[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24622-24626]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL VISITOR CENTER

  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1442) to authorize the design and construction of a visitor 
center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1442

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. VISITOR CENTER.

       Public Law 96-297 (16 U.S.C. 431 note) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 6. VISITOR CENTER.

       ``(a) Authorization.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, 
     Inc., is authorized to construct a visitor center at or near 
     the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Federal land in the District 
     of Columbia, or its environs, subject to the provisions of 
     this section, in order to better inform and educate the 
     public about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam 
     War.
       ``(2) Location.--The visitor center shall be located 
     underground.
       ``(3) Consultation on design phase.--The Vietnam Veterans 
     Memorial Fund, Inc. shall consult with educators, veterans 
     groups, and the National Park Service in developing the 
     proposed design of the visitor center.
       ``(b) Application of Commemorative Works Act.--Chapter 89 
     of title 40, United States Code (commonly referred to as the 
     Commemorative Works Act) shall apply, including provisions 
     related to the siting, design, construction, and maintenance 
     of the visitor center, and the visitor center shall be 
     considered a commemorative work for the purposes of that Act, 
     except that--
       ``(1) final approval of the visitor center shall not be 
     withheld;
       ``(2) the provisions of section 8908(b) of title 40, United 
     States Code requiring further approval by law for the 
     location of a commemorative work within Area I shall not 
     apply; and
       ``(3) the Secretary of the Interior shall enter into a 
     written agreement with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, 
     Inc. for specified maintenance needs of the visitor center.
       ``(c) Operation.--The Secretary of the Interior shall--
       ``(1) operate the visitor center; and
       ``(2) as soon as practicable, in consultation with 
     educators and veterans groups, develop a written interpretive 
     plan for the visitor center in accordance with National Park 
     Service policy.
       ``(d) Funding.--The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. 
     shall be solely responsible for acceptance of contributions 
     for, and payment of expenses of, the establishment of the 
     visitor center. No Federal funds shall be used to pay any 
     expense of the establishment of the visitor center.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Pombo) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Napolitano) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo).
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1442, which I introduced and that was amended by 
the Committee on Resources, authorizes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 
Fund to establish an underground visitor center at or near the Vietnam 
Veterans Memorial to better inform and educate the public about the 
Memorial and the Vietnam War.
  My colleagues may not remember, but back in 1979 Congress authorized 
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to raise the necessary funds to 
build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, known more commonly as The Wall. 
The Fund met its goal, raising over $8 million. And on November 13, 
1982, The Wall was opened to the public. I have no doubt that the Fund 
will meet its goal for the visitor center.
  The Fund has been integrally involved with the Memorial since 1982, 
and I expect that it will also be integrally involved with the visitor 
center. While the center will be operated by the Park Service, the 
National Park Rangers will work side by side with volunteers and 
educators from the Memorial Fund and other veterans' organizations in 
assisting visitors as they seek a better understanding of the Memorial 
and our involvement in the war.
  Today over 4.4 million people annually visit the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial, the most visited Memorial in our Nation's capital. Some come 
to ``The Wall That Heals'' to sketch the name of their fallen mother or 
father, brother or sister on a piece of paper, while others come for a 
solemn moment with a fallen comrade. It has become the quietest place 
in our Nation's capital.

[[Page 24623]]

