[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 19, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2783-S2785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION

      By Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. 
        Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Cortez 
        Masto, Ms. Duckworth, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. 
        Rosen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, and Ms. Warren):
  S. 1708. A bill to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II 
veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Filipino 
Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2021. This important legislation 
would expedite the visa process for adult children of Filipino World 
War II veterans, so they can reunite with their relatives in the United 
States. Today, fewer than 6,000 Filipino World War II veterans remain. 
Many of these veterans are now in their late 80s and 90s, and have been 
separated from their loved ones for far too long.
  During World War II, more than 250,000 Filipino soldiers fought under 
the American flag to protect and defend the United States in the 
Pacific

[[Page S2784]]

theater. These Filipino soldiers fought shoulder to shoulder with U.S. 
servicemembers, and approximately 60,000 died in battle. The U.S. 
government promised these veterans compensation and benefits in 
exchange for their loyal service to our country. However, after the 
war, Congress passed the Rescission Act of 1946, denying Filipino 
veterans many of the benefits conferred to other World War II veterans.
  Filipino World War II veterans were not awarded U.S. citizenship 
until 1990, more than 40 years after they risked their lives for our 
Nation. Although the Immigration Act of 1990 granted U.S. citizenship 
to approximately 26,000 Filipino nationals who served during World War 
II, the law did not confer citizenship or residency to their children. 
Therefore, the children of the Filipino veterans are required to apply 
for family-based green cards which are subject to an annual limitation 
as well as a country cap. Under the cap, only seven percent of 
recipients are permitted to come from a single country. These 
limitations have created a large backlog of people trying to reunite 
with family from the Philippines and as a result, some Filipino 
applicants must wait nearly two decades before their petitions can be 
considered.
  In an attempt to partially resolve this issue, in 2016 under the 
Obama Administration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) 
established the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole (FWVP) program to 
reunite veterans and their surviving spouses with their adult children 
and siblings. Under FWVP, USCIS can grant parole on a discretionary, 
case-by-case basis, to a veteran's family member so that they may come 
to the United States as they wait for their immigrant visa to become 
available. This policy recognizes the extraordinary contributions and 
sacrifices of Filipino veterans while also allowing these elderly 
veterans to be cared for by family. Despite the value of this program, 
the Trump Administration announced its intention to terminate FWVP and 
in December 2020, published final steps to end this program in the 
Federal Register. I joined Rep. Ed Case in sending a bicameral and 
bipartisan letter with colleagues to President Biden in February, 
urging the new administration to rescind the termination efforts and 
renew FWVP.
  The threat to end FWVP persists to this day. The legislation that I 
am introducing, the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2021, 
would resolve this issue permanently and fulfill our nation's promise 
to honor the Filipino World War II veterans' service to our country. 
This bill would help to reunite these families by exempting the sons 
and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans from immigration 
limitations in the Immigration and Nationality Act. This change in law 
would benefit only a few thousand surviving Filipino World War II 
veterans who desperately want to be reunited with their children in 
their last years.
  I call on my Senate colleagues to quickly pass this bill.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Warner, Mr. Rubio, Mrs. Shaheen, 
        Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blunt, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Burr, 
        Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Sasse, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Cotton, Mr. King, 
        and Mr. Risch):
  S. 1714. A bill to amend the Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 
to authorize the provision of payment to personnel of the Central 
Intelligence Agency who incur qualifying injuries to the brain, to 
authorize the provision of payment to personnel of the Department of 
State who incur similar injuries, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Helping 
American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks Act, the HAVANA Act. 
Our bill would provide assistance to the employees of the intelligence 
community and other Federal Agencies who have suffered from traumatic 
brain injuries at the hands of our foreign adversaries.
  I am joined today by a bipartisan group of cosponsors, including 
Senators Warner and Rubio, the chairman and vice chair of the Senate 
Intelligence Committee, and Senators Shaheen, Cornyn, Bennet, Burr, 
Gillibrand, Blunt, Heinrich, Sasse, Feinstein, Cotton, King, and Risch. 
Most of those are members of the Intelligence Committee, and they share 
my deep concern and my determination to get to the bottom of what has 
happened to these brave men and women who have been attacked.
  For many years, American personnel serving in Cuba, China, and 
elsewhere have experienced unexplained, serious medical harm, 
including, in some cases, permanent brain injuries. These conditions 
are believed to be connected to a mysterious direct energy weapon used 
by those who are our adversaries.
  As we investigate the source of previous attacks and seek to prevent 
future ones, the bill that I am introducing today would provide 
additional financial assistance to Americans who were injured and who 
continue to experience debilitating symptoms. Too many of the victims 
have had to fight to get the medical care they need for their injuries. 
This is completely unacceptable.
  Last year, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
Medicine released a report on the more than 40 American diplomats at 
the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, and at least a dozen American 
diplomats at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China, who suffered 
symptoms ``consistent with the effects of directed, pulsed 
radiofrequency energy.'' Just this month, the New York Times reported 
that the number of American personnel who have fallen ill under these 
mystifying circumstances is much higher, possibly more than 130 cases. 
Now, we are even hearing reports of cases occurring within the United 
States.
  The injuries that many of these victims have endured are significant 
and life-altering. These attacks have left Americans serving our 
country with damage that ranges in severity but can include reduced 
balance, eyesight, and hearing. Some have severe, permanent headaches. 
Others have brain injuries that have resulted in reduced cognitive 
function. Many of them can no longer perform their jobs and have been 
forced to medically retire.
  To make matters worse, some of the victims did not receive the 
financial and medical support they should have expected from their 
government when they first reported their injuries. This is an 
outrageous failure on the part of our government to care for those who 
serve.
  Our bill would give additional authority to the CIA Director and to 
the Secretary of State to provide financial support to these Americans 
who experience traumatic brain injuries from attacks that occur while 
serving our country. Due to limitations in the current law, several 
victims suffering from cognitive impairment are not receiving all of 
the medical care and other assistance they need to cope with the 
impacts of their injuries. The authorities provided in the HAVANA Act 
will help to rectify this problem.
  I have spoken personally with some of the victims of these heinous 
attacks. This is a group who unfortunately is growing in number. To 
those victims, I want to pledge to them today that, along with the 
cosponsors of our bill, I am totally committed to making sure that our 
government finds out who is responsible for these devastating attacks, 
and I further pledge to the victims that you will receive the financial 
support and medical care that you deserve.
  I have spoken several times to CIA Director Burns about these 
attacks, and I am heartened by his commitment and his attitude. He has 
made commitments to the Senate Intelligence Committee, as has the 
Director of National Intelligence, to care for these victims and to get 
to the bottom of these attacks.
  We need a whole-of-government approach to identify the heartless 
adversary who is deliberately targeting American personnel.
  The public servants who work in our Embassies and Consulates and in 
other locations overseas make many personal sacrifices to represent 
America's interests. They deserve our strong support when they are 
harmed in the line of duty, just as we care for soldiers who are 
injured on the battlefield.
  I hope all of my colleagues will join us in supporting this vital 
legislation.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mrs. Feinstein):

