[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H5660-H5662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CEMETERY IN SOUTHERN COLORADO REGION

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1660) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
establish a national cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado 
region, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1660

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

     SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CEMETERY IN SOUTHERN 
                   COLORADO REGION.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     establish, in accordance with chapter 24 of title 38, United 
     States Code, a national cemetery in El Paso County, Colorado, 
     to serve the needs of veterans and their families in the 
     southern Colorado region.
       (b) Consultation in Selection of Site.--Before selecting 
     the site for the national cemetery established under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with--
       (1) appropriate officials of the State of Colorado and 
     local officials in the southern Colorado region; and
       (2) appropriate officials of the United States, including 
     the Administrator of General Services, with respect to land 
     belonging to the United States in El Paso County, Colorado, 
     that would be suitable to establish the national cemetery 
     under subsection (a).
       (c) Authority to Accept Donation of Parcel of Land.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
     accept on behalf of the United States the gift of an 
     appropriate parcel of real property. The Secretary shall have 
     administrative jurisdiction over such parcel of real 
     property, and shall use such parcel to establish the national 
     cemetery under subsection (a).
       (2) Income tax treatment of gift.--For purposes of Federal 
     income, estate, and gift taxes, the real property accepted 
     under paragraph (1) shall be considered as a gift to the 
     United States.
       (d) Report.--As soon as practicable after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress 
     a report on the establishment of the national cemetery under 
     subsection (a). The report shall set forth a schedule for 
     such establishment and an estimate of the costs associated 
     with such establishment.
       (e) Relationship to Construction and Five Year Capital 
     Plan.--The requirement to establish a national cemetery under 
     subsection (a) shall be added to the current list of priority 
     projects, but should not take priority over existing projects 
     listed on the National Cemetery Administration's construction 
     and five-year capital plan for fiscal year 2008.
       (f) Southern Colorado Region Defined.--In this Act, the 
     term ``southern Colorado region'' means the geographic region 
     consisting of the following Colorado counties:
       (1) El Paso.
       (2) Pueblo.
       (3) Teller.
       (4) Fremont.
       (5) Las Animas.
       (6) Huerfano.
       (7) Custer.
       (8) Costilla.
       (9) Alamosa.
       (10) Saguache.
       (11) Conejos.
       (12) Mineral.
       (13) Archuleta.
       (14) Hinsdale.
       (15) Gunnison.
       (16) Pitkin.
       (17) La Plata.
       (18) Montezuma.
       (19) San Juan.
       (20) Ouray.
       (21) San Miguel.
       (22) Dolores.
       (23) Montrose.
       (24) Delta.
       (25) Mesa.
       (26) Crowley.
       (27) Kiowa.
       (28) Bent.
       (29) Baca.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Filner) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased to bring to the floor a bipartisan bill authored by 
Congressman Salazar of Colorado with Congressman Lamborn of Colorado. 
It establishes a veterans cemetery in El Paso County, Colorado.
  Southern Colorado, which includes El Paso, Colorado, and the city of 
Colorado Springs, has the second highest concentration of veterans 
living in the United States. Currently those veterans and their 
families who wish either to visit a veterans cemetery or have their 
loved ones interred must travel into the Denver metropolitan area to 
Fort Logan National Cemetery.
  Not only is this an undue burden, but the Fort Logan cemetery is 
running out of room. To alleviate this problem, H.R. 1660 directs the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for 
veterans in El Paso County, Colorado. This was a fitting tribute to 
those Americans who have served our Nation with honor. The veterans 
national cemeteries of the United States demonstrate the desire of a 
grateful Nation to appropriately commemorate those who have served in 
the Armed Forces.
  Since 1862, close to 3 million burials have been made in the VA 
national cemeteries. The National Cemetery Administration of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs manages 125 of these cemeteries 
nationwide for our veterans. Of these, 58 of them are no longer 
accepting interments. Thus, the