  No Federal funds will go toward the design and construction of the 
visitor center. Once completed, the maintenance costs will be shared by 
the Fund and the National Park Service.
  Once built, the visitor center and The Wall will work in synergy to 
provide a profound educational experience unlike any other monument or 
memorial. While the exhibits for the visitor center will be determined 
once it is built, I expect that some of the 60,000 personal articles 
that have been left by family members over the years at the Memorial 
will find a permanent home.
  A visitor center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the right thing 
to do. It is our moral responsibility to provide a place where the 
thousands of stories of profiles in courage can be told and shared with 
fellow Americans.
  Too many visitors to The Wall walk away not truly knowing the impact 
the Vietnam War had on our country, the men and women who fought in 
Vietnam and the lives of those families who lost their mothers and 
fathers, sons and daughters. While there are the names of 58,235 men 
and women on The Wall who made the ultimate sacrifice for democracy and 
security, I do not know how the draft affected their families, who they 
were, where they came from, or how they felt about the war. A visitor 
center could begin to answer some of these questions.
  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial will offer the visitor a more 
comprehensive understanding as to the evolution of the Memorial and why 
America got involved in Vietnam in the early 1950s, committed itself 
until 1973, making it our Nation's longest military conflict, spanning 
six Presidential administrations and sacrificing the lives of over 
52,000 Americans.
  I know my colleagues who unselfishly served this country during the 
Vietnam War with honor and duty, such as two of the original cosponsors 
of the bill, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), and the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), agree with me that the visitor center 
is needed.
  This bill represents a true bipartisan effort. I would like to thank 
the Committee on Resources ranking member, the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Rahall), the Committee on Resources vice chairman, the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), and our colleague, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), for their support and efforts in moving 
this legislation forward.
  I would also like to thank Jan Scruggs of the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial Fund and a number of his colleagues from veterans 
organizations across the country, Don Murphy, Deputy Director of the 
National Park Service and his staff, and David Watkins, of the minority 
staff, for all of the hours that they put in working with the majority 
staff in moving this bill forward.
  Finally, I would like to thank my constituents, Leo Burke of 
Stockton, California, a veteran of World War II, and Retired Air Force 
Colonel Robert Frank of Pleasanton, California, a veteran of the 
Vietnam War. Both have been instrumental in raising the awareness of 
H.R. 1442 and support for the visitor center.
  I would also like to thank the members of the Karl Ross Post Number 
16 American Legion in Stockton, California, and the Vietnam War 
veterans from the tri-valley area in my district for their support of 
this legislation.
  H.R. 1442, as amended, is supported by the majority, minority of the 
Committee on Resources and the administration. It has been an honor for 
me to serve in helping to move this much-delayed legislation forward.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1442 as amended. I look forward 
to this important legislation becoming law.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, any potential changes to the Vietnam Memorial or any of 
these magnificent memorials on our National Mall must be considered 
very carefully. The Wall is an incredibly powerful tool for 
reconciliation and healing as we have heard, and, as I have heard from 
many of my constituents, it is also a permanent record of sacrifice and 
loss.
  Millions of Americans feel a deep and personal connection to The 
Wall, and we in Congress are its stewards.
  In this instance a visitor center would allow the National Park 
Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to provide visitors to 
this wall a context that might further their understanding of the war.
  For many visitors, the list of over 50,000 names inscribed on black 
granite is certainly moving, but their personal understanding of, and 
connection to, the events surrounding the conflict is very limited. A 
small underground visitor center would become an a powerful tool in 
expanding visitors' connection with the Memorial and its subject 
matter.
  Certainly, there is more work to be done even after this legislation 
is enacted. How best to design and construct the center so that it will 
not intrude upon The Wall itself or any other memorial on the Mall, as 
well as how best to fund staff and maintain the center must all be 
explored.
  However, development of this legislation has become a cooperative 
process, as we have heard, and the bill contains certain provisions 
that will provide guidance on each of these issues as the process of 
establishing the center moves forward.
  Once completed, the Vietnam Memorial Visitor Center will be a welcome 
and informative addition to our National Mall. The gentleman from 
California (Mr. Pombo), the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), 
and all the cosponsors of H.R. 1442 are to be commended for their 
efforts on this important legislation.
  In addition, the contributions of the administration and the Vietnam 
Veterans Memorial Fund were vital during this process. I urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 1442, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1530

  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), vice chairman of the Committee on 
Resources and an original cosponsor of the bill.
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of a bill which will 
authorize the building of a visitors center at the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial. I am proud to have assisted and supported the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Pombo) and the leadership and the staff of the 
Committee on Resources in bringing us one step closer to making the 
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitors Center a reality.
  In this body, Mr. Speaker, I am but one of many who served our great 
Nation in uniform during this period of our country's history. And 
today we debate long-overdue legislation to create a visitors center at 
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the most popular memorial in Washington 
with more than 4 million visitors a year.
  Etched row upon row the heroes listed on the wall continue to serve 
our Nation still today. They serve to remind us of the price of 
freedom.
  Throughout the United States, teachers and students are benefiting 
from the educational programs of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. We 
must ensure that this noble effort continues beyond America's 
classrooms. It must continue when those students visit our Nation's 
capital. It must continue when they visit the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial. The underground visitors center must be there on that sacred 
site. The visitors center will create a profound learning experience 
for all Americans, a place where veterans and family members come to 
remember and often to mourn, a place where love is openly displayed, 
love for those lost in Vietnam.
  The visitors center will teach our children the lessons we learned as 
soldiers and as a country. In the best traditions of war memorials, the 
visitors center will ensure that future generations will always 
remember the sacrifices that were made by our

