[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12687]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 JAVIER VEGA, JR. MEMORIAL ACT OF 2017

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged 
from further consideration of S. 1617 and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1617) to designate the checkpoint of the United 
     States Border Patrol located on United States Highway 77 
     North in Sarita, Texas, as the ``Javier Vega, Jr. Border 
     Patrol Checkpoint.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill 
be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider 
be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1617) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1617

       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 ``Javier Vega, Jr. Memorial 
     Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) A native of La Feria, Texas, Border Patrol Agent Javier 
     Vega, Jr., served his country first a member of the United 
     States Marines Corps and then proudly as a border patrol 
     agent in the canine division with his dog, Goldie.
       (2) Agent Vega was assigned to the Kingsville, Texas, 
     Border Patrol Station as a canine handler and worked 
     primarily at the Sarita Border Patrol Checkpoint.
       (3) On August 3, 2014, Agent Vega was on a fishing trip 
     with his family near Raymondville, Texas, when 2 criminal 
     aliens attempted to rob and attack them.
       (4) Agent Vega was shot and killed while attempting to 
     subdue the assailants and protecting his family.
       (5) Agent Vega is survived by his wife, parents, 3 sons, 
     brother, sister-in-law, niece, and dog, Goldie.

     SEC. 3. DESIGNATION.

       The checkpoint of the United States Border Patrol located 
     on United States Highway 77 North in Sarita, Texas, shall be 
     known and designated as the ``Javier Vega, Jr. Border Patrol 
     Checkpoint''.

     SEC. 4. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the checkpoint 
     described in section 3 shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the ``Javier Vega, Jr. Border Patrol Checkpoint''.

                          ____________________