Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, we are all in Congress because we see room for improvement in America, especially for our servicemembers, veterans, and our military families. As a 20-year Navy veteran myself, I know it is not just the brave men and women who fight for America, but also the families who support them every step of the way.

When Gold Star widows from Virginia Beach contacted me about how their tax bills jumped thousands of dollars as a result of the 2000 tax law, I knew I had to do something. That is why I took action to introduce the bipartisan Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act, which fixes the unintended tax hike that many Gold Star families experienced.

A number of families across our coastal Virginia district have shared their stories about how this tax law changed their lives. One woman, the widow of a Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan, saw the taxes on her son's benefits rise by $4,000 in 2018, another by $6,000, and another by $2,500.

What this tax bill did to Gold Star families was wrong, but I have been heartened to see so many of my colleagues join me in a bipartisan effort to right these wrongs. As of today, we have 155 cosponsors and received endorsements of 20 veterans service organizations.

Madam Speaker, with this momentum, we can fix a problem for so many heroic families and ensure security for their benefits.

I include in the Record a letter signed by 20 veterans service organizations in support of the Gold Star family tax provisions included within the SECURE Act.

May 22, 2019.

Hon. Elaine Luria,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congresswoman Luria: As leaders of the major veterans,

military, and survivor organizations, we are pleased to offer

our support for H.R. 2481, the Gold Star Family Tax Relief

Act.

Surviving spouses of service members who die in the line of

duty and military retirees who die from service-connected

wounds, illnesses, or injuries are entitled to Dependency and

Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits from the Department of

Veterans Affairs. Survivors who paid into the Department of

Defense Survivor Benefits Plan (SBP) have a dollar-for-dollar

offset of their SBP benefits by the amount of DIC benefits.

To avoid the SBP/DIC offset, surviving spouses often sign

over SBP benefits to their children to ensure the family

receives both earned benefits.

Due to a recent change in tax law, known as the ``Kiddie

Tax,'' Gold Star families who were formerly obligated to pay

12 to 15 percent in taxes on their earned benefits are now

being taxed up to 37 percent, leaving them thousands of

dollars in tax debt. This important bill would rightfully

repeal the Kiddie Tax and reinstate military survivor

benefits to the previous tax rate.

Thank you again for your leadership on this issue. We look

forward to working with you and your staff to pass this

important legislation immediately.

Sincerely,

Robert Wallace, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United

States; Bonnie Carroll, Tragedy Assistance Program for

Survivors; Harriet Boyden, Gold Star Wives of America; Joseph

R. Chenelly, AMVETS; Louis Celli, The American Legion; Joyce

Wessel Raezer, National Military Famiy Association; Dana T.

Atkins, Military Officers Association of America; Carl Blake,

Paralyzed Veterans of America; Keith A. Reed, Air Force

Sergeants Association; John Cho, AMSUS, the Society of

Federal Health Professionals.

James T. Currie, Commissioned Officers Assn. of the US

Public Health Service, Inc; Norman Rosenshein, Jewish War

Veterans of the USA; Vincent Patton III, Non Commissioned

Officers Assn. of the United States of America; Randy Reid,

USCG Chief Petty Officers Assn.; Jeff J. Schloesser, Army

Aviation Association of America; Christopher Cole,

Association of the United States Navy; Carol Setteducato,

Chief Warrant Officers Association of the US Coast Guard;

Thomas ``LPM'' Howlett, Marine Corps Reserve Association;

Kenneth Greenberg, The Retired Enlisted Association; Brian

Dempsey, Wounded Warrior Project.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the SECURE Act and, in doing that, fix this tax problem that has impacted so many of our Gold Star families across the Commonwealth of Virginia and the country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Reverend Perez Gatling, the 13th pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Virginia Beach. I thank him for his powerful and poignant prayer on the House floor and know that his words will give Congress strength.

Known as ``the church that reaches out,'' Ebenezer Baptist Church is the oldest African American church in the city of Virginia Beach and has been the cornerstone of our community since 1859.

Pastor Gatling leads it by humble example, sharing with whomever he meets his personal motto: ``I'm just a nobody trying to tell everybody about somebody who can save anybody.''

Pastor Gatling is not only a faith leader, but also a mentor to so many through his church's prolific community outreach, specifically, for students of all ages.