[[Page H5661]]

need to build new cemeteries is quite urgent.
  As we lose more and more of our greatest generation of veterans and 
face the increasing prospects of additional fatalities of Iraq, this 
country, at the very least, needs to ensure that veterans are provided 
a dignified, accessible and well-maintained final resting spot. This 
bill would go a long way in making that happen.
  It is supported by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, American 
Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and 
Paralyzed Veterans of America.
  I was proud to see the bipartisan approach taken by two members of 
our committee, Mr. Salazar and Mr. Lamborn, to make sure that this bill 
got through the committee. They both worked cooperatively and 
tirelessly to get this bill to the floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1660, and I yield 
myself such time as I may consume.
  I strongly support this bill. I would like to thank both Ranking 
Member Buyer and Chairman Filner for their work on this bill. I would 
also like to thank Mr. Hall, chairman of the DAMA subcommittee, and Mr. 
Salazar for their leadership on H.R. 1660 as well.
  This bill would authorize the Secretary to build a national cemetery 
to serve the needs of the veterans and families in southern Colorado. 
As amended by my own amendment, this bill would place the national 
cemetery in El Paso County, Colorado. El Paso County is the largest 
county in Colorado and is home to approximately 100,000 veterans. 
Southern Colorado is home to more than 150,000 veterans, and that 
population is expanding rapidly.
  With the establishment of this new national cemetery, families will 
have a much shorter and easier commute to visit the final resting place 
of their loved ones since they will no longer need to travel to Fort 
Logan National Cemetery in Denver.
  I understand that this cemetery is not included in the Department of 
Veterans Affairs 5-year plan, and I look forward to working with our 
committee's distinguished ranking member, chairman and other members of 
the committee to ensure that we serve the needs of all veterans and 
their families as we develop these national shrines.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1515

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the coauthor of the bill, Mr. 
Salazar of Colorado, as much time as he may consume.
  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank 
the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for his strong support 
of veterans, not only now, but during his tenure in the U.S. Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to bring forward this legislation directing 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for 
veterans and their families in the Southern Colorado region. I would 
like to thank Mr. Lamborn from Colorado who, together, we have worked 
in a bipartisan effort and the bipartisan spirit of the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee trying to make sure that the issue is resolved.
  As you know, Fort Logan is the only cemetery that we have in Colorado 
that will accept veterans, and it is due to be filled. It is strange to 
say, but it has got a life expectancy of 10 years. I think it is 
important that we begin working on this issue right now. I would like 
to especially thank Chairman Filner for allowing us to bring this 
forward.
  The National Cemeteries of the United States offer testimony to the 
desire of a grateful Nation to commemorate the Americans who have 
served our Nation in the Armed Forces.
  Since 1862, more than 3 million burials have been made in VA national 
cemeteries. Of the 120 cemeteries, 58 of them are no longer accepting 
burials, and many are out of reach and geographically inconvenient for 
our veterans and their families. Southern Colorado, including El Paso 
County and the city of Colorado Springs, has one of the highest 
concentrations of veterans living in the United States. For that 
reason, Mr. Speaker, Congressman Lamborn and myself worked together in 
this bipartisan spirit to try to make sure that for the veterans coming 
back from this war, for the veterans that have served in Colorado, and 
for veterans that want to be buried in Colorado in 10 years, that there 
will be adequate space for them to be buried in Colorado. Currently, 
those veterans, their aging widows, and their families must sometimes 
travel hours into the highly congested area of Denver to Fort Logan 
National Cemetery, which is quickly running out of room.
  The Colorado congressional delegation has worked in a bipartisan 
manner to create legislation that will benefit all veterans of this 
great State, and I would like to thank my good friends, Mr. Udall and 
Mr. Perlmutter of Colorado, for taking time to speak on this important 
bill. I think a national cemetery in Southern Colorado will serve as a 
fitting tribute and a final resting place to those who have served our 
Nation with honor.
  I certainly urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 1660. But before I yield 
back, I want to remind the ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee that on his question on Jerry Murphy, Jerry Murphy died on 
Good Friday. Jerry Murphy was born in Pueblo, Colorado. He attended 
college at Adams State College in Durango and Western State College, 
and it was a week after we came back that we gave a fitting tribute to 
Jerry Murphy on this House floor.
  So he is remembered, Mr. Ranking Member, and I believe that the 
process takes a little bit of time before we can get things moving on 
the floor, but certainly he is not forgotten.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado 
for his good work, for his words just now, and I wholeheartedly support 
him and his work on this bill. We have worked together in a bipartisan 
spirit, and I thank him for that.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the ranking member from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) 
such time as he may consume.
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, this bill would authorize the VA Secretary to 
build a national cemetery in Southern Colorado.
  Providing our veterans with a place of honor of repose is one of the 
most sacred missions of the veterans committee, and we have accorded 
this mission our support over the years.
  The National Cemetery Administration's record of satisfaction among 
the families and its beneficiaries is the envy of the Federal 
Government, a reflection of the sound administration, the strong 
congressional support, free of political influence. Yet I have some 
concerns about the bill.
  The Department of Veterans Affairs has a well-established and proven 
method that uses distance and demographics to select cemetery sites. 
Congress has long deferred to that process, which is essentially free 
from this institution's political pressures. Since 1999, Congress has 
authorized 12 new national cemeteries, all of which went through this 
process. In the absence of political pressures, the Nation has 
benefited with a rational distribution of cemeteries that serve 
veterans their families, and the Nation very well.
  This region of Colorado is not on any of the VA's strategic plans for 
new cemeteries in the next 20 years, nor was it identified by an 
independent 2002 Logistics Management Institute study that listed the 
areas with the greatest need for a national cemetery all the way to the 
year 2030.
  Nonetheless, we have before us a bill to develop a cemetery in 
Southern Colorado, which has not been identified as a priority in any 
of these studies. Therefore, I ask the chairman of the House Veterans' 
Affairs Committee if you have now, since having brought this bill to 
the floor, developed criteria with regard to the development of VA 
national cemeteries whereby Members will know what to follow when they 
file bills before your committee? I yield to the gentleman.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, we have criteria, as the gentleman stated, 
in the VA; and, if the need requires, we will establish the criteria 
for Members' requests.
  Mr. BUYER. Reclaiming my time. I would like to work with the 
chairman, because I believe in that answer we do not have the criteria 
at this moment, and I think all the Members in this body need to know 
what the criteria would be with regard to placing a VA national 
cemetery. We have given such

