[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 20, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H4228-H4231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  COMMENDING THE PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS

  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 731) commending the Patriot Guard Riders for 
shielding mourning military families from protesters and preserving the 
memory of fallen servicemembers at funerals, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 731

       Whereas in 2005, a small group of American Legion Riders in 
     Kansas calling themselves the ``Patriot Guard'' began a 
     movement to shield the families and friends of fallen service 
     members from interruptions by protesters appearing at 
     military funerals;
       Whereas individuals from Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas 
     later brought together diverse groups of motorcycle 
     organizations across the country who rode to honor fallen 
     service members, forming an organization known as the 
     ``Patriot Guard Riders'';
       Whereas the Patriot Guard Riders have since grown into a 
     nationwide network, including both veterans and nonveterans 
     and riders and nonriders, and is open to anyone who shares a 
     respect for service members who have made the ultimate 
     sacrifice for the Nation;
       Whereas Patriot Guard Riders attend military funerals to 
     show respect for fallen service members and to shield 
     mourning family members and friends of the deceased from 
     protestors who interrupt, or threaten to interrupt, the 
     dignity of the event;
       Whereas across the Nation, Patriot Guard Riders volunteer 
     their time to come to the aid of military families in need, 
     so to allow the memories of the deceased service member to be 
     remembered with honor and dignity;
       Whereas regardless of one's opinion of the Nation's 
     military commitments, the families, friends, and communities 
     of the Nation's fallen soldiers deserve a peaceful time of 
     mourning and should not be harassed and caused further 
     suffering at a funeral;
       Whereas Patriot Guard Riders appear at a funeral only at 
     the invitation of the fallen soldier's family and participate 
     in a nonviolent, legal manner; and
       Whereas the members of the Nation's Armed Forces willingly 
     risk their lives to protect the American way of life and the 
     freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses its 
     deepest appreciation to the Patriot Guard Riders who--
       (1) attend military funerals across the country to show 
     respect for fallen members of the Armed Forces and, when 
     needed, shield mourning family members and friends of the 
     deceased from protestors who interrupt, or threaten to 
     interrupt, the dignity of a funeral; and
       (2) in so doing, help to preserve the memory and honor of 
     the Nation's fallen heroes.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Mrs. Drake) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Butterfield) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia.

[[Page H4229]]

