Recognizing and honoring the service of those who volunteer their time to participate in funeral honor guards at the interment or memorialization of deceased veterans of the uniformed services of the United States at national cemeteries across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 260) recognizing and honoring the service of those who volunteer their time to participate in funeral honor guards at the interment or memorialization of deceased veterans of the uniformed services of the United States at national cemeteries across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 260.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 260, to recognize and honor the service of those who volunteer their time to represent the military at veterans' funerals.

Approximately 1,800 veterans of our Armed Forces die every day. Eleven hundred of them are World War II veterans. An average of 236 burials take place each weekday at the various VA national cemeteries located throughout the country. The families of many of these veterans request that their military service be recognized as they are laid to rest.

A grateful Nation has assigned the Department of Defense the responsibility for responding to those family requests through its military funeral honors program. However, because active duty service members are not always available, the Department must rely on volunteers to provide the appropriate honors in about one-third of the requests. The remainder are performed by active duty and reserve service members of the five military branches or National Guard members.

Since 2001, the law has required that at least two members of the funeral honors detail be members of the Armed Forces, and at least one of them be a member of the branch of service in which the deceased veteran served. The remainder of the honor guard may consist of members of the Armed Forces or members of veterans organizations or other organizations approved by the Secretary of Defense. At a minimum, the honor detail performs a ceremony that includes the folding and presenting of the American flag to the veteran's next of kin and the playing of Taps.

Mr. Speaker, according to the Department of Defense, the number of volunteers who participate with the military in performing military funeral honors at both national and private cemeteries increased from 27,767 in 2000, to 51,688 in 2003. Given the demands being placed on those currently serving on active duty, this increased volunteer participation is indispensable to meeting our obligation to honor the service of each deceased veteran.

Thus, it is an appropriate time that we recognize and thank those volunteers. They are indeed proud and patriotic veterans who selflessly give back to their comrades and provide comfort to the veteran's family and friends. As any veteran will tell you, their allegiance to the military and its service members does not end when they are discharged from service. This is a bond that lasts for a lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono) for introducing concurrent resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 260.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 260. This important measure recognizes and honors the service of individuals who volunteer as honor guards during funeral and memorial services at national cemeteries.

I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith), the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), and my good friend, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), for their steady leadership of veterans issues in the committee.

I also want to commend the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono) for her work on this resolution, and I want to thank all my colleagues who helped to bring this before us today. Additionally, I would like to recognize the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) for her work on a similar resolution that recognizes the United States Army Volunteer Reserve for its distinguished service to veterans and their families.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to represent the Second Congressional District in the State of Maine. My State has one of the highest percentage of veterans populations in the country. I am sure that they support this resolution and join me when I say that the veterans of this Nation deserve nothing less than an honorable and dignified final resting place.

I would like to personally recognize the 23 members of Maine's honor guard for their service. Ten of these individuals are currently deployed and we pray for their quick and safe return. These 23 soldiers serve above and beyond their normal duties to participate in the honor guard, performing over 50 missions a year. Without their effort and sacrifice, our Nation would not shine so bright and we would not live as free as we do today.

Sadly, Mr. Speaker, many of the brave men and women who put on the uniform to protect us during World War II and the Korean War are passing away every day. We also find ourselves engaged in hostilities in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world, and, because of this, we are now burying veterans of a new generation much too soon.

Mr. Speaker, it is our responsibility to provide our brave men and women in uniform an honorable and dignified memorial service. Indeed, without the sacrifice of these volunteer honor guards, we would have a more difficult time fulfilling our responsibility. I thank them for their service and appreciate their efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I support this measure, and I urge all Members to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of two bills enacted by the House that will go a long way to helping our troops and providing some comfort and peace of mind to their families.

I was pleased to vote for H.R. 4323, which helps the Department of Defense speed up the delivery of critically important equipment

like bulletproof vests and armored vehicles to our troops in the field. Our brave men and women in uniform depend on these resources to carry out their mission and minimize loss of life.

I have heard from many deeply concerned families in my district about equipment deficiencies. One of my constituents, Dr. Donald W. Walsh, is the father of a soldier in the 933rd MP Company. Like so many parents, Dr. Walsh is very proud of his son but he is also worried about his son's safety due to the shortage of body armor and armored Humvees.

Given all the strains on the troops and their families as a result of overextended tours and uncertainty, the last thing they need is to worry about their loved ones engaging in hostilities with outdated vehicles and insufficient body armor. I am glad that Dr. Walsh came to me with his concerns. I promised him that I would do all I can to help his son. Supporting this legislation is a step in that direction.

Also, I am pleased to support H. Con. Res. 260, which recognizes and honors the service of non-active duty personnel who participate in funeral honor guards for deceased veterans. In times of war, there are not always enough active duty honor guards available to perform funeral services for our distinguished military personnel. These services are very important to the families of the deceased, and we should honor those who volunteer their time to provide these patriotic services.

In recognition of their contributions, the House recently passed this bill with unanimous support. Our Nation owes a debt of gratitude to these dedicated men and women who bring comfort and honor to our deceased veterans and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 260, which I introduced last year on behalf of myself and Representatives Henry Brown, Mike Bilirakis, Ken Calvert, Jim DeMint, Johnny Isakson, Jerry Lewis, John Shadegg and Zach Wamp. This resolution recognizes and honors the important service of those who volunteer their time to participate in funeral honor guards. These volunteers serve at the interment or memorialization of deceased veterans of the uniformed services of the United States at national cemeteries across the country.

A veteran's family may request the presence of active duty military personnel to provide honor guard services at their loved one's funeral. Unfortunately at times like this when our military is so desperately needed overseas, there is a shortage of available active duty personnel who can perform this duty. Numerous veteran volunteers help fill this void and perform the honor guard duty themselves. These volunteers are once again answering our Nation's call by honoring the military service of their fellow veterans. I feel it is incumbent upon Congress to recognize the service of volunteer honor guards as well as the continuing contribution that these individuals make to our Nation and the families of their fallen brethren.

I would like to specifically honor the many of my district's military retirees who are members of Semper Fi No. 1, an organization that performs volunteer honor guard services at Riverside National Cemetery and has been a driving force behind the creation of volunteer honor guard service throughout the Nation. I am proud to represent the many military retirees who serve as volunteer honor guards.