[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7599-7602]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1610
                 HONORING AMERICAN VETERANS ACT OF 2011

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 1627) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
provide for certain requirements for the placement of monuments in 
Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1627

       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 ``Honoring American Veterans 
     Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PLACEMENT OF MONUMENTS IN 
                   ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY.

       Section 2409(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``Under'' and inserting ``(1) Under'';
       (2) by inserting after ``Secretary of the Army'' the 
     following: ``and subject to paragraph (2)''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
       ``(2)(A) Except for a monument containing or marking 
     interred remains, no monument (or similar structure, as 
     determined by the Secretary of the Army in regulations) may 
     be placed in Arlington National Cemetery except pursuant to 
     the provisions of this subsection.
       ``(B) A monument may be placed in Arlington National 
     Cemetery if the monument commemorates--
       ``(i) the service in the Armed Forces of the individual, or 
     group of individuals, whose memory is to be honored by the 
     monument; or
       ``(ii) a particular military event.
       ``(C) No monument may be placed in Arlington National 
     Cemetery until the end of the 25-year period beginning--
       ``(i) in the case of the commemoration of service under 
     subparagraph (B)(i), on the last day of the period of service 
     so commemorated; and
       ``(ii) in the case of the commemoration of a particular 
     military event under subparagraph (B)(ii), on the last day of 
     the period of the event.
       ``(D) A monument may be placed only in those sections of 
     Arlington National Cemetery designated by the Secretary of 
     the Army for such placement and only on land the Secretary 
     determines is not suitable for burial.
       ``(E) A monument may only be placed in Arlington National 
     Cemetery if an appropriate non-governmental entity has agreed 
     to act as a sponsoring organization to coordinate the 
     placement of the monument and--
       ``(i) the construction and placement of the monument are 
     paid for only using funds from private sources;
       ``(ii) the Secretary of the Army consults with the 
     Commission of Fine Arts before approving the design of the 
     monument; and
       ``(iii) the sponsoring organization provides for an 
     independent study on the availability and suitability of 
     alternative locations for the proposed monument outside of 
     Arlington National Cemetery.
       ``(3)(A) The Secretary of the Army may waive the 
     requirement under paragraph (2)(C) in a case in which the 
     monument would commemorate a group of individuals who the 
     Secretary determines--
       ``(i) has made valuable contributions to the Armed Forces 
     that have been ongoing and perpetual for longer than 25 years 
     and are expected to continue on indefinitely; and
       ``(ii) has provided service that is of such a character 
     that the failure to place a monument to the group in 
     Arlington National Cemetery would present a manifest 
     injustice.
       ``(B) If the Secretary waives such requirement under 
     subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall--
       ``(i) make available on an Internet website notification of 
     the waiver and the rationale for the waiver; and
       ``(ii) submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the 
     Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee 
     on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of 
     the House of Representatives written notice of the waiver and 
     the rationale for the waiver.
       ``(4) The Secretary of the Army shall provide notice to the 
     Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
     and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
     Representatives of any monument proposed to be placed in 
     Arlington National Cemetery. During the 60-day period 
     beginning on the date on which such notice is received, 
     Congress may pass a joint resolution of disapproval of the 
     placement of the monument. The proposed monument may not be 
     placed in Arlington National Cemetery until the later of--
       ``(A) if Congress does not pass a joint resolution of 
     disapproval of the placement of the monument, the date that 
     is 60 days after the date on which notice is received under 
     this paragraph; or
       ``(B) if Congress passes a joint resolution of disapproval 
     of the placement of the monument, and the President signs a 
     veto of such resolution, the earlier of--
       ``(i) the date on which either House of Congress votes and 
     fails to override the veto of the President; or
       ``(ii) the date that is 30 session days after the date on 
     which Congress received the veto and objections of the 
     president.''.

