I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6244 

To designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs located 

in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, as the ‘‘Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 9, 2021 

Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia (for herself, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. 

BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. 

ALLEN, Ms. BOURDEAUX, Mr. HICE of Georgia, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of 

Georgia, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, and Mr. FERGUSON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, 

as the ‘‘Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Max Cleland VA Med5 ical Center Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was born August 

2 24, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia, the child of Juanita 

3 Kesler Cleland and Joseph Hughie Cleland, a World 

4 War II veteran, and grew up in Lithonia, Georgia. 

5 (2) Joseph Maxwell Cleland graduated from 

6 Stetson University in Florida in 1964, and received 

7 his Master’s Degree in history from Emory Univer8 sity in Atlanta, Georgia. 

9 (3) Following his graduation from Stetson Uni10 versity, Joseph Maxwell Cleland received a Second 

11 Lieutenant’s Commission in the Army through its 

12 Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. 

13 (4) Joseph Maxwell Cleland volunteered for 

14 duty in the Vietnam War in 1967, serving with the 

15 1st Cavalry Division. 

16 (5) On April 8, 1968, during combat at the 

17 mountain base at Khe Sanh, Joseph Maxwell 

18 Cleland was gravely injured by the blast of a gre19 nade, eventually losing both his legs and right arm. 

20 (6) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was awarded the 

21 Bronze Star for meritorious service and the Silver 

22 Star for gallantry in action. 

23 (7) In 1970, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elect24 ed to the Georgia Senate as the youngest member 


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1 and the only Vietnam veteran, where he served until 

2 1975. 

3 (8) As a Georgia State Senator, Joseph Max4 well Cleland authored and advanced legislation to 

5 ensure access to public facilities in Georgia for elder6 ly and handicapped individuals. 

7 (9) In 1976, Joseph Maxwell Cleland began 

8 serving as a staffer on the Committee on Veterans’ 

9 Affairs of the United States Senate. 

10 (10) In 1977, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap11 pointed by President Jimmy Carter to lead the Vet12 erans Administration. 

13 (11) He was the youngest Administrator of the 

14 Veterans Administration ever and the first Vietnam 

15 veteran to head the agency. 

16 (12) He served as a champion for veterans and 

17 led the Veterans Administration to recognize, and 

18 begin to treat, post-traumatic stress disorder in vet19 erans suffering the invisible wounds of war. 

20 (13) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected in 

21 1982 as Secretary of State of Georgia, the youngest 

22 individual to hold the office, and served in that posi23 tion for 14 years. 


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1 (14) In 1996, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was 

2 elected to the United States Senate representing 

3 Georgia. 

4 (15) As a member of the Committee on Armed 

5 Services, Joseph Maxwell Cleland advocated for 

6 Georgia’s military bases, members of the Armed 

7 Forces, and veterans, including by championing key 

8 personnel issues, playing a critical role in the effort 

9 to allow members of the Armed Forces to pass their 

10 GI Bill education benefits to their children, and es11 tablishing a new veterans cemetery in Canton, Geor12 gia. 

13 (16) In 2002, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap14 pointed to the 9/11 Commission. 

15 (17) In 2003, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap16 pointed by President George W. Bush to the Board 

17 of Directors for the Export-Import Bank of the 

18 United States, where he served until 2007. 

19 (18) In 2009, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap20 pointed by President Barack Obama as Secretary of 

21 the American Battle Monuments Commission over22 seeing United States military cemeteries and monu23 ments overseas, where he served until 2017. 

24 (19) In 2010, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap25 pointed Chairman of the Advisory Committee on ArVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:56 Dec 18, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6244.IH H6244

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1 lington National Cemetery, where he served until 

2 2017. 

3 (20) Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored three 

4 books: Strong at the Broken Places, Going for the 

5 Max: 12 Principles for Living Life to the Fullest, 

6 and Heart of a Patriot. 

7 (21) Joseph Maxwell Cleland received numerous 

8 honors and awards over the course of his long and 

9 distinguished career. 

10 (22) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was a patriot, vet11 eran, and lifelong civil servant who proudly served 

12 Georgia, the United States, and all veterans and 

13 members of the Armed Forces of the United States. 

14 (23) On November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, 

15 Joseph Maxwell Cleland died, leaving behind a leg16 acy of service, sacrifice, and joy. 

17 SEC. 3. JOSEPH MAXWELL CLELAND ATLANTA DEPART18 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CEN19 TER. 

20 (a) DESIGNATION.—The medical center of the De21 partment of Veterans Affairs located in metropolitan At22 lanta, Georgia, shall after the date of the enactment of 

23 this Act be known and designated as the ‘‘Joseph Maxwell 

24 Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 


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1 Center’’, or the ‘‘Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA 

2 Medical Center’’. 

3 (b) REFERENCE.—Any reference in a law, regulation, 

4 map, document, paper, or other record of the United 

5 States to the medical center referred to in subsection (a) 

6 shall be considered to be a reference to the Joseph Max7 well Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Med8 ical Center. 

Æ 


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