[[Page 24624]]

servicemembers for their country, for their freedom.
  It will educate our country's youth and continue the wall's work of 
healing our Nation. I cannot think of a more appropriate place for a 
visitors center than on the hallowed grounds of the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial.
  The Vietnam War was controversial. However, there is no controversy 
about the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who answered the 
call of duty. Former President George H.W. Bush, himself a former 
combat pilot, wrote of the legislation that we debate today, ``This 
center will remind all Americans that we owe these soldiers a debt of 
gratitude.''
  I echo the President's sentiments. Let us take up this historic step. 
Let us create a center to recognize our courageous Vietnam veterans. 
Let us establish this visitors center so every future generation 
understands the sacrifices made and as a Nation we will never forget.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to pass this historic 
legislation as a tribute to those who have served our country.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding 
me time.
  Mr. Speaker, first of all, I certainly want to commend my good 
friend, the chairman of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Pombo), and also our ranking member, the gentleman from 
West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), for their outstanding leadership in 
bringing this legislation to the floor. More especially, I want to 
commend also my good friend, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) 
and my good friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), for 
their outstanding contributions in making this legislation a 
possibility.
  Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 1442, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitors Center Act.
  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1982; and with some 
4.4 million visitors each year, it is the most visited memorial in 
Washington, D.C.
  This memorial stands as a testament to the sacrifices made by the men 
and women during the Vietnam War. Their names are engraved in the wall 
to honor their memory and serve as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice 
they made on behalf of our Nation. Some of them are my own relatives 
and friends; their names are on that wall.
  H.R. 1442 is designed to enhance public education at the Vietnam 
Veterans Memorial. Specifically, it would authorize the Vietnam 
Veterans Memorial Fund to design and construct an underground visitors 
center for the memorial. The fund would also promote the educational 
experience for the public, an experience culminating in self-guided 
tours, displays of collections and mementos of the fallen soldiers and 
exhibits discussing the historical significance of the memorial and the 
Vietnam War.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Vietnam veteran, I am painfully aware of the 
sacrifices made by these men and women in defense of freedom. I am 
honored to have been able to support this legislation which I believe 
is crucial in educating the public about the Vietnam War, as well as 
preserving the memory of our fallen men and women in the military.
  Mr. Speaker, this memorial is more than just a reminder of the events 
before, during, and after that tragic war in Vietnam. This memorial 
should also serve as a reminder to our national politicians and 
military leaders of our Nation never, never to take lightly the matter 
of putting our soldiers, our sailors, our Marines, and our Air Force 
personnel in harm's way. It should be only if there is absolutely clear 
evidence that the security and safety of our Nation is at risk.
  I need to remind my colleagues we did not win the war in Vietnam. And 
for a former Secretary of Defense to confess years later and publicly 
stating that as a matter of policy we were wrong to be in Vietnam, tell 
that to the parents and the wives and the brothers and sisters and the 
relatives of some 58,000 brave men and women who lost their lives in 
that terrible conflict, and some 400,000 who were wounded and maimed 
for life. And I cannot help it also, Mr. Speaker, but to state for the 
record that some 2 million Vietnamese, included among them tens of 
thousands of innocent women and children needlessly killed in that 
terrible conflict.
  It is my sincere hope that this memorial will stand as a center for 
learning and telling the American people the real truth of what 
happened in that dark 10-year period of our Nation's history.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like again to take this opportunity to thank my 
good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), and the ranking 
member of this committee for their continued leadership and commitment 
in honoring the Vietnam Memorial. I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
speaker in favor of H.R. 1442, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor 
Center Act.
  I am very proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation which 
authorizes the design and construction of a visitors center to enhance 
the experience of visitors to the Vietnam Memorial. I will not ever 
forget the impact that the wall had on me when it was first 
commemorated in 1982. At that time the sacrifices made by American 
soldiers, Marines, Navy, and Air Force in Vietnam were so fresh on 
everyone's conscience. However, as years pass, the Vietnam War becomes 
the subject of a history text book rather than a reality of life.
  The sacrifices made by Vietnam veterans must not simply fade into the 
past. We owe much more to the soldiers who answered the call to duty 
and who sacrificed for our freedom. Today, most of the visitors to the 
wall were not alive during the Vietnam era. Many do not fully 
understanding the message on the wall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial 
Visitors Center will ensure that Americans now and also future 
generations will learn and understand the true history of the Vietnam 
War.
  I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) for his 
leadership on this matter so that we can continue to honor the 
sacrifices made by our many brave Americans.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me 
time. I thank her for her leadership and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Pombo) for his leadership as well.
  Let me say what we all know, that there are no veterans, and I think 
all would agree, that are more deserving than Vietnam veterans, no 
veterans that got a rawer deal at home and in the field. We cannot do 
enough. They still are the homeless veterans, not simply the returning 
veterans.
  I support this memorial. And I support it because it has been put 
underground. But I come to the floor to remind people that that is not 
where it always was. It was above ground. Now it is going underground 
and still there is a lot of work to be done to make sure that it is in 
keeping with the Mall itself. The Mall is becoming a crowded urban 
area, rather than the Mall it was meant to be.
  The Vietnam Memorial, anybody who goes there knows that people who 
come to the Vietnam Memorial need some place to go. Some people that 
come, they bring so many things with them. They leave items. It is the 
most visited memorial. It is a shrine. It is not simply a memorial.
  So the need for some place for people to be is apparent here. We have 
to be very careful, however, as we get pressure from various groups. 
For example, there is another memorial, because after this wonderful 
shrine was put there, some came forward and said, we do not like that 
so we want another one. And so there is another one there

