[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 187 (Monday, October 25, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5850-H5853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AWARDING POSTHUMOUSLY A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL COMMEMORATING
SERVICEMEMBERS WHO PERISHED IN AFGHANISTAN ON AUGUST 26, 2021
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5142) to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in
commemoration to the servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on
August 26, 2021, during the evacuation of citizens of the United States
and Afghan allies at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5142
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) At 9:44 A.M., on August 26, 2021, the Pentagon
confirmed that one explosion occurred at the Hamid Karzai
International Airport.
(2) The explosion was confirmed to be a suicide bombing by
ISIS-K terrorist group.
(3) Estimates as high as 200 deaths were reported,
including 13 servicemembers of the United States, as well as
hundreds more wounded.
(4) The attack on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at the Hamid
Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, killed 13
United States servicemembers, making it the deadliest single
day of the war for the United States in more than a decade.
(5) The American servicemembers went above and beyond the
call of duty to protect citizens of the United States and our
allies to ensure they are brought to safety in an extremely
dangerous situation as the Taliban regained control over
Afghanistan.
(6) The American servicemembers exemplified extreme bravery
and valor against armed enemy combatants.
(7) The American servicemembers dedicated their lives and
their heroism deserves great honor.
(8) Maxton Soviak, Kareem Nikoui, David Espinoza, Rylee
McCollum, Jared Schmitz, Hunter Lopez, Taylor Hoover, Daegan
William-Tyeler Page, Nicole Gee, Humberto Sanchez, Dylan
Merola, Johanny Rosario Pichardo, and Ryan Knauss have been
identified as the 13 servicemembers who died from the blast
while stationed at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS.
(a) Presentations Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous
presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold
medal of appropriate design in commemoration to the 13
servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan, on August 26,
2021.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of
the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the
``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary.
(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal
under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the
Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be available for
display as appropriate and made available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Smithsonian Institution shall make the gold medal
received under paragraph (1) available for display outside of
the District of Columbia at times, particularly at other
locations associated with the 13 servicemembers who perished
in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of
the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 at a price
sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor,
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--The medal struck pursuant to this Act
is a national medal for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31,
United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this
Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to
be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of
the medals struck pursuant to this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--The amounts received from the sale
of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall
be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund.
SEC. 6. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall
be determined by reference to the latest statement titled
``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act,
submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the
Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
[[Page H5851]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Waters) and the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Member may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5142, a bill to posthumously
award Congressional Gold Medals in commemoration to the servicemembers
who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.
Mr. Speaker, during the 20-year war in Afghanistan, we lost over
2,000 brave men and women. More than 20,000 servicemembers returned
home wounded in action.
I believe in my heart that every single soldier we lost in
Afghanistan was a tragedy. We must remember their sacrifice.
In the waning days of this war, the Biden administration made
decisions that put U.S. servicemembers in harm's way, and,
unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, on August 26, we lost 13 more
servicemembers, and more than 20 were injured.
Eleven marines, one Navy corpsman, and one soldier were killed by an
ISIS-K bomber outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport on this
terrible day in August.
Mr. Speaker, I represent the people of Missouri's Second
Congressional District; and on August 26, my State lost a hero, Lance
Corporal Jared Schmitz.
This courageous young man had been stationed in Jordan on his first
deployment when he was called into Afghanistan to defend the civilians
fleeing the Taliban's advance. He was eager to be one of the brave men
and women on the front lines, making a real difference for the
Americans and allies trapped in a terrifying and dangerous situation.
Lance Corporal Schmitz was totally committed to his military service,
and he felt a calling to be a United States marine. So much so that he
had gotten his parents' permission to enlist at just 17 years old.
Lance Corporal Schmitz was just 20 years old when he lost his life in
the terrorist attack at the airport in Kabul.
Lance Corporal Schmitz and the 12 other servicemembers we lost in
August went above and beyond the call of duty to protect those stranded
in Afghanistan.
I sadly don't believe we will truly understand why Lance Corporal
Schmitz and his fellow soldiers died. Nevertheless, his family, their
families, and all Americans deserve answers, Mr. Speaker.
And I hope one day those who made the decisions that resulted in
these senseless deaths will be held accountable.
In the meantime, I am grateful that their service and their sacrifice
is being commemorated by this legislation. The bravery and valor shown
by these servicemembers is unquestionable.
I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill, and I look
forward to standing next to the family of Lance Corporal Schmitz as
they are presented a Congressional Gold Medal commemorating their son's
service and valor.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).
Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, as we mark nearly 2 months since the bombing that killed
more than 116 innocent Afghanis and American military personnel at the
Hamid Karzai International Airport, I rise in strong support of this
legislation to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to the 13
U.S. servicemembers who gave their lives that day.
