To amend title 38, United States Code, to codify the prohibition against the reservation of gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

I also want to express my appreciation to Chairman Miller, Ranking Member Filner, Chairman Runyan of the subcommittee, and our colleague Congressman McNerney.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1627, which contains authorization language from a bill that I sponsored, House Concurrent Resolution 12, to designate a plot of land at Arlington Cemetery to be used for a memorial honoring the Jewish chaplains of our Armed Services.

Jewish chaplains have served our country for 149 years. In fact, there are 32 currently on active duty today, yet they still do not have a place with their Protestant and Catholic counterparts on Chaplains Hill in Arlington Cemetery. Today, all that is standing between Arlington Cemetery and a memorial for Jewish chaplains is the passage of this bill in the House and Senate.

I, frankly, am not the one who thought of creating a memorial for Jewish chaplains. In fact, like many Jewish Americans and veterans nationwide, I was surprised to learn that no such memorial existed at Arlington Cemetery. A citizen named Ken Kraetzer, who is the vice commander of the Sons of the American Legion for New York State and who is joining us here today, noted the absence of a monument for Jewish chaplains while he was researching the stories of the four immortal chaplains who died while giving final rites on board the USS Dorchester in 1943.

For those who are unfamiliar with the story, as I was, a convoy of three ships passed through ``torpedo alley'' off the coast of Greenland at about 1 a.m. on February 3, 1943. A German U-boat fired three torpedoes, one of which hit the Dorchester--a U.S. Army troop ship with more than 900 men on board. The four chaplains on board--two Protestant pastors, a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi--were among the first on deck, calming the men and handing out lifejackets. When they ran out of lifejackets, without regard to faith or race, they took off their own and placed them on waiting soldiers. Approximately 18 minutes from the explosion, the ship went down. By witnesses, they were last seen standing arm-in-arm on the hull of the ship, each praying in his own way for the care of the men. Almost 700 died that day, making it the third largest loss at sea of its kind for the United States during World War II.

While trying to locate these four famous chaplains on Chaplains Hill, Mr. Kraetzer noticed that Rabbi Alexander Goode was the only one of the four chaplains not distinguished by a memorial. Ken partnered with two other veterans, Rabbi Harold Robinson and Sol Moglen, who are also in the gallery today, to help lead fund-raising efforts. It took just a few months, and they raised over $50,000.

They used the other memorials as a model for the new monument they proposed for the 13 Jewish chaplains who lost their lives from 1943 to 1974. The monument, as designed, will stand 7 feet tall with a bronze plaque mounted on a granite slab, listing all 13 names, as well as the Jewish proverb, ``I ask not for a lighter burden but for broader shoulders,'' and it would also have an inscription of the Star of David. There will also be a place at the bottom for future chaplains if, God forbid, needed.

While planning this project, Mr. Kraetzer, Rabbi Robinson and Mr. Moglen were in touch with Arlington Cemetery. They were notified-- something that I'm sure members of the committee knew, but I did not-- that a 2001 rule requires congressional approval for all memorials at Arlington Cemetery, which we are rectifying today with this bill. It should be pointed out that the section of the bill that we are going to be sponsoring mirrors Senate action. Although it's part of a

larger bill, it will take effect as soon as their action takes effect. It does not need the signing of the President, according to those at the Army.

The group quickly alerted the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, the Jewish Welfare Board, the Jewish Chaplains Council, and they finally reached out to me. I was touched by the work of these great men, and quickly introduced a resolution to fix the problem. Senator Schumer is the sponsor of the Senate version, S. Con. Res. 4, which has 25 Senate sponsors. The resolution we have today is bipartisan in nature. It has 86 cosponsors, and had been endorsed by 35 Jewish organizations and 47 Jewish War Veterans chapters before being added to the bill.

The Jewish Federations of North America and Shelly Rood have been working to help pass this bill to recognize the achievements of these 13 Jewish chaplains. I also want to thank Major Gretchen Gardner of Arlington Cemetery for helping us all navigate the Army's process.

