[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 186 (Tuesday, November 27, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9656-H9657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                MAJOR BRENT TAYLOR VET CENTER OUTSTATION

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration 
of the bill (H.R. 7163) to designate the outstation of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs in North Ogden, Utah, as the Major Brent Taylor Vet 
Center Outstation, and ask for its immediate consideration in the 
House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 7163

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Major Brent Taylor began his military service following 
     the attacks of September 11, 2001. He joined the Army 
     National Guard in 2003, three days after his engagement to 
     his wife, Jennie. Five of his brothers would eventually serve 
     in the Armed Forces following the deadly attacks.
       (2) During his time in the Army National Guard, Major 
     Taylor distinguished himself in service to the United States 
     and the State of Utah. He received a commission as a second 
     lieutenant from the Brigham Young University Reserve Officer 
     Training Corps in 2006, while graduating as a member of the 
     National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
       (3) During his impressive career with the Utah National 
     Guard, Major Taylor distinguished himself in multiple 
     specialties, including Intelligence and Military Police. One 
     of his earliest assignments included analyzing foreign 
     language documents in support of the Defense Intelligence 
     Agency. He also led document exploitation efforts in multiple 
     European and South American languages for a variety of 
     intelligence community customers. Major Taylor also managed a 
     team that assessed security vulnerabilities at high-profile 
     facilities across the United States, all while maintaining a 
     successful private sector career in Utah.
       (4) Major Taylor was continuously ready to take up his 
     Nation's call to arms and deployed four times in support of 
     operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. His deployed duties 
     varied from Platoon Leader and Combat Advisor to Chief of 
     Staff to the Special Operations Advisory Group, responsible 
     for leading a joint task force advising and assisting an 
     elite Afghan special operations unit.
       (5) Throughout his deployments, Major Taylor distinguished 
     himself on several occasions, earning a multitude of awards 
     including the Bronze Star. The citation credits Major 
     Taylor's ability to think calmly and decisively with keeping 
     his subordinates safe while traversing 600,000 miles of roads 
     in Iraq, laden with improvised explosive devices 
     (hereinafter, ``IED'') and ripe for ambush.
       (6) During one particularly harrowing mission, Major 
     Taylor's vehicle was struck by an IED. While he survived the 
     attack, the wounds he received earned him the Purple Heart.

[[Page H9657]]

       (7) Major Taylor's amazing record of service was not 
     limited to the battlefield. In 2010, he served as a member of 
     the North Ogden City Council and, in 2013, Major Taylor was 
     elected mayor. His steadfast leadership led to the city being 
     recognized as ``Business Friendly'' by the Governor of Utah, 
     and as one of the safest, freest cities in the United States 
     by several organizations. His initiatives included 
     improvements to public works and infrastructure, attracting 
     businesses to the area, developing a local community center, 
     and increasing transparency. His action led his constituents 
     to reelect Major Taylor in 2017.
       (8) In 2018, Major Taylor placed himself on a leave of 
     absence from his mayoral duties in order to deploy to 
     Afghanistan, explaining to his constituents, ``Service is 
     what leadership is all about''.
       (9) While serving in Afghanistan, a dear colleague, Afghani 
     Lieutenant Kefayatullah, was killed shortly before the Afghan 
     elections. Major Taylor wrote, ``The strong turnout at that 
     election, despite the attacks and challenges, was a success 
     for the long-suffering people of Afghanistan, and for the 
     cause of human freedom. I am proud of the brave Afghan and 
     U.S. soldiers I serve with. Many American, NATO and Afghan 
     troops have died to make moments like this election 
     possible.''. He also extolled the American public to embrace 
     its civic duty, stating, ``I hope everyone back home 
     exercises their precious right to vote. And that whether the 
     Republicans or Democrats win, that we all remember that we 
     have far more as Americans that unites us than divides us.''.
       (10) Tragically, on Saturday, November 3, 2018, Major 
     Taylor was killed in an attack in Afghanistan. He is survived 
     by his wife, Jennie, and his seven children, Megan, Lincoln, 
     Alex, Jacob, Ellie, Jonathan, and Caroline.
       (11) The impression that Major Taylor left was indelible. 
     An Afghan officer who had served with Major Taylor, penned a 
     letter to his wife, stating, ``Your husband taught me to love 
     my wife Hamida as an equal and treat my children as treasured 
     gifts, to be a better father, to be a better husband, and to 
     be a better man.''. That officer further commented that, ``He 
     died on our soil but he died for the success of freedom and 
     democracy in both of our countries.''.
       (12) It is only well and fitting that, as a tribute to this 
     man's amazing life, Congress name a facility in honor of 
     Major Taylor's shining example of service and sacrifice.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF MAJOR BRENT TAYLOR VET CENTER 
                   OUTSTATION IN NORTH OGDEN, UTAH.

       (a) Designation.--The outstation of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs located at 2357 North 400 East Washington 
     Boulevard, North Ogden, Utah, shall, after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, be known and designated as the ``Major 
     Brent Taylor Vet Center Outstation''.
       (b) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be considered to 
     be a reference to the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center 
     Outstation.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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