[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 101 (Thursday, June 26, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5806-H5807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE WINDSOR RULING

  (Ms. TITUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, today is the 1-year anniversary of the 
historic decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. We 
celebrate the progress we have made for LGBT equality; but, more 
importantly, we must recommit to ending the injustice that remains.
  An announcement last week by the administration regarding ongoing 
efforts to extend Federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples 
in the wake of that Windsor decision clarifies what I have long 
suspected.
  Unless Congress acts, legally married same-sex servicemembers, 
veterans, and their spouses will continue to face discrimination when 
accessing their benefits from the VA.
  That is why, nearly a year ago, I introduced H.R. 2529, the Veteran 
Spouses Equal Treatment Act. This bipartisan legislation ensures that 
no

[[Page H5807]]

veterans or their families are denied benefits they deserve, regardless 
of where they live.
  Members of the military do not serve in defense of the rights and 
freedoms of a particular State, but rather of the United States.
  My colleagues have a choice to stand with our veterans and their 
families or stand silent while they continue to face discrimination by 
the very government they fought to defend.

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