Mark Takano

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, today's Special Order hour marks the 10- year anniversary of the enactment of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. This legislation represented the end of an era, the close of a dark chapter in our military history in which LGBTQ members of the Armed Forces were forced to hide who they were under the threat of investigation and discharge. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer servicemembers of that era paid a heavy cost to serve their country, one that required them to uphold an uncompromising oath of integrity while at the same time publicly denying a fundamental aspect of their lives. It is thanks to their resilience, their strength, and their activism that repeal was ever achieved, and we honor those veterans today. I believe it is important to hear from the veterans themselves from those who served and survived Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It is my pleasure this evening to welcome a number of my colleagues to the floor to read the testimony of five individuals who served under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It is my distinct privilege to start with the testimony of Lindsay Church, a Navy veteran who served from 2008 to 2012. Lindsay is a third-generation sailor and the sixth in their family to serve in the military. They are a cofounder and executive director of the veteran serving organization Minority Veterans of America and have nearly a decade of experience in veterans advocacy. And this is Lindsay's story: ``In 2008, I joined the Navy where I would serve for 4 years before being medically retired. I served all but 3 months of my time under the military's discriminatory Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. I could tell you a lot of stories that range from bullying and reprimand for my nonbinary appearance, failed relationships due to the fact that I had to hide them at every turn, and exploitation by other servicemembers threatening to tell my secret if I didn't continue to date them. Even as I spent months recovering from life-changing injuries as a result of my service, I was made to suffer alone because my relationships were legally prohibited. ``As I have unpacked my service as a veteran, I look back at the intense scars that Don't Ask, Don't Tell inflicted on my life. In conversations with other Don't Ask, Don't Tell survivors, I have come to realize that serving under this policy has left a generation of queer servicemembers with intense trauma and a fracture of our identities. For veterans like myself, we were often faced with a choice upon leaving the military and coming to the veteran community: Be a veteran or be queer because you can't be both here. ``It has taken me nearly a decade since leaving the service to find healing and engage in healthy relationships. I couldn't speak out against this policy when I was in uniform, so it is imperative for me today to remind this body that policies like Don't Ask, Don't Tell cause widespread trauma and harm to generations of servicemembers who fought for our country but were forced to remain voiceless. Moral injury will follow with each of us for the rest of our lives. ``My story of service was tarnished by Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Every day I carried a lie while attempting to live up to the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment. I am deeply proud of the years of my life I gave to serving my country, and that will never change. The scars I carry as a result of that service will also never change. Though they may fade, they will never be forgotten.'' So I would like to extend my deep thanks to Lindsay, both for their service and the courage to share their story. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Cicilline for that testimony that he read on behalf of John Hegwood, former Army servicemember. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas) to share the story of Air Force veteran Landon Marchant.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia for sharing the very moving story of Stephanie Merlo, for expressing her humanity on the floor today. The Representative exemplifies, to me, the best of my Caucus, the Democratic Caucus, and the values we stand up for, which is to include more people in ``we the people.'' Madam Speaker, this concludes our Special Order hour. I thank my colleagues for their participation and each of the veterans who shared their stories and, in particular, every veteran and servicemember who gave their service to our country in the face of overwhelming prejudice. We recognize today as the 10th anniversary of an important first step toward making the Armed Forces more inclusive and accepting, a commitment that I and all my colleagues here today will continue to carry forward. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Madam Chair, I express my gratitude to the gentleman from Massachusetts for sharing Hanna Tripp's story. She truly is and was a courageous member of our Armed Forces, and it was very moving testimony. I read it in advance and nearly teared up. I thank the Member for being here today to share with the rest of the country who Hanna is. I thank all the Members for sharing the stories of our LGBTQ members. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Spanberger), my colleague, to share the story of Army veteran Stephanie Merlo.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1281, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 1281.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember the life of Navy Corpsman Steve Andrews, who passed away on January 28, 2017. I thank my colleague, General Bergman from Michigan, for bringing this bill before us so we all can pay tribute to a lifelong public servant. Mr. Speaker, Steve Andrews grew up in Gaylord, Michigan, and graduated from Gaylord High School. He joined the Navy during the Vietnam war in 1967 and served as a hospital corpsman at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Guam. He also served as a medic for the 1st Marine Division and Marine 1st Reconnaissance Company in Vietnam. Mr. Speaker, Corpsman Andrews is credited with saving the lives of numerous marines during his time in Vietnam. In recognition of his exceptional service in combat, he was awarded a Purple Heart and a Navy Commendation Medal. However, Steve Andrew's service to his community and country did not end with military service. He was elected to the 106th District in the Michigan House of Representatives and held office from 1979 to 1982. Steve Andrews remained an active public servant for Petoskey and Emmet County, working as a friend of the court and a board member of the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce and North Central College. He also coached multiple sports teams and was a constant presence in the local community. Steve was also a steward of the arts, helping found Petoskey Art in the Park. He and his wife, Karen, owned and operated Sturgeon River Pottery for 35 years. Corpsman Andrews' dedication to serving his community will inspire Gaylord VA Health Care Clinic staff to serve veterans, just as Steve did. We hope that naming the Gaylord, Michigan, VA Outpatient Clinic after Corpsman Steve Andrews will honor the outstanding care that he provided his fellow soldiers. H.R. 1281 has letters of support from The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Affairs, the Disabled American Veterans, and the American Veterans organization. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record those letters and a resolution in support. Department of Michigan, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Lansing, Michigan, 14 June 2021. To the Honorable Members of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees: The Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Michigan enthusiastically supports the naming of the Gaylord Veteran Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic to be ``Navy Corpsman Steve Andrews Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Clinic''. Steve Andrews was a Navy Corpsman, whose heroic actions in Vietnam are credited for saving countless Marine Corps lives during combat. A Navy Commendation and Purple Heart recipient, Andrews is originally from Gaylord and is a graduate of Gaylord High School. Mr. Andrews was a citizen of Gaylord, where he also served as a friend of the court, coached multiple sports in the region, served as a board member for the chamber of commerce, and was a State Representative for the 106th District from 1979-1982. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, the city of Gaylord, and this great Nation are grateful for the selfless acts of this individual. We hope that by naming this facility after a Purple Heart recipient of the Vietnam War, we might begin to show all Vietnam Veterans how much this country appreciates their sacrifices for this Nation. No matter how long overdue. We thank Congressman Bergman and all Members of Congress who support this meaningful legislation. Respectfully, Kevin Conklin, State Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Michigan. Derek Blumke, State Adjutant/Quartermaster, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Michigan.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 3475, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life of Colonel Robert S. Poydasheff, who passed away on September 24, 2020. I thank my colleague, Representative Sanford Bishop from Georgia, for introducing this legislation so that we can pay tribute to a distinguished servicemember who advocated for veterans throughout his life. Robert Poydasheff received his bachelor of arts in political science from The Citadel in 1954. In 1955, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army as an infantry officer. After completing his law education at Tulane University, Mr. Poydasheff continued his military career in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. Mr. Poydasheff was appointed as legal counsel for the Secretary of the Army, helping to shape better policy for all Army soldiers. He graduated from the United States Army War College in 1976 and retired in 1979, achieving the rank of colonel. During Colonel Poydasheff's 24 years of military service, he was awarded the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, and a Vietnam Ribbon with four battle stars. He truly embodied the highest qualities of military distinction. After retiring from the Army, Colonel Poydasheff was called to serve his community in Georgia. He served on the Columbus, Georgia, City Council from 1994 to 2002, concurrently serving the soldiers at Fort Benning. He went on to be elected as the mayor of Columbus in 2002. In 2012, Colonel Poydasheff was honored by the Army War College Foundation as an outstanding alumnus. H.R. 3475 has letters of support from The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record those letters of support. The American Legion, Department of Georgia, Stockbridge, GA, April 7, 2021. Hon. Mark Takano, Chairman, Hon. Mike Bost, Ranking Member, House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member: This letter is to serve as written support from the American Legion, Department of Georgia for the legislation to be introduced which will name the new Veterans Administration Clinic in Columbus, Georgia as the ``Robert S. Poydasheff Veterans Clinic.'' It is befitting to bestow this honor on Robert Poydasheff, who passed away September 2020, and who served as City Council (1994-2002) and subsequently as Mayor of Columbus (2003-2007). Throughout his mayorship, he was a strong advocate for veterans in the Columbus community. He, too, was a veteran who served in the US Army 24 years before retiring as a Colonel. His military service began as an Infantry Officer with a combat tour in Vietnam. He later transferred to the Judge Advocate General Corps where he worked in various positions for the Secretary of the Army. Mayor Poydasheff embodied the Army values of loyalty, duty, respect, and selfless service to fellow veterans and to this country. It is with honor that the American Legion, Department of Georgia, supports this effort to name the Columbus Veterans Clinic after Robert S. Poydasheff, a very distinguished member of the community. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or the Adjutant, Department of Georgia, Zeste C. Debro. For God and Country . . . Sincerely, Eddie Asberry, Jr., Commander, Department of Georgia.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow), the author of this legislation and also a subcommittee chairman of the Small Business Committee and a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close, but before I do I will just let the gentleman from Colorado know that I am honored to represent the University of California Riverside, which is the repository of the Tuskegee Airmen Collection, which is formerly known as the Tuskegee Airmen Archives. We are proud to have the papers of many of the 992 pilots who graduated from the Tuskegee Air Field courses who advanced race relations in our country. I am certainly hopeful that we will have the availability of the papers from Colonel Mosley that might, if it is not already in our archives, to be added. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Once again, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4172 to name the new VA community-based clinic in Aurora, Colorado, after Lieutenant Colonel John W. Mosley, and by doing so, we will help ensure that his legacy lives on and continues to inspire future generations to break barriers and fight for justice and equality. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4172 to name the VA clinic in Aurora, Colorado, as the Lieutenant Colonel John W. Mosley VA clinic, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4172) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community- based outpatient clinic in Aurora, Colorado, as the ``Lieutenant Colonel John W. Mosley VA Clinic.''

