[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
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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
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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.
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