January 24, 2024 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S247 

entrepreneurship. As Pastor Harris 

often says, ‘‘The best violence prevention program is access to good schools 

and good jobs,’’ the kinds of jobs you 

can raise a family on. 

Bright Star also offers counseling 

and other forms of support to help heal 

from the trauma that is often at the 

root—not only of gun violence but also 

addiction and so many other deadly 

ills. And he has been at the forefront of 

this field, being involved in Federal 

grants from the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention. 

Over the years, Bright Star Community Outreach has grown from Pastor 

Harris and a few volunteers to now 115 

employees. They are working directly 

with Chicago Public School students to 

understand their needs and experiences. I have visited their programs 

many times, and I am always inspired 

by the work they do. 

And when I set out to introduce legislation to address the role that trauma plays in fueling our cycle of violence, Pastor Harris was one of my 

first calls. His guidance helped shape 

the legislation I have worked on for 

nearly a decade, parts of which have 

become law and are funding school 

mental health efforts in Chicago. 

Recently, Pastor Harris decided to 

step back as executive director. He will 

remain CEO of BSCO, and he will have 

a bit more time to focus more on his 

many other duties. The new executive 

director of Bright Star Community 

Outreach is LaKreisha Kindred. She is 

a lifelong Chicagoan with a background 

in the financial industry—and a member of the famed Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. I wish her well. And I want to 

say to my friend Pastor Chris Harris, 

thank you for your unflagging efforts 

to save lives and bring new hope to the 

city of Chicago. 

f 

VOTE EXPLANATION 

Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I 

missed a vote on December 18, 2023. 

Had I been present, I would have voted 

yea on rollcall vote No. 347 to confirm 

Martin O’Malley to serve as Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. 

I congratulate Commissioner 

O’Malley on his confirmation, and I 

look forward to his strong leadership 

at the SSA. 

f 

REMEMBERING FRANK Q. 

NEBEKER 

Mr. TESTER. Madam President, 

today I would like to honor the life and 

service of a dedicated public servant, 

distinguished American, and champion 

for veterans: the Honorable Frank Q. 

Nebeker. 

Judge Nebeker served as the first 

chief judge of the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals, now known as the U.S. 

Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. 

A long-time Federal judge and legal 

pioneer, he established the landmark 

court in 1988 before hearing the first 

case and issuing the first opinion in 

1989. His work ensured that, for the 

first time ever, veterans had a dedicated court to hear their appeals for 

their earned Department of Veterans 

Affairs—VA—benefits. 

While Judge Nebeker is no longer 

with us, his legacy lives on. On behalf 

of myself and my fellow Americans, I 

would like to extend our deepest gratitude for his life and service to this nation. 

Judge Nebeker grew up in the West. 

He was born in Salt Lake City and 

grew up in Ogden, UT, before graduating from the University of Utah and 

marrying his wife Lou. Together, they 

moved to Washington, DC, where he 

studied law and worked in President 

Eisenhower’s White House. Working as 

a correspondence secretary, he began 

his career in public service that would 

last the rest of his life. 

After serving as an attorney for the 

Department of Justice, he was appointed to the District of Columbia 

Court of Appeals in 1969. He presided on 

that bench until President Reagan 

nominated him to be the Director of 

the Office of Government Ethics in 

1987, a position he held for 2 years. 

Soon after, Judge Nebeker continued 

his service to this country when President George H.W. Bush appointed him 

to be the chief judge of the newly created United States Court of Veterans 

Appeals. In this role, he was tasked 

with standing up this new court from 

the bottom up. 

Judge Nebeker’s sharp legal mind 

and unpretentious demeanor made him 

an ideal person to bring the court to 

life. He, along with many other dedicated individuals who established the 

court, provided an opportunity for the 

men and women who served our country to appeal for the VA benefits they 

earned for the first time ever. Many 

veterans live a better life today because of the judicial system Frank 

helped establish. 

He oversaw the court until his retirement in 2000 and served in senior status 

on the District of Columbia Court of 

Appeals until 2021. While he left the 

court, his enduring legacy of serving 

veterans lived on at the U.S. Court of 

Appeals, where the Veterans Appeals 

courtroom is named in his honor. 

On January 4, 2024, Judge Nebeker 

passed away at the age of 93 years old. 

He is survived by his wife of 70 years, 

Lou, his children Melia and William, 

three grandchildren, and one greatgrandchild. 

It is my honor to recognize Judge 

Nebeker’s decades of public service and 

commitment to serving our veterans 

and their families. His work will continue to benefit generations of veterans 

nationwide for years to come, and he 

will be sorely missed. 

f 

REMEMBERING FRANK Q. 

NEBEKER 

Mr. MORAN. Madam President, 

today, I want to honor the life and 

mourn the loss of Judge Frank 

Nebeker, who was not only the first 

judge of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims but also the court’s first 

chief judge. In Kansas, we know the 

value of community and helping others, and Judge Nebeker took these 

traits to heart as a dedicated and longserving public servant for more than 70 

years. 

He began his legal career in 1956 as a 

trial attorney in the Internal Security 

Division of the Department of Justice. 

From there, he took on multiple jobs 

and roles within the executive and judicial branches of government. In October 1989, he was nominated to the Court 

of Veterans Appeals by President 

George H. W. Bush. 

The court was created in 1988 under 

President Reagan to allow veterans 

and their families to appeal benefits 

decisions from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Board of Veterans 

Appeals. This court was the first of its 

kind and provided a forum for veterans 

and their dependents to advocate for 

themselves when they disagreed with 

VA. It currently consists of seven permanent judges and two temporary 

judges. 

Judge Nebeker served on the court 

from the first day it opened until November 2000, when he then became a 

‘‘Recall-Eligible Senior Judge.’’ He 

still continued his public service to 

veterans and periodically performed recall service until December 2022, when 

he fully retired from the court. 

Judge Nebeker was a powerful and influential advocate for veterans. He 

lived a life of purpose and loved 

bettering the lives of those who have 

sacrificed for our country. He often 

held education programs for attorneys 

and appellate judges throughout the 

country in his pursuit to improve the 

lives of veterans and military families 

through the next generation of public 

servants. 

He is an example for each of us to follow as we seek to care for our veterans. 

I know his legacy will live on in the 

court and in the community and people 

he loved. My prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues. 

f 

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 

A message from the President of the 

United States was communicated to 

the Senate, by Mrs. Stringer, one of his 

secretaries. 


SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE