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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 483 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 483

    Supporting the goals and ideals of Veterans of Foreign Wars Day.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2009

   Mr. Kline of Minnesota (for himself, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Massa, Mr. 
   Thornberry, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Cao, Mr. Sessions, Mr. 
 Teague, Mr. Tiahrt, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Terry, Mr. Shuster, Mr. Wilson of 
    South Carolina, Mr. Chaffetz, Mr. Simpson, Mrs. Bono Mack, Mr. 
  Hinojosa, Mrs. Bachmann, Mr. Jones, Mr. Altmire, Mr. Costello, Ms. 
 Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida, Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of Pennsylvania, 
    Mr. Adler of New Jersey, Mr. Davis of Alabama, Mr. Wittman, Mr. 
Lipinski, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Olson, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Wolf, Mr. 
  Issa, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Cole, Mr. Fleming, Mr. Lee of New York, Mr. 
 Paulsen, Mr. Conaway, Mr. Herger, Mr. Bartlett, Mr. Broun of Georgia, 
  Mr. McHenry, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Akin, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Jordan of 
    Ohio, Mr. Manzullo, Mrs. Miller of Michigan, and Mr. Gallegly) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                   on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Supporting the goals and ideals of Veterans of Foreign Wars Day.

Whereas veterans of the Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection, the 
        Nation's first major foreign conflicts, faced hardships to include a 
        complete lack of medical care and pensions upon discharge from the 
        service;
Whereas, on September 29, 1899, the American Veterans of Foreign Service and in 
        December 1899, the National Society of the Army of the Philippines, were 
        established to advocate for the rights and benefits then denied to 
        veterans of the Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection;
Whereas, in subsequent years, membership in these and other veterans 
        organizations continued to grow;
Whereas these veterans organizations, recognizing their common goals and the 
        importance of unity, merged to form the present-day Veterans of Foreign 
        Wars of the United States in 1914;
Whereas membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars continued to grow and reached 
        nearly 200,000 in 1936 when the organization received its Congressional 
        Charter;
Whereas the 2.3 million members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies 
        Auxiliary remain committed to the organization's mission of ``ensuring 
        rights, remembering sacrifices, promoting patriotism, performing 
        community services, and advocating for a strong national defense'';
Whereas the organization continues this honorable mission by effectively 
        advocating for our Nation's veterans, to include helping establish the 
        present-day Department of Veterans Affairs, creating the Montgomery G.I. 
        Bill, developing the national cemetery system, and assisting combat 
        wounded veterans receive compensation for their injuries; and
Whereas the members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars celebrate the organization's 
        establishment and achievements on September 29th while carrying on the 
        vital mission of their predecessors: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the goals and 
ideals of Veterans of Foreign Wars Day.
                                 <all>
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