my constituents who brought
this issue to our attention, and I urge my colleagues to
support the legislation.
The Chairman. I thank the gentleman.
Would any member like to offer an amendment to this bill?
Ms. Lofgren. Madam Chair.
The Chairman. Yes.
Ms. Lofgren. I would like to move to strike the last word.
I am not going to offer an amendment, although I was thinking
about whether we might somehow involve the one prisoner of war
that we have in our House, Sam Johnson. I don't know, putting
his name on it might involve disrespect for others, so I didn't
want to make that amendment. But I would like us all to think
how we might involve honoring Sam as part of this process.
The Chairman. Absolutely, yes, absolutely. Good suggestion.
I am sure that we will incorporate Sam in any way and every way
that we can in an appropriate way for recognizing his service
as well.
Any other member like to offer an amendment?
Then I move that the Committee favorably report the bill.
The question is on the motion to favorably report to the House
the bill.
All members in favor, signify by saying aye.
Opposed, say nay.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the ayes
have it.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table. I would also ask unanimous consent that the staff be
authorized to make any technical and conforming changes to the
measure the Committee just considered and to make other
modifications with the concurrence of the ranking minority
member of the Committee and notification to all members of the
Committee.
Without objection, so ordered.
That will conclude today's markup.
[Whereupon, at 11:10 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]