[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 198 (Monday, November 15, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6253-H6255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   JENNIFER MORENO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER AND 
               DESIGNATION HONORING KATHLEEN MAE BRUYERE

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3665) to designate the medical center of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs in San Diego, California, as the Jennifer Moreno 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and to support the 
designation of a component of such medical center in honor of Kathleen 
Bruyere.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3665

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) As of January 2021, of 1,255 health care facilities of 
     the Department of Veterans of Affairs, two are named for 
     women veterans.
       (2) From 2002 through 2006, Jennifer Madai Moreno was an 
     active member of the San Diego High School Junior Reserve 
     Officer Training Corps (JROTC), which is a Department of the 
     Army Honor Unit with Distinction, the highest rating by the 
     Army. She was also chosen to be a member of the San Diego 
     Unified School District Brigade Staff. As a high school 
     senior, she rose quickly to become the top junior marksman in 
     California through the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
       (3) Moreno accepted a JROTC scholarship to the University 
     of San Francisco (USF) for Nursing, becoming the first person 
     in her family to go to college. While at USF, she was chosen 
     for Leadership Development Training. She ultimately achieved 
     the highest level of physical fitness in her ROTC unit.
       (4) Following her graduation from USF with a Bachelor of 
     Science degree in Nursing in 2010, Moreno received her 
     commission in the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant 
     Nurse Corps Officer.
       (5) Upon commissioning, Moreno served as a Gold Bar 
     Recruiter from July 2010 to September 2010.
       (6) Moreno was chosen to attend and completed the Basic 
     Airborne Course in Fort Benning, Georgia and Army Medical 
     Department Officer Basic Course at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas.
       (7) Moreno was then assigned to Madigan Army Medical 
     Center, Joint Base Lewis McCord, Washington in January 2011, 
     where she served as a Clinical Staff Nurse on medical-
     surgical unit. Moreno earned her certification as a Medical 
     Surgical Registered Nurse in February 2011.
       (8) Moreno volunteered for a position with U.S. Army 
     Special Operations Command in 2011. She was selected into the 
     SOC Cultural Support Team program. She was deployed to 
     Afghanistan in June 2013 with the Army's 75th Ranger 
     Regiment.
       (9) On October 6, 2013, Moreno was attached to a U.S. Army 
     Ranger unit on a night mission in the Zhari district in 
     Kandahar province to capture a high-value target when four 
     explosive devices were triggered.
       (10) During the last moments of Moreno's life, she 
     reportedly heard a call to help a wounded soldier struck by a 
     blast. Moreno did not hesitate to respond to the call for 
     help. As she made her way to help a fallen soldier, she 
     triggered the fifth explosion, which ended her life.
       (11) Moreno was the first Nurse CST member to die in 
     action. Part of her legacy is the number of young women 
     coming from medical fields seeking out voluntary assignments 
     to join the CST program.
       (12) Moreno was the first combat casualty to be buried at 
     Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego since the post-
     9/11 conflicts began. She received full military honors.
       (13) After graduating from college in 1966, Kathleen Mae 
     Bruyere was accepted into U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School, 
     after which she was assigned as an on-campus Navy recruiting 
     officer in California.
       (14) Bruyere was named to the staff of Rear Admiral Allen 
     Hill in 1975, becoming the first woman to serve as flag 
     secretary to an admiral.
       (15) In January 1976, Bruyere was chosen as one of 12 Women 
     of the Year on the cover of Time Magazine.
       (16) In 1977, Bruyere joined five other women officers who 
     sued the United States Secretary of the Navy and the United 
     States Secretary of Defense over restrictions that prevented 
     women from serving on combat aircraft and ships. This led to 
     the 1948 Women's Armed Services Integration Act being struck 
     down as unconstitutional, overturning a ban on women serving 
     at sea.
       (17) In 1987, as Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval 
     Operations for women's policy, Bruyere helped conduct an 
     examination of the status of Navy women, including career 
     opportunities and complaints of sexism. The study led to 
     9,000 sea-duty and command jobs opening up for women on 24 
     combatant ships.
       (18) In 1991, Bruyere was assigned as Commanding Officer 
     for the Navy Recruit Training Command at Orlando, Florida. At 
     the time, it was the Navy's only boot camp that included 
     women. Bruyere oversaw the training of 30,000 enlistees, one 
     third of them women.
       (19) In 1994, Bruyere retired from the Navy as a Captain 
     after 28 years of service.
       (20) From 2012 until shortly before her death in September 
     2020, Bruyere was an active volunteer at Miramar National 
     Cemetery, devoting almost 4,300 hours to helping visitors 
     locate their loved ones' graves and providing information 
     about veterans' burial benefits.
       (21) Bruyere was buried at Miramar National Cemetery with 
     full military honors.
       (22) In May 2021, a panel of San Diego-area members of the 
     Armed Forces, veterans, and military spouses recommended that 
     the San Diego VA Medical Center be renamed in honor of 
     Jennifer Moreno and an internal space be renamed in honor of 
     Kathleen Bruyere.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF JENNIFER MORENO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER.