                             General Leave

  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 731 
offered by my friend and colleague from Kansas, Representative Jerry 
Moran.
  Just last month, this Congress responded magnificently to the 
deplorable acts of a few who celebrate the deaths of our fallen 
soldiers when it passed the Respect For America's Fallen Heroes Act. In 
doing so, we sent a strong message to those who would hide behind the 
first amendment while using hate speech to dishonor the memories of 
those who have honorably served their country in the Armed Forces 
simply because they disagree with policy.
  However, this resolution tells the other side of the story, the 
positive side. In response to these so-called protesters, an all-
volunteer group known as the Patriot Guard Riders was formed to shield 
those who mourn the death of their loved ones from those who celebrate 
it; and since last year, these patriots have seen their membership rise 
to the tens of thousands. Now the threat of protest at a military 
funeral is met with the roar of hundreds of motorcycles bearing 
American flags thundering down the street providing both a visible and 
audible barrier between the families that are trying to honor their 
loved ones and those trying to disrespect them.
  Mr. Speaker, the families of our fallen heroes should be allowed to 
bury their loved ones with the respect and dignity they deserve, not 
with the ridicule and disrespect that seem to dominate today's 
political and cultural landscape. For defending that right, the Patriot 
Guard Riders are true patriots, and I believe it is both fitting and 
proper that we honor their service here today.
  Yet the mission of the Patriot Guard Riders can best be summed up in 
their own words. In answer to the question, Why do we ride? They 
respond: Never again will they return home in shame. Never again will 
wearing their uniform cause them pain. Never again will we forget why 
they serve.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Kansas for introducing this 
resolution and urge all my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today I will be managing the time on behalf of the 
Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee. And I 
certainly want to thank Mr. Moran for bringing forth this resolution 
and thank Mrs. Drake of Virginia for managing the time and urging the 
adoption of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, in 2004, my hometown of Wilson, North Carolina, suffered 
its first casualty of war since Vietnam. Our community is a rather 
small community of 43,000 people, and all of the residents of my 
community including myself felt the sting of this terrible tragedy.
  It is abhorrent to me to denigrate this honorable ceremony; yet 
somehow a few people have found a reason to justify the terrible act of 
picketing a military funeral. That in my opinion, Mr. Speaker, is 
despicable. A military funeral is a farewell; it is a farewell for 
loved ones and a final act of thanks from a grateful Nation. Every 
soldier in our history, no matter who the enemy has been, has been 
granted this one simple act which has tragically been repeated so many 
times and too many times during this and other wars, but always with 
pride.
  Every parent deserves to lay their child to rest as a soldier and as 
a hero, a person to whom servicemen and servicewomen can look with 
reverence. Every wounded veteran, Mr. Speaker, can look to these fallen 
men and women and draw strength from their memories.
  To those who are grieving and most vulnerable, the protest must be 
utterly devastating to them. They are nothing more than cowardly 
attacks on members of our communities most deserving of our gratitude 
and our respect.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, we come to the floor to honor those who have 
shown courage in response to cowardness. I commend in the strongest 
possible terms the Patriot Guard Riders. These volunteers have come 
forward in defense of our military families, including a dear friend of 
mine from Greensboro, North Carolina, Mr. Steve Winsett. These men 
perform selfless acts in memory of servicemembers who will never be 
able to repay them. It is an act of compassion and is a part of what 
makes our great Nation strong.
  Mr. Speaker, make no mistake about it, I support the first 
amendment's guarantee of free speech, but this sacred moment in the 
life of a family is out of bounds. I urge the members of the Westboro 
Baptist Church to find another venue to express themselves.
  We express our deepest gratitude from the House Armed Services 
Committee and from this body; we express our deepest gratitude to the 
Patriot Guard Riders. And I want to thank again Mr. Moran for bringing 
forth this resolution, because it is most appropriate at this time.
  I urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1200

  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Moran), the sponsor of the resolution.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
Virginia, and I also thank the leader of the Armed Services Committee, 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), as well as my chairman from 
the Veterans' Affairs Committee, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) 
for their support of this resolution, as well as my colleagues from 
Kansas.
  Many good things come from Kansas, including the Patriot Guard, but 
in response to something that is less than desirable, and that is a 
radical Topeka, Kansas-based church has been disrupting funerals of 
servicemembers now for several years, with picketers that appear at 
those funerals during and holding signs that read, ``Thank God for 
IEDs,'' and, ``Thank God for dead soldiers.'' No Kansan, no American 
can respond to that in any way but the way that it has been described 
by my colleagues today.
  But in 2005, the American Legion Riders of Post 136 in Mulvane, 
Kansas, responded by bringing their motorcycles and themselves to those 
funeral services where they provided a buffer between the protesters 
and the families of those deceased service men and women. They decided 
to take action and called themselves the Patriot Guard, and they 
organized their supporters from across the country to attend those 
funerals and shield our military families. They waved the American 
flag, sang patriotic songs, and took lawful and peaceful action to 
serve as a barrier between the families and protesters. Their actions 
preserved the dignity and honor of these funeral services and allowed 
the families a peaceful time of mourning on that day of service that 
they so much deserved.
  This movement has now spread across from Mulvane, Kansas, across the 
State and around the Nation. The Patriot Guard Riders now include 
thousands of members who volunteer their time to come to the aid of 
military families at funerals to show their respect and, when needed, 
to shield families from disruption. Members include veterans and 
nonveterans, riders and nonriders, and they have successfully performed 
hundreds of missions across the country not only supporting the fallen 
and their families, but also providing comfort to those who serve 
today, knowing that their families would be protected should they fall.
  The significance of these volunteer actions is realized when you read 
letters of appreciation written by family members and friends of the 
deceased. I would like to mention a letter that the Patriot Guard 
received from the family of Corporal Peter Wagler. I attended that 
funeral in Hutchinson, Kansas, at the Nazarene Church on February 10, 
2006. Corporal Wagler was killed in Iraq at the age of 19, having 
served only a month in Iraq, and his family wrote the Patriot Guard 
Riders:

       Thank you so much for your amazing support at the funeral 
     of our son Peter Wagler.

