[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 28, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING VFW MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY TO VETERANS WHO SERVED IN SOUTH 
                                 KOREA

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of the Senate 
bill (S. 257) to amend the charter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars to 
make eligible for membership those veterans that have served within the 
territorial limits of South Korea, and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I 
shall not object at a later time, I yield to the gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Hyde], the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, 
for an explanation of the bill.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, this is genuinely noncontroversial 
legislation. S. 257 would amend the Federal charter of incorporation 
granted by Congress to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1936. 
Specifically, this legislation would amend the eligibility requirements 
for membership in the VFW, so as to include those servicemen and 
servicewomen who served ``honorably on the Korean peninsula or in its 
territorial waters for not less than 30 consecutive days, or a total of 
60 days, after June 30, 1949.'' This would recognize the heroic service 
and sacrifice of the American troops who have served in Korea, 
including those stationed in the demilitarized zone between North and 
South Korea.
  This measure has already passed the other body on February 10, 1995. 
The principal sponsors of the counterpart House bill (H.R. 623) are the 
gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Stump], the distinguished chairman of the 
Veterans' Affairs Committee; the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], 
the distinguished chairman of the Rules Committee; and the gentleman 
from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery], the distinguished former chairman of 
the Veterans' Affairs Committee. All of these colleagues have been 
instrumental in moving this legislation forward.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
yield to the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Stump], the distinguished 
chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 257, a bill to 
amend the congressional charter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. 
Recently, I introduced identical legislation in the House, H.R. 623, 
along with my good friends, Sonny Montgomery and Jerry Solomon.
  This legislation would allow virtually all veterans who have served 
in Korea to be eligible for VFW membership. We are all familiar with 
the extremely dangerous nature of duty along the DMZ and the constant 
threat of war in Korea. Clearly, those veterans of Korean service after 
June 30, 1949, who served honorably for not less than 30 days or a 
total of 60 days, should be able to belong to the VFW.
  But under the VFW's current charter, only veterans who received an 
expeditionary badge are eligible to belong to the VFW. Many veterans 
who served honorably in Korea cannot belong to the VFW because they did 
not receive the required expeditionary badge due to restrictive DOD 
eligibility criteria. The VFW's initiative to include these veterans of 
Korean service among its membership is most commendable.
  Mr. Speaker, today I mostly want to take time to thank the 
distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Henry Hyde, and his 
staff for their expeditious consideration of this bill.
  The Judiciary Committee has been working extremely long hours for 
several weeks. I sincerely appreciate their taking the additional time 
to consider this matter of great importance to the VFW.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
rise in support of this measure and commend the gentleman from Illinois 
[Mr. Hyde] and the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Conyers] for expediting 
the vote on this measure.
  As they are well aware, I joined the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. 
Stump] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon] in sponsoring this 
bill which is now before us.
  Mr. Speaker, the Veterans of Foreign Wars is one of the most highly 
regarded of the many veterans' service organizations that exist today. 
The VFW is a volunteer organization, and this bill would simply make 
more veterans who served overseas in Korea eligible to join the 
organization.
  Mr. Speaker, with that brief statement, I withdraw my reservation of 
objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                 S. 257

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     section 5 of the Act of May 28, 1936 (36 U.S.C. 115), is 
     amended to read as follows:
       ``Sec. 5. A person may not be a member of the corporation 
     created by this Act unless that person--
       ``(1) served honorably as a member of the Armed Forces of 
     the United States in a foreign war, insurrection, or 
     expedition, which service has been recognized as campaign-
     medal service and is governed by the authorization of the 
     award of a campaign badge by the Government of the United 
     States; or
       ``(2) while a member of the Armed Forces of the United 
     States, served honorably on the Korean peninsula or in its 
     territorial waters for not less than 30 consecutive days, or 
     a total of 60 days, after June 30, 1949.''

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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