Honor Flight Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume and rise in strong support of H.R. 4812, the Honor Flight Act.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Thompson, and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security, Mr. Hudson, for cosponsoring and supporting this bipartisan legislation.

The Honor Flight Act is a measure that seeks to pay a debt of gratitude to a group of Americans who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we are able to enjoy the freedoms that we have today. Although we may never be able to fully repay our veterans for their bravery, sites such as the National World War II Museum, which we are proud to have in the city of New Orleans, bring into focus their lasting contribution and their impact on American history.

The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization that works with airlines and other nonprofits to transport veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials dedicated to honoring their service and sacrifice. The organization was created in 2005 by Earl Morse, a former physician's assistant with the Department of Veterans Affairs and a private pilot who saw his patients' desire to visit the newly built World War II Memorial and recognized that many of them lacked the resources or support to make the trip on their own.

By the end of 2013, the Honor Flight Network had transported approximately 117,000 of our Nation's heroes to visit their memorials. Estimates from the Honor Flight Network show that number to be well over 120,000 people today. The Honor Flight Network currently prioritizes transporting World War II veterans and veterans who are terminally ill but intends to expand the program to transport veterans of subsequent wars in the future.

Presently, the Transportation Security Administration, under the leadership of Administrator Pistole, expedites the screening process for veterans visiting their memorials in Washington, D.C., via the Honor Flight Network private charter flights, saving them time and showing them the due respect and appreciation they deserve.

This legislation will authorize the collaboration between TSA and the Honor Flight Network in law, thereby ensuring that it becomes a permanent practice.

Before yielding back, I would note that I am especially proud of the bipartisan manner in which this legislation has come to the floor, from its inception and its handling in the subcommittee to today, and I am especially proud that this legislation received unanimous support in committee. I am sure it received unanimous support because it wasn't a political thing to do, it was the right thing to do, and truly bestowing honor on people in this country who truly deserve this honor. But for them, we would not be here today in the capacity that we are. We have to understand and we recognize that it is their sacrifice and their shoulders that we stand upon as a Nation. With that, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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