[[Page H4230]]

     Despite the cold north wind, you rode many miles to 
     participate.
       I have never seen such a display of flags as we encountered 
     when leaving the church. Many people have told me how 
     meaningful the flags were to them; many shed tears as they 
     drove through the tunnel. As for your protecting us from the 
     demonstrators, when we arrived we looked for them, but we 
     could not see them, and we never did.
       Peter loved motorcycles and planned to get one when he 
     finished his term in Iraq. He will not get to do that, but he 
     would have loved the tremendous display you put on. Our 
     family feels inadequate in expressing our thanks, but please 
     know that we deeply appreciate what you did for us.
       God bless you,
       David for the Wagler family.

  Mr. Speaker, I urge that we adopt this resolution and that we, as a 
House, commend the Patriot Guard Riders.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers at this 
time, but I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Buyer).
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 731. I 
want to thank my colleague Mr. Moran and Mr. Ryun of Kansas for their 
leadership. I offer my deepest appreciation to the men and women of the 
Patriot Guard Riders, dedicated and committed Americans who will not 
wait for others to act, but they took upon themselves the solemn 
responsibility of right action.
  On Memorial Day, before President Bush attended the Memorial Day 
ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, he signed into law the Respect 
for America's Fallen Heroes Act. This new law prohibits disruptions of 
military funerals at national cemeteries and Arlington, which is owned 
by the U.S. Army.
  Standing behind the President as he signed the bill in the Oval 
Office was the executive director of the Patriot Guard Riders, Jeff 
Brown, and five of his Patriot Guard Riders. They stood beside the 
families of two soldiers who had made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq, 
that of Sergeant Rickey Jones of Kokomo, Indiana; and the family of 
Sergeant Joshua Youmans of Flushing, Michigan. Both families had 
endured harassment by protesters who were cheering the deaths of their 
sons.
  Patriot Guard Riders, acting out of decency, compassion and respect 
for the law, often place themselves between the families and the 
hateful perversions of those who would sharpen the pain of a mourning 
family's unspeakable loss.
  The mission of the Patriot Guard riders is simple: Show sincere 
respect for our fallen heroes and their families, their communities; 
and shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created 
by any protester or group of protesters. Patriot Guard Riders attend 
the funerals at the invitation of the family, and they adhere to 
strictly legal and nonviolent means. These patriots use their vacation 
time and fund their own expenses to stand with the grieving families.
  Among the hallmarks of the American character is our compassion and 
human decency. It is how we care for each other in difficult times. In 
towns across this country, this is evident in the thousands of 
Americans who line the roads in condolence at the passage of a loved 
one to attend the military funeral. The independent action, I think, is 
another of America's sacred traits.
  The Patriot Guard Riders, seeing an injustice, chose to rise up and 
not permit the desecration of the sacred. Their courage, their 
conviction, and their simple decency on behalf of families grieving at 
the loss of a loved one represent the very best of our Nation.
  In return, we as a Nation offer them our gratitude for unselfishly 
serving to protect the sanctity of military funerals and for easing the 
burden of mourning families and their communities, thereby setting a 
worthy example for everyone.
  I urge adoption of this resolution.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Ryun).
  Mr. RYUN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
Patriot Guard resolution put forth by one of my fellow colleagues from 
