[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 150 (Monday, September 15, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4294-H4295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FALLEN SERVICEMEMBERS RELIGIOUS HERITAGE RESTORATION ACT
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2701) to direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to
establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried
in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that
incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2701
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 ``Fallen Servicemembers
Religious Heritage Restoration Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) An estimated 900 American-Jewish servicemembers of the
Armed Forces, killed in World War I and World War II and
buried overseas in United States military cemeteries were,
for various reasons, mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses.
In most instances, those mistakes were made inadvertently.
(2) In 2022, more than 2,000,000 people visited the United
States World War I and World War II cemeteries in foreign
countries.
(3) American-Jewish servicemembers played a vital role in
the Allied victories in World War I and World War II.
(4) American-Jewish servicemembers who fought and died for
the United States must have their heritage properly
recognized and honored.
(5) The United States Government has a solemn
responsibility to ensure that every American servicemember
killed in action and buried overseas is properly honored.
(6) The work of properly identifying American-Jewish
servicemembers buried overseas is vital and integral to the
responsibility of the American Battle Monuments Commission to
ensure that past mistakes in honoring those servicemembers
who died in the line of duty are corrected.
SEC. 3. FALLEN SERVICEMEMBERS RELIGIOUS HERITAGE RESTORATION
PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The American Battle Monuments
Commission shall establish a program to identify covered
members and to contact survivors and descendants of such
covered members. Such program shall be known as the ``Fallen
Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program''.
(b) Duration.--The Commission shall carry out the Fallen
Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program during
the first five fiscal years that begin after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
(c) Contracts.--
(1) Authority.--During each fiscal year described in
subsection (b), the Commission shall seek to enter into a
contract with a nonprofit organization under which such
nonprofit organization shall carry out the purpose described
in subsection (a).
(2) Term; amount.--Each contract under this subsection
shall be for one year and in the amount of $500,000 to the
nonprofit organization.
(3) Priority.--In awarding a contract under this
subsection, the Commission shall give priority to a nonprofit
organization that has demonstrated capability and expertise
in carrying out the purpose described in subsection (a).
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``covered member'' means a deceased member of
the Armed Forces who was Jewish and buried--
(A) in a United States military cemetery located outside
the United States; and
(B) under a marker that indicates such member was not
Jewish.
(2) The term ``nonprofit organization'' means an
organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section
501(a) of such Code.
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, 2032''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on
H.R. 2701.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2701, as amended,
offered by Representative Wasserman Schultz.
This bill would propel VA to identify and correct the gravestones of
fallen American-Jewish servicemembers who were killed in World War I
and World War II.
An estimated 900 American-Jewish servicemembers were mistakenly
buried under a Latin cross headstone at overseas U.S. veterans
cemeteries. This bill would seek to right this wrong by creating the
Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program. It would
direct the ABMC, which maintains our cemeteries overseas, to contract
with nonprofit organizations to identify these servicemembers and
correct this to properly honor them.
Since the Revolutionary War, Jewish Americans have fought to defend
our Nation's freedoms. Madam Speaker, it should go without saying that
they deserve to be honored properly with the dignity that they have
earned.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, H.R. 2701, as
amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2701, the Fallen
Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act, as amended. I thank
my good friend and colleague Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz
for introducing this bill.
Madam Speaker, oftentimes veterans who were buried overseas during
World Wars I and II were put to rest on foreign soil without the full
picture of who they were as people. In life, these servicemen and -
women showed courage, honor, respect, dignity, and sacrifice. In death,
some have been unfortunately misrepresented.
Not because of malice, but more often circumstances of time, space,
and uncertainty, roughly 900 American-Jewish servicemembers were buried
under a Latin cross that does not accurately reflect their religious
heritage.
The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act seeks to
correct this oversight. It formalizes a program with the American
Battle Monuments Commission to identify and establish contact with
descendants of those fallen servicemembers who were mistakenly buried
under the Latin cross and works in partnership with a nonprofit
organization to obtain the grave marker that accurately represents
their religious heritage and replace the inaccurate headstone.
Acts like this provide a structure to identify our veterans not
merely as markers in cemeteries, but as whole humans, with their belief
in something greater than even their service--their creator.
I am thankful to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz)
for championing this effort and for ensuring we are accurately
capturing the history and dignity of those who served overseas in some
of our most trying conflicts.
