National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. POCAN. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of Amendment No. 439 which is based upon legislation that I have introduced every Congress since I was elected in 2012, the ``Restore Honor to Service Members Act''.

This amendment will require the Department of Defense to correct the military records of service members discharged solely because of their sexual orientation. Importantly, amending service members' discharge characterizations to an honorable discharge will enable impacted individuals to access the benefits they earned and to which they would otherwise be entitled. It is a significant moment for the more than 100,000 Americans estimated to have been discharged from the military since World War II due to their sexual orientation.

I thank Chairman Smith for his strong support of this amendment, Paul Arcangeli--Staff Director of the House Armed Services Committee--for his assistance, and Leslie Zelenko of my staff who has worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the amendment before us today.

Additionally, I would like to extend my deep gratitude to the Human Rights Campaign, the Modem Military Association of America, and VoteVets, for supporting this amendment, and Representatives Katie Hill, Chris Pappas, Mark Takano, Seth Moulton, Jamie Raskin, Chuy Garcia, Alan Lowenthal, Barbara Lee, Bill Foster, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Sean Patrick Maloney, Brian Higgins, Ed Case, Paul Tonko, Denny Heck, Jan Schakowsky, Veronica Escobar, Robin Kelly, Julia Brownley, Kurt Schrader, Steve Cohen, Ilhan Omar, Sheila Jackson Lee, Suzan DelBene, Anthony Brown, Joe Kennedy, Donna Shalala, Suzanne Bonamici, and Katie Porter for cosponsoring. I would also like to recognize Senator Brian Schatz and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for championing this legislation in the Senate. Without this outpouring of support, today would not have been possible. Again, I thank them.

Madam Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support the Restore Honor amendment, and I urge a yes vote in favor of the en bloc amendment into which it has been packaged.

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