Fort Hood Heroes Act

Floor Speech

Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, this is a nice evening to be introducing what I have to say. This Roll Call of Heroes is inspiring to any and all Americans, including myself.

Yesterday I dropped into the hopper a bill entitled Fort Hood Heroes Act, H.R. 3111. This bill was introduced with 119 original cosponsors on a bipartisan basis.

This bill declares the shooting that took place at Fort Hood an act of terrorism that should have been prevented and that Nidal Hasan was an Islamic extremist. The bill would award Purple Hearts to the soldiers who were killed or wounded in the attack, and award the Secretary of Defense Medal of Freedom to civilians who were killed or wounded in the attack.

This bill would provide benefits to the victims of the attack who were killed or wounded and their families, deeming the killing or wounding to have occurred:

For soldiers, in a combat zone and at the hands of an enemy of the United States;

For civilian DOD employees, by hostile action while serving alongside the Armed Forces during a contingency operation and in a terrorist attack.

The possible benefits they will receive will be:

Combat-related special compensation;

Maximum coverage under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance;

Tax breaks after death in combat zone or terrorist attack;

Special pay for subjection to hostile fire or imminent danger;

Unearned portions of bonuses;

Combat-related injury rehabilitation pay; and

Meals at military treatment facilities.

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