[[Page 24625]]

which, of course, people ignore because the place where people come is 
the place where there was a competition. And pursuant to that 
competition was this extraordinary memorial that could not be improved 
upon. But there was political pressure, and there is another memorial 
there that looks like all the other memorials in Washington.
  And it is political pressure that I come to the floor to remind 
people of because political pressures are making our Mall a place where 
our generation is using up all of the space.
  There is a portion of the Senate bill, when this goes to conference, 
to access the so-called reserve, the access from the White House to the 
Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. It is unfair 
to future generations to say, look, I am sorry there is no space there, 
but we had a lot of things that we wanted to commemorate.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to read a letter from the National Capital 
Planning Commission that reluctantly approved, or said it supported, 
this memorial but warned the Congress, ``While we applaud efforts of 
the Vietnam Memorial Fund to seek ways to ensure the visitors center 
will not visually intrude on the historic open space of the Mall, the 
Commission is concerned that if this center is approved, Congress will 
soon find itself under increasing pressure to authorize similar 
education centers at other memorials throughout the monumental core, 
including the Vietnam Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Martin 
Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the FDR Memorial.''
  My position on all these memorials is the same. Martin Luther King, 
when people wanted to memorialize him before 25 years, no, no 
exceptions. He had to wait 25 years. We wanted an African American 
memorial on the Mall, I was against it. It is not going to be on the 
Mall. We have to have one policy.
  I think we have done the right thing here. But this is a real warning 
to the Congress that it does not have a lot more space left on that 
Mall.

