Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2701, the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act, as amended. I thank my good friend and colleague Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz for introducing this bill.

Madam Speaker, oftentimes veterans who were buried overseas during World Wars I and II were put to rest on foreign soil without the full picture of who they were as people. In life, these servicemen and - women showed courage, honor, respect, dignity, and sacrifice. In death, some have been unfortunately misrepresented.

Not because of malice, but more often circumstances of time, space, and uncertainty, roughly 900 American-Jewish servicemembers were buried under a Latin cross that does not accurately reflect their religious heritage.

The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act seeks to correct this oversight. It formalizes a program with the American Battle Monuments Commission to identify and establish contact with descendants of those fallen servicemembers who were mistakenly buried under the Latin cross and works in partnership with a nonprofit organization to obtain the grave marker that accurately represents their religious heritage and replace the inaccurate headstone.

Acts like this provide a structure to identify our veterans not merely as markers in cemeteries, but as whole humans, with their belief in something greater than even their service--their creator.

I am thankful to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) for championing this effort and for ensuring we are accurately capturing the history and dignity of those who served overseas in some of our most trying conflicts.

Far too often, we think of Arlington National Cemetery or maybe your local veterans cemetery and don't even realize that we have servicemembers buried overseas in plots around the world.

The work of the American Battle Monuments Commission is broad, reaching across 26 permanent American military cemeteries, over 30 memorials, monuments, and markers, in 17 different countries. I encourage all those who have the opportunity to do so to visit one of these cemeteries.

If you find yourself overseas, do an internet search and see if you can stop by an ABMC location. You will be awed and humbled by the emotional sight of seeing the true cost of freedom and sacrifice. I can assure you, you will find a passionate group of caretakers, educators, historians, and advocates who take such care to keep these lands sacred.

It is people like this who continually work to ensure those buried far from home are done so in dignity and with their true heritage represented. Their efforts and the efforts of those who have worked so hard to bring this program and legislation to this point assure that we, as a nation, with our overseas partners, will work continuously for accurate representation and history for our veteran community.

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), my very good friend and author of H.R. 2701. She serves as ranking member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for his indulgence in yielding time to speak in support of my bill, the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act. I thank Chairman Bost for advancing this legislation through his committee and for his indulgence in reordering its consideration on the floor so that I could make it here to actually speak on the bill. I very much appreciate it.

My bill, as you have heard, is straightforward and bipartisan. It rights a wrong that occurred in some cases by accident where a Jewish servicemember was laid to rest under a headstone misidentifying their religion.

It ensures the United States properly honors the religion and heritage of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. It does so by creating a program with the American Battle Monuments Commission to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in U.S. military cemeteries in ABMC purview under headstones that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage.

World War I and World War II were brutal and devastating, leading to challenges of ensuring every fallen American servicemember received the honor and respect of a proper burial.

From World War II alone, it is estimated that 600 American-Jewish servicemembers killed in action remain improperly buried under Latin crosses rather than Stars of David. While some of these improper burials were due to clerical errors, we have heard many stories of Jewish war heroes not wanting to display their faith on their dog tags while fighting against the anti-Semitic and genocidal Nazi regime.

Sadly, this issue is not limited to World War II.

This past spring, I had the honor of participating in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to properly honor two World War I fallen American-Jewish servicemembers, Private David Moser and Private First Class Adolph Hanf. Both were laid to rest for over 100 years under a headstone etched with a Latin cross.

In a moving ceremony sponsored by Private Moser's family, these American heroes' headstones were replaced, properly honoring their heritage after all these years. It was so moving to honor the tremendous sacrifices Jewish Americans paid in service to our Nation, fighting for the same rights and freedoms every American cherishes.

At a moment when anti-Semitism is at record highs, this moment of healing was incredibly special. Knowing that there are hundreds of additional fallen Jewish servicemembers who deserve the same recognition as Private Moser and Private First Class Hanf makes this bill all the more important.

I have been honored by all the wide-ranging organizational support for the bill and for my colleagues who have partnered with me on this mission.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Max Miller for being my co-lead and Senators Moran and Rosen for championing this bill in the Senate.

As the ranking member of Appropriations' Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, which provides funding for the ABMC, I am acutely aware that the programs that Congress authorizes require funding to ensure proper implementation.

In both fiscal year 2026 House and Senate MILCON-VA appropriations bills, we secured $500,000 to carry out this mission with ABMC, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that it stays in the bill as we continue consideration during conference negotiations.

It is critical that Jewish Americans who served our Nation in uniform and paid the ultimate price are able to be laid to rest honoring their religious heritage. Unfortunately, due to the fog of war, hundreds of Jewish servicemembers were denied that last opportunity.

This bill is an important step to allow for the research necessary to correct these errors and ensure there are resources for that work. This will make it possible for these brave Jewish servicemembers' descendants to know that their loved one's military service, life, and religious heritage are properly honored.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 2701 so we can properly honor our fallen Jewish-American servicemembers.

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2701, the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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