Congressional Record, Volume 165 Issue 39 (Tuesday, March 5, 2019)

[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 5, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H2337-H2340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MAJOR BRENT TAYLOR VET CENTER OUTSTATION

General Leave

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
to insert extraneous material on S. 49.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 49) to designate the outstation of the Department of Veterans
Affairs in North Ogden, Utah, as the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center
Outstation.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

S. 49

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 a call
to arms from the United States 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 the ability
of Major Taylor to think calmly and decisively to keep his
subordinates safe while traversing 600,000 miles of roads in
Iraq, laden with improvised explosive devices (commonly
referred to as ``IED'') and ripe for ambush.
(6) During one particularly harrowing mission, Major
Taylor's vehicle was struck by an IED. Although he survived
the attack, the wounds he received earned him the Purple
Heart.
(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 was
survived by his wife,

[[Page H2338]]

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 the
amazing life of Major Taylor, 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 SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David P.
Roe) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember the life of Major Brent Russell
Taylor, who was killed in Afghanistan on November 3, 2018.
I thank my colleague, Mr. Bishop of Utah, for bringing this bill
before us so that we all may be able to pay tribute to a selfless
public servant.
Brent was born on July 6, 1979, in Ogden, Utah, the second of eight
children of Stephen and Tamara Jones Taylor. Five of his brothers
joined him in his military service in the Army National Guard.
At an early age, Brent showed his passion for business and politics.
During his senior year at Chandler High School, he earned his Eagle
Scout award and was elected student body president. He graduated in
1997.
Brent was a man of faith. He was a lifelong member of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he spent 2 years serving as a
missionary for the church in the Brazil Maceio Mission from 1998 to the
year 2000. This time of full-time service largely impacted the course
of the rest of his life.
After his mission, Brent attended Brigham Young University, where he
met Jennie Kristin Ashworth on a blind date less than a month after she
returned from her own full-time service as a church missionary in the
Chile Santiago North Mission.
They enjoyed a sweet courtship and were engaged on a Saturday in June
of 2003. Brent enlisted as a soldier in the Utah National Guard the
following Tuesday, with Jennie proudly by his side. They married on
September 18, 2003.
In 2006, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant from Brigham
Young University. He went on to work for the Defense Intelligence
Agency, the National Ground Intelligence Center, and the Department of
Homeland Security. Over the course of 15 years, he served in the Utah
Army National Guard, deploying four times in support of operations in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2009, he was elected to further serve his community by sitting on
the North Ogden City Council, and in 2013, he was elected mayor of
North Ogden, Utah.
In 2018, Major Taylor, a Purple Heart recipient, left on his fourth
deployment, acting as an adviser to the Afghan Border Police. He was
the first known sitting mayor in Utah history to deploy for wartime
service.
Tragically, on November 3, 39-year-old Major Taylor was killed in an
insider attack by an Afghan trainee he was trying to help.
In addition to his wife, Jennie, Major Taylor is survived by seven
children: Megan, Lincoln, Alex, Jacob, Ellie, Jonathan, and Caroline.
He is also survived by his parents and several siblings.
In letters to his wife, Jennie, and his children, his comrade, Afghan
Air Force Major Abdul Rahman, said of Major Taylor: ``He died on our
soil, but he died for the success of freedom and democracy in both of
our countries.
``Your father was a loving, caring, and compassionate man whose life
just wasn't meaningful; it was inspirational.''
In his last message to his community on October 28, 2018, Major
Taylor wrote: ``It was beautiful to see over 4 million Afghan men and
women brave threats and deadly attacks to vote in Afghanistan's first
parliamentary elections in 8 years. . . . Many American, NATO allies,
and Afghan troops have died to make moments like this possible.
``As the USA gets ready to vote in our own election next week, I hope
everyone back home exercises their precious right to vote,'' he wrote,
``and that whether the Republicans or the Democrats win, that we all
remember that we have far more as Americans that unites us than divides
us.''
As lawmakers, the least we can do to honor Major Taylor is to come
together to pass S. 49 into law. His legacy of fighting to protect
democracy and freedom and working to unite his community and all
Americans must never be forgotten.
We can all learn from Major Taylor's example to serve, as he would
say, ``whenever and however I can.''
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I owe a debt of gratitude to Major
Brent Russell Taylor and the entire Taylor family for their service and
sacrifice to our Nation.
I fully support this bill naming the Department of Veterans Affairs
Vet Center in North Ogden, Utah, as the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center
Outstation and urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 49, a bill to designate
the outstation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center in
North Ogden, Utah, as the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center Outstation.
This bill is sponsored by Senator Mike Lee of Utah and is a companion
bill to H.R. 54, which is sponsored by Congressman Rob Bishop, also
of Utah. I thank both of them for working to honor Major Taylor in this
way.
Having lost friends and classmates in Vietnam, I know the loss that
this family is suffering is incalculable. Family, friends, community,
State, and Nation mourn his loss.
Major Taylor's life was characterized by service both in and out of
uniform, and I am pleased to strongly support this bill in his memory.
Major Taylor represents all that is right and good in America.
My colleague, Congressman Chris Stewart of Utah, is here today to
speak in support of this bill as well, as he has a personal connection
to the Taylor family.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Utah (Mr. Stewart) to detail the incredible life that Major Taylor
led and the legacy that he leaves behind.

