Congressional Record—House H3310
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H3310 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 23, 2011 wheelchair. His young son is also wheelchair- ‘‘(ii) in the case of the commemoration of a lington National Cemetery to a veteran or mem- bound and is afflicted with a disease that re- particular military event under subparagraph ber of the Armed Forces who is eligible for inter- quires the child to be on a respirator around- (B)(ii), on the last day of the period of the ment at such cemetery and the family members event. of such veteran or member who are also eligible the-clock for life. That we would not extend a ‘‘(D) A monument may be placed only in those for interment at such cemetery. benefit that would make life better for Mr. and sections of Arlington National Cemetery des- ‘‘(2) The Secretary may waive the requirement Mrs. Connolly is unthinkable and I applaud Mr. ignated by the Secretary of the Army for such under paragraph (1) in extreme circumstances, BRALEY for his work. placement and only on land the Secretary deter- as determined by the Secretary. If the Secretary I also thank Chairman MILLER, Ranking mines is not suitable for burial. waives such requirement under this paragraph, Member FILNER, and Chairman RUNYAN for in- ‘‘(E) A monument may only be placed in Ar- the Secretary shall submit notice of the waiver cluding the provisions of the Andrew Connolly lington National Cemetery if an appropriate to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Veterans’ Housing Act in this must-pass legis- non-governmental entity has agreed to act as a Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and lation. I urge all Members to support H.R. sponsoring organization to coordinate the place- the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the ment of the monument and— Committee on Armed Services of the House of 1407 as amended. ‘‘(i) the construction and placement of the Representatives. Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam monument are paid for only using funds from ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION AGAINST RESERVATION OF Speaker, I once again urge all Members private sources; GRAVESITES.—A gravesite at Arlington National to support H.R. 1407, as amended. ‘‘(ii) the Secretary of the Army consults with Cemetery may not be reserved for an individual I yield back the balance of my time. the Commission of Fine Arts before approving before the death of such individual.’’. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The the design of the monument; and (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec- question is on the motion offered by ‘‘(iii) the sponsoring organization provides for tions at the beginning of chapter 24 of such title the gentleman from Florida (Mr. MIL- an independent study on the availability and is amended by inserting after the item relating suitability of alternative locations for the pro- to section 2410 the following new item: LER) that the House suspend the rules posed monument outside of Arlington National and pass the bill, H.R. 1407, as amend- ‘‘2410A. Arlington National Cemetery: other ad- Cemetery. ministrative matters.’’. ed. ‘‘(3)(A) The Secretary of the Army may waive (c) APPLICABILITY.— The question was taken; and (two- the requirement under paragraph (2)(C) in a thirds being in the affirmative) the (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para- case in which the monument would commemo- graph (2), section 2410A of such title, as added rules were suspended and the bill, as rate a group of individuals who the Secretary by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to all amended, was passed. determines— interments at Arlington National Cemetery after A motion to reconsider was laid on ‘‘(i) has made valuable contributions to the the date of the enactment of this Act. the table. Armed Forces that have been ongoing and per- (2) EXCEPTION.—Subsection (b) of such sec- petual for longer than 25 years and are expected f tion, as so added, shall not apply with respect to continue on indefinitely; and to the interment of an individual for whom a b 1610 ‘‘(ii) has provided service that is of such a written request for a reserved gravesite was sub- character that the failure to place a monument mitted to the Secretary of the Army before Janu- HONORING AMERICAN VETERANS to the group in Arlington National Cemetery ACT OF 2011 ary 1, 1962, and subsequently approved. would present a manifest injustice. (d) REPORT.— Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam ‘‘(B) If the Secretary waives such requirement (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after Speaker, I move to suspend the rules under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall— the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- ‘‘(i) make available on an Internet website no- retary of the Army shall submit to Congress a and pass the bill (H.R. 1627) to amend tification of the waiver and the rationale for the title 38, United States Code, to provide report on reservations made for interment at Ar- waiver; and lington National Cemetery. for certain requirements for the place- ‘‘(ii) submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Af- (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para- ment of monuments in Arlington Na- fairs and the Committee on Armed Services of graph (1) shall include the following: tional Cemetery, and for other pur- the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af- (A) The number of requests for reservation of poses, as amended. fairs and the Committee on Armed Services of a gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery that The Clerk read the title of the bill. the House of Representatives written notice of were submitted to the Secretary of the Army be- The text of the bill is as follows: the waiver and the rationale for the waiver. fore January 1, 1962. ‘‘(4) The Secretary of the Army shall provide H.R. 1627 (B) The number of gravesites at such cemetery notice to the Committee on Armed Services and that, on the day before the date of the enact- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen- ment of this Act, were reserved in response to resentatives of the United States of America in ate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and such requests. Congress assembled, the Committee on Armed Services of the House (C) The number of such gravesites that, on the SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. of Representatives of any monument proposed to day before the date of the enactment of this Act, This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Honoring Amer- be placed in Arlington National Cemetery. Dur- were unoccupied. ican Veterans Act of 2011’’. ing the 60-day period beginning on the date on (D) A list of all reservations for gravesites at SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PLACEMENT OF which such notice is received, Congress may such cemetery that were extended by individuals MONUMENTS IN ARLINGTON NA- pass a joint resolution of disapproval of the responsible for management of such cemetery in TIONAL CEMETERY. placement of the monument. The proposed response to requests for such reservations made Section 2409(b) of title 38, United States Code, monument may not be placed in Arlington Na- on or after January 1, 1962. is amended— tional Cemetery until the later of— (E) A description of the measures that the Sec- (1) by striking ‘‘Under’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) ‘‘(A) if Congress does not pass a joint resolu- retary is taking to improve the accountability Under’’; tion of disapproval of the placement of the and transparency of the management of (2) by inserting after ‘‘Secretary of the Army’’ monument, the date that is 60 days after the gravesite reservations at Arlington National the following: ‘‘and subject to paragraph (2)’’; date on which notice is received under this Cemetery. and paragraph; or (F) Such recommendations as the Secretary (3) by adding at the end the following new ‘‘(B) if Congress passes a joint resolution of may have for legislative action as the Secretary paragraphs: disapproval of the placement of the monument, considers necessary to improve such account- ‘‘(2)(A) Except for a monument containing or and the President signs a veto of such resolu- ability and transparency. marking interred remains, no monument (or tion, the earlier of— similar structure, as determined by the Secretary SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE ‘‘(i) the date on which either House of Con- PROVISION OF A MEMORIAL MARKER of the Army in regulations) may be placed in gress votes and fails to override the veto of the ON CHAPLAINS HILL TO HONOR THE Arlington National Cemetery except pursuant to President; or MEMORY OF THE JEWISH CHAP- the provisions of this subsection. ‘‘(ii) the date that is 30 session days after the LAINS WHO DIED WHILE ON ACTIVE ‘‘(B) A monument may be placed in Arlington date on which Congress received the veto and DUTY IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES. National Cemetery if the monument commemo- objections of the president.’’. rates— (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following ‘‘(i) the service in the Armed Forces of the in- SEC. 3. CODIFICATION OF PROHIBITION AGAINST findings: RESERVATION OF GRAVESITES AT (1) 13 Jewish chaplains have died while on ac- dividual, or group of individuals, whose memory ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY. tive duty in the Armed Forces of the United is to be honored by the monument; or (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 24 of title 38, States. ‘‘(ii) a particular military event. United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘(C) No monument may be placed in Arling- (2) Army Chaplain Rabbi Alexander Goode after section 2410 the following new section: ton National Cemetery until the end of the 25- died on February 3, 1943, when then U.S.S.