Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act

Mr. President, I speak today to recognize the 3 million men and women, Americans, who have served our Nation in the two decades since September 11, 2001, in what has become known as the Global War on Terrorism.

The days during--in just the last month--during this botched and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, were a terrible time of reckoning for our Nation. I am angry, discouraged, and concerned about the way and the manner by which the United States of America departed.

President Biden's announcement in April to completely withdraw American troops by September 11 without taking appropriate security precautions, including preparation for a return of the Taliban to Kabul, was irresponsible and will damage America's interest for years to come and endanger the lives of thousands of women and children in Afghanistan.

Additionally, the lack of urgency to do right by the thousands of Afghans who worked alongside Americans will forever be a source of shame for this administration. But as I said many times before, the withdrawal from Afghanistan was not the fault of the men and women in uniform.

In the days following September 11, 2001, the call to service was answered by thousands--thousands--of Americans who sought to defend the United States. These men and women left behind their families and careers to serve a greater good. I cannot think of anything more honorable than stepping up to defend our homeland from a threat that was, at the time, relatively unknown.

For most of our men and women in uniform, the Global War on Terrorism has been the primary mission of their entire careers. I run into people regularly who tell me about their service, and they saw what happened on 9/11 in New York City at Ground Zero. They saw what happened in the fields of Pennsylvania and what happened at the Pentagon. They decided it was their moment to step forward and defend and protect their Nation, to make sure that freedom and liberty remained the hallmark of who we are. And all of the sacrifices they and their families have made were in support of that effort and it was an effort they believed in and I certainly hope they still do.

Those who stepped forward to serve, eradicated vast networks of terrorists who wished to do America harm, making it absolutely clear that no one can harm Americans without our swift and certain retribution. They also brought Osama bin Laden to justice, destroyed the ISIS caliphate, and eliminated its founder.

In Afghanistan, our men and women serving in the military brought hope to a brutalized, war-torn country for the first time in decades. Incredibly, an entire generation in Afghanistan came to age knowing what it feels like to see freedom and to feel freedom.

Tragically, we saw Afghanistan quickly fall to the Taliban. It happened because of a haphazard and unorganized withdrawal process that has made our country and our world a less secure place. We all saw the images of terror and desperation as Afghans tried to flee their fate, many at the cost of their lives. We saw the footage of the chaos, the tear gas, and the explosion. We lost 13 lives of our honorable brave men and women in uniform to an attack outside the airport gates as they tried to rescue innocent families from their Afghan brothers and sisters in arms.

These scenes captured our Nation's attention, rightfully so. But unfortunately, in the days that followed, mainstream media's interest in Afghanistan began to wane. Take a look to see what is happening in Afghanistan now. See the desolation, the death, the destruction, the hunger, and the fear. This failure to have attention on what is going on in Afghanistan must not and should not be the case. We must continue to honor those who served and who will serve our country in the future.

We should consider S. 535, the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act. This bill was introduced by the Senator from Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst, herself a veteran. It will authorize the location of a memorial on the National Mall to truly honor those who served to eradicate terrorism. It will honor the 3 million men and women who served and especially the thousands of servicemembers who gave that ultimate sacrifice--their lives. This memorial will also honor, heal, empower, and unite soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coasties who made those sacrifices.

I would guess many of us in the U.S. Senate have seen--we witnessed some of the healing that personally occurs in times that have met with the Honor--as I have met with the folks who have been here on the Honor Flights, those visitors who gather at our war memorials to remember, to be together, and, yes, to heal.

Last week, I was at a number of our memorials here in our Nation's Capital with a group of over about 160 Vietnam veterans from Kansas. I have been visiting with those veterans in almost all of the visits of Kansans who come here, and in those visits, I met the World War II veterans, the Korean war veterans, and the Vietnam war veterans who have a place of honor on the Mall where they can go to meet other veterans, to lay flowers, to pause and reflect, and remember the brothers and sisters that they have lost.