       (a) Designation.--The medical center of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs in San Diego, California, shall after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act be known and designated as 
     the Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
     Center.
       (b) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     medical center referred to in subsection (a) shall be 
     considered to be a reference to the Jennifer Moreno 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

     SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DESIGNATION OF MEDICAL CENTER 
                   PHYSICAL COMPONENT AFTER KATHLEEN MAE BRUYERE.

       It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs should designate a prominent physical space within 
     the Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
     Center, as designated pursuant to section 2, in honor of 
     Kathleen Mae Bruyere.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 3665.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the lives of Army Captain Jennifer 
Moreno and Navy Captain Kathleen Bruyere. I thank my colleague, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Levin), for introducing this legislation 
to pay tribute to these two distinguished servicemembers who went above 
and beyond in their service to this Nation.
  When Jennifer Moreno graduated from the University of San Francisco 
with a nursing degree, she joined the Army. She completed airborne 
training and served with Special Operations Command. As a cultural 
support team member, Captain Moreno was tasked with outreach to the 
Afghan women they encountered.

[[Page H6254]]

  On October 5, 2013, Captain Moreno and a dozen other special 
operators were struck by 12 bombs in a night raid to disrupt a plot to 
kill civilians. While attempting to save an injured soldier, she was 
killed.
  For her heroic acts and unwavering support of her comrades, Captain 
Moreno was awarded a Combat Action Badge, the Purple Heart, and the 
Bronze Star.
  Captain Bruyere was a true changemaker. The daughter of an Army 
servicemember, Captain Bruyere joined the Navy following her graduation 
from Chestnut Hill College.
  She climbed her way through the Navy's ranks, becoming the Navy's 
first female flag secretary. As an advocate for women servicemembers, 
Captain Bruyere was featured as one of Time magazine's Women of the 
Year in 1976.
  Despite her high ranking, Captain Bruyere was limited in her ability 
to be promoted due to the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 
1948. In a potential career-ending move, Bruyere and five 
servicemembers sued the Department of Defense in 1977. The rules were 
deemed unconstitutional, paving the way for thousands of women to serve 
in leadership positions at sea. She retired at the rank of captain in 
1994 and passed away on September 3, 2020.
  Both Captain Moreno and Captain Bruyere exemplify the highest 
qualities of service and are true American patriots. I was honored to 
remember them both on Veterans Day.
  H.R. 3665 has letters of support from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 
the Disabled American Veterans, and the American Legion, and I include 
them in the Record.


                                     Veterans of Foreign Wars,

                                                    June 22, 2021.
      Rep. Mike Levin,
      Washington DC.
        Dear Rep. Levin: On behalf of the sixty-four thousand 
     members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of 
     California, I am writing to endorse your bill, H.R. 3665 to 
     rename the San Diego Medical Center after U.S. Army CPT 
     Jennifer M. Moreno as the ``Jennifer Moreno Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Medical Center'' and support the designation 
     of a component within the facility in honor of U.S. Navy CAPT 
     Kathleen M. Bruyere.
        It is our privilege to help recognize and support the 
     contributions of women in military service, notably CPT 
     Moreno, who we believe embodies the requirements necessary to 
     rename a federal building in her honor. The panel convened in 
     the San Diego consisting of area service members, veterans 
     and community leaders, made the recommendation after review 
     of CPT Moreno's distinguished service to her country, and who 
     was ultimately killed in action during a deployment to 
     Afghanistan in October 2013.
        In addition, we endorse naming a prominent space within 
     the facility after CAPT Bruyere, a longtime San Diego 
     resident who helped shape the military's policies on sexual 
     discrimination and expanding opportunities for women in the 
     Navy.
        The VFW is committed to improve VA medical centers 
     services for women veterans through legislative advocacy and 
     fully support your work on behalf of our nation's veterans.
        Thank you for your time and consideration.
            Sincerely,
                                                     John G. Lowe,
      State Commander.
                                  ____



                                     Department of California,

                                                     July 7, 2021.
     Re: H.R. 3665 to rename the San Diego Medical Center

     Hon. Rep. Mike Levin,
     Member of Congress,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Rep. Mike Levin: As Commander of the Department of 
     California Disabled American Veterans representing over 
     70,000 DAV Life Members in the State of California and in 
     recognition of our fallen veterans and their survivors. I am 
     writing to endorse your bill H.R. 3665 to rename the San 
     Diego Medical Center after U.S. Army Capt. Jennifer M. Moreno 
     as the ``Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center'' and support the designation of a component 
     within the facility in honor of U.S. Navy Capt. Kathleen M. 
     Bruyere.
       It is our honor and priveledge to recognize and support the 
     contributions of women in armed service, notably Cpt. Moreno, 
     who's service went above and beyond the requirements 
     necessary to rename a federal building in her honor. DAV will 
     never forget Capt. Moreno's service this country and ultimate 
     sacrifice. The panel convened in the San Diego consisting of 
     area service members, veterans, and community leaders, made 
     the recommendation after review of Capt. Moreno's 
     distinguished service to her country, and who was ultimately 
     killed in action during a deployment to Afghanistan in 
     October 2013.
       In addition, we endorse naming a prominent space within the 
     facility after Capt. Bruyere, a longtime San Diego resident 
     who helped shape the military's policies on sexual 
     discrimination and expanding opportunities for women in the 
     U.S. Navy.
       Thank you for your support of America's disabled veterans 
     and their survivors.
           Sincerely,
     Michael Kerr,
       Commander.
     Daniel Contreras,
       DAV National 3rd Vice Commander, Adjutant/CEO.
     Gerald G. Wilson, Jr.,
       Legislative Director.
                                  ____

                                              The American Legion,


                                     Department of California,

                                        Sanger, CA, July 21, 2021.
      Hon. Mike Levin,
      Washington, DC.
        Mr. Levin: The American Legion Department of California is 
     proud to support H.R. 3665, which includes the renaming the 
     San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center after Army Capt. 
     Jennifer Moreno and renaming a component therein after Navy 
     Capt. Kathleen M. Bruyere.
        Since its founding in 1919, the American Legion has served 
     veterans, servicemembers, and communities throughout our 
     nation. Our commitment to serving all veterans has been one 
     of the main pillars outlining our purpose. As the United 
     State Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues to make 
     strides in the way it supports and cares for women veterans, 
     I believe by renaming VA facilities after brave female 
     veterans it is a great step towards recognizing the 
     contribution of this nation's woman warriors.
        On behalf of the 80,000+ American Legion members in 
     California we urge congress to take action to rename this 
     facility to honor these two women veterans who embody the 
     true essence of duty and service to our community, state, and 
     nation.
            Respectfully,
                                             Autrey B. James, Jr.,
                                             Department Commander.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I enthusiastically support the naming of the 
San Diego, California, VA Medical Center in honor of Captain Moreno and 
Captain Bruyere, and I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1715

