[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11084]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE WINDSOR RULING

  (Ms. TITUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, today is the 1-year anniversary of the 
historic decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. We 
celebrate the progress we have made for LGBT equality; but, more 
importantly, we must recommit to ending the injustice that remains.
  An announcement last week by the administration regarding ongoing 
efforts to extend Federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples 
in the wake of that Windsor decision clarifies what I have long 
suspected.
  Unless Congress acts, legally married same-sex servicemembers, 
veterans, and their spouses will continue to face discrimination when 
accessing their benefits from the VA.
  That is why, nearly a year ago, I introduced H.R. 2529, the Veteran 
Spouses Equal Treatment Act. This bipartisan legislation ensures that 
no veterans or their families are denied benefits they deserve, 
regardless of where they live.
  Members of the military do not serve in defense of the rights and 
freedoms of a particular State, but rather of the United States.
  My colleagues have a choice to stand with our veterans and their 
families or stand silent while they continue to face discrimination by 
the very government they fought to defend.

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