{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399912", "<span class=\"kicker\">Smith bill will allow veterans' families to participate in Library of Congress project</span>Senate Sends Gold Star Families Voices Act to the President", "2016-11-15", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "After unanimous House passage in September, the Senate voted today to send the Gold Star Families Voices Act (HR 4511) to the President for his signature. The legislation, authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), will allow immediate family members of servicemembers who are killed or missing in action or have died as a result of their service to participate in the Library of Congress\u2019 Veterans History Project.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cToday\u2019s vote honors the men and women who gave \u2018the last full measure of devotion\u2019 in the service of our Nation by allowing their family members to tell their stories, so that all Americans can hear, appreciate, remember, and honor these patriots,\u201d said Smith, former chairman of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee. \u201cPreserving their memories will allow current and future generations of Americans to better understand and appreciate the sacrifices borne by those who served in uniform, the realities of war, and the narrative that helps define who we are as a nation.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cSenate passage today\u2014which was secured by the hard work of my good friend and colleague Chairman Roy Blunt\u2014will build on this collection and ensure we record and remember the lives and sacrifices of all who have served and provide the very deserving family members with the opportunity to create a lasting record of their fallen loved ones,\u201d Smith continued.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Congress created the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress in 2000 to collect and catalog the stories of American war veterans. The project has been a great success. Earlier this year, the Library announced that it reached a milestone: it has collected more than 100,000 testimonies of veterans who have served in military engagements since World War I in our permanent record.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Currently the project accepts only first-hand accounts of living veterans, unintentionally leaving out the men and women who did not return from the battlefield. Under Smith\u2019s bill, immediate family members can participate on a veteran\u2019s behalf including parents, spouses, siblings and/or children.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 After passage in the Senate, Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) added: \u201cWe would not be the nation we are today if not for the profound acts of courage and selflessness of our fallen heroes. We, as Americans, owe it to these men and women to know their names, to honor their deeds, and to preserve their memories. The Gold Star Families Voices Act makes an invaluable project even better by giving the family members of our missing and fallen service members the opportunity to share their stories and ensure they become a part of our nation\u2019s historical record. I thank American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. and Representative Chris Smith for championing this bill, and my Senate colleagues for getting it to the President\u2019s desk.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cCongress created the Library of Congress\u2019 Veterans History Project to turn the memories of our warfighters into our history and memorialize the lives of heroes. Yet, conspicuously missing from the rich project\u2019s history are the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice,\u201d said Smith.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smith\u2019s bill is endorsed by the New Jersey Gold Star Mothers organization, whose President, Judi Tapper\u2014the proud mother of Petty Officer First Class David Tapper, a Navy Seal who was killed in Afghanistan on August 20, 2003\u2014stated: \u201cNever in history has there been a forum to replace our heroes\u2019 silenced voices. This legislation provides it. In their names, may their stories be told.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Second Vice President of the National American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., Becky Christmas, said: \u201cRep. Smith\u2019s legislation gives our children a voice that they no longer have. The Gold Star Families Voices Act will ensure that the experiences and lives of all veterans, including our sons and daughters who fought and died for our country, are remembered, honored and preserved. As Gold Star Parents, we are encouraged to know that the bill is closer to becoming a reality. Our hearts are touched, that our children who gave so much, continue to be heard.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smith praised the Gold Star Mothers and highlighted their continued advocacy: \u201cThe Gold Star Mothers are an incredibly inspiring, committed and dedicated group of women who have worked tirelessly and successfully to bring about meaningful change to better the lives of servicemembers, veterans and their families.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399912"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8614999242126942, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}