Keeping Military Families Together Act of 2024

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2181, as amended, the Keeping Military Families Together Act. I thank Senator Gary Peters for introducing this bill and Representative Chris Pappas, the ranking member of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee, for introducing similar legislation in the House.

This bill extends two Department of Veterans Affairs burial benefits provided to spouses and dependent children of veterans or Active Duty servicemembers. Specifically, the bill requires VA to provide memorial headstones or markers for spouses or dependent children of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on Active Duty at the time of the spouse's or child's death.

Additionally, the bill authorizes burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration for a spouse or dependent child of veterans or servicemembers who were serving on Active Duty at the time of the spouse's or child's death.

Madam Speaker, these burial authorities were set to expire at the end of October, and many families would have been faced with extremely difficult decisions about where to inter their loved ones. Thankfully, we were able to extend these authorities for an additional year in the most recent continuing resolution.

However, families of veterans need more certainty. While I am disappointed that we couldn't extend these authorities permanently, as Senator Peters and Ranking Member Pappas had originally intended, the additional 7 years presented in this bill will still allow for some time for some long-term end-of-life planning for many families.

Madam Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I support S. 2181, as amended, the Keeping Military Families Together Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2181) to amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal the sunset on entitlement to memorial headstones and markers for commemoration of veterans and certain individuals and to repeal the sunset on authority to bury remains of certain spouses and children in national cemeteries, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 2181, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2181, as amended. This bill was introduced by Senator Peters. My colleagues, Representative James and Representative Reschenthaler, introduced companion bills.

This bill would ensure that veterans can be laid to rest and mourned together with their spouses and children.

Under current law, VA can inter certain family members together with their veteran loved one in a VA national cemetery only if those family members passed away before September 30, 2025.

VA can provide headstones or markers for certain family members whose

remains are unavailable for burial only if they passed away before September 30, 2025. S. 2181, as amended, would extend those date limitations.

As a veteran myself, this is a deeply personal issue to me. We must ensure that veterans and their families have the option of being laid to rest together. Therefore, Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support S. 2181, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 2181.

The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives:

Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 2181) entitled

``An Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal the

sunset on entitlement to memorial headstones and markers for

commemoration of veterans and certain individuals and to

repeal the sunset on authority to bury remains of certain

spouses and children in national cemeteries, and for other

purposes.'', do pass with amendments.

Motion to Concur

I move to concur in the House amendment, and I ask unanimous consent that the motion be agreed to.

I move to concur in the House amendment to the title and ask unanimous consent the motion be agreed to.

I ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 2181 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.