[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 95 (Monday, July 15, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H4586-H4587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      AMVETS CHARTER AMENDMENT ACT

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3214) to amend the charter of the AMVETS organization.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3214

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

     SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS TO AMVETS CHARTER.

       (a) Name of Organization.--(1) Sections 22701(a) and 22706 
     of title 36, United States Code, are amended by striking 
     ``AMVETS (American Veterans of World War II, Korea, and 
     Vietnam)'' and inserting ``AMVETS (American Veterans)''.
       (2)(A) The heading of chapter 227 of such title is amended 
     to read as follows:

              ``CHAPTER 227--AMVETS (AMERICAN VETERANS)''.

       (B) The item relating to such chapter in the table of 
     chapters at the beginning of subtitle II of such title is 
     amended to read as follows:

``227. AMVETS (AMERICAN VETERANS)..........................22701''.....

       (b) Governing Body.--Section 22704(c)(1) of such title is 
     amended by striking ``seven national vice commanders'' and 
     all that follows through ``a judge advocate,'' and inserting 
     ``two national vice commanders, a finance officer, a judge 
     advocate, a chaplain, six national district commanders,''.
       (c) Headquarters and Principal Place of Business.--Section 
     22708 of such title is amended--
       (1) by striking ``the District of Columbia'' in the first 
     sentence and inserting ``Maryland''; and
       (2) by striking ``the District of Columbia'' in the second 
     sentence and inserting ``Maryland''.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson-Lee) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3214, the bill 
currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3214 would amend the Federal charter for the 
American Veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam to American 
Veterans to more accurately reflect the membership of AMVETS. AMVETS 
membership now includes not only veterans from those three wars, but 
also anyone who served honorably after 1940, and the National Guardsmen 
and Reservists.
  At the AMVETS annual convention in 1998, the delegates voted for an 
official name change from American Veterans of World War II, Korea, and 
Vietnam to American Veterans to more accurately reflect the membership. 
Additionally, AMVETS has voted to change the structure of their 
governing body. This bill contains language to reflect the structure 
change in the statute.
  Finally, because AMVETS has moved the location of their headquarters 
from the District of Columbia to Lanham, Maryland, the ``Headquarters 
and principal place of business'' section of their charter needs to be 
changed to indicate that they are now located in Maryland. In order for 
these changes to be recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
the AMVETS Federal charter must be amended, and this bill does that.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass H.R. 3214, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the legislation that we have 
before us, H.R. 3214, would amend the Federal charter of the American 
veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to reflect changes made at 
its 1998 convention. It is extremely important to ensure that we 
respond to the request of these valiant and heroic servicemen and 
women.
  Their original charter, received in 1947, has been amended by 
Congress over the years to give membership to Korean War veterans and 
Vietnam veterans, and to reflect other changing characteristics of the 
organization.
  In 1998, at the AMVETS annual convention, the delegates voted for an 
official name change of American veterans of World War II, Korea, and 
Vietnam to ``American Veterans'' to more accurately reflect the 
membership of AMVETS. Additionally, AMVETS voted to change the 
structure of their governing body. The organization also voted to 
change the location of their headquarters from the District of Columbia 
to Lanham, Maryland. Therefore, the ``Headquarters and principal place 
of business'' section of their charter needs to be changed to indicate 
that they are now located in Maryland.
  In order for these changes to be recognized by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, the AMVETS Federal charter must be amended. This bill 
will accomplish that and allow them to continue to do the service that 
they do on behalf of the American people and as well to continue to 
honor the veterans who participate in this organization.
  I support H.R. 3214 as it would amend the Federal charter of the 
American Veterans of

[[Page H4587]]

