[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 175 (Monday, November 14, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8457-H8459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   MAX CLELAND VA MEDICAL CENTER ACT

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 3369) to designate the medical center of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, as the ``Joseph 
Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
Center''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 3369

       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 ``Max Cleland VA Medical 
     Center Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was born August 24, 1942, in 
     Atlanta, Georgia, the child of Juanita Kesler Cleland and 
     Joseph Hughie Cleland, a World War II veteran, and grew up in 
     Lithonia, Georgia.
       (2) Joseph Maxwell Cleland graduated from Stetson 
     University in Florida in 1964, and received his Master's 
     Degree in history from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
       (3) Following his graduation from Stetson University, 
     Joseph Maxwell Cleland received a Second Lieutenant's 
     Commission in the Army through its Reserve Officers' Training 
     Corps program.
       (4) Joseph Maxwell Cleland volunteered for duty in the 
     Vietnam War in 1967, serving with the 1st Cavalry Division.
       (5) On April 8, 1968, during combat at the mountain base at 
     Khe Sanh, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was gravely injured by the 
     blast of a grenade, eventually losing both his legs and right 
     arm.
       (6) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was awarded the Bronze Star for 
     meritorious service and the Silver Star for gallantry in 
     action.
       (7) In 1970, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the 
     Georgia Senate as the youngest member and the only Vietnam 
     veteran, where he served until 1975.
       (8) As a Georgia State Senator, Joseph Maxwell Cleland 
     authored and advanced legislation to ensure access to public 
     facilities in Georgia for elderly and handicapped 
     individuals.
       (9) In 1976, Joseph Maxwell Cleland began serving as a 
     staffer on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the United 
     States Senate.
       (10) In 1977, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by 
     President Jimmy Carter to lead the Veterans Administration.
       (11) He was the youngest Administrator of the Veterans 
     Administration ever and the first Vietnam veteran to head the 
     agency.
       (12) He served as a champion for veterans and led the 
     Veterans Administration to recognize, and begin to treat, 
     post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans suffering the 
     invisible wounds of war.
       (13) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected in 1982 as 
     Secretary of State of Georgia, the youngest individual to 
     hold the office, and served in that position for 14 years.
       (14) In 1996, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the 
     United States Senate representing Georgia.
       (15) As a member of the Committee on Armed Services, Joseph 
     Maxwell Cleland advocated for Georgia's military bases, 
     members of the Armed Forces, and veterans, including by 
     championing key personnel issues, playing a critical role in 
     the effort to allow members of the Armed Forces to pass their 
     GI Bill education benefits to their children, and 
     establishing a new veterans cemetery in Canton, Georgia.
       (16) In 2002, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed to the 
     9/11 Commission.
       (17) In 2003, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by 
     President George W. Bush to the Board of Directors for the 
     Export-Import Bank of the United States, where he served 
     until 2007.
       (18) In 2009, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by 
     President Barack Obama as Secretary of the American Battle 
     Monuments Commission overseeing United States military 
     cemeteries and monuments overseas, where he served until 
     2017.
       (19) In 2010, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed Chairman 
     of the Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery, 
     where he served until 2017.
       (20) Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored three books: Strong at 
     the Broken Places, Going for the Max: 12 Principles for 
     Living Life to the Fullest, and Heart of a Patriot.
       (21) Joseph Maxwell Cleland received numerous honors and 
     awards over the course of his long and distinguished career.
       (22) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was a patriot, veteran, and 
     lifelong civil servant who proudly served Georgia, the United 
     States, and all veterans and members of the Armed Forces of 
     the United States.
       (23) On November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, Joseph Maxwell 
     Cleland died, leaving behind a legacy of service, sacrifice, 
     and joy.

     SEC. 3. JOSEPH MAXWELL CLELAND ATLANTA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER.