My staff has been ensured by Major Gardner and others that, if we and the Senate pass this bill, it will satisfy the requirements of 32 CFR 553.22(1) of the Code of Federal Regulations, which governs the monuments at Arlington Cemetery.

Finally, surviving members of the chaplains have been involved in this process. I want to particularly recognize David and Rafael Engel, who are the sons of Meir Engel, and their children, Jonathan and Yael, who are here with us today, as well as Vera Silberberg, the daughter of Morton Singer.

I am very grateful that we are one step closer to raising this monument and to properly honoring the brave Jewish chaplains who serve our country today. There can be no better way to celebrate Jewish Heritage Month. I look forward to the ceremony at Arlington Cemetery that will follow this vote.

Mr. Chairman and my colleagues, if it would be appropriate, I would like to now list the names of the 13 fallen chaplains who will be honored on this memorial should this become law:

Captain Nachman Arnoff of the United States Army, Lieutenant Colonel Meir Engel of the United States Army, First Lieutenant Frank Goldenberg of the United States Army, Lieutenant Alexander Goode of the United States Army, Lieutenant Henry Goody of the United States Army, Major Samuel Hurwitz of the United States Army, First Lieutenant Herman Rosen of the United States Army, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Rosen of the United States Air Force, First Lieutenant Solomon Rosen of the United States Army, Captain Morton Singer of the United States Army, Captain David Sobel of the United States Air Force, Captain Irving Tepper of the United States Army, and First Lieutenant Louis Werfel of the United States Army.

May God bless their souls, and may we remember them and honor them with a memorial at Arlington Cemetery.

I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this, and I thank my colleagues for their indulgence.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1627) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain requirements for the placement of monuments in Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1627, as amended, a bill to provide for certain requirements for the placement of monuments in Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1627, as amended, is a bipartisan bill that contains several provisions related to Arlington National Cemetery which were originally included in H.R. 1627, H.R. 1441, H. Con. Res. 12, and H. Con. Res. 45.

H.R. 1441, introduced by Mr. Runyan, codifies regulations and policies that bar reservations for burial or interment at Arlington National Cemetery made on or after January 1, 1962. There was broad support for this legislation at the committee's legislative hearing, and we have included two changes that Arlington management raised with the original text of the bill.

The bill, as amended, also includes additional transparency to the process of waivers for new monuments at Arlington. Under the process set up in the bill, as amended, whenever the Secretary of the Army approves a monument in compliance with the criteria set forth in the bill, Congress must immediately be notified of the decision. Congress then has 60 days to pass a resolution opposing the Secretary's position. This provides a clear check and balance on the Secretary's decision while removing the added time that it usually takes for Congress to pass a resolution in support of the waiver, as required by the current process.

The bill, as amended, also includes H. Con. Res. 12, which expresses the sense of Congress that an appropriate site on Chaplains Hill in Arlington National Cemetery be provided for a memorial marker to honor the memory of Jewish chaplains who died while on active duty. The honor of this monument for these brave servicemembers is long overdue, and I am especially glad we were able to pass this resolution during the month of May, which is Jewish American Heritage Month.

Finally, the bill as amended includes H. Con. Res. 45, which I introduced, honoring the service and sacrifice of the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving in, or who have served in, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. As we observe Memorial Day next week, I believe it is very appropriate to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of these veterans and servicemembers from our most recent conflicts.

I urge all Members to support H.R. 1627, as amended.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance

and Memorial Affairs, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan).

I too want to thank my good friend from New York (Mr. Weiner) for his fine work on this piece of legislation. I am proud to have it in the bill today at this particular time of the year, in the month of May.

General Leave

I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1627, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I thank Chairman Miller.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1627, as amended, a bill containing several provisions regarding Arlington National Cemetery.

H.R. 1627, as amended and introduced by Chairman Miller, alters the requirements for the placement of certain monuments within Arlington National Cemetery. It would limit the erection of monuments not containing interred remains. These changes bring the requirements in better accord with the primary purpose of the cemetery: to honor our fallen servicemembers.

