IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 851 
Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the naming 
of new or undedicated facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
after women veterans and minority veterans in order to reflect the 
diversity of all who have served in the Armed Forces of the United 
States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 
Ms. BROWNLEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for 
the naming of new or undedicated facilities of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs after women veterans and 
minority veterans in order to reflect the diversity of 
all who have served in the Armed Forces of the United 
States. 
Whereas, as of November 2023, out of over 1,300 health care 
facilities of the Department of Veterans of Affairs, 14 
are named for members of minority groups and four are 
named for women veterans; 
Whereas millions of women and members of minority groups 
have served in the Armed Forces of the United States 
since the founding of the Nation; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:08 Nov 09, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR851.IH
HR851
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
•HRES 851 IH 
Whereas, during the Revolutionary War, Margaret Corbin 
and Deborah Sampson were among the first women to 
serve in combat, and women served in other roles, includ-
ing a woman who served as Agent 355 in George Wash-
ington’s spy ring; 
Whereas, during the Civil War, hundreds of women disguised 
themselves as men to serve in the military, and others 
served as nurses, spies, and administrators; 
Whereas Harriet Tubman became the first American woman 
known to lead troops in combat; 
Whereas for her service during the Civil War, Dr. Mary 
Edwards Walker became the first and only woman to re-
ceive the Medal of Honor; 
Whereas women have been formally part of the Armed Forces 
since the founding of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 and 
the Navy Nurse Corps in 1908; 
Whereas many of the Nation’s heroes have been denied 
awards and recognition for their service due to systematic 
racial discrimination and anti-Semitism; 
Whereas Crispus Attucks was the first American to be killed 
in the Boston Massacre, which laid the foundation of 
American independence and freedom; 
Whereas Black servicemembers volunteered to participate and 
fight in every major war that America has engaged in, 
since the Revolutionary War, despite a legacy of slavery, 
segregated units, the Jim Crow era, discriminatory voting 
statutes, job restrictions, and the denial of benefits re-
lated to their service; 
Whereas the first African-American pilots in the United 
States Air Force, often referred to as the Tuskegee Air-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:08 Nov 09, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR851.IH
HR851
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
•HRES 851 IH 
men, destroyed over 250 German aircraft and destroyed 
over 950 supply vehicles in World War II; 
Whereas, during World War II, Tuskegee Airmen were 
awarded 8 Purple Hearts, 15 Bronze Stars, 150 Distin-
guished Flying Crosses, and nearly 750 other Air Medals; 
Whereas members of the LGBTQ community and their allies 
fought a campaign for the ability to serve their country 
openly and ultimately succeeded in lifting those restric-
tions; 
Whereas the success of the movement for equal service for 
the LGBTQ community has suffered a setback by way of 
administrative action which currently restricts the ability 
of transgender people to serve openly; 
Whereas Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected offi-
cials in the United States, previously served in the 
United States Navy as a diving officer; 
Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the 
highest per-capita proportion of any population to serve 
in the Armed Forces, including the Cherokee, Choctaw, 
and Assiniboine code talkers of World War I and Coman-
che, Mohawk, Muscogee, and Navajo code talkers of 
World War II; 
Whereas 60 Latino servicemembers have received the Medal 
of Honor, including eight from Puerto Rico and seven 
who were born outside of the United States, among them 
Rodolfo P. Herna´ndez, a son of a farmworker family who 
earned the Medal of Honor for his actions and near- 
death injuries in Korea; 
Whereas Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Is-
landers have served in the United States Armed Forces 
since the War of 1812, including Telesforo Trinidad, the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:08 Nov 09, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR851.IH
HR851
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS
•HRES 851 IH 
only member of the Armed Forces to receive a Medal of 
Honor for actions in peacetime; 
Whereas women and members of minority groups have served 
in every military role, from infantry soldier to cyber war-
fare engineer; 
Whereas the United States is proud of and appreciates the 
service of all women veterans and minority veterans who 
have demonstrated great courage and commitment to de-
fending the principles upon which the United States was 
founded and which the United States continues to up-
hold; and 
Whereas, by naming new or undedicated facilities of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs for women veterans and mi-
nority veterans, the House of Representatives could— 
(1) highlight the historic and enduring presence of 
women and members of minority groups in the Armed 
Forces and the National Guard; and 
(2) pay respect to women veterans and minority vet-
erans for their valiant service and sacrifice on behalf of 
the United States: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports 
the naming of new or undedicated facilities of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs after women veterans and minor-
ity veterans in order to reflect the diversity of all who have 
served in the Armed Forces of the United States. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:08 Nov 09, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR851.IH
HR851
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS