[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 163 (Wednesday, October 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H8171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER SHANNON M. KENT POST OFFICE

  Mr. ROUDA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2151) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 7722 South Main Street in Pine Plains, New York, as 
the ``Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2151

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

     SECTION 1. SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER SHANNON M. KENT POST 
                   OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 7722 South Main Street in Pine Plains, New 
     York, shall be known and designated as the ``Senior Chief 
     Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. 
     Kent Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Rouda) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROUDA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend remarks and 
include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROUDA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Delgado).
  Mr. DELGADO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true American hero, 
a fallen soldier, Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent of Pine 
Plains, New York, who was killed at the age of 35 on January 16 of this 
year by a suicide bombing in Syria during her fifth combat tour in the 
Middle East.
  Senior Chief Kent, a Dutchess County native and Stissing Mountain 
High School graduate, was a wife, the mother of two beautiful children, 
and a cancer survivor. She spoke five languages, including six dialects 
of Arabic, and deployed with the Navy SEALs to Iraq and Afghanistan on 
four different occasions.
  Senior Chief Kent gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our 
country and will be remembered for her courage and determination. She 
was the recipient of the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, two Joint 
Service Commendation Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation 
Medal, and the Joint Service Achievement Medal, to name a few.
  In 2016, Senior Chief Kent survived thyroid cancer and, in 2018, 
commissioned for a special officer program to earn a Ph.D. in clinical 
psychology at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.
  Because of a flawed DOD policy, she was found medically unfit to 
pursue this degree and, yet, somehow fit enough to be deployed to 
Syria. Following this decision, Senior Chief Kent sought a waiver from 
the Navy to override DOD's finding and, again, was denied.
  Prior to her death, Senior Chief Kent worked tirelessly to change the 
Navy and DOD policies that resulted in her fifth deployment. Due to her 
work, the Navy has made positive changes to its waiver policy, in 
Senior Chief Kent's honor. I remain hopeful the DOD will follow in the 
Navy's footsteps.
  Today, I urge the House to pass H.R. 2151 to create a memorial for 
Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent in Dutchess County and name the 
post office at 7722 South Main Street in Pine Plains, New York, the 
Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent Post Office.
  Senior Chief Kent's memory will live on because she defined what true 
service means. Honoring Senior Chief Kent in this permanent way will 
serve as a daily reminder of her heroism and sacrifice.
  Senior Chief Kent is survived by her husband, retired Chief Warrant 
Officer Joseph Kent, and their two young sons. My thoughts remain with 
her children, husband, and the rest of her family and friends.
  I urge my colleagues to make this bill law to honor her life and 
legacy.
  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2151. This bill names a post 
office located in Pine Plains, New York, in honor of Senior Chief Petty 
Officer Shannon M. Kent.
  After high school, Petty Officer Kent chose to serve her country, 
enlisting in the Navy. She discovered a talent for picking up new 
languages at the Defense Language Institute. After she graduated, she 
joined the Navy's cryptologic warfare unit.
  Between 2007 and 2012, Petty Officer Kent was deployed to Iraq three 
times and once to Afghanistan.
  In 2018, she was deployed to Syria, where she provided intelligence 
on leaders of the Islamic State to the National Security Agency.
  On January 16 of this year, Petty Officer Kent was tragically killed 
in a suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria. She was only 35 years old, a 
mother of two boys.
  For her bravery, Petty Officer Kent was the recipient of numerous 
honors, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and multiple 
commendation medals. Her life was cut short, but her service to our 
country will not be forgotten.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROUDA. 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. Rouda) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2151.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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