Mr. STEWART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to, as these other gentlemen
have before me, honor a man who gave everything he had to his God, his
family, and his country. These three great loyalties guided the life of
Major Brent Taylor and the lives of his devoted wife and children.
As has been indicated, I come from generations of military service.
Some of my family had the great honor of serving with Major Taylor. We
know from personal experience the great leader and the great man that
he was.
Mr. Speaker, 15 years ago, Brent Taylor, hand in hand with his new
fiancee, Jennie, walked into a recruiting office to enlist in the Army.
Since then, this man and his family--and it is so important that we
remember his family and the many other families of military members who
sacrifice and serve as well--have lived a life of patriotic exemplary
service.
He deployed twice to Iraq--in 2006 and again in 2007--and served in
Afghanistan in 2012.
For his outstanding dedication to duty during combat operations in
Iraq, Major Taylor was awarded the Bronze Star. This citation credited
the ability of Major Taylor to think calmly and decisively to keep his
subordinates safe while traversing more than 600,000

[[Page H2339]]

miles throughout Iraq, areas riddled with improvised explosive devices
and ripe for ambush.
This award recognized Major Taylor's tendency to do more than just
carry out the assigned task. He was a man who went above and beyond to
make a positive difference in the world, believing his actions to be a
small sacrifice compared to what so many in our Nation's history have
given up to keep this the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Such exemplary service is equally evident in his life outside of the
military. After serving as a city councilman, his community and
neighbors so entrusted him to lead that they elected him to be the
mayor of North Ogden City.
In this role, Major Taylor's initiatives included improvements to
public works and infrastructure, attracting businesses to the area, and
developing a local community center.
The citizens of the community loved his snowplow updates--in Utah, we
get a lot of snow--and his ability to see potential and possibility in
everything around him.
Serving as mayor was one of the greatest honors of Major Taylor's
life and the highlight of his civilian professional career. He believed
that service is really what leadership is about.
On January 8, 2018, Major Taylor announced that he would temporarily
step down as mayor to continue his service as a member of the Army
National Guard on what would be his fourth and final deployment.
He didn't deploy just once, not twice, not three times, but four
times he answered the call to serve. And once again, remembering his
family, they answered the call to allow their husband and their father
to serve.
This man recognized that there was an immediate need for his
experience and skills and gracefully rose to accept the call to serve
in our Nation's longest war in Afghanistan.
In his final months of deployment, Major Taylor was killed by an
apparent inside attack on November 3, 2018, while training Afghan
security forces.
A loving husband and devoted father, Major Taylor is survived by his
wife, Jennie, and, as you see here, his seven beautiful children:
Megan, Lincoln, Alex, Jacob, Ellie, Jonathan, and Caroline.
One thing I am certain Major Taylor would say: His family was far and
away the most important thing in his life. Nothing made him more proud
or meant more to him than his wife and his children.
The impression that Major Taylor left was profound. He called on each
of us to find some way to brighten someone else's day, to lift
another's burden, to make our city, our State, our country, our Nation
a better place.
This man and his family paid the ultimate sacrifice to fulfill this
call, so it is only well and fitting that, as a tribute to this amazing
life, Congress name a facility in honor of his shining example of
service and sacrifice.
As has been mentioned, the Department of Veterans Affairs Outstation
in North Ogden City will provide a range of services to help guide
veterans and their families as they transition from the military to
civilian life.
Major Taylor recognized that military service involves the entire
family. As such, I am proud to support the designation of this
facility, located in a city he loved and where he served and called
home, as the Major Brent Taylor Vet Center Outstation.
The naming of the building will never repay the debt the Nation owes
to Major Taylor and his family, but it can stand as a humble reminder
of the faithful man who lived and died in the service of his God, his
family, and his country.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to say to my friend and colleague, the
gentleman from Utah, that our hearts go out to the families.
When I read the names of the seven children, it was a very difficult
moment for me, and we certainly are paying tribute today to his family,
his children, and his community of North Ogden, where he served as
mayor. It is our tribute to him.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record three letters--a letter from
Frank Maughan, Commander of the Disabled American Veterans, Department
of Utah; a letter from G. Hayes Stromness, Commander of the American
Legion, Department of Utah; and a letter from Nick Flake, Commander of
the VFW, Department of Utah--all in support of S. 49.
November 9, 2018.
Chairman Phil Roe, M.D.,
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Tim Walz,
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz: Please accept
this letter as demonstrating the total support of the Utah
Department of the Disabled American Veterans, in recognition
of the ongoing initiative to change the name of the Veterans'
Center in Ogden, Utah to the Major Brent Taylor Veterans'
Center, in memory of Army National Guard major and North
Ogden mayor, Brent Taylor.
Major Taylor's model of selflessness in the areas of
military service and civic responsibility should be a shining
example for all Americans to follow.
Major Taylor began his military service in 2003, and later
received a commission as a second lieutenant from Brigham
Young University in 2006. He served in the Utah Army National
Guard for 15 years, during which he deployed four times in
support of US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. His life of
service, however, was not limited to the armed forces, and in
2013 he was elected mayor of North Ogden, Utah. His devotion
to duty as a citizen soldier, in the tradition of George
Washington, Ulysses Grant and Dwight Eisenhower. In 2018,
Major Taylor left on his fourth deployment, acting as an
advisor to the Afghan Border Police. Tragically, on Saturday,
November 3rd, Major Taylor was killed in an apparent insider
attack. He leaves behind his wife and seven children.
Today, the state of Utah, and the nation, grieve for Major
Taylor. We would like to honor his amazing legacy. To that
end we offer our full support, and encourage the committee to
support legislation renaming the Ogden facility as the Major
Brent Taylor Veterans' Center.
Sincerely,