     SEC. 3. CODIFICATION OF PROHIBITION AGAINST RESERVATION OF 
                   GRAVESITES AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 24 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting after section 2410 the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 2410A. Arlington National Cemetery: other 
       administrative matters

       ``(a) One Gravesite Per Family.--(1) Not more than one 
     gravesite may be provided at Arlington National Cemetery to a 
     veteran or member of the Armed Forces who is eligible for 
     interment at such cemetery and the family members of such 
     veteran or member who are also eligible for interment at such 
     cemetery.
       ``(2) The Secretary may waive the requirement under 
     paragraph (1) in extreme circumstances, as determined by the 
     Secretary. If the Secretary waives such requirement under 
     this paragraph, the Secretary shall submit notice of the 
     waiver to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the 
     Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee 
     on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of 
     the House of Representatives.
       ``(b) Prohibition Against Reservation of Gravesites.--A 
     gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery may not be reserved 
     for an individual before the death of such individual.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 24 of such title is amended by inserting 
     after the item relating to section 2410 the following new 
     item:

``2410A. Arlington National Cemetery: other administrative matters.''.

       (c) Applicability.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
     section 2410A of such title, as added by subsection (a), 
     shall apply with respect to all interments at Arlington 
     National Cemetery after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.
       (2) Exception.--Subsection (b) of such section, as so 
     added, shall not apply with respect to the interment of an 
     individual for whom a written request for a reserved 
     gravesite was submitted to the Secretary of the Army before 
     January 1, 1962, and subsequently approved.
       (d) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall 
     submit to Congress a report on reservations made for 
     interment at Arlington National Cemetery.
       (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) The number of requests for reservation of a gravesite 
     at Arlington National Cemetery that were submitted to the 
     Secretary of the Army before January 1, 1962.
       (B) The number of gravesites at such cemetery that, on the 
     day before the date of the enactment of this Act, were 
     reserved in response to such requests.
       (C) The number of such gravesites that, on the day before 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, were unoccupied.
       (D) A list of all reservations for gravesites at such 
     cemetery that were extended by individuals responsible for 
     management of such cemetery in response to requests for such 
     reservations made on or after January 1, 1962.
       (E) A description of the measures that the Secretary is 
     taking to improve the accountability and transparency of the 
     management of gravesite reservations at Arlington National 
     Cemetery.
       (F) Such recommendations as the Secretary may have for 
     legislative action as the Secretary considers necessary to 
     improve such accountability and transparency.

     SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE PROVISION OF A 
                   MEMORIAL MARKER ON CHAPLAINS HILL TO HONOR THE 
                   MEMORY OF THE JEWISH CHAPLAINS WHO DIED WHILE 
                   ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE 
                   UNITED STATES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) 13 Jewish chaplains have died while on active duty in 
     the Armed Forces of the United States.
       (2) Army Chaplain Rabbi Alexander Goode died on February 3, 
     1943, when then U.S.S. Dorchester was sunk by German 
     torpedoes off the coast of Greenland.
       (3) Chaplain Goode received the Four Chaplains' Medal for 
     Heroism and the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroic 
     efforts to save the lives of those onboard the Dorchester.
       (4) Army Chaplain Rabbi Irving Tepper was killed in action 
     in France on August 13, 1944.
       (5) Chaplain Tepper also saw combat in Morocco, Tunisia, 
     and Sicily while attached to an infantry combat team in the 
     Ninth Division.
       (6) Army Chaplain Rabbi Louis Werfel died on December 24, 
     1944, at the young age of 27, in a plane crash while en route 
     to conduct Chanukah services.
       (7) Chaplain Werfel was known as ``The Flying Rabbi'' 
     because his duties required traveling great distances by 
     plane to serve Army personnel of Jewish faith at outlying 
     posts.
       (8) Army Chaplain Rabbi Meir Engel died at the Naval 
     Hospital in Saigon, Vietnam, on December 16, 1964, after 
     faithfully serving his country during World War II, the 
     Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
       (9) Army Chaplain Rabbi Morton Singer died on December 17, 
     1968, in a plane crash while on a mission in Vietnam to 
     conduct Chanukah services.

