I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 91

To name the Department of Veterans Affairs in Houston, Texas, as the 

‘‘Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 7, 2003

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To name the Department of Veterans Affairs in Houston, 

Texas, as the ‘‘Michael E. DeBakey 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. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds as follows: 

5 (1) Dr. Michael E. DeBakey played a critical 

6 role in establishing and developing the Department 

7 of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, 

8 Texas. He has successfully elevated its professional 

9 staff and quality healthcare to meet high standards 

10 of excellence and encouraged minorities to fulfill 
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1 their potential in education, and particularly in the 

2 health professions. 

3 (2) Dr. DeBakey’s dedication to the Depart4 ment of Veterans Affairs Medical Center is ongoing. 

5 He is still chairman of the Dean’s Committee of that 

6 medical center, as he has been since the beginning 

7 of that institution. 

8 (3) Dr. DeBakey brought both the City of 

9 Houston and the State of Texas international rec10 ognition for the Texas Medical Center through his 

11 pioneering of medical research, his leadership at 

12 Baylor College of Medicine, his national and inter13 national medical statesmanship, and his cham14 pioning of the rights and the welfare of the under15 privileged. 

16 (4) Dr. DeBakey is credited with the develop17 ment of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals 

18 (MASH) concepts for the military, which led to sav19 ing thousands of lives during the Korean and Viet20 nam conflicts, as well as the development of special21 ized medical and surgical center systems in order to 

22 treat returning military personnel. 

23 (5) During World War II, Dr. DeBakey served 

24 as a colonel in the United States Army and was as25 signed to the Surgical Consultant Division in the of-
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1 fice of the Surgeon General. His active duty service 

2 was from 1942 to 1946. He remained on active duty 

3 in 1946 and recruited 100 additional specialists to 

4 care for World War II wounded military personnel 

5 in Army specialty centers. 

6 (6) For his service in the Armed Forces, Dr. 

7 DeBakey received the Legion of Merit. 

8 SEC. 2. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

9 MEDICAL CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS. 

10 (a) NAME.—The Department of Veterans Affairs 

11 medical center in Houston, Texas, shall after the date of 

12 the enactment of this Act be known and designated as the 

13 ‘‘Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs 

14 Medical Center’’. 

15 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in any law, regula16 tion, map, document, record, or other paper of the United 

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

18 shall be considered to be a reference to the Michael E. 

19 DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

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