Those individuals are Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sergeant
Nicole Gee, Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover, Corporal Hunter Lopez,
Corporal Daegan Page, Corporal Humberto Sanchez, Lance Corporal David
Espinoza, Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum,
Lance Corporal Dylan Merola, Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, Navy
Corpsman Maxton Soviak, and Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss.
Mr. Speaker, as we recognize these extraordinary heroes and also
understand that this honor cannot come close to filling the void left
by their loss, I cannot think of anyone more deserving of such a
distinction.
These brave servicemembers represent the very best of America,
knowingly putting themselves in harm's way to help evacuate thousands
from the region, a true embodiment of the American spirit.
Their legacies live on in the thousands of Afghan refugees they
saved, who now have an opportunity to live lives free of violence and
persecution.
And so as we remember these extraordinary American heroes and
recognize them with the Congressional Gold Medal, let us all live lives
worthy of their sacrifice and service to our great Nation.
I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' and to join me in honoring
these great American heroes.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. McClain), the sponsor of this bill.
Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
War is an incredible teacher, a brutal instructor. We have learned
lessons about triumph, sorrow, loss, and pain.
War teaches us to appreciate the simple things we take for granted,
like the ability to speak your mind, freely practice your religion,
even seeing your loved ones once a day.
It also teaches us that in war there are no unwounded soldiers.
There are those who came back with both visible scars and invisible
battle wounds, and there are those who did not come home at all.
Today, we pause to honor the 13 American servicemembers who lost
their lives during the evacuation efforts at the Kabul Airport in
Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.
These 13 fallen warriors, along with many others, made the ultimate
sacrifice. Each of them knew their duty, and they accepted the risks.
Not many answer the call, but they volunteered anyway.
Sent to evacuate Americans and Afghans that struggled to get past the
Taliban checkpoints in Kabul and through the airport gates, fearing
they would be left behind and left for dead. They knew the mission and
valiantly forged ahead; helping hundreds to safety, overcoming their
own fears, when a suicide bomb attack took their lives.
The terrorist act took the lives of at least 170 Afghans, 11 marines,
one Navy corpsman, and one Army special operations soldier, including
Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza of Laredo, Texas; Sergeant Nicole Gee
of Roseville, California; Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover of Salt
Lake City, Utah; Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss of Knoxville, Tennessee;
Corporal Hunter Lopez of Indio, California; Lance Corporal Rylee
McCollum of Bondurant, Wyoming; Corporal Dylan Merola of Rancho
Cucamonga, California; Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui of Norco,
California; Corporal Daegan William-Tyeler Page of Omaha, Nebraska;
Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo of Lawrence, Massachusetts; Corporal
Humberto Sanchez of Logansport, Indiana; Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz
of Wentzville, Missouri; Navy Corpsman Maxton Soviak of Berlin Heights,
Ohio.
I could not be more grateful for their service to our Nation. While
we as a Nation grieve for the servicemembers we have lost, we often
forget about the families who have lost even more.
To be a Gold Star Family is an honor no one wishes for. We owe our
sincerest gratitude to the families who eagerly awaited these 13
servicemembers' return. These families bear the greatest burden of
their loved one's sacrifice, and we can never thank them in a way that
will make up for their loss.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the
gentlewoman.
Mrs. McCLAIN. Awarding Congress' highest honor is a small token of
our appreciation.
[[Page H5852]]
Thank you to all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who
joined me in this effort.
{time} 1745
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Cuellar).
Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for her leadership,
and the ranking member, also.
Mr. Speaker, today we honor our fallen servicemembers to award them
with this Congressional Gold Medal. I am proud to be a cosponsor of
this legislation, H.R. 5142.
On August 26 at 9:44 a.m., an explosion from a suicide terrorist
bombing in Afghanistan killed 13 of our servicemembers. One of those
servicemembers was my constituent, Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza
from Rio Bravo.
He was born in Laredo and graduated from the city's Lyndon B. Johnson
High School in 2019. His mother, Elizabeth Holguin, and his father,
Victor Dominguez, and his brothers and sister, Angel, Victor, and
Delilah, mourn his loss and are endlessly proud of David and his
service.
When we attended David's funeral in Laredo, we all knew that families
across the United States also mourned their loved ones. David joined
the Marine Corps with the intention of protecting our Nation and
demonstrating his selfless acts of service to his country. He embodied
the American values of grit, dedication, service, and valor.
May Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza and our fallen servicemembers
forever be honored and never be forgotten.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining on
my side.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Missouri has 13\1/4\
minutes remaining.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Meijer).
Mr. MEIJER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in support of H.R.
5142 introduced by my colleague, Lisa McClain from Michigan.
This bill would posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to the
U.S. servicemembers killed during the final week of the Afghanistan
evacuation.
On August 26, 2021, 13 American servicemembers were killed in a
brutal suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport, marking
one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in the past 20
years.
These selfless and brave Americans were put into an impossible
situation, but their commitment to that mission never wavered.
They epitomized what it means to be a hero. They knew about the
heightened threat that they faced. They knew the risks, but they stayed
at those gates to keep them open, each second buying time for more
lives to be saved.
The chaos of those days in Kabul and the perilous situation our
servicemembers and diplomats faced cannot be overstated. We owe an
extraordinary debt of gratitude for the sacrifice that they should have
never been forced to have made.
Every American should take pride in the heroism that Americans on the
ground displayed in our final days in Afghanistan, but every American
should also demand accountability from those senior officials whose
decisions put our servicemembers in a position that required such
heroic acts.
Today, we honor the 13 lives lost and keep their families and all who
loved them in our prayers. Theirs is the epitome of selfless service,
and a grateful Nation honors them here today.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Michigan for introducing this
important legislation, and I urge the support of my colleagues.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am
prepared to close.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Mast).
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I was asked by somebody about this piece of legislation,
the Congressional Gold Medal for the 13 killed on August 26, and why
not a gold medal for the thousands that have been killed in the war on
terror, the ones that I wear on my wrist and the ones with names on the
wall in the Rayburn Office Building and those that we see the markers
for in Arlington National Cemetery. The fact is, we could give every
one of them a thousand gold medals and it wouldn't represent a
thousandth of what we owe those who have given their lives in defense
of this country.
This gold medal isn't about that. It is about what we owe to the
living.
This gold medal is a result of America's leaders being weak. That is
why we are awarding this gold medal. We owe our fighters strength. We
owe them that we never be intimidated, that we never back up, that we
never retreat, that we never surrender. And as leaders, if we can't
promise that to our fighters, then we owe it to them to never ask to
lead.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Waltz).
Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, as we as a nation reflect on 13 more killed
in action, 13 more Gold Star families, I think it is worth noting that
they did their mission. They did their jobs.
Their operation, their mission, was to secure Kabul International
Airport, to evacuate our Embassy, to evacuate those who had worked with
us, to evacuate the remaining military assets. And they did their job.
They secured Kabul International Airport. But they went above and
beyond.
After pulling grueling, long shifts in the August heat in
Afghanistan--and everybody who has served there knows how difficult
that could be--they went on their own time and were working with
grassroots veterans organizations who sprung up, who stepped up to do,
frankly, what should have already been done and to help those who had
stood with us and stood for that flag for 20 years.
They, on their own time, at great risk, were getting people out. They
knew the dangers. Everybody who had served there knew that it was only
a matter of time till they were going to be hit. They knew that it was
only a matter of time. Yet, they did it anyway.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this legislation for the
Congressional Gold Medal, but we owe them answers. We owe their
families answers. We owe this country answers.
Why were they defending an airport in the middle of a city of 4
million people? Why were the military assets pulled before--before--all
of our civilians and our government employees were out?
Why? Why? Why? So many questions. So many answers.
I can tell you, and I could tell these families, I tell this body, I
will not rest, I will never forget, and we will get those answers that
those 13 Gold Star families deserve. And there will be accountability
for why we now have 13 more dead Americans.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Wagner for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Gold Medal, as we all know and have
heard, is Congress' highest medal. It is the least we can do for the 13
brave servicemembers killed during our withdrawal from Afghanistan back
in August.
One of those 13, Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss, was from Corryton,
Tennessee, in my congressional district. As a matter of fact, I live in
Corryton, and his family, they are neighbors of mine.
His grandfather called me shortly after and described the scene. We
have all seen it in movies, but he, unfortunately, had to live it. The
car pulls up. The Army officers get out and, in fact, inform his family
that his grandson had perished in Afghanistan.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard that story many times because my mama
endured that very same thing when she was a young girl in Cheatham
County, Tennessee, and her brother, Roy, had died fighting the Nazis.
So it is in my head pretty thick, sir.
Of course, he was killed while helping complete strangers, and that
is what he loved to do. He loved helping folks.
When Staff Sergeant Knauss succumbed to his injuries after the
attack, he became the final American military
[[Page H5853]]
casualty from the war in Afghanistan. We were all devastated by this
loss, but our community is very strong.
Mr. Speaker, on September 11, they held a great local tribute to this
fallen hero at Gibbs High School, on the football field. And on
September 21, I also attended his funeral as he was laid to rest at
Arlington National Cemetery.