Pastor Gatling is accompanied today by his loving family: Veleka Gatling, Lewis Gatling, Russell Gatling, Cleo Gatling, Leo V. Williams, Carolyn Williams, and Mary Bowen.

Thank you for joining us today. Thank you, Pastor Gatling, for bringing your wise words and your wonderful family to visit us in Congress.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 1200, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2019.

In Congress, I have vowed to keep our Nation's veterans at the top of my mind, and I plan to deliver on that promise through this critical piece of legislation.

I represent a coastal Virginia district with eight major military installations, including Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval station in the United States, so veterans are clearly a critical part of my constituency, just as they are honored members of every congressional district across America.

Our veterans put their lives on the line and are deployed far from home to keep America safe. As a 20-year Navy veteran myself, I am proud to bring a bill to the floor that would eliminate the erosions of benefits they earned in service to our country.

The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act would recognize that the benefits we provide our veterans need to be modernized and increased the same way that Social Security has raised benefits to meet cost-of-living increases.

My bill enhances benefits for wartime disability compensation, compensation for dependents, clothing allowance, dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouses, and dependency and indemnity compensation to children.

We have seen costs for disability care, clothing, and childcare increase over the years, and it is vital that we continue to provide benefits that actually meet the demands that our veterans see on the ground.

A cost-of-living increase would aid veterans, their families, and their survivors to help maintain the value of their benefits against inflation. Without consistent increases, veterans and their families may not be able to have a consistent quality of life into their later years.

Providing quality benefits to our veterans and their dependents can change lives, and Congress must honor the commitment to those American heroes who served in harm's way so that we can live in peace at home.

I thank my colleagues on the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee and my ranking member, Mike Bost, for being a cosponsor of this legislation, and I urge swift House passage so that we can do our part to push this into law and help our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act. As a Navy veteran myself, this issue hits close to home, specifically in coastal Virginia, the district that I have the honor of representing.

At my first townhall after taking office, the wife of a Virginia Beach Vietnam veteran posed a deeply personal question. She said to me: Where is the blue water Navy sailor bill? I have a dying vet at home from Agent Orange who wants his country to respond to his service during Vietnam.

After the townhall, I talked with her more in depth on the issue, and with tears in her eyes, she asked me again for help and to make sure Congress did not forget her husband's service and what he sacrificed for our country.

I stand today to speak on behalf of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act so that my constituent and

so many others across the Nation will know that we have not forsaken their service.

I am thankful to the House of Representatives for stepping up to the plate and fulfilling our responsibility to our veterans and their service to America. I am proud to support their cause today.

This bipartisan bill on the floor would finally correct an injustice for veterans who are suffering and dying from conditions related to Agent Orange exposure and who have been unfairly denied VA disability and health benefits for more than four decades.

For those who may not know, blue water Navy Vietnam veterans are servicemembers who served at sea off the shore of Vietnam during the Vietnam war.

A Federal Court, in January, ruled that the VA was wrong in denying disability and health benefits to blue water Navy Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the toxin Agent Orange; however, the administration has not yet committed to implementing this decision. As a result, the blue water Navy veterans are still in limbo, and Congress must act to secure their benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I urge quick House passage of our bipartisan legislation so our Senate colleagues can do the same and get this to the White House and pass it into law.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and accomplishments of Mary Ann Melchers. Mary Ann Melchers has been a female pioneer during the 54 years that she has been an active member and volunteer in the credit union movement. She began her relationship with credit unions as a volunteer with Norfolk Naval Base Federal Credit Union following a merger with Amphibious Base Federal Credit Union in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Today, the credit union is known as ABNB Federal Credit Union and is the largest community credit union in Southeastern Virginia.

Her credit union volunteer career is well documented. In 1965, she became a member of the Credit Committee at Naval Base Norfolk Federal Credit Union. This was an especially significant achievement considering that women were unable to obtain credit in their own name at that time in history. Despite those obstacles, she began her lifelong quest to ensure that all people of modest means regardless of gender, race or creed have access to credit and the other vital financial services they need.