World War II, Korea, and Vietnam (AMVETS), to reflect changes made at 
its 1998 convention. Their original charter, received in 1947, has been 
amended by Congress over the years to give membership to Korean War 
veterans and Vietnam veterans, and to reflect other changing 
characteristics of the organization.
  In 1998, at the AMVETS annual convention, the delegates voted for an 
official name change from American Veterans of World War II, Korea, and 
Vietnam to ``American Veterans'' to more accurately reflect the 
membership of AMVETS. Additionally, the AMVETS voted to change the 
structure of their governing body. The organization also voted to 
change the location of their headquarters from the District of Columbia 
to Lanham, Maryland. Therefore, the ``Headquarters and principal place 
to business'' section of their charter needs to be changed to indicate 
they are now located in Maryland.
  In order for these changes to be recognized by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs the AMVETS federal charter must be amended. This bill 
will accomplish all of this.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gekas).
  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  This time, of course, I want to speak about the AMVETS who, in 
Pennsylvania, throughout the time that I served in the legislature, 
continuously participated in legislative action that pertained to 
veterans. On the question of veterans preference in civil service 
examinations and placement, in veterans benefits of all types, and in 
the question that arose from time to time on the legitimacy of when 
certain holidays were to be observed: Memorial Day, Veteran's Day back 
then, which was Armistice Day, et cetera.
  So the AMVETS themselves, just like the American Legion 
aforementioned, have participated in civic, as well as neighborhood, 
events throughout Pennsylvania and, I am sure, throughout the Nation.
  I wanted the record to be complete that this veterans organization, 
just as the American Legion, have been a part of the neighborhood for 
many, many years and will continue to expand now that we know the 
parameters, through this legislation, will have been expanded.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Let me just simply say that today as we stand here on this floor, we 
have young men and women fighting for us in Afghanistan, young men and 
women serving in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This is important legislation, 
as the previous legislation was, to make procedural changes for our 
vets; and we honor them as we amend this particular legislation, and I 
would ask my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3214, 
the AMVETS Charter Amendment Act. I urge my colleagues to support this 
timely measure.
  This legislation amends the charter of the AMVETS organization to: 
change the meaning of AMVETS to American veterans, revises the 
composition of its governing body, and provides for its headquarters 
and place of business to move from the District of Columbia to 
Maryland.
  AMVETS, which previously stood for the American Veterans of World War 
II, Korea and Vietnam, was founded in 1944 out of the belief that WWII 
Veterans needed an organization that represented their generation. In 
the following decades, veterans from Korea and Vietnam were permitted 
to join through charter modifications made by Congress.
  Like its fellow veterans service organizations, AMVETS offers 
valuable services to its membership, including, but not limited to: 
seeking discharge upgrades, record corrections, education benefits, 
disability compensation matters and pension eligibility. AMVETS also 
has a long and distinguished history of community service.
  Given our current war on terrorism, I believe it is appropriate for 
Congress to recognize, expand and promote the efforts of our veterans 
service organizations. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to 
support this measure.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3214, a 
bill I introduced to amend the Federal charter for the AMVETS 
organization. The bill makes a number of simple changes to the 
organization's current charter, which was first approved in 1947.
  First, my bill changes the meaning of AMVETS from American Veterans 
of World War II, Korea and Vietnam to American veterans. AMVETS was 
founded on December 10, 1944, in Kansas City, Missouri. It was born out 
of the desire for WWII veterans to have their own organization.
  Overtime, AMVETS' charter has been amended to allow veterans from 
following wars to join the organization. In 1984, the charter was 
amended to allow anyone who served honorably after 1940 to join the 
veterans' group. As a result, its current name does not encompass this 
broader membership. H.R. 3214 would correct this discrepancy and allow 
the organization's name to more adequately reflect its current 
membership. This name change was also approved by the organization's 
members at their 1998 annual convention.
  In 1961, AMVETS modified the structure of its governing body. 
However, its current charter still reflects its old organizational 
structure. Therefore, H.R. 3214 also revises the organization's Federal 
charter to reflect the new composition of AMVETS' governing body.
  Finally, since the approval of the original charter, the organization 
has relocated their headquarters from the District of Columbia to 
Lanham, Maryland. H.R. 3214 amends the original AMVETS charter to 
provide for its headquarters and principal place of business to be in 
Maryland rather than the District of Columbia.
  I want to thank Chairman Sensenbrenner, Subcommittee Chairman Gekas, 
full Committee Ranking Member Conyers and Subcommittee Ranking member 
Sheila Jackson-Lee for their assistance in moving this legislation.
  H.R. 3214 is noncontroversial and I urge my colleagues to support the 
legislation.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of H.R. 3214, the 
AMVETS Charter Amendment Act, I am pleased this important measure has 
been considered and favorably reported by the Committee on Judiciary. 
This measure amends the AMVETS charter to bring the charter into 
conformance with current practices. It deserves the support of every 
Member.
  Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the gentleman from Florida, Mike 
Bilirakis, for his leadership on this issue. As the author of H.R. 
3214, Mike Bilirakis has been a strong and committed advocate for H.R. 
3214 and his efforts in large measure are responsible for this 
important legislation being considered by the House today.
  Again, I urge all of my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 3214, 
the AMVETS Charter Amendment Act.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3214.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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