Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1119) to amend title 36, United States Code, to revise the congressional charter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America, Incorporated, to authorize associate membership in the corporation for the spouse of a recipient of the Purple Heart medal, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

H.R. 1119, the Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007, provides an excellent opportunity for us to recognize and honor the brave women as well as brave men who served our Nation in the armed services.

As many of you know, the Purple Heart is awarded to Armed Forces members who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy, and posthumously to the next of kin for those who are killed in action or who die of wounds received in action. It is specifically a combat decoration first conceived in 1782 by General George Washington.

Seventy-five years ago, an organization now known as the Military Order of the Purple Heart was formed for the purposes of protecting the mutual interests of all those who have received the decoration. Composed exclusively of Purple Heart recipients, it is the only veterans service organization comprised strictly of combat veterans.

When the order was federally chartered in 1958, however, very few women had received the Purple Heart. And to this day, women recipients of the Purple Heart do not have the same benefits as their male counterparts.

Under the current law, male members can invite their wives to join the Ladies Auxiliary of the Purple Heart, but there is no place in the order for husbands of Purple Heart recipients. The order has identified at least 97 female purple heart recipients who have joined and who are not enjoying the full benefits of membership that they deserve.

H.R. 1119 seeks to fully honor the women of the Armed Forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart defending our Nation. Specifically, the bill amends the order's Federal charter to allow members to invite their spouses to join as associate members, both for male and female recipients of the Purple Heart. With this minor revision to the Federal charter, the husbands of female members could join the organization.

This bill also allows members to invite their siblings to join as associate members so that they too can take part in the full honor of their brothers and sisters who fought so bravely for our country and received a Purple Heart. It is only right that we allow the members to include their siblings in this honor.

This bipartisan legislation is endorsed by the Military Order of the Purple Heart. It recognizes the important role women have played in defending our Nation in times of war.

We owe this long overdue recognition to these women and their families. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 4 minutes to the author of the bill, my colleague from California, Congresswoman Davis.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bipartisan bill.

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. I thank the gentlewoman for her presentation of H.R. 1119.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America was founded in 1932. And as the gentlewoman stated, it goes back to George Washington. It's rich in our heritage, and it's precious in our reference to those who have bled for this Nation and for the freedom of the people here in the United States of America. It was recognized by the Veterans Administration and represents ``veterans in the presentation of claims before the . . . administration,'' this is the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and also ``its service officers are active in veterans hospitals.'' The organization was federally chartered in 1958.

Active members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart must be persons of good moral character who have received the Purple Heart for wounds received as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or for those of any country during military combat against an armed enemy of the United States.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart is a sterling organization that provides services to those brave Americans who were wounded defending our country. The order also seeks to promote ``patriotic allegiance to the United States, fidelity to the Constitution and laws of the United States, and the security of civil liberty and the permanence of free institutions.'' And that's all out of their mission. Its goals are ``educational, fraternal, historical, and patriotic, perpetuating the principles of liberty and justice which have created the United States.'' In short, Mr. Speaker, the Military Order of the Purple Heart upholds many of the pillars of American exceptionalism.

Parents or lineal descendants of persons eligible to be active members can be associate members of the order. The order has requested that its charter be

amended so that siblings and spouses of members can also become associate members.

I am pleased that H.R. 1119, the Purple Heart Family Equity Act of 2007, as amended by the Judiciary Committee, provides that spouses and siblings of persons eligible to be active members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart can become associate members.

If I just look at the bill for the sake of clarity, Mr. Speaker, the current law is parents and lineal descendants. This strikes parents and lineal descendants and replaces it with the parents, spouse, and lineal descendants. This is something that has been agreed to and promoted by the members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, by Republicans and Democrats in the Judiciary Committee. I do not recall opposition to this. I believe one could say that it is clearly without opposition, perhaps unanimous on the Judiciary Committee.

I urge adoption of H.R. 1119.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from California as well.

Mr. Speaker, I was honored for the opportunity to introduce the Purple Heart Equity Act along with Representative Virginia Foxx, Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Chairman John Murtha, and a number of other bipartisan sponsors. We came together, and this is a unanimous bill because honoring the women who have won the Purple Heart is something that we can all stand behind.

As commander of the Continental Army, as has been mentioned, George Washington wanted to recognize soldiers whose sacrifices and distinction forwarded the cause of independence. As a result, he created the Military Merit. He also designed the award, shaped it like a heart in the color purple. And after the Revolutionary War, this award was actually abandoned. But in honor of the bicentennial of Washington's birth, President Herbert Hoover revived the award in 1932, and it maintained its original design and became more known today, of course, as the Purple Heart.

In that same year the Military Order of the Purple Heart formed with the mission of fostering a positive environment among wounded veterans as well as providing services to all veterans and their families. But when the organization was federally chartered in 1958, few women actually had won the Purple Heart. So, under the current law, male members today can invite their wives to join the Ladies Auxiliary of the Purple Heart, but there is no place in this organization for the husbands of female members.

So that's why H.R. 1119 is important today, because it adds the word ``spouses'' to the Federal Charter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. And with this small update, the husbands of female members will have the option of joining the organization just as the wives do.

Just a little bit more history, Mr. Speaker. The first woman to be awarded the Purple Heart was Lieutenant Annie G. Fox after she was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Since then, the Military Order of the Purple Heart has identified at least 97 female Purple Heart recipients who have joined the organization.

It has been 66 years since Lieutenant Fox earned the award, and now it is time, certainly time, that we act to fully honor the courageous women who are bestowed with the Purple Heart. H.R. 1119 honors and recognizes these brave women and future recipients of the Purple Heart. This is the least, certainly, we can do for the women who sacrifice for our country.

And, finally, H.R. 1119 will allow the siblings of all who belong to the organization to join as associate members.

By passing this legislation today, we certainly honor every family whose son or daughter or sister or brother has won the distinguished Purple Heart.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 1119, the Purple Heart Family Equity Act.

I am pleased to introduce this legislation along with my distinguished colleagues Congressman Roy Blunt and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx. We seek to fully honor the women of the Armed Forces who have won the Purple Heart defending our great freedoms and their families.

The Purple Heart, Madam Speaker, is a military decoration awarded to service members who have been wounded or killed while serving with the U.S. military. Modeled after the Badge of Military Merit given by George Washington to members of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, the Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration currently in use and was the first to be made available to every service member.

It is time we built upon the great traditions of the Purple Heart and fully recognize the women who have received this high honor. Surely, their wounds and sacrifices are just as meaningful.

Male members of the Order are allowed to invite their wives to join with limited membership benefits, according to the current Federal Charter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. But female members are not allowed to invite their husbands. Surely, we here in this Chamber are not in the business of extending rights to our brave men who receive this award but not our brave women.

I stand here today to urge my colleagues to support the Purple Heart Family Equity Act. This bill will update the Federal Charter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart to allow husbands of female members of the Order to become Associate Members.

The first women to be awarded the Purple Heart was 1LT Annie G. Fox. She was awarded this distinction in 1941 after the attack on

Pearl Harbor where she made the ultimate sacrifice for her country. It has been 66 years and it is time we acted to fully honor the courageous women who are bestowed with the Purple Heart. Let us honor the memory of First Lieutenant Fox and the countless other women who have made unimaginable sacrifices for all of us by voting yes on H.R. 1119.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 477, H.R. 1119.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.