[[Page 7600]]

       (10) Army Chaplain Rabbi Herman Rosen died in service of 
     his faith and his country on June 18, 1943.
       (11) His son, Air Force Chaplain Solomon Rosen, also died 
     in service of his faith and his country on November 2, 1948.
       (12) Army Chaplain Rabbi Nachman Arnoff died in service of 
     his faith and his country on May 9, 1946.
       (13) Army Chaplain Rabbi Frank Goldenberg died in service 
     of his faith and his country on May 22, 1946.
       (14) Army Chaplain Rabbi Henry Goody died in service of his 
     faith and his country on October 19, 1943.
       (15) Army Chaplain Rabbi Samuel Hurwitz died in service of 
     his faith and his country on December 9, 1943.
       (16) Air Force Chaplain Rabbi Samuel Rosen died in service 
     of his faith and his country on May 13, 1955.
       (17) Air Force Chaplain Rabbi David Sobel died in service 
     of his faith and his country on March 7, 1974.
       (18) Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery 
     memorializes the names of 242 chaplains who perished while 
     serving on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United 
     States.
       (19) None of the 13 Jewish chaplains who have died while 
     serving on active duty are memorialized on Chaplains Hill.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that an 
     appropriate site on Chaplains Hill in Arlington National 
     Cemetery should be provided for a memorial marker, to be paid 
     for with private funds, to honor the memory of the Jewish 
     chaplains who died while on active duty in the Armed Forces 
     of the United States, so long as the Secretary of the Army 
     has exclusive authority to approve the design and site of the 
     memorial marker.

     SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE 
                   OF MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES 
                   WHO ARE SERVING IN, OR HAVE SERVED IN, 
                   OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, OPERATION IRAQI 
                   FREEDOM, AND OPERATION NEW DAWN.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) More than 2,000,000 members of the Armed Forces have 
     deployed to the theaters of war since the commencement of 
     Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and 
     Operation New Dawn.
       (2) Hundreds of thousands of such members have deployed for 
     multiple tours of duty, leaving their homes, their families, 
     and in many cases, their civilian jobs.
       (3) More than 5,500 members of the Armed Forces have made 
     the ultimate sacrifice for the United States while serving in 
     Iraq or Afghanistan.
       (4) Tens of thousands of additional members of the Armed 
     Forces have been seriously wounded in the line of duty while 
     serving in these theaters of war.
       (5) These members of the Armed Forces have answered the 
     Nation's call to duty, serving bravely and nobly and, in most 
     cases, without fanfare or acclaim.
       (6) These members of the Armed Forces have personified the 
     virtues of patriotism, service, duty, courage, and sacrifice.
       (7) All Americans recognize the service and sacrifices made 
     by these members of the Armed Forces and their families.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--Congress--
       (1) honors the members of the Armed Forces who are serving 
     in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and 
     Operation New Dawn and the members and veterans who have 
     previously served in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation 
     Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn; and
       (2) calls on all Americans to reflect on the service of 
     these members and veterans and to hold them in a special 
     place of honor now and in the future.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Miller) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1627, as amended, a bill to 
provide for certain requirements for the placement of monuments in 
Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes.
  H.R. 1627, as amended, is a bipartisan bill that contains several 
provisions related to Arlington National Cemetery which were originally 
included in H.R. 1627, H.R. 1441, H. Con. Res. 12, and H. Con. Res. 45.
  H.R. 1441, introduced by Mr. Runyan, codifies regulations and 
policies that bar reservations for burial or interment at Arlington 
National Cemetery made on or after January 1, 1962. There was broad 
support for this legislation at the committee's legislative hearing, 
and we have included two changes that Arlington management raised with 
the original text of the bill.
  The bill, as amended, also includes additional transparency to the 
process of waivers for new monuments at Arlington. Under the process 
set up in the bill, as amended, whenever the Secretary of the Army 
approves a monument in compliance with the criteria set forth in the 
bill, Congress must immediately be notified of the decision. Congress 
then has 60 days to pass a resolution opposing the Secretary's 
position. This provides a clear check and balance on the Secretary's 
decision while removing the added time that it usually takes for 
Congress to pass a resolution in support of the waiver, as required by 
the current process.
  The bill, as amended, also includes H. Con. Res. 12, which expresses 
the sense of Congress that an appropriate site on Chaplains Hill in 
Arlington National Cemetery be provided for a memorial marker to honor 
the memory of Jewish chaplains who died while on active duty. The honor 
of this monument for these brave servicemembers is long overdue, and I 
am especially glad we were able to pass this resolution during the 
month of May, which is Jewish American Heritage Month.
  Finally, the bill as amended includes H. Con. Res. 45, which I 
introduced, honoring the service and sacrifice of the members of the 
United States Armed Forces who are serving in, or who have served in, 
Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New 
Dawn. As we observe Memorial Day next week, I believe it is very 
appropriate to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of these veterans 
and servicemembers from our most recent conflicts.
  I urge all Members to support H.R. 1627, as amended.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I too rise in support of this piece of legislation, Honoring American 
Veterans Act of 2011. It is a very important, very sacred 
responsibility with the placement of monuments and how Arlington 
National Cemetery and our national cemeteries work. It is very clear in 
the prohibition of the reservation of grave sites at Arlington 
National. It also makes clear that only one grave site per family is 
permitted for burial.
  Again, I am proud of serving on this committee and am proud of the 
chairman and the subcommittee chairman's work. There was a little bit 
of controversy as we talked through this issue of Arlington monuments, 
but I am very pleased the way this worked out. I think the compromise, 
working with the Senate and making sure that happens is in the right 
interest of the veterans' groups; it is in the right interest of those 
families who have their loved ones interred at Arlington.
  I think once we develop that commission, it keeps Congress in the 
loop, strikes that proper balance of the original bill, we are going to 
have a really great piece of legislation, and that is exactly the way 
it is supposed to work.
  This piece of legislation does honor the memory of those Jewish 
chaplains at Arlington by establishing a memorial marker on Chaplains 
Hill, and rightly so, to honor those who died while on active duty, and 
pays tribute to all of our servicemembers serving in Operation Enduring 
Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn.
  I think it is, again, absolutely appropriate that this piece of 
legislation is coming up the week before Memorial Day, and I believe 
the committee is doing the work we were sent to do.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan).
  Mr. RUNYAN. I thank Chairman Miller.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1627, as amended, a 
bill containing several provisions regarding Arlington National 
Cemetery.
  H.R. 1627, as amended and introduced by Chairman Miller, alters the 
requirements for the placement of certain monuments within Arlington 
National Cemetery. It would limit the