Frank Maughan,

Commander, Disabled American Veterans,
Department of Utah.
____

November 9, 2018.
Chairman Phil Roe, M.D.,
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Tim Walz,
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz: Please accept
this letter as demonstrating the total support of the
American Legion, Department of Utah, in recognition of the
ongoing initiative to change the name of the Veterans' Center
in Ogden, Utah to the Major Brent Taylor Veterans' Center, in
memory of Army National Guard major and North Ogden mayor,
Brent Taylor.
Major Taylor's model of selflessness in the areas of
military service and civic responsibility is a shining
example for all Americans to follow. Major Taylor began his
military service in 2003, and later received a commission as
a second lieutenant from Brigham Young University in 2006. He
served in the Utah Army National Guard for 15 years, while
deploying four times in support of operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan. His life of service, however, was not limited to
the armed forces, and in 2013 he was elected as mayor of
North Ogden, Utah. His devotion to duty as a citizen soldier
stands in the tradition of George Washington, Ulysses Grant
and Dwight Eisenhower. In 2018, Major Taylor left on his
fourth deployment, acting as an advisor to the Afghan Border
Police. Tragically, on Saturday, November 3rd, Major Taylor
was killed in an apparent insider attack. He leaves behind
his wife and seven children.
Today, the state of Utah, and the nation, grieve for Major
Taylor. In an effort to honor his amazing legacy, we offer
our full support, and encourage the committee to support
legislation renaming the Ogden facility to the Major Brent
Taylor Veterans' Center.
Sincerely,

G. Hayes Stromness,

Commander,
American Legion, Department of Utah.
____

Veterans of Foreign Wars,

Department of Utah,

[[Page H2340]]

Young University in 2006. He served in the Utah Army National
Guard for 15 years, while deploying four times in support of
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. His life of service,
however, was not limited to the armed forces, and in 2013 he
was elected as mayor of North Ogden, Utah. His devotion to
duty as a citizen soldier stand in the tradition of George
Washington, Ulysses Grant and Dwight Eisenhower. In 2018,
Major Taylor left on his fourth deployment, acting as an
advisor to the Afghan Border Police. Tragically, on Saturday,
November 3rd, Major Taylor was killed in an apparent insider
attack. He leaves behind his wife and seven children. Major
Taylor was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Today, the state of Utah, and the nation, grieve for Major
Taylor. In an effort to honor his amazing legacy, we offer
our full support, and encourage the committee to support
legislation renaming the Ogden facility to the Major Brent
Taylor Veteran Center.
Sincerely,
Nick Flake,
Commander.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and am prepared
to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

{time} 1730

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this is one of the more difficult things that we do.
Obviously, to see a beautiful family like this, whose dad and whose
husband has made the ultimate sacrifice, it is difficult for me to
stand here and understand the pain that they have. I sometimes read
Revelation 21:4; that may help just a little bit.
I thank that family for their service and wish them nothing but
Godspeed going forward. They will have some tough days, I know, ahead
of them, but this is a grateful Nation. We very much appreciate his
service to our great country. Our country is not better for this loss.
I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I echo the comments of my colleague from Tennessee. We are a grateful
Nation. I am privileged to take part in this tribute to Major Brent
Russell Taylor, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 49.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

____________________