Just this weekend, back in Valley Center, KS, the Moving Wall--a tribute to those who lost their lives in Vietnam; the thousands, the 627 Kansans who lost their lives in Vietnam--was a place in which people gathered to do exactly that.

I hope someday I will be able to attend an Honor Flight to the Global War on Terrorism Memorial and meet with the generation of veterans who fought to bring peace to the Middle East and who fought to bring the United States into a safer and more secure place. It will be my honor and privilege to do so.

I am here on the Senate floor to pay tribute, to honor and respect, and to tell those who served in the Global War on Terrorism that we respect them; we thank them for their service; and we love them.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, we recently marked the 20th anniversary of September 11, a day that forever changed our Nation. This direct assault on our country sparked the Global War on Terrorism, a war that came at great personal cost to our men and women serving in the Armed Forces.

As a combat veteran, as the mother of a future soldier, even simply as an American, the events in Afghanistan have been extremely disheartening to watch. I have heard from so many veterans and servicemembers who served during this war, many of whom are distraught and disappointed at the haphazard way the war in Afghanistan came to a close. I have also heard from too many Gold Star families who lost so much during this conflict--their spouses, their fathers, their mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters.

Recent events have left them questioning themselves and whether their family member's sacrifice was worth it.

While we can't put the genie back in the bottle when it comes to what happened in Afghanistan last month, we can properly memorialize the service of the brave men and women who fought and died to protect and defend the United States since the beginning of the Global War on Terror.

I stand before you today to ask that the Senate join with me in honoring our Global War on Terrorism veterans and the sacrifices they made by supporting and passing my bipartisan bill, the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act.

In August of 2017, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law our bill authorizing the creation of a memorial commemorating the sacrifices of all those wonderful Americans who fought in the Global War on Terrorism.

This memorial will be 100 percent privately funded and will not use a single dime of taxpayer money. Most importantly, it will pay tribute to our fallen servicemembers across the country, including the 13 who perished in Afghanistan on August 26. Among the 13 was Iowa native, Cpl Daegan William-Tyeler Page, who bravely gave the greatest sacrifice of all.

This memorial is going to be built. It has already become law. It is ready to go. So let's get it built on the National Mall in Washington, DC, where it belongs. It is the least we in Congress can do for the men and women who have given so much.

We have the opportunity to unite around a common cause, while providing a central location for our many veterans and their families affected by the Global War on Terror to reunite and reflect on their loved ones' sacrifices.

This isn't a partisan idea. Earlier this month, the six surviving Secretaries of Defense, spanning Democratic and Republican administrations--Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, Ash Carter, Jim Mattis, and Mark Esper--they all wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in support of placing the Global War on Terror Memorial on our National Mall.

While nothing will ever restore the lives that we have lost, this memorial would serve as a tribute to those brave men and women and their loved ones who have sacrificed in defense of our freedom.

For more than 20 years, I had the privilege of serving my State and country in uniform. As a veteran of the Global War on Terror, I know firsthand the sacrifices the millions of brave men and women of our Armed Forces made in this fight against radical extremists.

Like many others, I have risen my right hand and taken that oath voluntarily and without reservation. That is why the effort to build this memorial in its rightful place is a personal one, not just to me but to every servicemember, veteran, surviving family member, and civilian who has been impacted by this fight.

This national memorial will provide all Americans a permanent place of reflection in the heart of our Nation's Capital. It will serve as a permanent commitment to the mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, and children who lost their whole world that this country is forever grateful and in their debt. It will serve as a place of healing for the thousands of veterans still carrying the wounds of war, both seen and unseen.

The National Mall is currently home to the memorials honoring World War II, the Korean war, and the Vietnam war. How could we put the memorial for our Nation's longest war anywhere else?

Mr. President, as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of S. 535 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Respectfully, I do not.

