    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2025)]
    [House]
    [Pages H857-H859]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                               MEDAL OF HONOR ACT

      Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
    (H.R. 695) to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the rate
    of the special pension payable to Medal of Honor recipients, and for
    other purposes, as amended.
      The Clerk read the title of the bill.
      The text of the bill is as follows:

                                    H.R. 695

           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 ``Medal of Honor Act''.

         SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

           Congress finds the following:
           (1) The Medal of Honor is the highest and most prestigious
         military decoration of the United States.
           (2) To earn the Medal of Honor ``the deed of the person . .
         . must be so outstanding that it clearly distinguishes his
         gallantry beyond the call of duty from lesser forms of
         bravery''.
           (3) The actions of Medal of Honor recipients inspire
         bravery, and the willingness to give all, in those who serve
         in the Armed Forces and those who will serve in the future.
           (4) Those listed on the Medal of Honor Roll exemplify the
         best traits of members of the Armed Forces, a long and proud
         lineage of those who went beyond the call of duty.
           (5) Pursuant to section 1562 of title 38, United States
         Code, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay monthly to
         each living person whose name has been entered on the Army,
         Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard Medal of Honor Roll a
         special pension.
           (6) Recipients of the Medal of Honor have earned a
         substantial and historic increase to such special pension in
         recognition of their conspicuous gallantry, unwavering
         commitment, and heroic actions above and beyond the call of
         duty.

         SEC. 3. INCREASE IN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS SPECIAL
                       PENSION PAYABLE TO MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS.

           Section 1562 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
           (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
           (A) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``The Secretary'';
           (B) by striking ``the rate of $1,406.73'' and inserting
         ``the rate described in subparagraph (B)''; and
           (C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
           ``(B) The rate described in this subparagraph is equal to
         the amount of monthly compensation paid to a veteran without
         dependents under subsection (m) of section 1114 of this
         title, increased to the next intermediate rate under
         subsection (p) of such section.''; and
           (2) in subsection (e)--
           (A) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``Effective'';
           (B) by inserting ``, subject to paragraph (2),'' before
         ``shall''; and
           (C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph (2):
           ``(2) The Secretary shall not, under paragraph (1),
         increase the amount of monthly special pension payable under
         subsection (a) in a year if such amount was otherwise
         increased during such year.''.

         SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITS ON PAYMENTS OF PENSION.

           Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is
         amended by striking ``November 30, 2031'' and inserting
         ``January 31, 2033''.

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

                                 General Leave

      Mr. BOST. 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. 695, as amended.
      The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
    gentleman from Illinois?
      There was no objection.
      Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
      Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 695, offered by my
    colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Nehls). This bill would
    increase the rate of special monthly pension for Medal of Honor
    recipients and their surviving spouses.
      The Medal of Honor is our Nation's highest military award. It is
    reserved for servicemembers who have demonstrated extraordinary bravery
    and self-sacrifice in combat.
      The Medal of Honor special pension is intended to repay part of the
    debt that our Nation owes them. The Medal of Honor pension is separate
    from the compensation that a veteran receives when they are unable to
    work due to service-related disabilities.
      Today, there are just 63 Medal of Honor recipients who currently
    receive less than $2,000 in special pension payments per month. Their
    stories of service, without question, should be honored and remembered
    and told.
      However, the current pension offered does not cover the cost of
    travel to speak at events that inspire future generations and tell
    their fellow Americans about their service in defense of our freedom.
      It is time we increase the Medal of Honor recipients' pension in
    recognition of their heroic military service and their continued
    service to our Nation. The bill is fully offset by using a bipartisan
    offset related to older veterans and pensions, and I urge all of my
    colleagues to support H.R. 695, as amended.
      Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
      Mr. McGARVEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
      Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 695, the Medal of
    Honor Act.
      To join the armed services is an act of profound selflessness. On the
    Veterans' Affairs Committee, we recognize the sacrifice and service of
    every servicemember who, in the face of uncertainty and danger, took
    the oath and chose to commit themselves to a higher purpose.
      While every individual servicemember makes sacrifices and dedicates
    themselves to this path of honor, there are a select few who
    distinguish themselves from the rest.
      The Medal of Honor cannot be won. It must be earned through extreme
    selflessness and bravery. We recognize this distinguished service with
    our Nation's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor.
      From the first awardee to the most recent, Medal of Honor recipients
    have demonstrated their unwavering commitment to serve above and beyond
    the call of duty, even to their own death.
      There have been 43 Kentuckians who were awarded the Medal of Honor. I
    will just talk about one, Sergeant John C. Squires, a Louisville native
    who went from Male High School to the United States Army and served in
    Italy in World War II.
      It was in April of 1944, in the Italian countryside, that Squires
    braved automatic gunfire, artillery, and mortar