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 4172.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember the life of John W. Mosley, a Denver native who began his legendary service to our Nation in the United States Army Air Corps as a World War II Tuskegee Airman, one of our Nation's first Black military aviators. This bill, H.R. 4172, will name the Department of Veterans Affairs new community-based outpatient clinic in Aurora, Colorado, as the Lieutenant Colonel John W. Mosley VA Clinic. I thank my colleague, Representative Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger, for championing this effort. To say that Lieutenant Colonel Mosley led a remarkable life would be an understatement. Growing up in a segregated neighborhood in Denver, he became valedictorian of his high school class. In 1939, Lieutenant Colonel Mosley became a National Merit Scholar and was one of the first Black students to attend Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, which is now Colorado State University. Mosley was the school's first Black varsity football player and served as vice president of his college class as a junior and as a senior. At the start of the Second World War, Mosley dreamed of serving his country as a pilot. After being denied the opportunity to join the ROTC program in college, Lieutenant Colonel Mosley paid for his own flight physical and started taking flying lessons. And even after the Army Air Corps established the Tuskegee Airmen program in June 1941, Mosley was not initially drafted to join them. Mosley was instead sent to an artillery unit at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Mosley protested, writing letters to Members of Congress and the President until he was finally accepted into the Tuskegee unit. Together, the Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 missions over North Africa and Europe during World War II. Lieutenant Colonel Mosley later served as a pilot in the Berlin Airlift, delivering loads of supplies to the Soviet-blockaded sectors of the city. Upon Lieutenant Colonel Mosley's death in 2015 at the age of 93, his son, Eric, told the Denver Post that Lieutenant Colonel Mosley always said that ``he had to fight in order to fight. . . . He had to struggle to be able to fight for his country.'' Having paved the way as a Tuskegee Airman, Lieutenant Colonel Mosley later worked with the Truman administration to draft policies that would eventually fully integrate the United States Armed Forces. Mosley went on to serve our Nation in the United States Air Force during the Korean war and Vietnam war, retiring in 1970. Mosley then joined the Federal civil service, becoming a special assistant to the undersecretary in the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare before finally returning home to Colorado where he and his wife, Edna, continued their civil rights advocacy. I should also mention that Edna Mosley was a trailblazer in her own right, becoming Aurora, Colorado's, first African American city councilwoman in 1992. H.R. 4172 has letters of support from our Colorado delegation colleagues, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans. Mr. Speaker, I include these letters in the Record. Congress of the United States, Washington, DC. Hon. Jon Tester, Chairman, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington,

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 5293, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TAKANO

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on S. 189.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Luria), my good friend and the chair of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee.

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing S. 189, The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021, and I yield back the balance of my time.