In succeeding years, deregulation dramatically changed the face of the financial services industry. In the late 1970's, Mary Ann guided the credit union's evolution by recognizing and then expanding the growth of products and services offered to members from simple savings accounts and small loans to full-service financial offerings. Through her leadership, she also made history as the first woman elected to the office of Chairperson of the Board of Directors at Naval Base Federal Credit Union. This achievement came at a time when women were rarely participants in American business boardrooms let alone serving in leadership roles. As chair she was instrumental in successfully consummating the 1996 merger of Naval Base and Amphibious Base Federal Credit Unions, resulting in what is now known as ABNB Federal Credit Union.

At ABNB Federal Credit Union, Mary Ann has held numerous leadership positions serving as Vice Chair of the Board from 1996 to 1998. In 1999, she was elected Chair of the ABNB FCU Board, beginning a 20-year volunteer career as chair and only the second woman to hold that position in ABNB's history. Under her leadership ABNB grew from 32,615 to 59,469 members and from $182 million to well over $57 million in assets.

Through her stewardship, the credit union also expanded its field of membership from solely serving military personnel on the Naval Base and Amphibious Base into the largest full-service community credit union. Today, the credit union serves over 60,000 members across Hampton Roads and Northeastern North Carolina with 18 branches and 24 surcharge-free ATM's. In addition, she was the 2016 recipient of the Virginia Credit Union League's highest honor, the James P. Kirsch Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is given annually to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the credit union movement over the course of their career.

In summary, Mary Ann was able to deliver on her promise ensuring that people of modest means have access to credit and other affordable financial services. During her 54-year volunteer career she was instrumental in guiding a credit union that would eventually serve everyone in Hampton Roads and beyond with low cost and high-quality financial services.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Laura Habr on being named the First Citizen of Virginia Beach. This is an amazing accomplishment.

This award recognizes Laura's lifetime of service and commitment to the welfare of our community. Laura's commitment to her business, Croc's, and her role as a civic leader is inspiring to many. Her business and leadership are well known in Virginia Beach. Additionally, her input on boards and committees--such as the Old Beach Farmers Market, Green Resort Ecofriendly Neighbors, and the Resort Advisory Commission--is invaluable.

Laura's dedication to inclusion and to strengthening the community is truly inspiring. I am proud to honor and recognize Laura for her leadership and the role she plays in making our community a better place. Virginia Beach has significantly benefited from her presence.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the Honorable Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond for her tremendous career and service in the Hampton Roads area.

Honorable Dr. Ross-Hammond recently retired from Norfolk State University where she

taught Music Appreciation and the Humanities. Not only has Honorable Dr. Ross-Hammond been dedicated to her work as a Distinguished Professor, but she has been a renowned public servant. She served on the Virginia Beach City Council, and various councils and boards at the State and local level such as the City's Diversity and Inclusion Forums, and co-chaired the Mayor's African American Roundtable--just to name a few. She currently serves as a Commissioner for the Hampton Roads Transportation Commission and President-Elect for the Virginia Beach Beautification Commission. These are only a select few of her numerous titles and positions.

Honorable Dr. Ross-Hammond received awards for her service to the Hampton Roads community such as the Resolution of Appreciation from the Hampton Roads District Planning Commission and the Urban League of South Hampton Roads Young Professionals Award for Community Service. She was also the 2016 Honoree for the Norfolk State University Music Department's Spring Gala.

Honorable Dr. Ross-Hammond's dedication to strengthening bonds among people of different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds is truly inspiring. I am proud to honor and recognize Honorable Dr. Ross- Hammond's leadership and the role she plays in making our community a better place. Hampton Roads has significantly benefited from her presence.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Brittany Welsh, a senior at First Colonial High School. Brittany is an example of true perseverance and dedication, and I am honored to share her story.

Brittany Welsh recently underwent surgery to have one of her kidneys removed due to an issue causing high blood pressure. At such a young age, Brittany persevered through health complications and used her experience to help others. Brittany dedicated her senior project to raising awareness of the need for organ donations. She decided to fundraise for Lifenet, a provider of transplant solutions. Brittany's project will include an acoustic concert by a well-known local band, educational speakers, and speakers who have received an organ donation. Her senior project will not only raise awareness, but will also provide much-needed funds for organ donations.