       (a) Designation.--The medical center of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, shall 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and 
     designated as the ``Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department 
     of Veterans Affairs Medical Center'' or the ``Joseph Maxwell 
     Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center''.
       (b) Reference.--Any reference in a law, regulation, map, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     medical center referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed 
     to be a reference to the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ellzey) 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 
to include extraneous material on S. 3369.
  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 offer my support for S. 3369, a bill that will 
appropriately rename the Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia, 
in honor of Joseph Maxwell Cleland, an Army veteran, an American 
statesman, and a distinguished public servant for more than 50 years.
  Senator Cleland, who died a year ago this month, long displayed a 
commitment to assisting disabled American veterans, so it is fitting 
that part of his enduring legacy includes the naming of this facility, 
which provides care to so many Georgia men and women who raised their 
hands and answered the call to serve.
  I thank Senator Raphael Warnock for championing this legislation, 
which unanimously passed the Senate this summer, and I also acknowledge 
the work of my colleague Representative Nikema Williams for introducing 
a House companion to the bill.
  Senator Cleland was born in Atlanta in 1942 and raised a couple of 
hours away in Lithonia, Georgia. He was an exemplary student at 
Lithonia High School and went on to study American history at Stetson 
University in central Florida and Emory University in Atlanta.
  Senator Cleland received a military commission through Stetson's ROTC 
program. He volunteered for service in the Vietnam war in 1967 and was 
promoted to Army captain.
  On April 8, 1968, with a month left on his tour, Senator Cleland and 
other members of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Calvary Regiment were dropped 
by helicopter on a hillside outside Khe Sanh to set up a radio relay 
station. Senator Cleland reached down to pick up a grenade he thought 
had fallen from his flak jacket when the grenade exploded, causing 
several injuries to his lower body. Both of Senator Cleland's legs and 
his right forearm were amputated, and the Senator, then just 25 years 
old, used a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
  For his meritorious service and gallantry in action, Senator Cleland 
was awarded the Bronze and Silver Stars.
  Upon his return to the U.S., Senator Cleland was elected to the 
Georgia Senate, becoming the youngest member and only Vietnam veteran 
in that body.
  In 1976, he was appointed to the staff of the U.S. Senate Veterans' 
Affairs Committee, where he investigated hospitals in the Veterans 
Administration healthcare system and their treatment of wounded 
servicemembers returning from Vietnam.
  The following year, at age 34, President Carter tapped Senator 
Cleland to head the Veterans Administration,

[[Page H8458]]

making him the youngest administrator in VA history and the first 
Vietnam veteran to serve in this role.
  As VA administrator, Senator Cleland was instrumental in creating the 
Vet Center program, which decades later still provides a wide range of 
counseling services to veterans who experience trauma, loss, grief, and 
pain as a result of their military service. In doing so, Senator 
Cleland saved and improved the lives of an untold number of veterans. 
He advanced the conversation around the unseen wounds of war and helped 
reduce the stigma that all too often surrounds a veteran who seeks 
needed mental health care.
  Following 12 years of service as Georgia's Secretary of State, 
Senator Cleland was elected to the United States Senate in 1996.
  As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Cleland 
continued to be a forceful advocate for veterans and sought to improve 
military recruitment and retention, pay, and compensation, and pension 
and health benefits.
  He played a critical role in the effort to allow former 
servicemembers to pass unused GI Bill benefits on to their dependent 
children, an initiative that has given generations of veteran families 
the opportunity to receive an affordable education.
  Following his electoral defeat in 2002, Senator Cleland was appointed 
to the 9/11 Commission but resigned shortly thereafter and was critical 
of the George W. Bush administration's lack of transparency regarding 
key documents and government witnesses the Commission requested.
  In 2009, President Obama selected Senator Cleland to lead the 
American Battle Monuments Commission, an independent government agency 
that manages 26 American cemeteries and 30 memorials, monuments, and 
markers abroad.
  For those who have not visited any of these sites, I highly recommend 
that you do so.

