[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 15, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Ms. Harris, Ms. Warren, Mr. 
        Menendez, and Mr. Markey):
  S. 127. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to 
enter into an agreement with the city of Vallejo, California, for the 
transfer of Mare Island Naval Cemetery in Vallejo, California, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I am proud to reintroduce the 
Mare Island Naval Cemetery Transfer Act, which would transfer control 
of the Mare Island Naval Cemetery from the City of Vallejo in 
California to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) where it belongs.
  The Mare Island Naval Cemetery is the oldest military cemetery on the 
West Coast. Opened in 1856, it was originally part of Mare Island Naval 
Shipyard, the first U.S. naval base established on the Pacific Ocean. 
The historic cemetery is the final resting place for 860 veterans and 
their loved ones, including three Medal of Honor recipients. Anna 
Arnold Key, the daughter of Francis Scott Key, is also buried there, 
next to her husband who fought in the War of 1812. After the base 
closed in 1996, the nearby City of Vallejo assumed control of the naval 
property and cemetery.
  Unfortunately, the city doesn't have the necessary funds to properly 
care for the cemetery. The city is also ineligible for VA support since 
it's not part of the State or Federal government. The maintenance, 
therefore, is left to volunteers with limited resources who lack the 
expertise necessary to maintain this historic cemetery.
  The cemetery has fallen into disrepair and is no longer a fitting 
tribute to the brave men and women buried there. Gravestones are 
toppled over, broken, or sinking into the ground. Plants and weeds are 
overgrown, and water is pooling due to the lack of proper drainage. The 
cemetery's current condition requires urgent action to restore the 
gravestones and grounds to a respectable condition. Our bill would 
accomplish this by transferring control to the VA's National Cemetery 
Administration.
  The transfer would not only allow the VA to restore the cemetery, but 
also ensure it's maintained for future generations to pay their 
respects to the heroes buried there. I want to thank Congressman Mike 
Thompson (D-CA) for leading this effort in the House. Passing this bill 
would be a small, but important, token of our gratitude to the veterans 
to whom we owe so much.

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