[Pages H8457-H8459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MAX CLELAND VA MEDICAL CENTER ACT

Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 3369) to designate the medical center of the Department of
Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, as the ``Joseph
Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

S. 3369

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Max Cleland VA Medical
Center Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was born August 24, 1942, in
Atlanta, Georgia, the child of Juanita Kesler Cleland and
Joseph Hughie Cleland, a World War II veteran, and grew up in
Lithonia, Georgia.
(2) Joseph Maxwell Cleland graduated from Stetson
University in Florida in 1964, and received his Master's
Degree in history from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
(3) Following his graduation from Stetson University,
Joseph Maxwell Cleland received a Second Lieutenant's
Commission in the Army through its Reserve Officers' Training
Corps program.
(4) Joseph Maxwell Cleland volunteered for duty in the
Vietnam War in 1967, serving with the 1st Cavalry Division.
(5) On April 8, 1968, during combat at the mountain base at
Khe Sanh, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was gravely injured by the
blast of a grenade, eventually losing both his legs and right
arm.
(6) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was awarded the Bronze Star for
meritorious service and the Silver Star for gallantry in
action.
(7) In 1970, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the
Georgia Senate as the youngest member and the only Vietnam
veteran, where he served until 1975.
(8) As a Georgia State Senator, Joseph Maxwell Cleland
authored and advanced legislation to ensure access to public
facilities in Georgia for elderly and handicapped
individuals.
(9) In 1976, Joseph Maxwell Cleland began serving as a
staffer on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the United
States Senate.
(10) In 1977, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by
President Jimmy Carter to lead the Veterans Administration.
(11) He was the youngest Administrator of the Veterans
Administration ever and the first Vietnam veteran to head the
agency.
(12) He served as a champion for veterans and led the
Veterans Administration to recognize, and begin to treat,
post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans suffering the
invisible wounds of war.
(13) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected in 1982 as
Secretary of State of Georgia, the youngest individual to
hold the office, and served in that position for 14 years.
(14) In 1996, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected to the
United States Senate representing Georgia.
(15) As a member of the Committee on Armed Services, Joseph
Maxwell Cleland advocated for Georgia's military bases,
members of the Armed Forces, and veterans, including by
championing key personnel issues, playing a critical role in
the effort to allow members of the Armed Forces to pass their
GI Bill education benefits to their children, and
establishing a new veterans cemetery in Canton, Georgia.
(16) In 2002, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed to the
9/11 Commission.
(17) In 2003, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by
President George W. Bush to the Board of Directors for the
Export-Import Bank of the United States, where he served
until 2007.
(18) In 2009, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed by
President Barack Obama as Secretary of the American Battle
Monuments Commission overseeing United States military
cemeteries and monuments overseas, where he served until
2017.
(19) In 2010, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was appointed Chairman
of the Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery,
where he served until 2017.
(20) Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored three books: Strong at
the Broken Places, Going for the Max: 12 Principles for
Living Life to the Fullest, and Heart of a Patriot.
(21) Joseph Maxwell Cleland received numerous honors and
awards over the course of his long and distinguished career.
(22) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was a patriot, veteran, and
lifelong civil servant who proudly served Georgia, the United
States, and all veterans and members of the Armed Forces of
the United States.
(23) On November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, Joseph Maxwell
Cleland died, leaving behind a legacy of service, sacrifice,
and joy.

SEC. 3. JOSEPH MAXWELL CLELAND ATLANTA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER.

(a) Designation.--The medical center of the Department of
Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, shall
after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and
designated as the ``Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center'' or the ``Joseph Maxwell
Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center''.
(b) Reference.--Any reference in a law, regulation, map,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
medical center referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed
to be a reference to the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ellzey) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.

General Leave

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 include extraneous material on S. 3369.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my support for S. 3369, a bill that will
appropriately rename the Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia,
in honor of Joseph Maxwell Cleland, an Army veteran, an American
statesman, and a distinguished public servant for more than 50 years.
Senator Cleland, who died a year ago this month, long displayed a
commitment to assisting disabled American veterans, so it is fitting
that part of his enduring legacy includes the naming of this facility,
which provides care to so many Georgia men and women who raised their
hands and answered the call to serve.
I thank Senator Raphael Warnock for championing this legislation,
which unanimously passed the Senate this summer, and I also acknowledge
the work of my colleague Representative Nikema Williams for introducing
a House companion to the bill.
Senator Cleland was born in Atlanta in 1942 and raised a couple of
hours away in Lithonia, Georgia. He was an exemplary student at
Lithonia High School and went on to study American history at Stetson
University in central Florida and Emory University in Atlanta.
Senator Cleland received a military commission through Stetson's ROTC
program. He volunteered for service in the Vietnam war in 1967 and was
promoted to Army captain.
On April 8, 1968, with a month left on his tour, Senator Cleland and
other members of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Calvary Regiment were dropped
by helicopter on a hillside outside Khe Sanh to set up a radio relay
station. Senator Cleland reached down to pick up a grenade he thought
had fallen from his flak jacket when the grenade exploded, causing
several injuries to his lower body. Both of Senator Cleland's legs and
his right forearm were amputated, and the Senator, then just 25 years
old, used a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
For his meritorious service and gallantry in action, Senator Cleland
was awarded the Bronze and Silver Stars.
Upon his return to the U.S., Senator Cleland was elected to the
Georgia Senate, becoming the youngest member and only Vietnam veteran
in that body.
In 1976, he was appointed to the staff of the U.S. Senate Veterans'
Affairs Committee, where he investigated hospitals in the Veterans
Administration healthcare system and their treatment of wounded
servicemembers returning from Vietnam.
The following year, at age 34, President Carter tapped Senator
Cleland to head the Veterans Administration,

[[Page H8458]]

making him the youngest administrator in VA history and the first
Vietnam veteran to serve in this role.
As VA administrator, Senator Cleland was instrumental in creating the
Vet Center program, which decades later still provides a wide range of
counseling services to veterans who experience trauma, loss, grief, and
pain as a result of their military service. In doing so, Senator
Cleland saved and improved the lives of an untold number of veterans.
He advanced the conversation around the unseen wounds of war and helped
reduce the stigma that all too often surrounds a veteran who seeks
needed mental health care.
Following 12 years of service as Georgia's Secretary of State,
Senator Cleland was elected to the United States Senate in 1996.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Cleland
continued to be a forceful advocate for veterans and sought to improve
military recruitment and retention, pay, and compensation, and pension
and health benefits.
He played a critical role in the effort to allow former
servicemembers to pass unused GI Bill benefits on to their dependent
children, an initiative that has given generations of veteran families
the opportunity to receive an affordable education.
Following his electoral defeat in 2002, Senator Cleland was appointed
to the 9/11 Commission but resigned shortly thereafter and was critical
of the George W. Bush administration's lack of transparency regarding
key documents and government witnesses the Commission requested.
In 2009, President Obama selected Senator Cleland to lead the
American Battle Monuments Commission, an independent government agency
that manages 26 American cemeteries and 30 memorials, monuments, and
markers abroad.
For those who have not visited any of these sites, I highly recommend
that you do so.

{time} 1515

This past Memorial Day, I led a congressional delegation to two ABMC
cemeteries: the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunisia and the
Cambridge American Cemetery in the United Kingdom. These sites serve as
a solemn reminder of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to our
Nation during the First and Second World Wars, and they truly uphold
the words of General John J. Pershing, Commander of the American
Expeditionary Forces in World War I and the first chairman of the ABMC
who promised that, through these monuments, ``time will not dim the
glory of their deeds.''
It is my hope that the same will be true in naming this hospital, one
of the largest in the VA healthcare system, in Senator Cleland's
memory.
S. 3369 has been strongly endorsed by The American Legion, Veterans
of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans, and I implore all of
my colleagues to pass this bill today without further delay.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank Senator Warnock and Representative
Williams for proposing this legislation and for their tireless work on
behalf of our Nation's veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3369, a bill to name the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia, as
the Max Cleland VA Medical Center.
Joseph Maxwell Cleland was born in 1942 in Atlanta, Georgia. Through
his storied career, he always returned to his native State. Immediately
after college, Max Cleland received his second lieutenant's commission
in the Army. He volunteered for duty in the Vietnam war, serving with
the 1st Calvary Division.
In 1968, during the Battle of Khe Sanh, then-Captain Cleland, upon
landing on a nearby hill to set up a radio relay station, was gravely
injured by an accidental blast of a team member's grenade. He
eventually lost both legs and his right arm.
While serving, he earned the Bronze Star for meritorious service and
the Silver Star for gallantry in action, in addition to the Purple
Heart.
Returning to his home State, Max Cleland continued his service and
was elected to the Georgia Senate as the youngest member and then the
only Vietnam veteran. He became known as a staunch advocate for
increasing public access for handicapped individuals as well as for his
fellow veterans.
In 1977, Max Cleland was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to lead
the Veterans Administration, the first Vietnam veteran to lead the
agency. He was instrumental in transforming the way the Veterans
Administration recognized and treated post-traumatic stress disorder in
veterans suffering from the invisible wounds of war. After that
assignment, he served as the secretary of state for Georgia for 14
years, and then he was elected to the United States Senate representing
Georgia.
In this position, and in numerous subsequent assignments, he never
forgot his fellow brothers and sisters in arms. He made it his life's
work to champion military personnel matters and to honor the fallen at
military cemeteries and monuments overseas and veteran cemeteries at
home.
In spite of many physical challenges, Max Cleland received numerous
honors and awards over the course of his long and distinguished career.
His spirit served as an inspiration, and that same spirit will
continue to inspire excellence at the Atlanta VA Medical Center which
should proudly bear his name.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Bishop). Chairman Sanford Bishop is a very good friend who
serves as a subcommittee chair on the Appropriations Committee. He is a
cardinal and also a former member of the House Veterans' Affairs
Committee.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for
yielding.
This is a wonderful opportunity for me to come and to congratulate
the chair, my colleague, Senator Warnock, and my colleague, Nikema
Williams, for the naming of the VA Medical Center of Atlanta the Joseph
Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Senator Cleland and I were friends. He was my friend, he was my
mentor, and he was truly an inspiration.
I had the opportunity to know him. He served as secretary of state
for the State of Georgia for 12 years. During that time, I was in the
Georgia General Assembly. When he was elected to the United States
Senate in 1996, I had the occasion to be a colleague with him as I was
a Member of the House of Representatives.
He truly represented and embodied what it meant to be a veteran:
service and sacrifice.
He was a triple amputee because of his wounds in Vietnam as a veteran
and, of course, he was appointed by President Carter to head the VA. Of
course, he served as the head of the American Battle Monuments
Commission and I, as a member of the Military Construction/Veterans'
Affairs Committee, had to work with him in making sure that these
monuments were well-funded and well-maintained. He did a tremendous
job.
Mr. Speaker, I had to come and speak because he was my friend, and he
was my colleague and my inspiration. It is very, very fitting that this
facility should be named for him because of his legacy.
Longfellow wrote:

``Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives
sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on
the sands of time.''

Senator Cleland lost both legs and an arm, but the footprints that he
left and is leaving are his legacy for veterans that will be there
forever. I am happy to urge my colleagues to support this legislation
which appropriately names the facility in his honor.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his very heartfelt
remarks, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am
prepared to close.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I will just say
that I take note that Senator Cleland had much to do with the
establishment of vet centers. I know from the experience of my own
veterans how much vet centers make a difference in their lives.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for S. 3369
from The

[[Page H8459]]

American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American
Veterans, as well as the Georgia delegation.

The American Legion,

Department of Georgia,

Stockbridge, GA, May 16, 2022.
Representative Nikema Williams,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Representative Williams and Senator Warnock: The
American Legion Department of Georgia is in full support of
H.R. 6244 and S. 3369: the Max Cleland VA Medical Center Act.
We respectfully implore and sincerely request that the U.S.
Congress rename the Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center as: ``The Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.''
Senator Cleland's distinguished service and noble legacy
are still remembered by his fellow Georgians, the nation, and
the countless veterans whose lives were greatly improved as a
result of his commitment to better healthcare and veterans'
services. Renaming the Atlanta VA Medical Center is but a
fraction of the tremendous gratitude that our U.S. Congress
can do to honor a true champion of veteran affairs.
For God and Country. . .