    [[Page H858]]

    fire to carry messages through barbed wire and over minefields, to
    organize troops, and bring reinforcements to the front line. With total
    disregard for his own well-being, he fought German soldiers day and
    night.
      He was killed in action. He lies in rest at Zachary Taylor National
    Cemetery in Louisville, and a bronze statue of Squires sits atop the
    Kentucky Medal of Honor Memorial.
      Squires is one of just 3,538 Medal of Honor recipients in our
    history. From all who have been awarded, for all of those who earned
    this honor, they do so through the acts of service that are incredible.
      There is no paycheck that could repay their sacrifice and no thank-
    you letter that could truly convey our Nation's gratitude. We cannot
    ever hope to repay this debt, but we can show our fullest support for
    them and their surviving spouses and families by increasing their
    annual compensation.
      The Medal of Honor Act ensures that servicemembers and their
    surviving spouses get an increased pension for their sacrifice, an
    increase that properly reflects the gravity of their service.
      Currently, the payment of $1,619.34 a month is deeply inadequate.
    Medal of Honor recipients go above and beyond the call of duty. It is
    only right that we honor their sacrifice with compensation that truly
    reflects their extraordinary actions.

                                  {time}  1600

      These heroes continue to serve, speaking throughout the country and
    inspiring our citizens in schools and beyond. They continue to carry
    the mantle of courage, sacrifice, patriotism, citizenship, integrity,
    and commitment here at home.
      There is nothing we can pay them that will ever match their
    sacrifice, but voting for this act is a step toward recognizing their
    service, courage, and enduring legacy. It is about showing them not
    just with words but with action that they are seen and valued and that
    they will never ever be forgotten.
      Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 695. I urge my colleagues to do the same,
    and I reserve the balance of my time.
      Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
    gentleman from Texas (Mr. Nehls), the chief sponsor of this
    legislation.
      Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague, Chairman
    Bost, for yielding. First and foremost, it has been a sincere pleasure
    to work with the chairman and his staff to advance this important
    legislation to the House floor. It is an honor to stand with him today.
    I also extend my gratitude and thanks to my colleague, Mr. Pappas, for
    co-leading this bipartisan legislation with me for the last two
    Congresses.
      Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support of H.R. 695, the Medal
    of Honor Act.
      The Medal of Honor is our Nation's highest and most prestigious
    military decoration that can be awarded.
      Under current law, the President may award a Medal of Honor to a
    member of the Armed Forces who has distinguished himself conspicuously
    by ``gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the
    call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy of the United
    States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an
    opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces
    engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which
    the United States is not a belligerent party.''
      Since the Medal of Honor was established by Congress in 1862, it has
    been awarded 3,528 times. Today, as the chairman stated, there are only
    63 living Medal of Honor recipients.
      Throughout my time in Congress, I have had the privilege of getting
    to know some of these heroes and hearing their stories firsthand. In my
    humble opinion, these heroes are our Nation's most sacred treasure, and
    it is our obligation, as Congress, to do everything in our capacity to
    support them and their families.
      Currently, each Medal of Honor recipient receives a special pension
    that totals roughly $1,500 per month, or $18,000 annually. The last
    update to the special pension for Medal of Honor recipients was back in
    2002, when Congress passed the Medal of Honor pension act.
      This legislation increased the Medal of Honor recipients' special
    pension from $600 per month to $1,000 per month. However, since 2002,
    for more than 20 years, the Medal of Honor special pension has not been
    updated by Congress. It is long overdue that Congress acts.
      My legislation would raise the Medal of Honor special pension to
