Today, U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) issued the following statement after the House passed the Dignified Interment of Our Veterans Act of 2015 (H.R. 1338), legislation she cosponsored to improve the identification and interment process for the unclaimed remains of deceased American veterans:
"According to the Missing in America Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring all of our fallen heroes get a dignified burial, there are tens of thousands of unclaimed, uninterred veteran cremains currently in the U.S. -- a tremendous dishonor to those who have served this nation. While I understand that there are often challenges to identifying deceased veterans and locating their next of kin, I believe we can do better. Today, in an effort to address this serious problem, the House passed legislation that directs the VA to identify the barriers associated with claiming and interring our deceased veterans, as well as ways we can improve our processes. Our fallen heroes and their families have made great sacrifices for this country, and we must ensure our deceased veterans' final resting place be one of dignity and honor."