Today, we honor him and 12 fellow heroes further by passing this
legislation. The true heroes in this country are the men and women of
our Armed Forces. They are the ones who keep us free. Their patriotism
and bravery have kept us safe every day.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Weber), my friend and colleague, a classmate of mine.
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, little that we can do here today is going to make a
difference in what those families endured. We can only supply a small
token of our appreciation for the greatest fighting force of men and
women on the planet.
I want you to think with me for a second here. When the world has a
calamity, it doesn't matter whether it is a hurricane, whether it is a
tsunami, whether it is an earthquake, whether it is pestilence, famine,
or rebellion, invasion. When the world has a calamity and they dial
911, who is it that answers? It is the United States of America, isn't
it? With the greatest fighting force of men and women this world has
ever known.
When America is safe, the world is a safer place. To the families,
the Gold Star families, whose family members gave all, we owe them a
debt of gratitude, and not just us, but the world as well.
Mr. Speaker, may God bless them, and may they rest in peace.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close.
Mr. Speaker, I simply urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5142 to
award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of the
servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I simply ask all of my colleagues, all the
Members of this House, to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the book of Isaiah recounts how the prophet
Isaiah began his service. In a time of darkness, the Lord asks, ``Whom
shall I send? And who will go for us?''
Isaiah's response was to volunteer for service: ``Here am I; send
me.''
When their nation called them to serve, so said a generation of
American servicemembers, diplomats and intelligence officers: ``Here am
I; send me.''
Two months ago tomorrow, thirteen of those servicemembers were killed
as they helped bring nearly 130,000 Americans, allies and Afghan
partners to safety.
That action was one of profound valor, selflessness and sacrifice,
for which the Congress and Country are united in grief and in
gratitude.
We salute and pray for: Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover (Salt
Lake City, Utah); Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny [jo-HAN-nee] Rosario
Pichardo (Lawrence, Massachusetts); Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee
[JEE] (Sacramento, California); Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez (Indio,
California); Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan [day-gan] Page (Omaha, Nebraska);
Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez (Logansport, Indiana); Marine
Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza (Rio Bravo, Texas); Marine Corps
Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz (St. Charles, Missouri); Marine Corps Lance
Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum (Jackson, Wyoming); Marine Corps Lance Cpl.
Dylan R. Merola (Rancho Cucamonga, California); Marine Corps Lance Cpl.
Kareem M. Nikoui [neh-KOO-ee] (Norco, California); Navy Hospitalman
Maxton W. Soviak (Berlin Heights, Ohio); and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C.
Knauss [kuh-nows] (Corryton, Tennessee).
Today, we honor their heroism by awarding them the Congressional Gold
Medal: the highest honor that the Congress can bestow.
Their service brings great honor to our country, and their being
awarded this honor brings luster to this award.
As we honor the heroism of the fallen, we salute each member of our
military, intelligence and diplomatic communities who conducted this
evacuation--and all who have served or are serving our country.
We pray for all fighting for our freedoms and for their families. And
we pray for the people of Afghanistan and in the region.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, on August 26th, 13 American families
experienced the worst day of their lives.
They received the knock on the door that every parent of a
servicemember prays will never come.
For those families, the conversation that followed was the most
devastating news a person can receive: their child has been killed.
One of the marines we lost that day was Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz
from Wentzville in Missouri's Third Congressional District.
Lance Corporal Schmitz was just 20 years old when the military
transferred him from Jordan to Afghanistan during the U.S. evacuation.
Shortly after arriving in Kabul, Jared died while achieving his
lifelong goal of serving the American People in the United States
Marine Corps.
Because of Jared's and his fellow servicemembers' sacrifice,
thousands of Americans were able to return home safely.
They ensured that thousands of families did not get the heartbreaking
news Jared's parents received early in the morning of August 27th.
Because our servicemembers displayed a bravery most of us are not
capable of, countless kids saw their mom and dad again.
Brothers reunited with their sisters.
And terrified parents got to hug their children after days of
worrying that day would never come.
Nothing we can say on this floor will erase the pain far too many
military families live with every day.
No amount of gratitude nor a Congressional Gold Medal will change the
fact that the Schmitz family and 12 others will forever have an
unfillable hole in their hearts.
But what we can do with this bill is remind them of what they
hopefully already know: their loved-one represents the best of us.
They are the American heroes who allow 300 million people to live
freely in the greatest country in the history of the world.
Their loss is absolutely heartbreaking, but their sacrifice and their
lives will never be forgotten.
They will be remembered as the heroes they are and will live in the
hearts of millions of grateful Americans forever.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5142, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________