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3665, a bill to name the 
VA medical center in San Diego, California, the Jennifer Moreno VA 
Medical Center, and to support naming a component of such medical 
center in honor of Kathleen Bruyere.
  Jennifer Moreno, a native of San Diego, California, received her 
initial commission in the United States Army as a Nurse Corps officer.
  Jennifer was assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base 
Lewis-McChord in Washington. Jennifer served there as a clinical staff 
nurse in the medical-surgical unit and earned her certification as a 
medical-surgical registered nurse.
  Following that assignment, Jennifer volunteered for and was selected 
into the Special Operations Command Cultural Support Team program.
  Captain Moreno deployed to Afghanistan in June 2013 with the Army's 
75th Ranger Regiment.
  On October 6, 2013, Captain Moreno was attached to a U.S. Army Ranger 
unit on a night mission in the Zhari district in Kandahar province to 
capture a high-value target when four explosive devices were triggered.
  Captain Moreno heard a call for help and did not hesitate to respond. 
As she made her way to help her fellow soldier, Captain Moreno 
triggered a fifth explosive and sadly became the first nurse Combat 
Support Team member to die in action.
  Heroism obviously knows no gender.
  It is only fitting that the San Diego VA Medical Center be renamed in 
Jennifer's honor.
  This bill also honors Navy Captain Kathleen Mae Bruyere by naming a 
space within the San Diego VA Medical Center after her.
  Captain Bruyere was a trailblazer who dedicated her career to 
advancing opportunities for servicewomen who played an instrumental 
role in revising restrictions that prevented women from serving on 
combat aircraft and ships.
  Notably, Captain Bruyere helped conduct a study that led to 9,000 
sea-duty and command jobs opening for women on 24 combatant ships.
  And as is true for so many servicemembers, Kathleen's service did not 
end upon retirement from the military.
  Until shortly before her death, Captain Bruyere was an active 
volunteer

[[Page H6255]]

at Miramar National Cemetery. While there, Captain Bruyere devoted 
almost 4,300 hours to help visitors locate their loved ones' graves and 
provided information about veterans' burial benefits.
  By naming a dedicated space in the Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center 
after Captain Bruyere today, we will further ensure that her influence 
and services are forever remembered.
  Currently, of the 1,255 VA healthcare facilities, only two are named 
for women veterans. It is time to recognize the many contributions and 
the heroism of women who have served, especially those who made the 
ultimate sacrifice.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this bill, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Levin), my good friend who is back from 
a very warm welcome at the White House, the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and also the author of the bill.
  Mr. LEVIN of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding and for his support.
  For far too long, our country has failed to give women servicemembers 
and veterans the recognition they have rightfully earned and deserve 
for their service and commitment to protecting this Nation.
  For my friends and colleagues who may not know, women have served in 
the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War. And long before women 
could formally serve, hundreds of women disguised themselves as men for 
the opportunity to serve in the Armed Forces.
  Hundreds of thousands of women answered the call to serve in World 
War I and World War II in any way they could. Following these 
invaluable contributions, women finally became permanent members of the 
Armed Forces in 1948.
  Now there are 2 million women veterans living in the United States, 
and women comprise the fastest growing subpopulation of both the 
military and veteran populations.
  Women servicemembers now make up 20 percent of military personnel. 
Because of this, the women veteran population is projected to grow to 
18 percent of the total veteran population by 2040.
  Yet, they still fail to receive the recognition they deserve for 
their service to our Nation.
  While millions of women have served in the U.S. military, only two of 
VA's 1,293 healthcare facilities have been named after these brave and 
courageous Americans.
  That is simply unacceptable.
  So, in November 2020, I convened a panel of highly qualified 
servicemembers, veterans, and community leaders to collaborate on 
recommendations to rename the San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical 
Center.
  The panel included a wide variety of local stakeholders from 
organizations like The American Legion, Military Order of the Purple 
Heart, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
  After an extensive effort considering many incredible women veterans 
who have served our country with distinction, the panel chose Captain 
Jennifer M. Moreno, a highly decorated combat veteran from San Diego 
who was killed in action during a deployment to Afghanistan in October 
2013.
  Jennifer Moreno was born in San Diego and was raised in Logan Heights 
by her single mom after the early loss of her father.
  While attending San Diego High School, Moreno was an active member of 
the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps for all 4 years, which is a 
Department of the Army Honor Unit with Distinction, the highest rating 
by the Army.

