On the recordMay 31, 2012
Once again I thank Chairman Culberson for his work on this situation that occurred at the veterans cemetery in Houston last year. That has been resolved in one specific case. This amendment does something very simple. It ensures that the First Amendment rights of veterans and their families will not be violated by anyone at burial services at our national cemeteries. It's a free speech issue, and it would not allow what has occurred in the past, the speech police of the Veterans Administration to control the words of those that attend burials of our veterans. It would not allow censorship of religion. So I urge support of this amendment, which will ensure the constitutional rights that are in the First Amendment to those that will be buried in the future at all of our national cemeteries.
