Congressional Record, Volume 153 Issue 171 (Tuesday, November 6, 2007)

[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 171 (Tuesday, November 6, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H12770-H12771]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

PURPLE HEART FAMILY EQUITY ACT OF 2007

Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1119) to amend title 36, United States
Code, to revise the congressional charter of the Military Order of the
Purple Heart of the United States of America, Incorporated, to
authorize associate membership in the corporation for the spouse of a
recipient of the Purple Heart medal, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 1119

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Purple Heart Family Equity
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP IN THE MILITARY ORDER OF THE
PURPLE HEART OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
INCORPORATED.

Section 140503(b) of title 36, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``parents and lineal descendants'' and
inserting ``the parents, spouse, siblings, and lineal
descendants''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren) and the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.

General Leave

Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
H.R. 1119, the Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007, provides an
excellent opportunity for us to recognize and honor the brave women as
well as brave men who served our Nation in the armed services.
As many of you know, the Purple Heart is awarded to Armed Forces
members who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the
enemy, and posthumously to the next of kin for those who are killed in
action or who die of wounds received in action. It is specifically a
combat decoration first conceived in 1782 by General George Washington.
Seventy-five years ago, an organization now known as the Military
Order of the Purple Heart was formed for the purposes of protecting the
mutual interests of all those who have received the decoration.
Composed exclusively of Purple Heart recipients, it is the only
veterans service organization comprised strictly of combat veterans.
When the order was federally chartered in 1958, however, very few
women had received the Purple Heart. And to this day, women recipients
of the Purple Heart do not have the same benefits as their male
counterparts.
Under the current law, male members can invite their wives to join
the Ladies Auxiliary of the Purple Heart, but there is no place in the
order for husbands of Purple Heart recipients. The order has identified
at least 97 female purple heart recipients who have joined and who are
not enjoying the full benefits of membership that they deserve.
H.R. 1119 seeks to fully honor the women of the Armed Forces who have
been awarded the Purple Heart defending our Nation. Specifically, the
bill amends the order's Federal charter to allow members to invite
their spouses to join as associate members, both for male and female
recipients of the Purple Heart. With this minor revision to the Federal
charter, the husbands of female members could join the organization.
This bill also allows members to invite their siblings to join as
associate members so that they too can take part in the full honor of
their brothers and sisters who fought so bravely for our country and
received a Purple Heart. It is only right that we allow the members to
include their siblings in this honor.
This bipartisan legislation is endorsed by the Military Order of the
Purple Heart. It recognizes the important role women have played in
defending our Nation in times of war.

{time} 1300

We owe this long overdue recognition to these women and their
families. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. I thank the gentlewoman for her presentation of H.R. 1119.
The Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of
America was founded in 1932. And as the gentlewoman stated, it goes
back to George Washington. It's rich in our heritage, and it's precious
in our reference to those who have bled for this Nation and for the
freedom of the people here in the United States of America. It was
recognized by the Veterans Administration and represents ``veterans in
the presentation of claims before the . . . administration,'' this is
the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and also ``its service officers
are active in veterans hospitals.'' The organization was federally
chartered in 1958.
Active members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart must be
persons of good moral character who have received the Purple Heart for
wounds received as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or for those of
any country during military combat against an armed enemy of the United
States.
The Military Order of the Purple Heart is a sterling organization
that provides services to those brave Americans who were wounded
defending our country. The order also seeks to promote ``patriotic
allegiance to the United States, fidelity to the Constitution and laws
of the United States, and the security of civil liberty and the
permanence of free institutions.'' And that's all out of their mission.
Its goals are ``educational, fraternal, historical, and patriotic,
perpetuating the principles of liberty and justice which have created
the United States.'' In short, Mr. Speaker, the Military Order of the
Purple Heart upholds many of the pillars of American exceptionalism.
Parents or lineal descendants of persons eligible to be active
members can be associate members of the order. The order has requested
that its charter be

[[Page H12771]]

amended so that siblings and spouses of members can also become
associate members.
I am pleased that H.R. 1119, the Purple Heart Family Equity Act of
2007, as amended by the Judiciary Committee, provides that spouses and
siblings of persons eligible to be active members of the Military Order
of the Purple Heart can become associate members.
If I just look at the bill for the sake of clarity, Mr. Speaker, the
current law is parents and lineal descendants. This strikes parents and
lineal descendants and replaces it with the parents, spouse, and lineal
descendants. This is something that has been agreed to and promoted by
the members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, by Republicans
and Democrats in the Judiciary Committee. I do not recall opposition to
this. I believe one could say that it is clearly without opposition,
perhaps unanimous on the Judiciary Committee.
I urge adoption of H.R. 1119.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 4
minutes to the author of the bill, my colleague from California,
Congresswoman Davis.
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague
from California as well.
Mr. Speaker, I was honored for the opportunity to introduce the
Purple Heart Equity Act along with Representative Virginia Foxx,
Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Chairman John Murtha, and a number of other
bipartisan sponsors. We came together, and this is a unanimous bill
because honoring the women who have won the Purple Heart is something
that we can all stand behind.
As commander of the Continental Army, as has been mentioned, George
Washington wanted to recognize soldiers whose sacrifices and
distinction forwarded the cause of independence. As a result, he
created the Military Merit. He also designed the award, shaped it like
a heart in the color purple. And after the Revolutionary War, this
award was actually abandoned. But in honor of the bicentennial of
Washington's birth, President Herbert Hoover revived the award in 1932,
and it maintained its original design and became more known today, of
course, as the Purple Heart.
In that same year the Military Order of the Purple Heart formed with
the mission of fostering a positive environment among wounded veterans
as well as providing services to all veterans and their families. But
when the organization was federally chartered in 1958, few women
actually had won the Purple Heart. So, under the current law, male
members today can invite their wives to join the Ladies Auxiliary of
the Purple Heart, but there is no place in this organization for the
husbands of female members.
So that's why H.R. 1119 is important today, because it adds the word
``spouses'' to the Federal Charter of the Military Order of the Purple
Heart. And with this small update, the husbands of female members will
have the option of joining the organization just as the wives do.
Just a little bit more history, Mr. Speaker. The first woman to be
awarded the Purple Heart was Lieutenant Annie G. Fox after she was
killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Since then, the Military Order of
the Purple Heart has identified at least 97 female Purple Heart
recipients who have joined the organization.
It has been 66 years since Lieutenant Fox earned the award, and now
it is time, certainly time, that we act to fully honor the courageous
women who are bestowed with the Purple Heart. H.R. 1119 honors and
recognizes these brave women and future recipients of the Purple Heart.
This is the least, certainly, we can do for the women who sacrifice for
our country.
And, finally, H.R. 1119 will allow the siblings of all who belong to
the organization to join as associate members.
By passing this legislation today, we certainly honor every family
whose son or daughter or sister or brother has won the distinguished
Purple Heart.
Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this
bipartisan bill.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1119, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to amend
title 36, United States Code, to revise the congressional charter of
the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America,
Incorporated, to authorize associate membership in the corporation for
the spouse and siblings of a recipient of the Purple Heart medal.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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