Brittany is an example to all of us that organ donations can save lives. She also demonstrates how to persevere through trials and use an experience to help others. I am honored to recognize Brittany's story today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rabbi Israel Zoberman and include in the Record this article, Learning a Shared History of Sorrow:

On February 22, 2019, George Washington's birthday, during

Black History Month, I was privileged to travel to the

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and

Culture, close to the Washington Monument on the inspiring

National Mall of our nation's capital. I was in good company

for the long-awaited tour organized by the Virginia Beach

Human Rights Commission. The 44 passengers on the bus

included members of the Commission, of which I am a grateful

member, representation of the Virginia Beach City Council and

the Mayor's office along with the Virginia Beach Police

Department, students and staff of the Virginia Beach City

Public Schools as well as leaders of the African American

Culture Center of Virginia Beach. What an impressive array of

civic commitment!

As a family member of the Holocaust's surviving remnant of

European Jewry. I knew ahead of the searing visit of the

tragic bond between the African American experience and the

destruction of European Jewry, of the binding bond among all

affected by infectious racial, religious, ethnic, national

and gender hatred seeking to demean, dehumanize and demonize

the `other'. There is an unmistakable thread connecting the

2015 murder of 9 Black members at Emanuel African Methodist

Episcopal Church in Charleston S.C., with the gunning down of

11 Jewish worshippers at a Sabbath service in Pittsburg's

Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018; between the historical

lynchings of Blacks and the 2017 White Supremacist mayhem in

Charlottesville, Virginia, resulting in a murder, with the

dreaded shouts of ``Jews will not replace us!'' still ringing

in our ears. Vitriolic anti-Semitism is precipitously on the

rise in the United States and Europe.

The imposing structure of the African American Museum

stands within sight of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. I

recalled my first visit there and the subsequent ones, when I

felt the overcoming sense of uncontrollable loss. It was the

same sensation of being assaulted to the core of my humanity

that I experienced traveling the challenging halls of the

African American Museum. Yet, I emerged from both encounters

with greater resolve to mend the world, Tikkun Olam, turning

blemishes into blessings. Who can remain untouched gazing at

the casket of brutally murdered 14-year-old Emmett Till and

the photo of his agonizing mother, the only exhibit we are

forbidden to photograph that we should focus uninterruptedly?

We were guided by an incredible docent telling the story of

proud Africans forcibly and so cruelly separated from their

rich roots and brought to America--those who made it through

the terrifying Middle Passage--and brought here to be

violated of all that is sacred. Both they as slaves and

Europe's Jews were deemed sub-human. The former ones by

colonial powers and a new America promising to advance

liberty's cause, and the latter ones by a Germany regarded

the world's most civilized nation. The vital Jewish and

African American partnership during the Civil Rights Movement

of the 1960s, needs to be revitalized in the context of a

wider coalition to move America forward.

I wish that both museums could be connected by a bridge or

a tunnel to visualize their inseparable bond. Recently heroic

French Father Patrick Desbois had a memorable presentation in

Virginia Beach. He is renowned for documenting unknown Nazi

massacres with local collaboration in occupied lands during

WWII along with ISIS's mass crimes in Iraq. He shares a

stunning statement in his unsettling book, In Broad Daylight,

that applies as well to the inhumane treatment of African

Americans, ``I feel a mounting disgust for our species. The

sort of nausea that makes you want to quit the human race.''

But we dare not quit the human race. Great strides have taken

place though progress is an arduous work in the making. The

large number of visitors at the museum, particularly the many

students, is a hopeful sign. We dare not despair of past and

present pain, for that only serves the hateful aggressor,

while indifference, as Eli Wiesel taught us, only enables

evildoers to succeed.

We need better tools to fight the scourge and resurgence of

all forms of hatred, bigotry and discrimination. Democracies

are at risk of backsliding, as was the case in Germany, and

require eternal vigilance.

A precious teachable window is open to us following trying

circumstances, as we celebrate this year the 400th

Anniversary of Virginia with its dark shadows and shining

lights. Let us pledge, one diverse but united family, to rise

together higher and higher.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Ohef Sholom Temple's 175th anniversary. Ohef Sholom Temple is a strong light in the Norfolk community. The fact that Ohef Sholom has provided a spiritual home across many generations throughout its 175-year history clearly shows the Temple's importance to the community. Ohef Sholom Temple stays true to its mission and works for the betterment and welfare of Norfolk.