H.R. 1441, which I have introduced and included in H.R. 1627, as amended, would codify the regulations and policies barring reservations for burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

After being informed by a constituent of potential problems of past mismanagement at the cemetery, including lax oversight, damaged graves, and improper burials, I met with Mr. Patrick Hallinan, superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery, and Ms. Kathryn Condon, executive director of the Army National Cemeteries Program, in March, who helped me to quickly address and resolve the concerns of my constituent. H.R. 1627 will give Mr. Hallinan and Ms. Condon valuable tools to further aid them in their stewardship of some of the Nation's most sacred ground.

The space at Arlington National Cemetery is very limited, so we must plan accordingly. These provisions ensure that our Nation's most revered cemetery will remain open to all eligible veterans, regardless of rank or position, while maintaining its current pristine and peaceful setting for the interment of our fallen servicemembers.

The bill, as amended, also includes H. Con. Res. 12, which expresses the same sense of Congress that a monument should be placed to honor Jewish chaplains. As an original cosponsor of this resolution, I am thankful that we were able to include it in this bill.

Finally, the bill, as amended, includes H. Con. Res. 45, which Chairman Miller introduced to honor the commitment and dedication of our Armed Forces who are serving, or have served, in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn.

Over 2 million members of the armed services have been deployed to theaters of war since the commencement of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. As Chairman Miller noted, it is especially fitting that we honor our servicemembers as Memorial Day approaches.

I want to thank my friend, Mr. McNerney of California, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorials, for his bipartisan leadership in moving this bill forward.

I urge all Members to support H.R. 1627, as amended.

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

I too rise in support of this piece of legislation, Honoring American Veterans Act of 2011. It is a very important, very sacred responsibility with the placement of monuments and how Arlington National Cemetery and our national cemeteries work. It is very clear in the prohibition of the reservation of grave sites at Arlington National. It also makes clear that only one grave site per family is permitted for burial.

Again, I am proud of serving on this committee and am proud of the chairman and the subcommittee chairman's work. There was a little bit of controversy as we talked through this issue of Arlington monuments, but I am very pleased the way this worked out. I think the compromise, working with the Senate and making sure that happens is in the right interest of the veterans' groups; it is in the right interest of those families who have their loved ones interred at Arlington.

I think once we develop that commission, it keeps Congress in the loop, strikes that proper balance of the original bill, we are going to have a really great piece of legislation, and that is exactly the way it is supposed to work.

This piece of legislation does honor the memory of those Jewish chaplains at Arlington by establishing a memorial marker on Chaplains Hill, and rightly so, to honor those who died while on active duty, and pays tribute to all of our servicemembers serving in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn.

I think it is, again, absolutely appropriate that this piece of legislation is coming up the week before Memorial Day, and I believe the committee is doing the work we were sent to do.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack).

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner).

I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

We are certainly proud of this piece of legislation, Madam Speaker, and we are in full support of it. I would like to thank the gentleman from New York for his unflinching and unwavering work to get this done for all the right reasons.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1627, which contains legislation that Congressman Runyan and I introduced to end the practice of backroom deals and reservations at Arlington National Cemetery.

It codifies what has been Army policy since 1962--that every eligible servicemember should be buried at Arlington without regard for rank or status. Unfortunately, Army policy has gone unheeded for over 40 years, and past supervisors of the cemetery have allowed these deals to continue. The bill, therefore, requires a full accounting of the off- the-books deals that have been made in the past.

Arlington National Cemetery, as we all know, is our Nation's most hallowed ground. The promise we make to those who wear our Nation's uniform and to their families is that our Nation will honor and remember their service, that we will never forget that freedom is not free.

As Memorial Day approaches, as everyone today has mentioned, I strongly believe we should honor all those who have served by putting an end to reservations at Arlington once and for all.

I would especially like to thank Congressman Runyan for allowing me to work with him on H.R. 1441 and on the larger bill, H.R. 1627. I want to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Mr. Filner for their support as well.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.