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97–880 2015

MARKUP ON: H.R. 1670, THE NATIONAL 

POW/MIA REMEMBRANCE ACT OF 2015 

MARKUP 

BEFORE THE 

COMMITTEE ON HOUSE 

ADMINISTRATION 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

Held in Washington, DC, December 2, 2015 

Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration 

( 

Available on the Internet 

www.fdsys.gov 


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COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION 

CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan, Chairman 

GREGG HARPER, Mississippi 

RICHARD NUGENT, Florida 

RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois 

BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia 

MARK WALKER, North Carolina 

ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania, Ranking 

Minority Member 

ZOE LOFGREN, California 

JUAN VARGAS, California 

PROFESSIONAL STAFF

SEAN MORAN, Staff Director 

JAMIE FLEET, Minority Staff Director 


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MARKUP ON: H.R. 1670, THE NATIONAL 

POW/MIA REMEMBRANCE ACT OF 2015 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2015 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, 

Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 11:05 a.m., in Room 

1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Candice S. Miller 

[chairman of the Committee] presiding. 

Present: Representatives Miller, Harper, Nugent, Davis, Comstock, Walker, Brady, Lofgren, and Vargas. 

Staff Present: Sean Moran, Staff Director; John Clocker, Deputy 

Staff Director; Bob Sensenbrenner, Deputy General Counsel; John 

L. Dickhaus, Legislative Clerk; Erin McCracken, Communications 

Director; Reynold Schweickhardt, Director of Technology Policy; 

Brad D. Walvort, Professional Staff Member; Edward J. Puccerella, 

Professional Staff Member; Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director; 

Matt Pinkus, Minority Senior Policy Advisor; Khalil Abboud, Minority Deputy Staff Director/Director of Legislative Operations; 

Mike Harrison, Minority Chief Counsel; and Eddie Flaherty, Minority Chief Clerk. 

The CHAIRMAN. I now call to order the Committee on House Administration for today’s Committee markup. We do have a quorum, 

so we can proceed. I would note that the meeting record will remain open for 5 legislative days so that members might submit any 

materials that they wish to be included therein. 

[The information follows:] 


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The CHAIRMAN. The measure before the Committee today is to 

direct the Architect of the Capitol to obtain a chair featuring the 

logo of the National League of POW/MIA Families and to prominently place it on display in the U.S. Capitol. This measure, which 

was introduced by Representative Steve Lynch of Massachusetts, 

we think would be an extremely powerful symbol in our Nation’s 

Capital honoring American prisoners of war and Americans missing in action. 

As Members of Congress, obviously, we each represent districts 

where so many brave men and women went off to stand on the battle lines in defense of our Nation’s freedom, our liberty, our way 

of life. The importance of remembering and honoring their great 

sacrifice can never ever be overstated. Our Nation has a responsibility to them and to their families who have shared in their sacrifice and we must never forget. 

This chair will serve as the permanent reminder of the enormous 

sacrifice made by those who served our country and were taken as 

POWs or listed as MIA. They deserve to be honored, they need to 

be honored in the U.S. Capitol, which is a symbol itself of our 

American beliefs and the liberties and freedoms they sacrificed to 

defend. 

I would just say for me personally, when I would look at a chair 

like that I would think about a fellow who lives in my district. His 

name is Donald, but we call him Digger, Digger O’Dell. He is now 

in his eighties, but he served 51⁄2 years in the Hanoi Hilton, the 

infamous Hanoi Hilton. Of course, there were 123 of those guys. 

Another one of them is our colleague, Sam Johnson. 

Thankfully, Digger made it home, as Sam did, after all those 

years in a North Vietnam camp, and today he serves as a member 

of our local air base community council. He chairs a fundraising 

event for Special Olympics. He is just a remarkable fellow, but he 

is just one of many who selflessly serving our Nation faced enormous adversity. 

So I think it is just very important that we, especially here in 

our Nation’s Capital, remember their stories and their sacrifice for 

our great country. 

And with that, I would now recognize my colleague, the Committee’s ranking member, Mr. Brady, for the purpose of an opening 

statement. 

Mr. BRADY. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Thank you for considering this measure today. 

Advancing this legislation brings us one step closer to giving 

American POWs and MIAs the honor that they do deserve. In the 

Philadelphia area, chairs have been placed at many of our sports 

venues and local city halls. And just a few weeks ago, the Philadelphia Eagles recognized this effort during halftime at one of our 

home games. By placing a chair like this in the Nation’s Capital, 

we will send a message to those servicemembers and their families 

that we will never forget their sacrifice. 

I would like to thank many of my constituents who brought this 

issue to our attention, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation. 

The CHAIRMAN. I thank the gentleman. 

Would any member like to offer an amendment to this bill? 


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Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Chair. 

The CHAIRMAN. Yes. 

Ms. LOFGREN. I would like to move to strike the last word. I am 

not going to offer an amendment, although I was thinking about 

whether we might somehow involve the one prisoner of war that 

we have in our House, Sam Johnson. I don’t know, putting his 

name on it might involve disrespect for others, so I didn’t want to 

make that amendment. But I would like us all to think how we 

might involve honoring Sam as part of this process. 

The CHAIRMAN. Absolutely, yes, absolutely. Good suggestion. I 

am sure that we will incorporate Sam in any way and every way 

that we can in an appropriate way for recognizing his service as 

well. 

Any other member like to offer an amendment? 

Then I move that the Committee favorably report the bill. The 

question is on the motion to favorably report to the House the bill. 

All members in favor, signify by saying aye. 

Opposed, say nay. 

In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the ayes have it. 

Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. 

I would also ask unanimous consent that the staff be authorized 

to make any technical and conforming changes to the measure the 

Committee just considered and to make other modifications with 

the concurrence of the ranking minority member of the Committee 

and notification to all members of the Committee. 

Without objection, so ordered. 

That will conclude today’s markup. 

[Whereupon, at 11:10 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.] 


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