Mr. President, I will continue on this path. We, again, passed this bill. It was signed into law in 2017, creating the foundation to establish the Global War on Terrorism Memorial. So that was the first step in a process that has now culminated after 4 years of discussion and work. And I am very hopeful that the committee will go through regular process.

I would encourage the chair to move forward on a markup of the bill and a vote on the bill. If we can receive that markup and vote, then I will stop my

live UCs. But until that point, I think it is imperative that we continue pushing for that regular order.

I feel committed, obviously, to those whom I have served with, the others who have served in the Global War on Terror, their families, the affected communities, our Gold Star families, and others.

This is our Nation's longest running war. It is a war that has affected more than just those servicemembers who set foot in the Middle East. My commitment to those families, those communities, and our country is that we will continue to proceed to make sure that this memorial is placed in prominence on our National Mall.

I yield the floor.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, the time is now. We need a memorial to the fallen heroes of the Global War on Terror, and the memorial should be in its rightful place on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

On Tuesday, I spoke with a group of nearly 30 Gold Star families who lost their loved ones during our Nation's longest war. Their stories of heartache and sacrifice inspire me to continue fighting for this important memorial.

The overwhelming theme on that call was this: the time is now to get the Global War on Terrorism Memorial built on our National Mall.

And it is with that in mind that I come to the floor again to ask the Senate to join me in honoring our veterans, our Gold Star families, and fallen heroes by supporting my bipartisan legislation, the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act.

I believe our Nation has a responsibility to properly honor and pay tribute to our veterans, including those who have served in the longest conflict in the history of the United States. The Global War on Terrorism Memorial belongs on our National Mall, in the same place as the memorials that honor the heroes of earlier conflicts, like Korea and Vietnam.

This memorial, which has bipartisan support, will serve as a permanent reminder of the eternal gratitude of all of America.

As a fellow veteran of the Global War on Terrorism and a friend and advocate for our Gold Star families, I firmly believe that placing this memorial anywhere but the National Mall is absolutely unacceptable.

We have an opportunity for bipartisanship right here with this bill. So let's join together and show the country that the U.S. Senate will honor the sacrifice and properly memorialize the service of the brave men and women who fought and died to protect and defend the Nation since the beginning of the Global War on Terror. It is the least we can do for those who have given so much.

I ask you today to support my mission, to build a memorial to empower those who answered the call to serve in the Global War on Terror, who, for so long, protected us and allowed us to enjoy the freedoms that we have to this very day.

This memorial is ready to go, so let's get it built on our National Mall in Washington, DC, where it belongs.

Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of S. 535 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, I just want to come forward and thank the Senator for the progress that is being made on the location for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial, and I will continue to pursue this. I think it is important to do that. I remain committed to the families of those who have fallen, as well as the many servicemembers who have served across the spectrum in the Global War on Terror.

I understand that many decades ago an act was put in place by Congress which limited activity on the National Mall, but understanding, since that time, we have seen many memorials and many monuments that have been placed on the Reserve on the National Mall.

And so I am asking that, as Congress, we move forward quickly on this act. We have been working on this for a number of years. We need to move quickly and provide a time of healing for our Nation after we are closing the Global War on Terror.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, reserving the right to object, last week, Senator Ernst asked unanimous consent to bypass the committee process and pass her bill. At the time, I committed to work with her and that we would schedule this bill for a vote at the next Energy and Natural Resources Committee legislative markup.

That commitment remains. In fact, we are fulfilling it. In fact, just this morning, both of our staffs were on the National Mall walking through potential sites with the National Park Service and representatives from the Foundation to get a better understanding of the issues associated with the locations proposed in Senator Ernst's bill.

My goal is to get this memorial built as quickly as possible. I was the proud lead Democratic sponsor of this legislation to authorize construction of the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial 4 years ago and remain just as

supportive and committed to seeing the memorial built today as I was then.