[[Page 7601]]

erection of monuments not containing interred remains. These changes 
bring the requirements in better accord with the primary purpose of the 
cemetery: to honor our fallen servicemembers.
  H.R. 1441, which I have introduced and included in H.R. 1627, as 
amended, would codify the regulations and policies barring reservations 
for burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
  After being informed by a constituent of potential problems of past 
mismanagement at the cemetery, including lax oversight, damaged graves, 
and improper burials, I met with Mr. Patrick Hallinan, superintendent 
of Arlington National Cemetery, and Ms. Kathryn Condon, executive 
director of the Army National Cemeteries Program, in March, who helped 
me to quickly address and resolve the concerns of my constituent. H.R. 
1627 will give Mr. Hallinan and Ms. Condon valuable tools to further 
aid them in their stewardship of some of the Nation's most sacred 
ground.
  The space at Arlington National Cemetery is very limited, so we must 
plan accordingly. These provisions ensure that our Nation's most 
revered cemetery will remain open to all eligible veterans, regardless 
of rank or position, while maintaining its current pristine and 
peaceful setting for the interment of our fallen servicemembers.
  The bill, as amended, also includes H. Con. Res. 12, which expresses 
the same sense of Congress that a monument should be placed to honor 
Jewish chaplains. As an original cosponsor of this resolution, I am 
thankful that we were able to include it in this bill.
  Finally, the bill, as amended, includes H. Con. Res. 45, which 
Chairman Miller introduced to honor the commitment and dedication of 
our Armed Forces who are serving, or have served, in Operation Enduring 
Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn.
  Over 2 million members of the armed services have been deployed to 
theaters of war since the commencement of Operation Enduring Freedom, 
Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. As Chairman Miller 
noted, it is especially fitting that we honor our servicemembers as 
Memorial Day approaches.
  I want to thank my friend, Mr. McNerney of California, the ranking 
member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorials, for 
his bipartisan leadership in moving this bill forward.
  I urge all Members to support H.R. 1627, as amended.
  Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack).
  Mr. LOEBSACK. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1627, which contains 
legislation that Congressman Runyan and I introduced to end the 
practice of backroom deals and reservations at Arlington National 
Cemetery.
  It codifies what has been Army policy since 1962--that every eligible 
servicemember should be buried at Arlington without regard for rank or 
status. Unfortunately, Army policy has gone unheeded for over 40 years, 
and past supervisors of the cemetery have allowed these deals to 
continue. The bill, therefore, requires a full accounting of the off-
the-books deals that have been made in the past.
  Arlington National Cemetery, as we all know, is our Nation's most 
hallowed ground. The promise we make to those who wear our Nation's 
uniform and to their families is that our Nation will honor and 
remember their service, that we will never forget that freedom is not 
free.
  As Memorial Day approaches, as everyone today has mentioned, I 
strongly believe we should honor all those who have served by putting 
an end to reservations at Arlington once and for all.

                              {time}  1620

  I would especially like to thank Congressman Runyan for allowing me 
to work with him on H.R. 1441 and on the larger bill, H.R. 1627. I want 
to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Mr. Filner for their support as 
well.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner).
  Mr. WEINER. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
  I also want to express my appreciation to Chairman Miller, Ranking 
Member Filner, Chairman Runyan of the subcommittee, and our colleague 
Congressman McNerney.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1627, which contains 
authorization language from a bill that I sponsored, House Concurrent 
Resolution 12, to designate a plot of land at Arlington Cemetery to be 
used for a memorial honoring the Jewish chaplains of our Armed 
Services.
  Jewish chaplains have served our country for 149 years. In fact, 
there are 32 currently on active duty today, yet they still do not have 
a place with their Protestant and Catholic counterparts on Chaplains 
Hill in Arlington Cemetery. Today, all that is standing between 
Arlington Cemetery and a memorial for Jewish chaplains is the passage 
of this bill in the House and Senate.
  I, frankly, am not the one who thought of creating a memorial for 
Jewish chaplains. In fact, like many Jewish Americans and veterans 
nationwide, I was surprised to learn that no such memorial existed at 
Arlington Cemetery. A citizen named Ken Kraetzer, who is the vice 
commander of the Sons of the American Legion for New York State and who 
is joining us here today, noted the absence of a monument for Jewish 
chaplains while he was researching the stories of the four immortal 
chaplains who died while giving final rites on board the USS Dorchester 
in 1943.
  For those who are unfamiliar with the story, as I was, a convoy of 
three ships passed through ``torpedo alley'' off the coast of Greenland 
at about 1 a.m. on February 3, 1943. A German U-boat fired three 
torpedoes, one of which hit the Dorchester--a U.S. Army troop ship with 
more than 900 men on board. The four chaplains on board--two Protestant 
pastors, a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi--were among the first on 
deck, calming the men and handing out lifejackets. When they ran out of 
lifejackets, without regard to faith or race, they took off their own 
and placed them on waiting soldiers. Approximately 18 minutes from the 
explosion, the ship went down. By witnesses, they were last seen 
standing arm-in-arm on the hull of the ship, each praying in his own 
way for the care of the men. Almost 700 died that day, making it the 
third largest loss at sea of its kind for the United States during 
World War II.
  While trying to locate these four famous chaplains on Chaplains Hill, 
Mr. Kraetzer noticed that Rabbi Alexander Goode was the only one of the 
four chaplains not distinguished by a memorial. Ken partnered with two 
other veterans, Rabbi Harold Robinson and Sol Moglen, who are also in 
the gallery today, to help lead fund-raising efforts. It took just a 
few months, and they raised over $50,000.
  They used the other memorials as a model for the new monument they 
proposed for the 13 Jewish chaplains who lost their lives from 1943 to 
1974. The monument, as designed, will stand 7 feet tall with a bronze 
plaque mounted on a granite slab, listing all 13 names, as well as the 
Jewish proverb, ``I ask not for a lighter burden but for broader 
shoulders,'' and it would also have an inscription of the Star of 
David. There will also be a place at the bottom for future chaplains 
if, God forbid, needed.
  While planning this project, Mr. Kraetzer, Rabbi Robinson and Mr. 
Moglen were in touch with Arlington Cemetery. They were notified--
something that I'm sure members of the committee knew, but I did not--
that a 2001 rule requires congressional approval for all memorials at 
Arlington Cemetery, which we are rectifying today with this bill. It 
should be pointed out that the section of the bill that we are going to 
be sponsoring mirrors Senate action. Although it's part of a larger 
bill, it will take effect as soon as their action takes effect. It does 
not need the signing of the President, according to those at the Army.