    roughly $5,600 per month, or $67,500 annually, and is fully offset.
      When I hear stories about how a Medal of Honor recipient's family
    requested to set up a GoFundMe to pay for surgery and extensive care,
    or how Medal of Honor recipients are not being reimbursed for travel
    expenses to speak at several military recruiting events, I knew
    something had to be done.
      Our Medal of Honor heroes deserve better, which is exactly why this
    critical legislation is needed. While this bill is a small step
    forward, it is the very least that Congress can do to recognize and
    show support for these selfless, courageous heroes.
      Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle
    to support our Medal of Honor recipients by passing this bipartisan
    legislation.
      Mr. McGARVEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
    gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas), my good friend and the
    ranking member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the House
    Veterans' Affairs Committee.
      Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Kentucky for
    yielding.
      Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Medal of Honor
    Act.
      The Medal of Honor is our Nation's highest military decoration. It
    recognizes the extraordinary valor that distinguished men and women of
    our military demonstrated in critical moments during their service to
    our great Nation.
      There are 63 living Medal of Honor recipients, including heroes like
    Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Pitts of New Hampshire, who served two tours
    in Afghanistan. During his second deployment, hundreds of insurgents
    attacked the Army base where he was stationed. Sergeant Pitts was badly
    wounded by a grenade but continued to fight with a tourniquet on his
    leg, singlehandedly holding his outpost for 2 hours.
      That battle is now known as the Battle of Wanat, one of the bloodiest
    battles of the war in Afghanistan. Thanks to the bravery of Sergeant
    Pitts, Americans were able to turn the tide in that battle and hold
    their position, leading Taliban fighters to withdraw from the area.
      As ranking member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the
    Veterans' Affairs Committee, I am focused, with my colleagues, on how
    we can make good on our promises to our veterans and be worthy of their
    sacrifice.
      It is our responsibility as Americans to ensure that all of our
    servicemembers, veterans, and their families have the support that they
    earned and deserve. One way we can do that is by ensuring that veterans
    are financially secure when their military service is over.
      Medal of Honor awardees receive a monthly pension that has not been
    raised in 23 years. It is well past time to do the right thing and
    increase the pension for these distinguished American warriors. This
    bill ensures their extraordinary acts of bravery are not forgotten
    and that their sacrifices are valued by a grateful Nation.

      I have been really glad to partner with Congressman Nehls on this
    bill to introduce this legislation and get it to the floor today. I
    thank him for his determined leadership on this issue and hope that we
    can get all of our colleagues on board later today with a strong vote
    in passing this legislation over to the Senate and seeing it signed
    into law.
      Mr. Speaker, this is the right thing to do by our veterans and by our
    Medal of Honor recipients, and I urge all of my colleagues to support
    this legislation.
      Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
      Mr. McGARVEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in
    supporting H.R. 695, and I yield back the balance of my time.
      Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this
    legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
      The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
    gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost)

    [[Page H859]]

    that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 695, as
    amended.
      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. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
      The yeas and nays were ordered.
      The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15-
    minute vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 695, as
    amended, will be followed by a 5-minute vote on:
      Passage of H.J. Res. 35.
      The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 424,
    nays 0, not voting 9, as follows:

                                 [Roll No. 51]