Kansas. I rise in support of H. Res. 731.
  This group of American Legion riders from Kansas provides an 
honorable service by protecting military families from protesters at 
funerals. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, 200 Patriot Guard Riders 
were at a funeral in my district, and they effectively protected the 
family from unwelcome protesters. I heard that even one of the riders 
came from as far away as Memphis just to be there and do what he could 
to help the family.
  It is a remarkable show of gratitude and service that the Patriot 
Guard Riders have taken to honor the courageous and sacrificial actions 
of helping our service families and their servicemembers and their 
families pay tribute to those that have fallen.
  I am disappointed that these people who are protesting at military 
funerals dare, but I am grateful to the Patriot Guard Riders, and the 
fact that they even need to be there is unfortunate. Regardless of 
anyone's particular political view on the global war on terrorism or 
any other issue, we should give the utmost respect and honor to those 
who have died serving our country.
  The Patriot Guard Riders recognize that, and I commend them for what 
they are doing, and I encourage them and urge my colleagues to support 
H. Res. 731.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Garrett).
  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to 
come to the floor today and that we can honor a group of Americans who 
have gone literally out of their way to see that our heroes in this 
country are given the respect that they are due. Our fallen soldiers 
are to be the most honored of all Americans, since they have given 
their very lives to protect all of our freedoms.
  It really is a great shame that any American would seek to disrupt 
the funeral of one who died to protect the liberty of all. While the 
actions of a few have been disheartening to us, there are so many who 
are willing to stand up to show their love and support for the families 
of the fallen. The Patriot Guard Riders, they show their love of our 
country, and they do that by drowning out the protests of a few with 
the rumblings of their motorcycles of the many.
  So, today we come to the floor to honor our fallen soldiers, and we 
do that always here on both sides of the aisle by providing for their 
families, by mourning for their loss, by remembering their high goals 
for which they all stood. So it is fitting and proper that we come here 
today to hold up the Patriot Guard Riders as examples of devotion to 
the country and encourage them to continue their ride across this 
Nation to protect the loved ones of our fallen servicemen.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, today we have two funerals occurring in 
Nebraska in my district. The two soldiers being buried are 22-year-old 
Specialist Benjamin Slaven, Plymouth, Nebraska, a reservist who was 
killed south of Baghdad on June 9; a 19-year-old Corporal Brent Zoucha 
from Clarks, Nebraska, who was killed in al Anbar province on the same 
day, June 9. Both are being buried June 20, today, and their funerals 
are occurring as we speak. This makes more than a dozen soldiers, all 
young, all from rural small communities, that have been killed in my 
district.
  Funerals, Mr. Speaker, should honor and dignify the sacrifices of 
those soldiers and their families. It should not be disrupted and 
dishonored by protesters with a political agenda, and unfortunately, 
some of those protests that have been mentioned previously have 
occurred in Nebraska. You can imagine how devastating those are to 
those families who are suffering greatly.
  I spoke recently to the mothers of both of these soldiers from 
Nebraska being buried today. You can sense their pain and their 
anguish. And so I commend Mr. Moran for offering H. Res. 731 and also 
want to thank and commend the Patriot Guard Riders for what they have 
accomplished.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
gentleman.
  Having just come back from Iraq, and recognizing the valiant effort 
of our

