[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1207-H1208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GOLD STAR MOTHERS FAMILIES NATIONAL MONUMENT EXTENSION ACT
Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2819) to extend the authority for the establishment of a
commemorative work in honor of Gold Star Families, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2819
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 ``Gold Star Mothers Families
National Monument Extension Act''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF
COMMEMORATIVE WORK.
Notwithstanding section 8903(e) of title 40, United States
Code, the authority provided by section 2859 of the Military
Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (division
B of Public Law 112-239; 126 Stat. 2164; 40 U.S.C. 8903 note)
shall continue to apply through January 2, 2024.
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall
be determined by reference to the latest statement titled
``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act,
submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the
Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Neguse) and the gentleman from California (Mr.
McClintock) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
General Leave
Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Colorado?
There was no objection.
Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 2819, introduced by Representative Kim, would
extend the authorization for the establishment of the commemorative
work to Gold Star Families until 2024.
I thank my freshman colleague, Representative Kim, for bringing
forward this critically important bill and for his leadership in the
Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Small Business.
The Gold Star Families National Monument would honor the families of
those who have made the ultimate sacrifices for our country. This
commemorative work was initially authorized in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, but the authorization expired
in January 2020.
Madam Speaker, the Gold Star is a widely recognized tradition that
dates back to World War I, when families displayed service flags
bearing a blue star for each family member serving in combat. If a
relative was lost in combat, the star's color would be changed to gold.
In November 2015, the Commission of Fine Arts approved a location for
the memorial on National Park Service property immediately west of the
Arlington National Cemetery visitor center. Since then, the National
Capital Memorial Advisory Commission has consulted with the Gold Star
Mothers National Monument Foundation on design concepts for the
memorial.
While we can never repay the debt that we owe our Nation's Gold Star
families, extending the authorization for this memorial helps take a
step toward fully honoring the sacrifices they have made, which is why
this bill is so important and why I would like to, again, thank
Representative Kim for his leadership in introducing it.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2819 would extend the
authorization of the Gold Star Mothers National Monument Foundation so
that it can construct the Gold Star Mothers National Monument.
The Gold Star Mothers of our Nation have sacrificed more on the altar
of liberty than any among us. They have lost their children so that our
children can be safe and sound and free.
No words can begin to express the debt that we owe to them. While
other families are celebrating Memorial Day with barbecues and
frivolities, Gold Star families are gathered around the hallowed graves
of their loved ones.
The monument contemplated by this legislation is a small recognition
of this. We do as much as we can to honor those who fall in defense of
our country and its Constitution, and well we should. But we don't do
nearly enough to honor those who they leave behind.
Our fallen heroes come from our communities, from our high schools
and churches, but most importantly, they come from the homes of loving
families. When we as a nation lose a soldier and a patriot, these
mothers lose a child. We must remember that for the families of these
fallen heroes, every day is Memorial Day.
Time, sadly, does not heal all wounds. The grief of our Gold Star
Mothers is just as great today as the day when the casualty officer
came to their door. Their loss is a heavy burden that they carry with
them every single day of their lives. Nonetheless, they persevere to
keep alive the spirit of their brave children.
Legislation signed into law during the 112th Congress authorized the
Gold Star Mothers National Monument Foundation to erect a monument on
Federal lands in our Capital City that would honor mothers whose
children gave that last full measure of devotion defending the United
States as part of our armed services. The extended authorization will
allow more time for the foundation to ensure that the monument's
construction and completion can be brought to fruition by 2027.
Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kim).
Mr. KIM. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado, my
friend, for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the sacrifices of America's Gold
Star Mothers and families and to further the cause of building a
monument to acknowledge their contributions to our country.
One of these Gold Star Mothers is Judith Young, a neighbor of mine
down the street in Morristown, New Jersey. In October 1983, Judith lost
her son, Jeffrey, in the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut.
