[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.
____________________