[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING FRANK Q. NEBEKER

  Mr. MORAN. Madam President, today, I want to honor the life and mourn 
the loss of Judge Frank Nebeker, who was not only the first judge of 
the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims but also the court's first 
chief judge. In Kansas, we know the value of community and helping 
others, and Judge Nebeker took these traits to heart as a dedicated and 
long-serving public servant for more than 70 years.
  He began his legal career in 1956 as a trial attorney in the Internal 
Security Division of the Department of Justice. From there, he took on 
multiple jobs and roles within the executive and judicial branches of 
government. In October 1989, he was nominated to the Court of Veterans 
Appeals by President George H. W. Bush.
  The court was created in 1988 under President Reagan to allow 
veterans and their families to appeal benefits decisions from the 
Department of Veterans Affairs and the Board of Veterans Appeals. This 
court was the first of its kind and provided a forum for veterans and 
their dependents to advocate for themselves when they disagreed with 
VA. It currently consists of seven permanent judges and two temporary 
judges.
  Judge Nebeker served on the court from the first day it opened until 
November 2000, when he then became a ``Recall-Eligible Senior Judge.'' 
He still continued his public service to veterans and periodically 
performed recall service until December 2022, when he fully retired 
from the court.
  Judge Nebeker was a powerful and influential advocate for veterans. 
He lived a life of purpose and loved bettering the lives of those who 
have sacrificed for our country. He often held education programs for 
attorneys and appellate judges throughout the country in his pursuit to 
improve the lives of veterans and military families through the next 
generation of public servants.
  He is an example for each of us to follow as we seek to care for our 
veterans. I know his legacy will live on in the court and in the 
community and people he loved. My prayers are with his family, friends, 
and colleagues.

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