[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 162 (Wednesday, October 24, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 MILITARY HONORS FOR VETERANS' FUNERALS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 24, 2007

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, and colleagues, I rise today to speak 
about a bill that I have just introduced, ``Providing Military Honors 
For Our Nation's Heroes Act'' (H.R. 3954), to reimburse expenses of 
volunteers who provide military funeral honors at veterans' funerals.
  Because thousands of servicemembers are deployed in Iraq and 
Afghanistan while thousands of World War II and Korean War veterans die 
each day, there is simply not enough military to provide a proper 7-
person honors detail for these funerals. Some families of veterans have 
had to ``make do'' with a CD playing taps. I am saddened by this 
outrageous situation and determined to provide proper military funeral 
honors for all families who request them.
  This bill will allow reimbursement to volunteers from members of 
veterans' service organizations (VSOs) and other organizations approved 
by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA). 
Transportation costs and other expenses, such as cleaning uniforms, 
incurred in providing funeral honors details will be reimbursed. A 
second change will allow reimbursement to details that are requested by 
funeral homes and the VA, as well as the Department of Defense, the 
current practice.
  Currently, members of VSOs and other volunteers can assist the 
military by providing a color guard, pallbearers, a bugler or firing 
party, but the law does not address ceremonies in which VSOs render 
honors without military representation. My bill will allow volunteers 
to be reimbursed even when no military person is a part of the honor 
guard. This change will increase the number of honors details available 
to families. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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