{time} 1330
Judith said that Jeffrey always wanted to be a soldier. He graduated
from high school in 1980 and went right into the Marines. He was proud
to be a Marine. He was proud to serve his country.
[[Page H1208]]
In the more than three decades since his death, Judith has been a
fierce advocate for her fellow Gold Star Mothers and Families. She
represents thousands of loved ones and family members who have
sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy today.
It is that sacrifice that we seek to honor in the Gold Star Families
National Monument Extension Act. By passing this bill, we can give Gold
Star Families, like Judith's, the time they need to complete a monument
acknowledging that sacrifices aren't just made by those in uniform, but
by the loved ones left behind.
This is a monument that has a site selected; that won't cost
taxpayers a single dime; and that has truly bipartisan support. If we
don't pass this bill, the authorization for this monument will expire.
Our Gold Star Families have already been through so much. They have
already endured and sacrificed beyond what so many of us here can
understand; the least we can do is support them by giving them the time
to remember and honor those lost.
The futility in finding the words and actions to thank loved ones
like Judith isn't new. In a letter to Lydia Bixby of Massachusetts in
1864, President Lincoln wrote: ``I feel how weak and fruitless must be
any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of
a loss so overwhelming.''
Lincoln understood that there is nothing we can ever do to truly
repay patriots like Judith. But he continued: ``But I cannot refrain
from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks
of the Republic they died to save.''
Let us show the thanks of the Republic that so many brave men and
women have given all to save. Let us show the thanks of the Republic
that so many Gold Star Families have given so much to keep free. We can
do that by passing this bipartisan bill and allowing the completion of
this monument.
I hope you will support me, my co-lead, Congressman Ratcliffe, and
the Gold Star Mothers and Families across the country in this effort.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ratcliffe).
Mr. RATCLIFFE. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Neguse and Ranking
Member McClintock for their leadership on this committee.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2819, the Gold Star
Families National Monument Extension Act.
I was very pleased to have the opportunity to introduce this
bipartisan bill, along with my Democratic colleague, the gentleman from
New Jersey, Congressman Kim, on behalf of our Nation's Gold Star
Families.
The term ``Gold Star Family'' dates back to World War I, when flags
were displayed bearing a blue star to represent a family member serving
abroad and gold stars used to designate family members who had been
lost in combat.
As the Representative of a congressional district in northeast Texas
with more than 50,000 veterans, and thousands and thousands of active
duty servicemembers, this bill very much hits home.
My home State of Texas is home to 1 of every 10 U.S. servicemembers,
and nearly 25,000 Texas families have joined the National Gold Star
Family Registry since World War II.
The families of all the individuals who serve our country know the
great sacrifices that are made when a loved one answers the call of
duty because, unfortunately, all of our heroes don't always make it
back home; and it is their families who will forever bear the burden of
that ultimate sacrifice when they don't return home.
As a grateful Nation, it must be our constant priority to honor our
fallen heroes and their families. After all, we owe our freedom to
their great sacrifice.
I am confident that the Gold Star Families National Monument will
help ensure that we honor our fallen heroes and their families on a
national scale by extending the authorization for the establishment of
a national monument located right in here in Washington, D.C.
The Gold Star Family Monument will be constructed at no cost to
taxpayers, as all of the funds that are being raised are being raised
by the Gold Star Mothers National Monument Foundation.
I am grateful for the opportunity that the Gold Star Family Monument
will provide to all of our citizens to pause and honor the ultimate
sacrifices made by our fallen servicemen and servicewomen on our behalf
as they visit our Nation's capital.
Despite the often polarized political climate in Washington, this is
an issue that people across the political spectrum should all be able
to stand behind.
Again, I thank my Democratic colleague, Congressman Kim, for his
leadership on this important effort, and I urge the rest of our
colleagues for their strong support on the floor today.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. I thank
Representative Kim and Representative Ratcliffe for bringing the bill
forward.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2819, 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. NEGUSE. 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, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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