[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 164 (Tuesday, September 22, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4677-H4678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING ALL VETERANS ACT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3010) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a
mission statement of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3010
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Honoring All Veterans Act''.
SEC. 2. MISSION STATEMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Required Mission Statement.--Section 301 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(d) The mission statement of the Department shall be as
follows: `To fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for
those ``who shall have borne the battle'' and for their
families, caregivers, and survivors.'.''.
(b) Notification.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall--
(1) publish in the Federal Register and on the internet
website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a notification
explaining the mission statement of the Department as
specified in subsection (d) of section 301 of title 38,
United States Code, as added by subsection (a) of this
section; and
(2) update each internet website of the Department of
Veterans Affairs and other electronic references that use a
previous mission statement.
(c) Guidance.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of the this Act, the Secretary shall develop and
issue guidance to all elements of the Department regarding
the mission statement of the Department as specified in
subsection (d) of section 301 of title 38, United States
Code, as added by subsection (a) of this section. The
guidance shall include the following:
(1) A notification explaining the mission statement.
(2) Instructions and a timeline for updating all previous
mission statement references at each such element.
(3) A method to monitor and evaluate the compliance by
facilities of the Department with the guidance, including a
reporting mechanism for such facilities to report back to the
Secretary on the progress made in updating all non-electronic
mission statement references.
(4) Any other information that the Secretary determines
necessary to ensure timely compliance with the guidance.
(d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress
a report containing a review and assessment of the progress
of each element of the Department in complying with the
guidance under subsection (c), including--
(1) any reasons explaining why an element of the Department
has failed to implement the guidance; and
(2) a plan to address any such failure to implement the
guidance and ensure that each element of the Department fully
implements and complies with the guidance.
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.
General Leave
Mr. TAKANO. Madam 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 H.R. 3010.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 3010 establishes an inclusive VA mission
statement or motto as follows: ``To fulfill President Lincoln's promise
to care for those `who shall have borne the battle' and for their
families, caregivers, and survivors.'' Congresswoman Rice introduced
this bill to establish a model at VA that includes all who VA is
mandated to serve.
Since its creation in 1861, only one woman, Dr. Mary Walker, has
received the Medal of Honor. Her citation recognized her for devoting
``herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soldiers,
both in the field and in hospitals, to the detriment of her own
health,'' and enduring ``hardships as a prisoner of war.''
She received the Medal of Honor in 1866 for her service to the U.S.
Army throughout the American Civil War.
The current VA mission statement, a line from President Lincoln's
second inaugural address delivered in 1865, uses only male pronouns and
excludes women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer
veterans, as well as the diversity of their families, caregivers and
survivors.
For years, this committee has heard from veterans and their
supporters that both the gender-exclusive motto and the VA's refusal to
changes it are reflective of a culture that does not prioritize or
value them.
{time} 1345
The current model was unilaterally selected by the Administrator of
what was then the Veterans Administration in 1959.
By passing this bill to create a new mission statement, we are
demonstrating the will of the American people for VA's motto to be
inclusive. In the original context, President Lincoln expressed an
intent of inclusion and an obligation to care for all who had endured
conflict.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 3010 both honors the original spirit of President
Lincoln's words while reflecting the full scope of VA's mission and
whom they must serve. As Dr. Mary Walker said: ``Let the generations
know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom.''
I, again, thank Miss Rice from the State of New York for sponsoring
this bill and for her tireless work on behalf of America's veterans,
their families, caregivers, and survivors.
I thank Dr. Roe and the minority Members who made bringing this bill
to the floor a fully bipartisan effort, and I hope the Senate will take
this on swiftly so that it will pass into law before the end of the
116th Congress.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3010, the Honoring All
Veterans Act, which is sponsored by my friend, Congresswoman Kathleen
Rice from New York.
This bill would establish a mission statement in the statute for the
Department of Veterans Affairs. That mission statement would read: ``To
fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for those `who shall have
borne the battle' and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.''
This is in homage to President Lincoln's immortal words in his second
inaugural address, which state, in full: ``With malice toward none;
with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to
see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind
up the Nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the
battle, and for his widow, and his orphan,
[[Page H4678]]
to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among
ourselves and with all nations.''
Those words, which were delivered in 1865, remain some of the most
important in our country's history, and they continue to reverberate
even now.
For one, they inspired the creation of the Department of Veterans
Affairs as we know it. That is why VA has been using them as a motto
since 1959. However, in the last several years, veterans service
organizations and others have rightly noted that the use of the male
pronoun in President Lincoln's statement can inadvertently ostracize
the increasing number of women in the military and veteran communities.
Women are the fastest growing cohort of servicemembers and veterans.
They play critical roles in the battlefield and in the VA healthcare
system where their numbers have tripled in the last two decades alone.
VA has made great strides in the last few years with respect to
improving care for women and, as a result, women veterans now express
greater trust in VA than ever before.
Enacting the Honoring All Veterans Act would go one step further in
making VA a more inclusive and welcoming place of care for them and
future generations of veterans, whoever they may be, while preserving
in statute the spirit of President Lincoln's charge to forever honor
and care for those who have served.
The bill would also be more inclusive of many caregivers, survivors,
and family members of veterans who are vitally important sources of
ongoing love and support of veterans in need across the country.
Madam Speaker, I appreciate Congresswoman Rice's leadership on this
bill. I am proud to sponsor it and support it today, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
New York (Miss Rice), who is my good friend and who is the sponsor of
H.R. 3010.
Miss RICE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my
bipartisan bill, the Honoring All Veterans Act.
This bill would finally require the Department of Veterans Affairs to
replace its outdated motto with a more inclusive statement. The words
of the original motto would be updated to read: ``To fulfill President
Lincoln's promise to care for those `who shall have borne the battle'
and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.''
For far too long, the VA's gender-exclusive motto hasn't properly
acknowledged the service of women and LGBT veterans. This is simply
wrong, and it is long overdue that we change it. Women and LGBT
servicemembers have sacrificed so much for our country. They have
always answered the call of duty, and they should know that we are just
as grateful for their service and sacrifice as we are for anyone who
serves this country.
That is why we must make this change. We need a VA motto that
properly recognizes and honors the service of all veterans, regardless
of their gender or sexual orientation.
Changing the motto won't solve every issue facing women and LGBT
veterans, of course, but it is a start, and it is the right thing to
do. It would say in no uncertain terms that all veterans are seen
equally in the eyes of the agency that exists solely to serve them.
I want to thank Chairman Takano for his support for me getting this
bill to where it is today. And it is simply that, as Chairman Takano
said, we would not be here if it were not for the ranking member, Dr.
Roe. I want to thank him personally so much for supporting this bill
and for helping to bring it to the floor today.
I also want to thank my Republican colead, Representative Brian Mast,
the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and all the veterans whom
I have heard from in support of this bill.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for the Honoring All
Veterans Act today. It is time every veteran who served our country
receives the respect and recognition they deserve.
Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, in closing, I
appreciate the opportunity to be here, and I appreciate Congresswoman
Rice's and the chairman's leadership on this.
It seems to me it is past time to do this. It is the right thing to
do. I encourage my colleagues to support that, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank H.R. 3010's sponsor,
Representative Kathleen Rice from New York. It is long past due for us
to recognize the contributions of all veterans, regardless of gender,
sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3010,
and 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, H.R. 3010.
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.
____________________