[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 29, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER:
  S. 2530. A bill to designate certain lands in the Valley Forge 
National Historical Park as the Valley Forge National Cemetery, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


                    VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL CEMETERY.

 Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, today I introduce legislation 
creating a Valley Forge National Cemetery and calling on the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs to determine the feasibility of a national cemetery 
in southwestern Pennsylvania.
  This legislation specifically authorizes the Department of the 
Interior to transfer a portion of the Valley Forge National Historic 
Park to the Department of Veterans Affairs for establishment of a 
Valley Forge National Cemetery in Southeastern Pennsylvania. This new 
cemetery will be constructed and operated by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs' National Cemetery System (NCS). The NCS was established by 
Congress and approved by President Lincoln in 1862 to provide for the 
proper burial and registration of graves of Civil War soldiers. The NCS 
currently operates 115 cemeteries throughout the nation and in Puerto 
Rico. Since its establishment, the National Cemetery System has been 
fulfilling one of our nation's most solemn obligations; it has provided 
for the proper burial of our nation's veterans. This mission is perhaps 
more important today than it has been in the entire history of the NCS. 
The General Accounting Office (GAO) reported in a September 1997 report 
that the numbers of veteran deaths and interments performed by NCS 
continue to grow each year and are projected to peak between 2005 and 
2010. This expected increase in workload has been reiterated by Mr. 
Roger Rapp, Acting Director of the National Cemetery System, at an 
April 29, 1998 hearing before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
Subcommittee on Benefits. According to Mr. Rapp, annual veteran deaths 
are expected to peak in 2008.
  With the fifth largest 65 and older veteran population in the 
country, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania faces many challenges in 
fulfilling the nation's solemn obligation to its deceased veterans and 
their families. Striving to meet these challenges, the NCS operates two 
Pennsylvania national cemeteries: Indiantown Gap National Cemetery and 
the Philadelphia National Cemetery. The Indiantown Gap National 
Cemetery is a 677-acre cemetery, which opened in 1982 and is expected 
to remain open until 2030 under estimated rates of interment. The 
Philadelphia National Cemetery opened in 1885 with 13 acres, reached 
casket capacity in 1962 and is expected to reach cremation capacity in 
1999.
  A Valley Forge National Cemetery would provide the Philadelphia area 
with new gravesites and alleviate the need for families to travel over 
two hours to the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. I am informed that 
the land to be transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs does 
not contain any historical markers and is a suitable site for such an 
important facility.
  Also, there is no national cemetery in the southern or western parts 
of Pennsylvania, where the veteran population is heavy. In an effort to 
address the burial needs of these veterans, I have included a provision 
in the Senate legislation requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
to report to the House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs 
within 90 days of enactment on the feasibility of establishing and 
operating a national cemetery in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
  The House legislation, H.R. 4365, introduced by my good friend, 
Congressman Jon Fox, is co-sponsored by the entire Pennsylvania 
delegation. I join my House colleagues in introducing this legislation 
for consideration in the Senate.

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