[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,

                                                 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 Veterans of Foreign Wars, in recognition of 
     the ongoing initiative to change the name of the Veterans' 
     Center in North 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

[[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.

                          ____________________