  Following her graduation from the University of San Francisco with a 
bachelor of science degree in nursing in 2010, Moreno received her 
commission in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant Nurse Corps officer.
  Moreno was deployed to Afghanistan in June 2013 with the Army's 75th 
Ranger Regiment, where she was attached to a joint special operations 
task force as a Cultural Support Team member.
  Just 3 months into her first tour, while on a night mission in 
Kandahar province to capture a high-value target, four explosive 
devices were triggered. Moreno endured these explosive devices, 
including a suicide explosive at a range of no more than 25 meters.
  Moreno then reportedly heard two orders. One was a call to help a 
wounded soldier struck by a blast. The other was a command to stay put 
in case she was to strike another mine in the area. Moreno did not 
hesitate to respond to the call for help.
  As Moreno made her way to help a fallen soldier, she triggered the 
fifth explosion, which tragically ended her life on October 6, 2013.
  Moreno was the first nurse Cultural Support Team member to die in 
action, and part of her legacy is the number of young women coming from 
medical fields seeking out voluntary assignments to join the Cultural 
Support Team.
  Jennifer Moreno was promoted posthumously to captain and was the 
first combat casualty to be buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery 
in San Diego since the post-9/11 conflicts began, receiving full 
military honors. I was honored to visit her gravesite earlier this 
year.
  The panel also recommended that a prominent space within the San 
Diego VA Medical Center be named after U.S. Navy Captain Kathleen M. 
Bruyere, a longtime San Diego resident who helped shape the military's 
policies on sexual discrimination and was instrumental in expanding 
opportunities for women in the Navy.
  In 1977, Bruyere joined five other women officers who sued the United 
States Secretary of the Navy and the United States Secretary of Defense 
over restrictions that prevented women from serving on combat aircraft 
and ships. This led to the 1948 Women's Armed Services Integration Act 
being struck down as unconstitutional, overturning a ban on women 
serving at sea.
  In 1987, as special assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations for 
women's policy, Bruyere conducted an examination of the status of Navy 
women, including career opportunities and complaints of sexism. The 
study led to 9,000 sea-duty and command jobs opening up for women on 24 
combatant ships.
  Bruyere retired from the Navy as a captain after 28 years of service 
in 1994. Last year, she passed away and was buried at Miramar National 
Cemetery with full military honors.
  This bill expresses the sense of Congress that VA should follow 
through with the panel's recommendation to honor Captain Bruyere.
  Although this effort does not make up for all the appreciation women 
veterans and servicemembers are still owed, it is my great hope that 
this token of gratitude inspires similar recognition across the 
country.
  I thank Army veteran and Carlsbad resident Karin Brennan, who led 
this effort and exercised strong leadership in bringing stakeholders 
together to make recommendations for women veterans with ties to the 
region who are among the worthiest of receiving this honor.
  But most of all, I am grateful for the service of Captain Jennifer 
Moreno and Captain Kathleen Bruyere.
  It is my honor to share their stories on behalf of the local veterans 
who recommended this renaming, and I look forward to this legislation 
passing the House and becoming law.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support 
this legislation and for all that it stands for.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Bost) for facilitating this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 
3665, 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. 3665.
  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.

                          ____________________