[[Page H4231]]

soldiers on the front line, both in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I thank 
the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina for his leadership in 
yielding, and I thank the proponent of this legislation.
  I have the greatest respect for our families, and I offer to say that 
the decisions of the family to be able to be protected is utmost, and 
so there will be no disagreement on legislation of this kind. I rise to 
support it, as well as I raise with my colleagues the need for families 
to also be able to mourn with a fallen soldier ceremony or be able to 
have their loved ones come first to this soil at Dover Air Force Base. 
We hope to be able to allow that mourning in the manner that families 
desire and a public honoring as they may desire. Their fallen heroes 
deserve to be honored properly in their hometown and at Dover Air Force 
Base.
  But as we pay tribute to those who have fallen, we want to nurture 
and support our families, provide them with the privacy that they 
desire and the respect.
  At this moment, Mr. Speaker, I ask for, in the course of my debate on 
the floor today in support of H. Res. 731, a moment of silence and 
recognition of the three soldiers who lost their lives this past 
weekend, in particular at the checkpoint in Baghdad: David J. Babineau 
of Springfield, MA; Thomas Tucker of Oregon; and our own Kristian 
Menchaca, age 23, of Houston, TX, who grew up in a near northside 
neighborhood whose family now mourns his loss and the loss of others, 
recognizing that these brave young men, 25, 23, 25, are all heroes, and 
I ask for a moment of silence as we ask that they may rest in peace.
  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Jerry Moran 
for his leadership in introducing H. Res. 731, commending the Patriot 
Guard Riders for shielding mourning military families from protestors 
and preserving the memory of fallen service members at funerals.
  I am proud to join in the bi-partisan support shown by the House of 
Representatives for this important legislation.
  As you know, the main mission of the Patriot Guard Riders is to help 
maintain dignity and respect at the funerals of service members who 
have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They are invited as 
guests to block protestors through strictly legal and non-violent 
means. Like dedicated sentinels, the Patriot Guard Riders line the 
streets shielding the grieving family and community from any disruptive 
protesters.
  I want to thank personally the Patriot Guard Riders for their 
nationwide commitment to this cause. The Patriot Guard Riders have paid 
homage to fallen heroes in my congressional district of El Paso, TX, 
making a positive impact on my community.
  On April 12, 2006, the Patriot Guard Riders traveled to Clint, TX, 
for the funeral of Sergeant Israel Devora Garcia, who was also made a 
U.S. citizen at his funeral. Sergeant Garcia's friends and family were 
left to mourn his passing in peace, free from protest. More recently, 
on June 16, 2006, the Patriot Guard Riders congregated at the funeral 
procession of Specialist Oliver Oropenza at Fort Bliss National 
Cemetery in El Paso, TX. They were welcomed by grieving friends and 
family who were able to honor SPC Oropenza free from disruptions.
  You may recall that I was the primary Democratic sponsor of H.R. 
5037, the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, under which 
demonstrations are restricted within 150 feet of methods of ingress and 
egress from such cemetery property or within 300 feet of such cemetery 
in a manner that impedes the access to or egress from the cemetery. 
This bill guarantees the families and friends of fallen heroes the 
right to grieve in peace, while also protecting the freedom of speech. 
I am very proud that, with strong bi-partisan support this bill was 
passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law by the 
President on Memorial Day 2006.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the Patriot Guard Riders, who have been 
physically present at the funerals of our fallen heroes since August 
2005, to protect and guard the families and friends of the fallen from 
protest. I stand in strong support of their honorable mission, and I 
ask for all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 731.
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 731 to 
commend the Patriot Guard Riders for their valiant efforts to shield 
mourning military families from protesters at the funeral services of 
their loved ones.
  I recently had the honor and privilege to attend the funeral of Army 
Sergeant Lonnie Calvin Allen, Jr., who was killed along with three 
other servicemembers when a roadside bomb struck his Humvee in Baghdad. 
Over 500 people attended the standing-room-only service to honor the 
life of this brave young man.
  The Nebraska Chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders--decked out in 
leather and holding American flags--lined the walkway into the church 
for the protection and peace of mind of friends and family members. I 
felt proud to be an American as I witnessed this unforgettable display 
of honor and respect for one of our fallen heroes. The personal 
dedication and commitment of the Patriot Guard Riders is an inspiring 
example of true American patriotism.
  The Patriot Guard Riders also shielded the surviving family members 
of Army Captain Joel Cahill, who was on his second tour of duty in Iraq 
when he was killed late last year by an Improvised Explosive Device, 
IED, that struck his vehicle. As protesters held signs such as ``God 
sent the IED,'' and ``thank God for dead soldiers,'' Patriot Guard 
Riders outnumbered them by at least five to one on the other side of 
the street, shielding Capt. Cahill's wife and two young daughters. 
Captain Cahill's 59-year-old father also took action in his own style: 
he handed the protesters sheets of paper containing biblical verses 
such as ``Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love 
one another.''
  Sgt. L.C. Allen and Capt. Joel Cahill were buried with full military 
honors in Arlington National Cemetery. Their valor and courage will 
stand the test of time, while the protesters dishonoring their noble 
sacrifices will fade into the annals of history.
  I commend Nebraska State Captain Mike Smith and all the members of 
the Patriot Guard Riders, both in my State and nationwide. I join them 
in thanking the families of our servicemembers who have made the 
ultimate sacrifice for freedom at home and abroad. I urge all of my 
colleagues to support this resolution to recognize the outstanding and 
selfless contributions of the Patriot Guard Riders--protectors of our 
fallen American heroes and their families.

                              {time}  1215

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the resolution, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 731, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

                          ____________________