                              {time}  1515

  This past Memorial Day, I led a congressional delegation to two ABMC 
cemeteries: the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunisia and the 
Cambridge American Cemetery in the United Kingdom. These sites serve as 
a solemn reminder of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to our 
Nation during the First and Second World Wars, and they truly uphold 
the words of General John J. Pershing, Commander of the American 
Expeditionary Forces in World War I and the first chairman of the ABMC 
who promised that, through these monuments, ``time will not dim the 
glory of their deeds.''
  It is my hope that the same will be true in naming this hospital, one 
of the largest in the VA healthcare system, in Senator Cleland's 
memory.
  S. 3369 has been strongly endorsed by The American Legion, Veterans 
of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans, and I implore all of 
my colleagues to pass this bill today without further delay.
  Mr. Speaker, I again thank Senator Warnock and Representative 
Williams for proposing this legislation and for their tireless work on 
behalf of our Nation's veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3369, a bill to name the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia, as 
the Max Cleland VA Medical Center.
  Joseph Maxwell Cleland was born in 1942 in Atlanta, Georgia. Through 
his storied career, he always returned to his native State. Immediately 
after college, Max Cleland received his second lieutenant's commission 
in the Army. He volunteered for duty in the Vietnam war, serving with 
the 1st Calvary Division.
  In 1968, during the Battle of Khe Sanh, then-Captain Cleland, upon 
landing on a nearby hill to set up a radio relay station, was gravely 
injured by an accidental blast of a team member's grenade. He 
eventually lost both legs and his right arm.
  While serving, he earned the Bronze Star for meritorious service and 
the Silver Star for gallantry in action, in addition to the Purple 
Heart.
  Returning to his home State, Max Cleland continued his service and 
was elected to the Georgia Senate as the youngest member and then the 
only Vietnam veteran. He became known as a staunch advocate for 
increasing public access for handicapped individuals as well as for his 
fellow veterans.
  In 1977, Max Cleland was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to lead 
the Veterans Administration, the first Vietnam veteran to lead the 
agency. He was instrumental in transforming the way the Veterans 
Administration recognized and treated post-traumatic stress disorder in 
veterans suffering from the invisible wounds of war. After that 
assignment, he served as the secretary of state for Georgia for 14 
years, and then he was elected to the United States Senate representing 
Georgia.
  In this position, and in numerous subsequent assignments, he never 
forgot his fellow brothers and sisters in arms. He made it his life's 
work to champion military personnel matters and to honor the fallen at 
military cemeteries and monuments overseas and veteran cemeteries at 
home.
  In spite of many physical challenges, Max Cleland received numerous 
honors and awards over the course of his long and distinguished career.
  His spirit served as an inspiration, and that same spirit will 
continue to inspire excellence at the Atlanta VA Medical Center which 
should proudly bear his name.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Bishop). Chairman Sanford Bishop is a very good friend who 
serves as a subcommittee chair on the Appropriations Committee. He is a 
cardinal and also a former member of the House Veterans' Affairs 
Committee.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for 
yielding.
  This is a wonderful opportunity for me to come and to congratulate 
the chair, my colleague, Senator Warnock, and my colleague, Nikema 
Williams, for the naming of the VA Medical Center of Atlanta the Joseph 
Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
  Senator Cleland and I were friends. He was my friend, he was my 
mentor, and he was truly an inspiration.
  I had the opportunity to know him. He served as secretary of state 
for the State of Georgia for 12 years. During that time, I was in the 
Georgia General Assembly. When he was elected to the United States 
Senate in 1996, I had the occasion to be a colleague with him as I was 
a Member of the House of Representatives.
  He truly represented and embodied what it meant to be a veteran: 
service and sacrifice.
  He was a triple amputee because of his wounds in Vietnam as a veteran 
and, of course, he was appointed by President Carter to head the VA. Of 
course, he served as the head of the American Battle Monuments 
Commission and I, as a member of the Military Construction/Veterans' 
Affairs Committee, had to work with him in making sure that these 
monuments were well-funded and well-maintained. He did a tremendous 
job.
  Mr. Speaker, I had to come and speak because he was my friend, and he 
was my colleague and my inspiration. It is very, very fitting that this 
facility should be named for him because of his legacy.
  Longfellow wrote:

     ``Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives 
           sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on 
           the sands of time.''

  Senator Cleland lost both legs and an arm, but the footprints that he 
left and is leaving are his legacy for veterans that will be there 
forever. I am happy to urge my colleagues to support this legislation 
which appropriately names the facility in his honor.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his very heartfelt 
remarks, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am 
prepared to close.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I will just say 
that I take note that Senator Cleland had much to do with the 
establishment of vet centers. I know from the experience of my own 
veterans how much vet centers make a difference in their lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for S. 3369 
from The

[[Page H8459]]

American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American 
Veterans, as well as the Georgia delegation.

                                              The American Legion,


                                        Department of Georgia,

                                    Stockbridge, GA, May 16, 2022.
     Representative Nikema Williams,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Williams and Senator Warnock: The 
     American Legion Department of Georgia is in full support of 
     H.R. 6244 and S. 3369: the Max Cleland VA Medical Center Act.
       We respectfully implore and sincerely request that the U.S. 
     Congress rename the Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center as: ``The Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.''
       Senator Cleland's distinguished service and noble legacy 
     are still remembered by his fellow Georgians, the nation, and 
     the countless veterans whose lives were greatly improved as a 
     result of his commitment to better healthcare and veterans' 
     services. Renaming the Atlanta VA Medical Center is but a 
     fraction of the tremendous gratitude that our U.S. Congress 
     can do to honor a true champion of veteran affairs.
       For God and Country. . .