Since Ohef Sholom was established in 1844 and is the largest and oldest Reform Jewish congregation in Hampton Roads, it has been a welcoming and open community to all people. The words written above the sanctuary doors ring true: ``My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. ``

I am proud to honor and recognize Ohef Sholom for this important milestone. I know Norfolk and Hampton Roads are better because of Ohef Sholom Temple's leadership, congregation, and good work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Lifeguard Lieutenants Courtney Hutchens and Madeline Solano and Lifeguards Beatty Barnes and Robert Warren for their excellent emergency response during an emergency on September 1, 2018, in Ocean View, Norfolk, Virginia.

Each lifeguard recognized the situation and responded promptly with the proper treatment the injured swimmer needed. They met the proper protocol and fulfilled the action plans required for an emergency.

Because of their exceptional and rapid response, these lifeguards received the 2018 Dr. Frank Pia Lifesaving Award from the Virginia Lifeguard Association Annual Aquatic Management Symposium. This is a great honor.

I am sincerely thankful that Virginia has lifeguards like them to watch over and guard our Commonwealth. I am confident our beaches are a safer place because of their presence.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Thirteenth Annual Taste of India 2019. This is a very special event which occurs annually in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Hampton Roads region is lucky to have such an active Asian Indian community. The Hampton Roads Asian Indian community consists of wonderful people who make our region a better place.

The annual Taste of India event has been an amazing success and has hosted local, state, and federal officials. Taste of India provides all Hampton Roads residents with a valuable cultural, political, and educational experience. Taste of India is crucial for Hampton Roads' awareness, education, and enjoyment. This event will continue to thrive for many generations to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the new public art installation, Portraits from a Place of Grace. This beautiful and thought-provoking artwork will be installed at the future home of the African American Cultural Center of Virginia Beach.

The African American Cultural Center (AACC) worked hard over the last year to make this happen. Staff partnered with Richard Hollant, a renowned artist, on a series of portraits and interviews with Virginia Beach's 14 historically African American neighborhoods.

The installation features people and stories that capture the community's history. I commend the community for taking the next step in building the African American Cultural Center of Virginia Beach.

Recognizing the important contributions of African Americans to the history, development, and success of our region is vital to appreciating the journey in building our community. The vivid visual representation and poignant audio interviews will promote, preserve, and celebrate the inspiring pioneers of our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond for her tremendous career and service in the Hampton Roads area.

Dr. Ross-Hammond recently retired from Norfolk State University where she taught music and was the director of service-learning and civic engagement. Not only has Dr. Ross-Hammond been dedicated to her work as a professor, but she has been a renowned public servant. She has served on various councils and boards such as the Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation Board, the City's Diversity and Inclusion Forums, and the Mayor's African American Roundtable--just to name a few.

Dr. Ross-Hammond received awards for her service to the Hampton Roads community such as the Urban League of South Hampton Roads Young Professionals Award for Community Service. She was also the 2016 Honoree for the Norfolk State University Music Department's Spring Gala.

Dr. Ross-Hammond's dedication to strengthening bonds among people of different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds is truly inspiring. I am proud to honor and recognize Dr. Ross-Hammond's leadership and the role she plays in making our community a better place. Hampton Roads has significantly benefited from her presence.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Dr. Michael G. Daniels for his tremendous career and service in the Hampton Roads area.

Dr. Daniels is a true academic with bachelor's and master's degrees in Business Management and Administration, and a doctoral degree in Ministry. Not only is Dr. Daniels an academic, but he is a true public servant. Dr. Daniels is dedicated to serving and leading Enoch Baptist Church, a congregation of approximately 1,200.

Dr. Daniels has received various honors for his commitment to service in Hampton Roads. He received honors from the Virginia Beach Chapter of the NAACP for his community service and the Virginia Beach Civil Rights Commission for advocating for the rights of residents.

Dr. Daniels' dedication to strengthening bonds among people of different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds is truly inspiring. I am proud to honor and recognize Dr. Daniels' leadership and the role he plays in making our community a better place.

Hampton Roads has significantly benefited from his presence.