     Hon. Craig Thomas,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on National Parks,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Thomas: I am writing to express the views of 
     the National Capital Planning Commission with regard to S. 
     1076, a bill that would authorize a visitor education center 
     at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
       As I stated previously in testimony before the Senate 
     Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Commission is 
     supportive of the establishment of a visitor education 
     center. We believe such a center could help inform the 
     millions of visitors to the nation's capital--including 
     thousands of school-aged children--who are eager to learn 
     more about the complex history of the Vietnam conflict and 
     the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. However, the Commission is 
     concerned that locating an education center at the site of 
     the Vietnam Veterans Memorial would set an unwelcome 
     precedent for additional education centers at other memorials 
     across the Mall. Instead, we believe there are alternative 
     ways to provide visitors to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 
     with an education center that would be more consistent with 
     Commission policies and avoid setting a precedent for 
     additional visitor centers on the Mall.
       Since 1991, the Commission has consistently expressed 
     objection to constructing additional elements to the Vietnam 
     Veterans Memorial. In our view, the memorial succeeds in 
     evoking a powerful, emotional response precisely because of 
     its simplicity. The memorial presents a complete and timeless 
     tribute whose impact could be diminished if it were coupled 
     with an education center whose main focus would be historical 
     interpretation and exhibit. In addition, as you may be aware, 
     in September 2001, this Commission, along with the Commission 
     of Fine Arts and the National Capital Memorials Commission, 
     adopted the Memorials and Museums Master Plan to guide the 
     location of new memorials and related structures in the 
     nation's capital. The Plan sets forth a policy stating that 
     visitor services at memorials in Area I, which includes the 
     Vietnam Veterans Memorial, ``should be limited to only small 
     information kiosks and restroom facilities and should not 
     contain buildings or interior housing exhibits, displays, 
     collection, or other interpretive products and programs 
     normally found in museums, visitor centers, or education 
     centers.''
       While we applaud efforts of the Vietnam Memorial Fund to 
     seek ways to ensure that the visitor center will not visually 
     intrude upon the historic open space of the Mall, the 
     Commission is concerned that if this center is approved, 
     Congress may soon find itself under increasing pressure to 
     authorize similar education centers at other memorials 
     throughout the Monumental Core, including the Korean War 
     Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Martin 
     Luther King, Jr. Memorial, or the FDR Memorial. Additional 
     structures at these sites would further diminish the Mall's 
     cherished open landscape.
       As we move forward to implement the Memorials and Museums 
     Master Plan, we anticipate working with the National Park 
     Service on a study that will provide a comprehensive 
     assessment of landscape conditions, land use, and visitor 
     services on and adjacent to the Mall. We expect the study 
     will examine alternatives for educating visitors about 
     memorials located on the Mall.
       We look forward to working with the Committee on this 
     important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact our 
     General Counsel, Ash Jain, or myself at (202) 482-7200 if we 
     can be of any further assistance.
           Sincerely,
                                            Patricia E. Gallagher,
                                               Executive Director.

  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza).
  Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
legislation. I want to thank its sponsor, my good friend, the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Pombo), the chairman of our committee, for his 
leadership on this issue.
  Just a few weeks from now on November 11, our Nation will observe 
Veterans Day. I believe one of the most moving tributes to our veterans 
is in fact this Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall which honors the service 
and sacrifice of over 3.5 million Americans who served in Southeast 
Asia during that conflict.
  Our Nation suffered the loss of 58,000 men and women and more than 
300,000 came home injured or wounded. The Vietnam wall honors those we 
lost and pays a testament to their sacrifice. The fact that the wall is 
the most visited monument in Washington speaks to the experience it 
offers to every visitor.
  As impressive as the wall is, I believe we can enhance the experience 
by establishing a facility to educate visitors about the sacrifices 
that our troops made during the conflict. The legislation we are 
considering today would authorize the creation of an underground 
educational visitors center within the memorial's existing 2-acre site. 
The facility will feature photographs of those who were killed or 
remain missing, as well as some of the more 60,000 items that have been 
left at the wall over the last few years.
  The visitors center would be funded by private donations through the 
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, a nonprofit organization that raised 
money to build the memorial wall.
  Earlier this year I was pleased to take part in a Committee on 
Resources hearing on the grounds of the national Mall next to the 
memorial. I believe an educational visitors center will serve as an 
important learning tool for the millions of visitors who will visit the 
wall each year, especially those too young to remember the conflict in 
Vietnam.
  Through the passage of this legislation today, we can help the 
American school children and the public at large have a greater access 
to the information about service, sacrifice, and patriotism for those 
whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Wall.

                              {time}  1545

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I just wanted to thank my speakers for coming in and supporting this 
important piece of legislation, and I am only sorry I did not get on 
the gentleman from California's (Mr. Pombo) bill early enough because 
it would have been something that would be tremendously important. My 
brother served in Vietnam.
  I urge my colleagues to support and endorse this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) and 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza), two of my California 
colleagues who have worked so hard on

[[Page 24626]]

this legislation and others over the past several months to make this a 
reality, and I think that their support is well-known amongst the 
veteran community, and I thank them for their work.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1442, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1442, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________