                                                  Mark Shreve,

                                                  State Commander,
     Department of Georgia.
                                  ____



                                     Veterans of Foreign Wars,

                                                   April 18, 2022.
     Hon. Nikema Williams,
     U.S. Representative (GA-05),
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Williams: On Behalf of the Veterans of 
     Foreign Wars Department of Georgia and as Commander of the 
     Department of Georgia (2021-2022), I am writing to support 
     the legislation as proposed by Representative Williams and 
     Senator Warnock (H.R. 6244/S.3369), that will rename the 
     Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, to the 
     Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center.
                                                    Kevin Hammond,
     Commander Department of Georgia.
                                  ____



                                                          DAV,

                                                   April 13, 2022.
     REF: Support of Renaming Atlanta VA Medical Center

     Matt Alexis,
     Legislative Assistant,
     Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05).
       Georgia Delegation in the United States Congress: U.S. 
     Representative Nikema Williams and Senator Rev. Raphael 
     Warnock introduced (H.R. 6244/S. 3369) which will name the 
     Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 
     Atlanta, Georgia, ``the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta 
     department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.''
       Disabled American Veterans Department of Georgia gives our 
     full support in naming the Atlanta VAMC for the late Senator 
     Joseph Maxwell Cleland.
       Senator Cleland distinguished himself with numerous 
     meritorious accolades during his lifetime. Naming the Medical 
     center in his honor would be a tribute to his life's work for 
     veterans.
       Thank you to his family and friends and for your service to 
     this country.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Sadie Hill,
     Sr. Vice Commander.
                                  ____



                                Congress of the United States,

                                     Washington, DC, July 7, 2022.
     Hon. Jon Tester,
     Chairman, Committee on Veterans Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Jerry Moran,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Veterans Affairs, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Chairman Tester and Ranking Member Moran: We are 
     writing to request your support to name the Atlanta 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta, 
     Georgia, the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
       Senator Max Cleland was a veteran who fought for veterans 
     and whose efforts indelibly changed how our nation cares for 
     veterans today. He volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1967 
     and suffered severe combat injuries in 1968, eventually 
     losing three of his limbs. He was awarded the Bronze Star and 
     Silver Star. In 1977, Senator Cleland was appointed by 
     fellow-Georgian President Jimmy Carter to be the youngest 
     ever Administrator of the Veterans Administration (VA). 
     Because of his efforts, the VA revamped its care of the 
     invisible wounds of veterans, recognized, and began to treat 
     post-traumatic stress disorder.
       Senator Cleland was also a tireless champion of Georgia and 
     Georgians. Born in Atlanta and raised in Lithonia, he served 
     as a Georgia State Senator, Georgia Secretary of State, and 
     eventually U.S. Senator from Georgia. As a member of the 
     Armed Services Committee, he fought for Georgia's military 
     installations while also focused on the personnel needs of 
     the military. Senator Cleland played a critical role in the 
     expansion of GI Bill education benefits.
       On November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, Senator Cleland 
     died, leaving behind a legacy of service, sacrifice, and joy. 
     He served Georgia, the nation, and, in particular, veterans 
     continuously during his 50 years of public service, improving 
     their lives in countless ways. We believe renaming the 
     Atlanta VA Medical Center for Senator Cleland is most 
     appropriate for a man who spent his live serving those who 
     walk its halls. We hope that the Senate Committee on Veteran 
     Affairs will give our request immediate consideration.
           Sincerely,
       Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff, Nikema Williams, Hank Johnson, 
     Andrew S. Clyde, Lucy McBath, Austin Scott, David Scott, 
     Barry Loudermilk, Carolyn Bourdeaux, Sanford D. Bishop Jr., 
     A. Drew Ferguson IV, Earl L. ``Buddy'' Carter, Rick W. Allen, 
     Majorie Taylor Greene, Jody Hice, Members of Congress.

  Mr. TAKANO. So, Mr. Speaker, this is a fitting tribute. I ask all of 
my colleagues to join me in passing S. 3369, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. 
Once again, as we talk about heroism, you can't summarize in 3 minutes 
the heroism of these men. Max Cleland lost two legs and an arm, and 
this is a well-deserved honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, 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, S. 3369.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________