Mark Shreve,

State Commander,
Department of Georgia.
____

Veterans of Foreign Wars,

April 18, 2022.
Hon. Nikema Williams,
U.S. Representative (GA-05),
Washington, DC.
Dear Representative Williams: On Behalf of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars Department of Georgia and as Commander of the
Department of Georgia (2021-2022), I am writing to support
the legislation as proposed by Representative Williams and
Senator Warnock (H.R. 6244/S.3369), that will rename the
Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, to the
Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center.
Kevin Hammond,
Commander Department of Georgia.
____

DAV,

April 13, 2022.
REF: Support of Renaming Atlanta VA Medical Center

Matt Alexis,
Legislative Assistant,
Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05).
Georgia Delegation in the United States Congress: U.S.
Representative Nikema Williams and Senator Rev. Raphael
Warnock introduced (H.R. 6244/S. 3369) which will name the
Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in
Atlanta, Georgia, ``the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta
department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.''
Disabled American Veterans Department of Georgia gives our
full support in naming the Atlanta VAMC for the late Senator
Joseph Maxwell Cleland.
Senator Cleland distinguished himself with numerous
meritorious accolades during his lifetime. Naming the Medical
center in his honor would be a tribute to his life's work for
veterans.
Thank you to his family and friends and for your service to
this country.
Sincerely,
Sadie Hill,
Sr. Vice Commander.
____

Congress of the United States,

Washington, DC, July 7, 2022.
Hon. Jon Tester,
Chairman, Committee on Veterans Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Jerry Moran,
Ranking Member, Committee on Veterans Affairs, Washington,
DC.
Dear Chairman Tester and Ranking Member Moran: We are
writing to request your support to name the Atlanta
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta,
Georgia, the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Senator Max Cleland was a veteran who fought for veterans
and whose efforts indelibly changed how our nation cares for
veterans today. He volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1967
and suffered severe combat injuries in 1968, eventually
losing three of his limbs. He was awarded the Bronze Star and
Silver Star. In 1977, Senator Cleland was appointed by
fellow-Georgian President Jimmy Carter to be the youngest
ever Administrator of the Veterans Administration (VA).
Because of his efforts, the VA revamped its care of the
invisible wounds of veterans, recognized, and began to treat
post-traumatic stress disorder.
Senator Cleland was also a tireless champion of Georgia and
Georgians. Born in Atlanta and raised in Lithonia, he served
as a Georgia State Senator, Georgia Secretary of State, and
eventually U.S. Senator from Georgia. As a member of the
Armed Services Committee, he fought for Georgia's military
installations while also focused on the personnel needs of
the military. Senator Cleland played a critical role in the
expansion of GI Bill education benefits.
On November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, Senator Cleland
died, leaving behind a legacy of service, sacrifice, and joy.
He served Georgia, the nation, and, in particular, veterans
continuously during his 50 years of public service, improving
their lives in countless ways. We believe renaming the
Atlanta VA Medical Center for Senator Cleland is most
appropriate for a man who spent his live serving those who
walk its halls. We hope that the Senate Committee on Veteran
Affairs will give our request immediate consideration.
Sincerely,
Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff, Nikema Williams, Hank Johnson,
Andrew S. Clyde, Lucy McBath, Austin Scott, David Scott,
Barry Loudermilk, Carolyn Bourdeaux, Sanford D. Bishop Jr.,
A. Drew Ferguson IV, Earl L. ``Buddy'' Carter, Rick W. Allen,
Majorie Taylor Greene, Jody Hice, Members of Congress.

Mr. TAKANO. So, Mr. Speaker, this is a fitting tribute. I ask all of
my colleagues to join me in passing S. 3369, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Once again, as we talk about heroism, you can't summarize in 3 minutes
the heroism of these men. Max Cleland lost two legs and an arm, and
this is a well-deserved honor.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 3369.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

____________________