[[Page S2785]]

  S. 1718. A bill to amend the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home 
Front National Historical Park Establishment Act of 200 to provide for 
additional areas to be added to the park, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the ``Rosie the 
Riveter National Historic Site Expansion Act.'' The Rosie the Riveter 
WWII Home Front National Historical Park honors the history of 
Richmond, California as the home of World War II shipyards and the 
women and men who supported the war effort domestically.
  Richmond, California was chosen as the site for this National 
Historical Park because it has so many surviving sites and structures 
from the World War II era that help tell the diverse stories of the 
home front. According to the National Park Service, ``these stories 
include the mobilization of America's industry and the changes in 
production techniques; the struggle for women's and minority rights; 
the labor movement; the growth of pre-paid medical care; advances in 
early childhood education and day care; recycling and rationing; major 
shifts in population; and changes in arts and culture.''
  This legislation would add the Nystrom Elementary School to the 
existing National Historical Park.
  During World War II, the Nystrom Elementary school was built to teach 
the children of shipyard workers. The school was part of a planned 
development including the Maritime Child Development center, which has 
already been preserved as part of the park, and the Nystrom housing 
area, which has been scheduled for future preservation and 
redevelopment by the city of Richmond.
  The bill would also give the National Park Service the authority to 
add additional sites to the park through cooperative agreements and to 
acquire additional sites for inclusion in the park.
  Having the Nystrom Elementary school identified as a site of the park 
will help the National Historical Park better preserve, interpret, and 
share that history with visitors. To understand the social changes that 
occurred during World War II, it is important to have sites that 
represent those changes as tangible evidence.
  The City of Richmond and the West Contra Costa Unified School 
District support adding the school to the site. I thank my colleague, 
Representative Mark DeSaulnier, for championing this effort in the 
House.
  I urge my colleagues to support the passage of the ``Rosie the 
Riveter National Historic Site Expansion Act'' as quickly as possible.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

                          ____________________