It is important that we commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served on Active Duty and supported the Global War on Terrorism. The original legislation authorizing construction of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial required that the memorial be located and designed in accordance with the Commemorative Works Act.

The Senator's bill is now proposing to waive a key provision in that law. I am concerned that trying to legislatively force a memorial into the Reserve area of the National Mall will result in a more contentious approval process that will take longer to get the memorial built than staying with the process that applies to all of our memorials.

I restate my commitment to keep working with Senator Ernst and to schedule a vote on this bill at the Energy and Natural Resources Committee's next legislative business meeting so that committee members can weigh in, which is the process, on with what the appropriate policy should be.

Again, I remain a very strong supporter of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial, and I believe that all of our colleagues on the Republican and Democratic side feel the same. The National Park Service should give it the highest priority, and they will, in finding an appropriate site.

But the memorial should be built following the same process--the same process--that applies to all of our memorials and commemorative works. I will continue to work with my friend and colleague from Iowa, but I must respectfully object to the unanimous consent request.

First of all, I want to thank the total commitment and dedication that my friend from my Iowa has; the same as, I think, all of us have. But on that, since 2003, when Congress acted about basically putting a moratorium on the Mall so the Mall would be preserved for all of us to enjoy, there were some that were still pending but were allowed to complete. There has not been any new approved since 2003.

But we have a process, and I respect that, and I am going to work as hard as I can to make sure that that process is going to be honored and we go through it in our markup and everyone have input on it. And I think that is the proper way for us to proceed.

And I appreciate the Senator working and understanding and working with us. Right now, we just have to continue to do what we are doing and let this process basically go forth as quickly as possible. That is my commitment, and I will honor that.

Reserving the right to object.

Mr. President, 4 years ago, I was proud to join Senator Ernst in sponsoring legislation to authorize construction on the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces' Global War on Terror.

That bill passed the House and Senate on a voice vote and was signed into law August 2017.

A memorial honoring the men and women of the Armed Forces who served our Nation in the Global War on Terror--our country's longest military conflict--is the least that we can do to recognize their service and sacrifice and especially those who gave their lives in the service of our Nation.

In 2017, I said that it was incredibly important to honor these men and women, and it remains incredibly important today. I want the memorial to be built as quickly as possible. In fact, I think it should be the National Park Service's highest priority for approving new memorials, but it should be built following the same process that applies to all other memorials and commemorative works.

Since 2003, the Commemorative Works Act has prohibited new memorials in an area called the Reserve, which is essentially the National Mall. Since that time, there have been several proposals to waive the prohibition for new memorials or museums in that area on the Mall, including the World War I Memorial and the Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial.

Ultimately, these were located in other high-profile areas in compliance with the Commemorative Works Act. This legislation would override this provision in law to allow the Global War on Terrorism Memorial to be sited on the Reserve.

As chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I believe this precedent would reopen the fight to locate other memorials on the National Mall and create more controversy that will ultimately delay the construction of this memorial which is much needed.

While I am a strong supporter of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial, this would be creating an exception to the law for one memorial where others have been turned away and doing so without full committee process.

Our Subcommittee on National Parks, which is chaired by Senator King from Maine, held a hearing on Senator Ernst's bill on June 23. At that hearing, the Department of Interior testified in opposition to S. 535 as currently drafted.

I would respectfully ask my friend Senator Ernst to withdraw her unanimous consent request to discharge her bill from committee and would commit to holding a markup of the bill so we can consider the options, the impact, and a path forward for this most important memorial.

I respectfully object to the Senator's request but maintain my commitment to working with my friend from Iowa and the families who, rightfully, want to memorialize their loved ones to find a path forward for this important memorial.

In response to my friend from Iowa, you have my commitment. We will do this markup and get it scheduled as quickly as we possibly can, and we will work through that. We encourage you to be at the markup, if you would like, and speak on it at that time. We will have the park people there and go through this in a very diligent way and hopefully get a result as soon as possible.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.