                                   YEAS--424

         Adams
         Aderholt
         Aguilar
         Alford
         Allen
         Amo
         Amodei (NV)
         Ansari
         Arrington
         Auchincloss
         Babin
         Bacon
         Baird
         Balderson
         Balint
         Barr
         Barragan
         Barrett
         Baumgartner
         Bean (FL)
         Beatty
         Begich
         Bell
         Bentz
         Bera
         Bergman
         Beyer
         Bice
         Biggs (AZ)
         Biggs (SC)
         Bilirakis
         Bishop
         Boebert
         Bonamici
         Bost
         Boyle (PA)
         Brecheen
         Bresnahan
         Brown
         Brownley
         Buchanan
         Budzinski
         Burchett
         Burlison
         Bynum
         Calvert
         Cammack
         Carbajal
         Carey
         Carson
         Carter (GA)
         Carter (LA)
         Carter (TX)
         Casar
         Case
         Casten
         Castor (FL)
         Castro (TX)
         Cherfilus-McCormick
         Chu
         Ciscomani
         Cisneros
         Clark (MA)
         Clarke (NY)
         Cleaver
         Cline
         Cloud
         Clyburn
         Clyde
         Cohen
         Cole
         Collins
         Comer
         Conaway
         Connolly
         Correa
         Costa
         Courtney
         Craig
         Crane
         Crank
         Crawford
         Crenshaw
         Crockett
         Crow
         Cuellar
         Davids (KS)
         Davidson
         Davis (IL)
         Davis (NC)
         De La Cruz
         Dean (PA)
         DeGette
         DeLauro
         DelBene
         Deluzio
         DeSaulnier
         DesJarlais
         Dexter
         Diaz-Balart
         Dingell
         Doggett
         Donalds
         Downing
         Dunn (FL)
         Edwards
         Elfreth
         Ellzey
         Emmer
         Escobar
         Espaillat
         Estes
         Evans (CO)
         Evans (PA)
         Ezell
         Fallon
         Fedorchak
         Feenstra
         Fields
         Figures
         Finstad
         Fischbach
         Fitzgerald
         Fitzpatrick
         Fleischmann
         Fletcher
         Flood
         Fong
         Foster
         Foushee
         Foxx
         Frankel, Lois
         Franklin, Scott
         Friedman
         Frost
         Fry
         Fulcher
         Garamendi
         Garbarino
         Garcia (CA)
         Garcia (IL)
         Garcia (TX)
         Gill (TX)
         Gillen
         Gimenez
         Golden (ME)
         Goldman (NY)
         Goldman (TX)
         Gomez
         Gonzales, Tony
         Gonzalez, V.
         Gooden
         Goodlander
         Gosar
         Gottheimer
         Graves
         Gray
         Green (TN)
         Green, Al (TX)
         Greene (GA)
         Griffith
         Grothman
         Guest
         Guthrie
         Hageman
         Hamadeh (AZ)
         Harder (CA)
         Haridopolos
         Harrigan
         Harris (MD)
         Harris (NC)
         Harshbarger
         Hayes
         Hern (OK)
         Higgins (LA)
         Hill (AR)
         Himes
         Hinson
         Horsford
         Houchin
         Houlahan
         Hoyer
         Hoyle (OR)
         Hudson
         Huffman
         Huizenga
         Hunt
         Hurd (CO)
         Issa
         Ivey
         Jack
         Jackson (IL)
         Jackson (TX)
         Jacobs
         James
         Jayapal
         Jeffries
         Johnson (GA)
         Johnson (LA)
         Johnson (SD)
         Johnson (TX)
         Jordan
         Joyce (OH)
         Joyce (PA)
         Kamlager-Dove
         Kaptur
         Kean
         Keating
         Kelly (IL)
         Kelly (MS)
         Kelly (PA)
         Kennedy (NY)
         Kennedy (UT)
         Khanna
         Kiggans (VA)
         Kiley (CA)
         Kim
         Knott
         Krishnamoorthi
         Kustoff
         LaHood
         LaLota
         Landsman
         Langworthy
         Larsen (WA)
         Latimer