[[Page 7602]]

  The group quickly alerted the Jewish War Veterans of the United 
States of America, the Jewish Welfare Board, the Jewish Chaplains 
Council, and they finally reached out to me. I was touched by the work 
of these great men, and quickly introduced a resolution to fix the 
problem. Senator Schumer is the sponsor of the Senate version, S. Con. 
Res. 4, which has 25 Senate sponsors. The resolution we have today is 
bipartisan in nature. It has 86 cosponsors, and had been endorsed by 35 
Jewish organizations and 47 Jewish War Veterans chapters before being 
added to the bill.
  The Jewish Federations of North America and Shelly Rood have been 
working to help pass this bill to recognize the achievements of these 
13 Jewish chaplains. I also want to thank Major Gretchen Gardner of 
Arlington Cemetery for helping us all navigate the Army's process.
  My staff has been ensured by Major Gardner and others that, if we and 
the Senate pass this bill, it will satisfy the requirements of 32 CFR 
553.22(1) of the Code of Federal Regulations, which governs the 
monuments at Arlington Cemetery.
  Finally, surviving members of the chaplains have been involved in 
this process. I want to particularly recognize David and Rafael Engel, 
who are the sons of Meir Engel, and their children, Jonathan and Yael, 
who are here with us today, as well as Vera Silberberg, the daughter of 
Morton Singer.
  I am very grateful that we are one step closer to raising this 
monument and to properly honoring the brave Jewish chaplains who serve 
our country today. There can be no better way to celebrate Jewish 
Heritage Month. I look forward to the ceremony at Arlington Cemetery 
that will follow this vote.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.
  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Chairman and my colleagues, if it would be 
appropriate, I would like to now list the names of the 13 fallen 
chaplains who will be honored on this memorial should this become law:
  Captain Nachman Arnoff of the United States Army, Lieutenant Colonel 
Meir Engel of the United States Army, First Lieutenant Frank Goldenberg 
of the United States Army, Lieutenant Alexander Goode of the United 
States Army, Lieutenant Henry Goody of the United States Army, Major 
Samuel Hurwitz of the United States Army, First Lieutenant Herman Rosen 
of the United States Army, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Rosen of the 
United States Air Force, First Lieutenant Solomon Rosen of the United 
States Army, Captain Morton Singer of the United States Army, Captain 
David Sobel of the United States Air Force, Captain Irving Tepper of 
the United States Army, and First Lieutenant Louis Werfel of the United 
States Army.
  May God bless their souls, and may we remember them and honor them 
with a memorial at Arlington Cemetery.
  I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this, and I thank my 
colleagues for their indulgence.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
referencing persons occupying the gallery.
  Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. We are certainly proud of this piece of 
legislation, Madam Speaker, and we are in full support of it. I would 
like to thank the gentleman from New York for his unflinching and 
unwavering work to get this done for all the right reasons.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. I too want to thank my good friend from New 
York (Mr. Weiner) for his fine work on this piece of legislation. I am 
proud to have it in the bill today at this particular time of the year, 
in the month of May.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1627, as 
amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1627, 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. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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