[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S10842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        AMENDING THE HMONG VETERANS' NATURALIZATION ACT OF 2000

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 5234, received from the 
House.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 5234) to amend the Hmong Veterans' 
     Naturalization Act of 2000 to extend the applicability of 
     that Act to certain former spouses of deceased Hmong 
     veterans.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues for their 
support for H.R. 5234, which I introduced in the Senate as S. 3060. I 
am so pleased that the Senate will pass this critical legislation. It 
will ensure that widows and widowers of Hmong veterans who died in 
Laos, Thailand and Vietnam are also covered by the Hmong Veterans 
Naturalization Act. This critical change applies fairness to the law so 
that widows, like spouses of surviving veterans, will be able to take 
the United States citizenship test with a translator.
  The United States owes a great debt to the widows of Hmong veterans. 
During the Vietnam War, in the covert operations in Laos, they 
sacrificed everything they had in service to this country. It is almost 
impossible to imagine the impact of the Vietnam War on the Hmong 
Community in South East Asia. Hmong soldiers died at ten times the rate 
of American soldiers in the Vietnam War. As many as 20,000 Hmong were 
killed serving our country. When adults were killed, children as young 
as twelve and thirteen rose up to take their place. When Hmong soldiers 
died, they left behind families with no means of support. They left 
their loved ones to fend for themselves in a hostile country.
  Because of the covert nature of the United States Operations in Laos, 
the heroics and sacrifice of this community long went unrecognized. By 
facilitating the naturalization of Hmong widows, we offer small 
compensation, but tremendous thanks and honor to people who gave us 
their lives and livelihoods. Twenty five years later, we cannot give 
them back their loved ones, though their loved ones gave their lives 
for us. All we can do is we honor their service in a way that is long 
overdue and give them the tools to become citizens in the nation for 
which they heroically fought, and died.
  No one in Congress understood better what we owe to the Hmong 
community than my old and dear friend, Congressman Bruce Vento. No one 
here did more for the Hmong people. He dedicated himself to ensure that 
Hmong and Lao veterans and their families received the honor and 
respect that was so long deserved and too long delayed. One of the many 
great legacies of his life will indeed be his work with the Hmong 
community in Minnesota. I wish to honor him today for that dedication 
and for that deep respect and compassion. But there is no tribute I can 
deliver that would bring him more greater pride than when 45,000 Hmong 
veterans, widows and spouses whom he was one of the first to recognize 
as American heroes, become American citizens.
  I thank my colleagues again for their support.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 5234) was read the third time and passed.

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