         Latta
         Lawler
         Lee (FL)
         Lee (NV)
         Lee (PA)
         Leger Fernandez
         Letlow
         Levin
         Liccardo
         Lieu
         Lofgren
         Loudermilk
         Lucas
         Luna
         Luttrell
         Lynch
         Mace
         Mackenzie
         Magaziner
         Malliotakis
         Maloy
         Mann
         Mannion
         Massie
         Mast
         Matsui
         McBath
         McBride
         McCaul
         McClain
         McClain Delaney
         McClellan
         McClintock
         McCollum
         McCormick
         McDonald Rivet
         McDowell
         McGarvey
         McGovern
         McGuire
         McIver
         Meeks
         Menendez
         Meng
         Messmer
         Meuser
         Mfume
         Miller (OH)
         Miller (WV)
         Miller-Meeks
         Min
         Moolenaar
         Moore (AL)
         Moore (NC)
         Moore (UT)
         Moore (WI)
         Moore (WV)
         Moran
         Morelle
         Morrison
         Moskowitz
         Moulton
         Mrvan
         Murphy
         Nadler
         Neal
         Neguse
         Nehls
         Newhouse
         Norcross
         Norman
         Nunn (IA)
         Obernolte
         Ocasio-Cortez
         Ogles
         Olszewski
         Omar
         Onder
         Owens
         Pallone
         Palmer
         Panetta
         Pappas
         Pelosi
         Perez
         Perry
         Peters
         Pfluger
         Pingree
         Pocan
         Pou
         Pressley
         Quigley
         Ramirez
         Randall
         Raskin
         Reschenthaler
         Riley (NY)
         Rivas
         Rogers (AL)
         Rogers (KY)
         Ross
         Rouzer
         Roy
         Ruiz
         Rulli
         Rutherford
         Ryan
         Salazar
         Salinas
         Sanchez
         Scalise
         Scanlon
         Schakowsky
         Schmidt
         Schneider
         Scholten
         Schrier
         Schweikert
         Scott (VA)
         Scott, Austin
         Scott, David
         Self
         Sessions
         Sewell
         Sherman
         Sherrill
         Shreve
         Simon
         Simpson
         Smith (MO)
         Smith (NE)
         Smith (NJ)
         Smith (WA)
         Smucker
         Sorensen
         Soto
         Spartz
         Stansbury
         Stanton
         Stauber
         Steil
         Steube
         Stevens
         Strickland
         Strong
         Stutzman
         Subramanyam
         Suozzi
         Swalwell
         Sykes
         Takano
         Taylor
         Tenney
         Thanedar
         Thompson (CA)
         Thompson (MS)
         Thompson (PA)
         Tiffany
         Timmons
         Titus
         Tlaib
         Tokuda
         Tonko
         Torres (CA)
         Torres (NY)
         Trahan
         Tran
         Turner (OH)
         Turner (TX)
         Underwood
         Valadao
         Van Drew
         Van Duyne
         Van Orden
         Vargas
         Vasquez
         Veasey
         Velazquez
         Vindman
         Wagner
         Walberg
         Wasserman Schultz
         Waters
         Watson Coleman
         Weber (TX)
         Webster (FL)
         Westerman
         Whitesides
         Wied
         Williams (GA)
         Williams (TX)
         Wilson (FL)
         Wilson (SC)
         Wittman
         Womack
         Yakym
         Zinke

                                 NOT VOTING--9

         Grijalva
         LaMalfa
         Larson (CT)
         Miller (IL)
         Mills
         Mullin
         Pettersen
         Rose
         Stefanik

                                  {time}  1633

      Messrs. GRAVES and HUFFMAN changed their vote from ``nay'' to
    ``yea.''
      So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and
    the bill, as amended, was passed.
      The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
      A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                              ____________________