[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 102 (Tuesday, June 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    WOMEN VETERANS APPRECIATION DAY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
235 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 235) designating June 12, 2019, as 
     ``Women Veterans Appreciation Day.''

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I further ask that the resolution be 
agreed to; the Booker amendment to the preamble at the desk be agreed 
to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and the motions to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 235) was agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 750) was agreed to, as follows:

                    (Purpose: To amend the preamble)

       In the ninth whereas clause of the preamble, in the matter 
     preceding paragraph (1), strike ``designing'' and insert 
     ``designating''.

  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution with its preamble, as amended, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 235

       Whereas, throughout all periods of the history of the 
     United States, women have proudly served the United States to 
     secure and preserve freedom and liberty for--
       (1) the people of the United States; and
       (2) the allies of the United States;
       Whereas women have formally been a part of the United 
     States Armed Forces since the establishment of the Army Nurse 
     Corps in 1901, but have informally served since the inception 
     of the United States military;
       Whereas women have served honorably and with valor, 
     including--
       (1) disguised as male soldiers during the American 
     Revolution and the Civil War;
       (2) as nurses during World War I and World War II; and
       (3) as combat helicopter pilots in Afghanistan;
       Whereas, as of May 2019, women constitute approximately 15 
     percent of United States Armed Forces personnel on active 
     duty, including--
       (1) nearly 19 percent of active duty personnel in the Air 
     Force;
       (2) 18 percent of active duty personnel in the Navy;
       (3) 14 percent of active duty personnel in the Army;
       (4) 8 percent of active duty personnel in the Marine Corps; 
     and
       (5) nearly 15 percent of active duty personnel in the Coast 
     Guard;
       Whereas, as of May 2019, women constitute nearly 21 percent 
     of personnel in the National Guard and Reserves;
       Whereas by 2020--
       (1) the population of women veterans is expected to reach 
     2,000,000, which represents an exponential increase from 
     1,100,000 in 1980; and
       (2) women veterans are expected to constitute more than 10 
     percent of the total veteran population;
       Whereas the United States is proud of and appreciates the 
     service of all women veterans who have demonstrated great 
     skill, sacrifice, and commitment to defending the principles 
     upon which the United States was founded and which the United 
     States continues to uphold;
       Whereas women veterans have unique stories and should be 
     encouraged to share their recollections through the Veterans 
     History Project, which has worked since 2000 to collect and 
     share the personal accounts of wartime veterans in the United 
     States; and
       Whereas, by designating June 12, 2019, as ``Women Veterans 
     Appreciation Day'', the Senate can--
       (1) highlight the growing presence of women in the Armed 
     Forces and the National Guard; and
       (2) pay respect to women veterans for their dutiful 
     military service: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate designates June 12, 2019, as 
     ``Women Veterans Appreciation Day'' to recognize the service 
     and sacrifices of women veterans who have served valiantly on 
     behalf of the United States.

                          ____________________