[[Page H5662]]

deference to the executive branch. And I know that both gentlemen from 
Colorado brought up the issue to us about rural areas in the country 
and felt that, given the way that these studies were structured, that 
this VA cemetery could never be built. So given that deference, the 
chairman was very responsive to you.
  We took up an amendment by Mr. Stearns, which both of the gentlemen 
from Colorado had agreed to, whereby we did not want this to displace 
any of the other present cemeteries in the present priority.
  I respect the gentleman, and I want to work with the chairman on 
coming up with criteria.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to another gentleman from Colorado 
(Mr. Perlmutter) such time as he may consume.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I thank my 
colleagues from Colorado, Mr. Salazar and Mr. Lamborn, for bringing 
this legislation to the floor.
  As we approach Memorial Day, let us remember those who have fallen 
fighting for our country. And this is one way to recognize our service 
men's and women's sacrifices, by establishing a new VA cemetery in El 
Paso County. Although I don't represent that area, it is south of where 
I live, this is an area of our State that needs a cemetery of this 
kind.
  Memorial Day is usually marked by parades, speeches, and the 
decoration of graves; but for the people of Southern Colorado, this 
means traveling up to Fort Logan which is in the Denver area. With the 
passage of this bill, the 150,000 veterans residing in Southern 
Colorado will have their own VA cemetery to honor and decorate.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
legislation to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southern 
Colorado, and I congratulate my colleague John Salazar for his work on 
this bill.
  I also want to recognize the work of my former colleague Joel Hefley 
and my current colleague Doug Lamborn on this issue. Establishing a 
national veterans cemetery in southern Colorado has been and continues 
to be a goal shared by the entire Colorado delegation.
  For over 8 years, it has also been a goal of the Pikes Peak Veterans 
Cemetery Committee. And it has been a goal of the Department of 
Colorado Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Colorado chapters of the 
American Legion, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars, and the Association for Service Disabled Veterans. So 
many people have worked tirelessly to build support for this cemetery, 
and I hope they are pleased today that we are now one step closer to 
making it a reality.
  This is a particularly timely bill to consider today, as we approach 
another Memorial Day and as we continue to send our troops to Iraq and 
Afghanistan. We remember the sacrifices that our veterans have made and 
the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform continue to make today 
to protect our freedom.
  And at a time when our country is divided over the war in Iraq, it's 
even more important that we honor the service of those who have given 
their lives for this country and of the many veterans still among us.
  Of course, it isn't enough just to remember--we must provide our 
troops and veterans with the care and support they have been promised. 
And we must provide them with a resting place within or as close as 
possible to their own communities.
  With a growing military retiree and veterans population in southern 
Colorado and particularly El Paso County--and with Denver's Fort Logan 
cemetery rapidly filling up its burial spaces--it makes sense to 
provide for the future even as we ensure that southern Colorado's 
veterans receive the recognition they deserve.
  A National Veterans Cemetery in El Paso County will also serve as an 
important symbol for those in the military community who have given so 
much to their country. Mr. Speaker, this is an important piece of 
legislation, and I urge its passage.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FILNER. 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. 1660, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FILNER. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1660, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________