Far too often, we think of Arlington National Cemetery or maybe your
local veterans cemetery and don't even realize that we have
servicemembers buried overseas in plots around the world.
The work of the American Battle Monuments Commission is broad,
reaching across 26 permanent American military cemeteries, over 30
memorials, monuments, and markers, in 17 different countries. I
encourage all those who have the opportunity to do so to visit one of
these cemeteries.
If you find yourself overseas, do an internet search and see if you
can stop by an ABMC location. You will be awed and humbled by the
emotional sight of seeing the true cost of freedom and sacrifice. I can
assure you, you will find a passionate group of caretakers, educators,
historians, and advocates who take such care to keep these lands
sacred.
It is people like this who continually work to ensure those buried
far from home are done so in dignity and with their true heritage
represented. Their efforts and the efforts of those who have worked so
hard to bring this program and legislation to this point assure that
we, as a nation, with our
[[Page H4295]]
overseas partners, will work continuously for accurate representation
and history for our veteran community.
Madam Speaker, I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to
do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), my very good friend and author of H.R.
2701. She serves as ranking member on the House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related
Agencies.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for
his indulgence in yielding time to speak in support of my bill, the
Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act. I thank
Chairman Bost for advancing this legislation through his committee and
for his indulgence in reordering its consideration on the floor so that
I could make it here to actually speak on the bill. I very much
appreciate it.
My bill, as you have heard, is straightforward and bipartisan. It
rights a wrong that occurred in some cases by accident where a Jewish
servicemember was laid to rest under a headstone misidentifying their
religion.
It ensures the United States properly honors the religion and
heritage of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our
Nation. It does so by creating a program with the American Battle
Monuments Commission to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried
in U.S. military cemeteries in ABMC purview under headstones that
incorrectly represent their religion and heritage.
World War I and World War II were brutal and devastating, leading to
challenges of ensuring every fallen American servicemember received the
honor and respect of a proper burial.
From World War II alone, it is estimated that 600 American-Jewish
servicemembers killed in action remain improperly buried under Latin
crosses rather than Stars of David. While some of these improper
burials were due to clerical errors, we have heard many stories of
Jewish war heroes not wanting to display their faith on their dog tags
while fighting against the anti-Semitic and genocidal Nazi regime.
Sadly, this issue is not limited to World War II.
This past spring, I had the honor of participating in a ceremony at
Arlington National Cemetery to properly honor two World War I fallen
American-Jewish servicemembers, Private David Moser and Private First
Class Adolph Hanf. Both were laid to rest for over 100 years under a
headstone etched with a Latin cross.
In a moving ceremony sponsored by Private Moser's family, these
American heroes' headstones were replaced, properly honoring their
heritage after all these years. It was so moving to honor the
tremendous sacrifices Jewish Americans paid in service to our Nation,
fighting for the same rights and freedoms every American cherishes.
At a moment when anti-Semitism is at record highs, this moment of
healing was incredibly special. Knowing that there are hundreds of
additional fallen Jewish servicemembers who deserve the same
recognition as Private Moser and Private First Class Hanf makes this
bill all the more important.
{time} 1730
I have been honored by all the wide-ranging organizational support
for the bill and for my colleagues who have partnered with me on this
mission.
Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Max Miller for being my co-lead
and Senators Moran and Rosen for championing this bill in the Senate.
As the ranking member of Appropriations' Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, which provides
funding for the ABMC, I am acutely aware that the programs that
Congress authorizes require funding to ensure proper implementation.
In both fiscal year 2026 House and Senate MILCON-VA appropriations
bills, we secured $500,000 to carry out this mission with ABMC, and I
look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that it stays in
the bill as we continue consideration during conference negotiations.
It is critical that Jewish Americans who served our Nation in uniform
and paid the ultimate price are able to be laid to rest honoring their
religious heritage. Unfortunately, due to the fog of war, hundreds of
Jewish servicemembers were denied that last opportunity.
This bill is an important step to allow for the research necessary to
correct these errors and ensure there are resources for that work. This
will make it possible for these brave Jewish servicemembers'
descendants to know that their loved one's military service, life, and
religious heritage are properly honored.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 2701
so we can properly honor our fallen Jewish-American servicemembers.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I have no more speakers. I am ready to
close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on
H.R. 2701, the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration
Act, as amended.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Madam 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) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 2701, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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